This document outlines our policy on young people studying with Satellite Virtual Schools.

1. Aims of the Policy

Our mission is to 'enable children to continue learning’.  Our system of flexible study combining tutor support with print and web-based learning resources makes studying more accessible to a wider range of potential students than traditional forms education.  In the context of this policy a young person is defined as anyone aged under 18.

2. Vetting of staff

Students may be in contact with administrative staff and technical staff as well as with their individual subject  tutors. Administrative staff deal with enquiries, enrolments and examination entries. Technical staff  respond to enquiries that relate to the web site and any problems relating to access to the lesson materials.  A tutor is a qualified teacher who will deal with teaching, course advice, assessment and feedback. All  staff are expected to exercise care and depending on the level of contact will be subject to disclosure requirements. A Disclosure Document from the Criminal Records Bureau is required for all SVS tutors. Staff working with young people may also be required to undergo awareness training with SVS.

3. Distance teaching and professional behaviour

SVS tutors contact students using message boxes on dedicated web pages; all communications are retained and reviewed regularly by the management team. Administrative staff may communicate by email, phone or post. Because SVS provides a blended learning programme, face to face tutorials or telephone tutorials may take place.  On occasion student and tutor contact may be organised using the Internet. Students are entitled to appropriate behaviour from SVS staff using any of these ways of communicating. Staff are aware that students must be protected from physical, sexual or emotional harm.

Staff and tutors are asked to take care that they never meet a student alone. Home visits are negotiated with parents who must accompany the young person or provide an appropriate substitute.

The following behaviours are considered grounds for concern:

• Taking an aggressive or bullying tone with students
• If the tutor or staff member asks over-personal questions, including about age and appearance
• If they seek to visit the student alone
• If they send material that could be considered offensive or make suggestive remarks
• If they suggest a personal relationship could develop
• If they suggest that they could give a student favourable treatment over and above the other students

4. Distance teaching and student behaviour

 Students may be in contact with other students and it is difficult for SVS to safeguard students from wrong behaviour on the part of other students. If a student feels that another student is behaving wrongly, they should inform SVS administration, their personal tutor or a subject tutor and the issue will be investigated and dealt with.

If students or their parents feel that they are not being treated properly, they should raise the issue with the Director of Studies, Dr. Carolyn Skilling on 01509 211300 or email at cskilling@satellitevs.com. She will investigate the issue and report back as soon as is reasonably possible.

If there is suspicion of abuse concerning a young person aged under18 then SVS will always refer the matter to the appropriate external authority, normally the Social Services Department of the local authority where the student lives.  SVS staff are required to report to the Director of Studies, any instances of inappropriate behaviour on the part of staff, tutors or students.

4.             Special Educational Needs

Students may have special educational needs or medical needs that disrupt the normal course of their education.  SVS asks parents and LEA Officers to disclose such needs at the time of enrolment.  If a Statement of Special Educational Needs is available it is helpful to have this background information.  Our courses are tailored to meet the learning needs of the individual student and the more information that is available the more likely it is that this will be successful. 

SVS is a fully inclusive service and prepared to consider any young person as a student who has access to a computer and the internet.  It takes four-six weeks for a young person to settle into an effective routine of distance learning. For this reason we offer a four-six week assessment period to provide an introduction to distance learning using the SVS website.  During an assessment period a variety of lesson styles and teaching  approaches are used by one tutor.  The tutor aims to establish a learning profile and a study routine that meets the needs of the individual pupil. We have found this process to be a successful method of introducing a student to the disciplines of home study.  Students may refer back to their assessment tutor at any time during their course so the relationship made at this early stage gives students confidence to report any concerns they may have.  It also encourages them to share work they are proud of and contribute fully to the development of the school.

5.             Welcome Pack

Each student will receive a welcome pack on registration.  The packs contain stationery and various educational items. The contents vary according to the age of the student and the subjects they propose to study.  For example, we would not send a mathematics instruments to a student registered for History and French.  Instructions about how to use the SVS website are in the Welcome Pack.  We also send these by email to the contractor.  Where a student’s email address has been supplied we will email the information directly student unless we are asked not to do this.

6.             Termination

Parents or contractors may terminate tuition immediately by telephoning or emailing the office. Our terms are two weeks notice so we will deduct two weeks fees from the fees in hand or send an invoice.

SVS reserves the right to terminate a student with two weeks notice if the student proves unable to access and respond to the tuition provided.  Before this point is reached parents or the contractor will be aware of the difficulties that the student is experiencing.  The problem usually concerns inadequate equipment or internet access rather than motivation or behaviour.  It is therefore essential to ensure that the student has the basic requisites for learning:

• A computer with at least MSWord software
• Internet access
• A printer
• A scanner

7.             Examination entries

All examinations are not open to private candidates. Private candidates are those who are not registered with an academic institution that is recognised as an examination centre by an examination board.  Parents will have to pay the examination fees and administration fees to the Centre with which SVS will negotiate entry and access to the examination.

A Satellite Virtual School student may be an external student.  These students are registered at an academic institution which will enter them into examinations even though the student is learning at home.  The LEA will pay the examination fees and any associated administrative fees.  However, not all syllabuses are available for external candidates.  This applies especially to modular courses where modules are examined in school over a period of two years.  Many ICT, Computing, Art and Technology courses are not available to external candidates. 

Where a student is attending a school, Pupil Referral Unit or College part time they count as internal students.  They may access all available examinations provided that the LEA makes suitable arrangements for modular courses.  If they are unable to do this SVS will agree an appropriate syllabus with the school, PRU or College.

Reviewed August 2007