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Policies
and Procedures 2005-6
The International School Of Screen Acting has written policy statements
on the following:
Mission
Statement
Student Charter
Code Of Conduct
Equal Opportunities
Complaints Procedure
Health & Safety
Rights
and Standards
Student Fees Liabilty
Important Notes
Mission
Statement
The International School Of Screen Acting is a facility providing
training for students aged 18 years and above at 3 Mills Studios,
Unit 3 Sugar House Business Centre, 24 Sugar House Lane, London
E15 2 QS. The school will be open from 10.30
am
until 10.00
pm, Mondays to Fridays to meet the needs of the students. Places
at the school will be available through an audition process that
will be held at regular intervals throughout the year. Places will
be open to students of any nationality.
Aims & Objectives
The aim of this policy statement is to ensure that all reasonably
practical steps are taken to ensure the health, safety and welfare
of all persons using the premises. To achieve this we will actively
work towards the following objectives:
a) To establish and maintain safe and healthy environment throughout
the school.
b) To establish and maintain safe working procedures amongst
staff and students.
c) To make arrangements for ensuring safety and the absence of
risks to health in connection with the use, handling, storage
and transport
of articles of equipment and substances.
d) To ensure the provision of sufficient information, instruction
and supervision to enable all people working in or using the
school to avoid hazards and contribute positively to their own
safety
and health at work and to ensure that they have access to health
and
safety training as and when provided.
e) To maintain a safe and healthy place of work and safe access
and egress from it.
f) To formulate effective procedures for use in case of fire
and other emergencies and for evacuating the school premises.
g) To follow the regulations of Health & Safety at Work Act
1974 and any other relevant legislation. Student Charter
The International School Of Screen Acting has drawn up its own Student
Charter to summarize the standards that you can expect as a student
taking the screen-acting course with us and to set out your responsibilities.
Although the school's Student Charter provides a set of benchmarks,
it is not a contractual document between students and the school.
The Schools commitment to standards:
The International School Of Screen Acting's commitment
to quality in teaching, assessment and student support
is currently being established.
The school offers a comprehensive curriculum, designed to meet
students' vocational needs. The school believes in equal
opportunities for
all. It is open to every section of the community regardless of
background or circumstance, and it makes every effort to
create conditions in
which all students can participate fully and equally in school
activities.
What you can expect from the school:
- To
give you clear and accurate information about the course
you are training on.
- To offer you individual guidance about your development and progress
on the course by way of monthly surgeries.
- To give you clear instructions about how to pay fees.
- To offer you clear and up to date information about financial assistance
including career development loans.
- To provide you with teaching materials where necessary.
- To
offer you guidance and assistance in developing accompanying
skills in the TV & film industry.
- To provide tutors who will offer you training support and give you
constructive written reports at the end of each module.
- To assess your work fairly and objectively with internal monitoring
for each module including your year-end film project.
- To provide clear and accurate information about regulations and disciplinary
procedures.
-
To give you, if you notify the school of a disability or health difficulty,
information and assistance to aid you in your training with the school.
- To
publish and put into practice the schools policy on equal opportunities
and its code of practice on harassment.
- To operate a safety policy that ensures, as far as is practical,
the health and safety of staff and students while undertaking school
activities.
- To supply, upon authorization, a confidential reference or information
about your training with the school.
- To give you opportunities (such as questionnaires, representation,
and a formal complaint procedure) to register your views about
your course, tuition and support services.
The School intends to establish an international
reputation for the quality of its teaching. It
regards the maintenance
of quality as of the highest importance and therefore
will strive
for
continuous improvement in its performance. It will
listen to the views of its students, and in particular
values
their opinions
about courses
and
tuition.
What the school expects from you:
The International School Of Screen
Acting is an educational unit that
functions
on the basis
of
mutual respect
and responsibilities. The Uk Government's
Charter for Higher
Education makes clear
that
students themselves have certain
responsibilities.
