Qualifications

If you are offered employment in a lecturing position or in some management or service positions, you will be asked to show us original certificates so that your qualifications can be verified.

For teaching staff, the College’s Teacher Qualification Policy, lays down that all permanent staff, whether full time or on fractional contracts, should possess a Certificate in Education/PGCE or equivalent on appointment or achieve this qualification within a specified time.

Criminal Record Check

As the College provides education and training to many students under the age of 18 and to vulnerable young adults, all positions are exempt from the provisions of the Rehabilitation Offenders Act, 1974. If offered employment, you will be required to apply to the Disclosure and Barring Service [DBS] for a Disclosure Certificate. The College will undertake the check on your behalf but you are required to pay the application fee of £50.00.

Medical Procedure

Appointment is also subject to a satisfactory medical report. Following an offer of employment, you will be asked to complete a pre-employment health questionnaire which will be reviewed by the College’s Occupational Health Adviser. The information you give is confidential.

The College views the health check as beneficial to both the organisation and the potential employee, and having a health problem will not necessarily preclude you from being considered for appointment, but we may ask you to have a medical examination by our Occupational Health Adviser to make sure that you are fit to undertake the duties of the job; ensure that the work and working environment is appropriate for you and any adjustments required discussed fully.

References

Appointment is subject to two references that are satisfactory to the College. One reference must be from your present or most recent employer; references from relatives or friends are not acceptable. If a reference is received which is unsatisfactory to the College, the offer of employment may be withdrawn or, if you have been permitted to start work, the appointment may be terminated.

Is there any flexibility on interview dates/times?

In the majority of cases we are unable to re-schedule an interview date, due to time restraints and resources it can be very difficult to get the interview panel together for more than one date. However, if the panel do not recruit from the current round of interviews, we will contact you regarding an alternative date to interview, if you are still interested.

Will my referees be contacted before I receive a job offer?

Not usually. Your referees will be contacted once we have made a conditional offer of employment, however, we will not take up your references without your permission if you have indicated this on your application.

We will ask you for two references, one of which must be your current or most recent employer.

Will my application be considered if I’m a non-EU resident?

Yes. The College will consider all applications received. However, we are required to check that all of our employees are eligible to live and work in the UK. If you are successful in your application, you will be required to provide evidence of this.

We will need to see a valid working visa or residence permit as part of our background check.

What does a ‘Sessional’ contract mean?

A Sessional contract is for a variable number of hours as we need flexibility and the hours for this type of work will fluctuate. Staff on this type of contract will normally be given their hours of work for the term ahead (and sometimes for the whole academic year). Some ‘bank’ roles will be offered hours on an ad-hoc basis.

Sessional staff on teaching contracts are paid 40% of their hourly rate for every hour they teach to take account of the extra duties required of a lecturer. These would include preparation, marking, attending meetings etc.

All staff on this type of contract also have their holiday pay paid to them each month and usually take their time off during the normal College holidays at Christmas, Easter and during the summer. The calculation is made taking into account the pro-rata holiday entitlement to that of a full time member of staff.

What type of job opportunities do you offer?

We offer a full range of Lecturing, Support and Management roles across the College. We offer full time and part time roles which may fall into permanent, sessional or term time only contracts.

What does ‘A Conditional Offer’ mean?

All offers of employment are subject to a number of checks being made satisfactorily to the College. Once a conditional offer has been made, the College will undertake background checks, which include taking up your references, checking your identity, sending your Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) form for processing and conducting appropriate medical checks.

The time this takes varies from but we will try and get you to come into the College as soon as possible to check your ID and complete a DBS form. It is always a good idea to inform your referees beforehand so they will be expecting us to contact them, which can greatly speed up the process.

If your DBS check has not been returned by your start date, normally a risk assessment will be carried out by the department prior to you starting your role with us.

You will also be required to complete a medical form and may be required to undergo a health assessment, to ensure that you are fit to carry out the role and to let us know if there are any adjustments that we need to make to enable you to carry out your job.

What will the selection process be?

The selection process can vary depending on the position, but if you are successful in being shortlisted for the role you have applied for, you will be invited to attend an interview at the College. As part of this process, you may be asked to do a test (maybe an IT test or another type of test relevant to the role), a micro-teach or a presentation. You will receive all the details for this in your invite to interview correspondence.

When you come for your interview, you will meet the recruiting manager for the role and the rest of the interview panel, which will be a total of two to four people, depending upon the role. Sometimes a decision is made after one round of interviews. At other times, you will need to come back to the College to attend a second round of interviews or further tests or assessments. If you are successful at this stage, then you will be contacted after the interviews and given a conditional offer for the role.

Policy on Refund of Fees

The College commits staffing and resources to courses on the basis of learner enrolments and will only refund fee payments in the following circumstances.

  • When a course is cancelled by the College.
  • When a learner withdraws their enrolment at least 10 working days before the planned start of the course.