The school will do its best to
maintain the standards and provide
the services
specified
in this charter,
but can
only do it if you
help by:
- Observing
the schools regulations, policies and procedures.
- Informing the school of your current contact details.
- Responding to communications sent to you by the school.
- Meeting deadlines, including paying fees according to the published
schedules.
- Studying any learning materials and making use of the tutoring, counselling
and support provided.
- Respecting any guidelines given to you by either a tutor or the school.
- Informing the school if you have a disability or health difficulty
that might affect your training so that the school can make every
attempt to provide you with appropriate facilities.
- Upholding the schools policy on equal opportunities and its code
of practice on harassment.
- Acting, in school activities, with reasonable care for your own safety
and that of others.
- Seeking early help and guidance from your tutor or principal if things
seem to be going wrong.
What to do if these standards are not met:
If you think that any of these standards has not been
met, in the first instance you should communicate with
your tutor. Usually things
can be put right immediately, but if you are dissatisfied
with the response you receive you might want to register
a formal complaint.
Feedback:
The school is always pleased to receive feedback from students
and will take steps to solicit specific feedback from
time to time.
Complaints:
Just as your comments, favourable or otherwise, are valued
by the school, complaints are also seen as an important
source of information
that helps to maintain standards and make improvements.
The school has a formal complaint procedure (outlined
below)
and makes every
effort to deal with complaints thoroughly, fairly and
as quickly as possible. CODE OF CONDUCT
Personal Relationships between staff and students:
Introduction:
The
International School Of Screen Acting values and
aims to maintain good professional relationships
between staff and students. These
depend on mutual trust and confidence, and on the boundaries
of the professional role being recognized
and maintained. Professional relationships
between staff and students can give rise to serious questions
of
conflict of interest; bias; of breaches of confidentiality;
of
unfairness in teaching, counselling and
assessment and of challenges of unprofessional
conduct. Close personal relationships can undermine the integrity
of these processes. They can also seriously disrupt learning
for other students. Such relationships
include family relationships;
financial and business relationships; employee and employer
relationships outside the International School
Of Screen Acting context; and
sexual or personal relationships.
Policy & Procedures:
- Staff
should recognize their professional responsibility
to protect the interest of students, to respect
the trust involved in
the staff - student relationship, and to accept the constraints and obligations
inherent in their role.
- Any member of staff who has close personal relationships with a student
whose work he or she is responsible for assessing, teaching
or counselling responsibility should declare this to an appropriate principal,
who
will decide on any changes or actions that are required.
Such a declaration
will be treated in strict confidence. If any student declares
such a relationship, the same procedure will be followed.
- The rights and responsibilities of students and staff under the code
on dealing with harassment remain unaffected.
This policy applies to all staff employed by
The International School Of Screen Acting
and to all
International School Of
Screen Acting
students.
Equal Opportunities
The
International School Of Screen Acting recognizes
and welcomes all legislation and existing codes
of practice produced by the appropriate
commissions for the promotion of equal opportunities for all.
The
school aims to ensure that individuals are recruited,
selected, trained and promoted on the basis of
occupational skill requirements.
In this respect, the school will ensure that no job applicant
or employee or user will receive less favourable
treatment on the grounds
of age, gender, marital status, race, religion, colour, cultural
or national origin or sexuality, which cannot be justified
as being necessary for the safe and effective performance
of the work or training
for the work.
This policy is brought to the attention of every employee and
applicant and user.
Race & Culture
The
International School of Screen Acting believes
that it is the right of every employee and
student to be treated as
an equal and
with respect and that no religion or culture is inherently
superior to any other.
1)
The school will not tolerate racism in any form.
2)
The school is committed to actively promoting equal
opportunities at all times and to challenge
those who do not do so.
3)
To challenge any form of racial abuse and report
any incidents of this nature to the
appropriate staff.
4)
All employees will be continually reviewing working
practice and relationships in order
to provide the
best service to
all student
and staff users.
Complaints
Procedure
The
International School Of Screen Acting is committed
to providing high quality services and is anxious
to resolve any shortcomings
in the standard of services it provides. The school also regards
complaints as an important source of information for improving
its services for the future.
Definition
of a complaint:
The
school defines a complaint as an expression of
dissatisfaction concerning the provision of
the programme of study or related administrative
service, when the complainant has drawn their concern to the
attention
of the school and is not satisfied with the response. This
definition excludes complaints covered by the following
separate school
procedures:
Code
of practice on student discipline
Dealing
with harassment: Code of practice for students
Staff
disciplinary code
Code
on personal relationships between staff and students
Appeals
on decisions concerning student progress and assessment.
If
you want advice before making a complaint or before
taking a complaint
to the next
stage the Complaints Officer will
be
happy to help you.
No formal complaint will be registered unless you
explicitly request it.
Before
you make a complaint:
If
you experience problems with any aspect of the
Schools training
or administrative services
you should
draw
them to the attention
of the appropriate area of the school as soon
as possible so that we can take the appropriate
remedial
action
without delay.
It is
essential that you act immediately if there
is a possibility that your training
will be adversely
affected by any
problem you have
encountered. If you have problems with scheduling
or other aspects of training arrangements you
should tell
us immediately
as we
might be able to offer a solution. The same
thing applies to financial
problems.
The
school cannot accept responsibility for problems
that adversely affect the quality or outcome
of your training
if you delay
drawing our attention to them until it is
too late for us to put things
right.
If you have drawn problems to our attention
and you are not satisfied with our response,
you
are entitled
to
make a formal
complaint.
Making a formal complaint:
Stage One
Ensure your complaint is accurately recorded with time and date.
We encourage you to put it in writing, seal it in an envelope
and deliver it to the office marked for the attention of
the Complaints
Officer. We will send a reply within 10 working days. If we can't
give you a full reply within that time we will indicate when
we are likely to be able to do so. To safeguard confidentiality
our reply
will be sent to you by post.
Stage
Two
If, when you receive our reply to your complaint,
you are not satisfied that everything possible
has been done to answer it, you can ask
for your case to be reviewed by one of the principals of the
school. You should include:
- Full
details of the substance of your complaint and
all matters related to it.
- Details of other areas of the school you have had contact in relation
to your complaint
- Copies of any previous correspondence with the school related to
your complaint, or sufficient information to help us trace
such correspondence quickly.
You
are also invited to suggest what action you think
the school should take to resolve
your complaint
Stage
Three
If when you have had a full reply from one of
the principals, you are still not satisfied that
everything
possible
has been done to
answer your complaint, you can ask the complaints
officer to refer it to the joint principals.
You will receive
an acknowledgement
within
three working days. The joint principals will
investigate whether the matter has been handled
fairly in accordance
with the school's
policy and procedures, and whether anything
more should be done. The joint principals will
send
a reply to
your complaint
within ten
working days of the date that the complaint
being drawn to their attention. If this is not
possible
then you
will be
contacted again
to let you know when you can expect a full
reply.
The
reply from the joint principals will explain the
basis of their decision. The joint principals
decision
will be
final.
Rights
and responsibilities:
The School will
- Deal
promptly with all complaints within the time
limits set out in these notes.
- Make sure that all points raised by you are properly dealt with,
and that relies explain the outcomes
as clearly as possible.
- Handle your complaint with due regard to confidentiality and disclose
only the information that is necessary
to conduct a proper investigation and make a full response.
- Keep records of complaints separate from other records.
- Ensure that no complaint made in good faith will be used to you disadvantage
in the future
- Always be courteous
If you are making a complaint you should:
- Make
a full disclosure of all matters relevant to
your complaint.
- Deal sensitively with issues that involve other students or staff,
and not name them
unless it is necessary.
- Always be courteous.
Dealing With Harassment
A
working definition of harassment:
It
is the joint responsibility of all members of the
International School
Of Screen Acting, students and staff to ensure that no one has to
suffer from any form
of harassment and that
any one
who
reports
harassment is taken seriously. Harassment may
be a disciplinary offence.
The International School Of
Screen Acting
is committed to a working and learning
environment that is free of intimidation.
Harassment includes,
broadly, any behaviour that is offensive,
intimidating
or hostile.
Sexual
Harassment:
Sexual
harassment is
a form
of sex
discrimination. It
occurs in
a variety
of situations
that share
a common
element: the
inappropriate introduction
of sexual
activities or
comments into
the work
or learning
situation. Often,
sexual harassment
involves relationships
of unequal
power and
contains elements
of coercion.
However, it
may also
involve relationships
among equals.
Racial
Harassment:
Racial
harassment may
be defined
as a
hostile or
offensive act
or expression
by a
person or
group of
one racial
or ethnic
origin against
a person
or group
of another,
or incitement
to commit
such an
act, on
racial grounds.
Racial harassment
occurs when
any such
behaviour
creates
an intimidating,
hostile or
offensive environment
for employment,
study/training or
for social
life. Differences
of attitude
or culture
and the
misinterpretation of
social signals
can mean
that what
is perceived
as racial
harassment by
one person
may not
seem so
to another.
The
defining
features, however,
are that
the behaviour
is offensive
or intimidating
to the
recipient and
would be
regarded as
racial harassment
by any
reasonable person.
Responsibility:
Any
student who
suffers harassment
will have
the support
of the
school management
in putting
a stop
to it.
Anyone who
experiences or
witnesses an
incident of
harassment should
not wait
until the
situation reaches
an intolerable
level -
action taken
at once
can be
quickly effective.
What
to do
as a
victim of
harassment:
There
are various
ways in
which an
individual can
deal with
harassment, ranging
from simply
asking the
person to
stop, to
taking up
a formal
complaint.
Step
One:
Act
promptly; don't
wait until
the situation
reaches an
intolerable level
or your
personal well-being
is put
in jeopardy.
in some
cases, the
person against
whom you
have a
complaint may
be unaware
that his/her
behaviour is
inappropriate or
objectionable,
or
it may
happen that
his/her words
or actions
have been
misinterpreted.
In
such cases
the misunderstanding
needs to
be cleared
up speedily.
Even
where
the behaviour
was intentional,
a swift
and clear
indication
that
the behaviour
is objectionable
may well
prove sufficient.
Although
an objection
is often
most effective
when delivered
face to
face, there
may be
good reasons
why you
choose not
to speak
directly to
the person
against whom
you have
a complaint.
If this
is the
case, you have
the
following
options:
a)
Asking a
fellow student
or a
member of
staff to
go with
you to
speak to
the person,
or to
go in
your place.
b)
You might
write to
the person
against whom
you have
a complaint,
being specific
about who
offends you.
You should
keep a
copy of
the letter
in case
further action
is necessary.
c)
Taking the
matter up
with a
member of
staff in
whom you
have confidence.
You
should write
down details
of any
subsequent incident
Step
Two:
If
the behaviour
persists, or
further action
is seen
as necessary,
get in
touch with
one of
the joint
principals who
will listen
to you
in confidence,
advise you
how to
proceed and
explain how
the complaint
can be
taken up
more formally.
Step
Three:
Serious
or persistent
cases of
harassment
will
need to
be considered
as a
potential
disciplinary
matter, and
must therefore
be
raised
with
all
three
joint
principals.
If
a formal
complaint
is
made,
the
joint
principals
will
prepare
a written
report on
the basis
of interviews
conducted
with
the complainant
and the
harasser,
in
accordance
with
approved disciplinary
procedures.
What
the School
will do
in response
to a
complaint:
Any
member
of
staff
who
is approached
informally
by
a complaint
is expected
to:
- Act speedily.
- Respond sensitively to the complaint.
- Provide advice, including information about the procedure if a formal
complaint becomes necessary.
- Take
up the matter informally with the person against
whom the complaint
has been made, or inform one of the joint principals if requested to do so.
In this
event, the
complainant should be asked
for
permission to give his/her name and a copy of
the complaint, if in writing, to the person
against
whom the complaint
has been made. Anonymous
complaints
can be pursued only in general terms and are
less likely to
bring about the desired change in behaviour. The person
against whom the complaint has been
made will
be advised of the nature
of the complaint, and be given the opportunity
to respond. Any written
responses will be made available to the complainant.
Both the complainant and the person
against
whom the complaint has
been made
should also
be advised of the procedure to be followed if a formal complaint were to be
made.
Formal complaints:
The joint principals when receiving a formal
complaint should arrange for the complainant
to
be
interviewed
as soon as possible
after the complaint has been
received
- usually within 24 hours. In the case of sexual
harassment
a member
of senior staff
of the same
sex as the complainant
will if possible, conduct the
interview in order to minimize any feelings of
embarrassment.
A fellow student
or member of staff in whom
they have confidence
may accompany
complainants.
If
the interviewers
report indicates
that the
matter should
be pursued,
the joint
principals may
exercise powers
as a
school in
accordance with
the codes
of practice
for student
and tutor
discipline.
Records:
Where
the joint
principals are
involved in
taking informal
action under
the Code
records will
be held
as follows:
- Where
a complaint is found to have no substance no
record will be
kept unless requested by the individual against whom the complaint was made.
- A record, which may include any correspondence, will be kept for
a period of no more than 6 months if the complaint against an individual is
proved.
At the end
of the 6 months, providing
no further accusation
of harassment has been made and found to have substance, the record
and any correspondence, will be removed from the current filing system and may
not
be referred to again.
- At the end of a 12-month period, providing no further accusation
of harassment has been made, the record, including any correspondence, will
be destroyed.
- Where formal action is enacted a record will be held in accordance
with the appropriate disciplinary procedures.
Subsequent action:
The disciplinary code
allows the joint principals to
exclude a student from the school for
good cause, and serious cases
of harassment would be such a cause. In
other cases, warnings about
future conduct would be
appropriate.
If a formal
complaint is
lodged
and written records
are made, the school will need to take these
matters into
account in considering whether
to recommend excluding
the student
from
the school, or whether and at what stage disciplinary
action proceedings
should be initiated against a member of
staff.
A
record of
formal action
will be
held in
accordance with
the appropriate
disciplinary procedures.
Please
Note:
Nothing
in this
Code will
prevent members
of staff
or students
exercising their
legal rights. Health & Safety
Policy
First Aid:
Accidents can occur at any time and the International School Of
Screen Acting will ensure that at least one member of staff
on the premises
is trained in First Aid. This person will be responsible for the
First Aid equipment and, in the case of an emergency, take charge
of the incident. All staff should be familiar with procedures.
An
accident book will be kept on the premises to record any incident,
however slight. Such records should be completed as soon after
the accident as possible and each entry should be verified,
signed and
dated by a member of staff.
A
First Aid box will be available and accessed from the office.
The kit will be kept in a well-labelled box with a list of
components set inside the lid. Items will be replenished as
used.
Students & staff
general information records
Student and staff records of names, address, telephone numbers
and name of person to contact in case of emergency will be
kept on the
premises along with any medical information they may be relevant. Safety:
Care will be taken at all times to ensure the welfare and
safety of all staff and students.
Fire precautions, as detailed by the Fire Prevention Officer,
will be carried out and instructions for emergency evacuation
of the premises
clearly displayed in each room. All fire fighting equipment recommended
by the Fire Prevention Officer will be provided
The International School Of Screen Acting will keep a signing-in
book for all staff, students and visitors who enter and leave
the premises for whatever reason for safety purposes.
Insurances:
The School is covered by a public liability insurance policy
strictly and only for the school’s premises. All other areas around
the school’s premises are the insured responsibility
of the Landlords and their parties or intermediaries. Rights & Standards
of the School
Students:
The International School of Screen Acting reserves the right to
take action against a student under the following circumstances:
Bad or
questionable behaviour during school hours, consistently poor quality
class work as and upon an assessment by the management of the school.
(Course fees are not subject to the following procedure)
Tutors:
The International School of Screen Acting reserves the
right to take action against a tutor under the following
circumstances:
Failure
to complete an arranged employment contract, failed student body
to tutor relationship, behaviour considered to be detrimental
to the school’s image and/or standing within
the normally accepted codes of conduct.
In
both cases the following procedures will be enacted:
- An initial consultation followed by a verbal warning
- A further consultation followed by a written warning
- Notice of dismissal.
The management of the school reserve the legal right
to dismiss any student or tutor who fails to
keep within the bounds of the
policies set out in this
document by enacting the above procedures. The management will
only proceed with the above policies after an initial consultation
or discussion with
any or all parties concerned.
The
management reserve the legal right to immediately dismiss
any student or tutor who fails to attend any required
consultation
or discussion in
relation
to the above without further notice.
The
student or tutor, by accepting a place or contract at the International
School of Screen Acting, agrees that this Policy and Procedures document
constitutes an acceptance of the terms and conditions laid out herewith. Any
student
or tutor, in not accepting the terms of this Policy and Procedures
document, has
the right to contest it within the bounds of the Complaints
Procedure laid out as above. The management reserve the right to amend this
Policy and
Procedures
document, either partial or in its entirety, as and when
they see fit to do so. All students and Tutors will be
informed of any changes to
this
Policy
and Procedures document.
Student Fees Liability Policy
In order
to retain fairness to both school and student and sustain the integrity
of the relationship,
the school will implement the following policy or policies under
the following agreement between each aforementioned parties. The
student is liable for all fees agreed for the completion of the
course as set out in the pro forma invoice. The student is not
liable for
any additional fees or discounts not mentioned in the pro forma
invoice.
The
school will deliver and complete the tuition of subjects as laid
out in the schools prospectus. The order of subjects taught
are liable
to rearrangement as the school sees fit. Additional subjects
and changes of subjects will only be implemented with the agreement
of the majority of the student body. It is the reserve and sole
right
of the school to change or alter the curriculum as it sees fit
and the school is not liable for any or all changes made.
Students
are liable to pay the full fee for each module undertaken. An undertaking
is understood as a commitment by the student to
the module on the first day of that module. If the student
does not wish
to continue the course they must advise the school 2 weeks
prior to the start of the next module. Failure to inform the school
of departure from the course prior to the next module will
render
the student liable for the full fee for that module. If the
student informs
the school 2 weeks prior to the start of a module of their
departure from the course the student will not be liable for any
fees for
any following modules. If a student departs the course during
a
module
they will be liable for the full fee of that module and no
refund will be given for any time remaining of that module.
Fee
payments are due one week prior to the start of each module. Though
the school can not implement any action against a student
for failure to remit the fee for the module at the stated
time, it does reserve the right to refuse the student admission
to
the school
until the fee has been paid in full.
If
any student experiences difficulty with the payment of their fees
they should contact the school management directly
and
a financial arrangement may be implemented in agreement
between both parties.
Any financial agreement does not constitute a student right
and
the
school management reserve the sole right to refuse any
financial help or assistance as they see fit. No liability can
be attached
to the school for any financial advice or assistance they
may see fit to give or not give according to each individual
case
and within
the guidance of the policy an procedures document laid out herewith.
Important Notes
Gate
Security
Security measures will be in place when your course begins. Every
one will have to show an identity card when passing through 3 Mills
Film Studios. Your identity card will consist of a small photo
set with the ISSA logo that should be carried at all times.
NB: We
require four small passport size photos so that we can process
your security pass prior to your registration day. Please send
your photos to the ISSA address as soon as possible so that we
can make your student cards up in advance and include an application
for the London Transport Student Discount Travel.
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