No refunds will be given once the course has commenced, except in exceptional circumstances as outlined in section 2.10 of the College fees policy. No refunds will be given if a learner withdraws their enrolment from the course after their enrolment date or if the College withdraws the offer of a place as a result of disciplinary action or non-attendance on behalf of the learner.

Fee Remission

If you are in receipt of Job Seekers Allowance (JSA), Employment Seekers Allowance (ESA), or currently unemployed, actively seeking work and in receipt of benefits you may be eligible for fee remission (does not apply some courses). You must bring along evidence of receipt of one of the benefits listed below with you when coming to enrol. This evidence must be current and dated within three months of the start of the course.

Benefits to support fee remission – JSA, ESA, Income Support/Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, Council Tax Reduction Benefit, Pension Guarantee Benefit.

Fee remission may also be based upon the highest level of previous qualifications achieved.

Please check your eligibility with our Admissions Team

Tel: 01932 558990 
Email: bursary@brooklands.ac.uk

Advanced Learner Loan and Bursary

What is the Advanced Learner Loan?
Advanced Learner Loans are there to help learners aged 19 and over to cover the cost of course fees of a level 3, 4, 5 and 6 college or training course. The course must have started on or after 1st August 2016. Your loan application will last for the duration of the course so there is no need to reapply if your course is longer than a year.

Who is eligible?
Learners aged 19 or above (at the start of their course) and who are resident in the UK and studying an eligible Level 3, 4, 5 or 6 course.

Does the loan depend on my income or credit history?
No, the loan doesn’t depend on your income and no credit checks are carried out.

Do I have to take out an Advanced Learner Loan?
No, it’s up to you to decide on your best option, depending on your circumstances.

How much will I get?
The amount you’ll receive depends on:

  • the type of course
  • the course fees
  • the maximum loan available for your course

The minimum loan you can get is £300. You don’t have to borrow the full amount of your course fees, you can pay for some of it yourself.

How many loans can I take out?
Unless you are studying an Access to HE Diploma you are entitled to access up to four loans which you can take out one after the other or at the same time. You can only access one loan to complete the Access to HE Diploma.

How is the loan paid?
The funds are paid directly to the college.

When do I have to pay back my loan?
Repayments don’t start until the April after your course has finished and you don’t have to pay anything back until you earn more than £27,295.

What you’ll repay

Repayments are based on your income, not on what you borrow or the number of student loans you have. This is known as an ‘income contingent’ repayment.

You’ll repay 9% of your income over £27,295 a year. Even if your income doesn’t exceed £27,295 a year but is over £524 a week or £2,274 a month at any point in the year (e.g. if you work overtime) then a loan deduction will be made.

For example, if you’re paid monthly and earn £2,500 before tax you’d repay 9% of the difference between what you earn and what the threshold is:

£2,500 – £2,274 = £226

9% of £226 = £20.34

So your student loan repayment would be £20 in that month.

If your income changes, either rising or falling, your repayment amounts will automatically change to reflect this. A different threshold may apply if you move to live in a country outside the UK. Page 10 explains this in more detail.

For more Advanced Learner loan information please follow link below

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/advanced-learner-loans-terms-and-conditions-for-students-who-started-on-or-after-1-august-2021/advanced-learner-loans-a-guide-to-terms-and-conditions

Bursary fund
If you need help with your learning or living costs, you may also be eligible for money from the Advanced Learner Loan Bursary Fund. The money can help with things such as: childcare costs*, accommodation, travel, classroom assistance for a learning difficulty or disability, course materials/equipment. You need to apply to the college directly for the Bursary Fund. You can apply once you have received a letter confirming your Advanced Learner Loan.

*Learners aged under 20 on the first day of learning must apply to the ‘care to learn’ programme.

For more information contact our Admissions Team

Tel: 01932 558990
Email: bursary@brooklands.ac.uk

Click here for further information on how to apply for an Advanced Learner Loan.

 

Brooklands Process for Instalments for Adult Learning Fees

If you are signing up for an adult learning course you are able to pay in instalments. 

The first instalment should include the £25 administration charge. Debit/credit card details must be provided so that instalments can be taken at an arranged date automatically.

Brooklands College cannot arrange payment by instalments retrospectively.

Enrolling at Brooklands

  • You will be permitted to enrol initially without your loan in place
  • You will be required to complete a Direct Debit mandate and instalment plan in the first instance until your loan is approved by SLC
  • You will be expected to pay a £25 Registration fee to get enrolled and then our finance will do a plan for instalments. 
  • If your Advanced Learner loan remains unapproved by November, Finance will take the first instalment amount as agreed.   
  • At Enrolment please inform the Admissions staff that you require a loan letter and we will set your details aside and will email you the letter by the end of the week. 
  • If for any reason you do not hear from us please contact Admissions
  • Once you have had your loan agreed you will need to bring in a copy of your loan agreement to our Finance Department, who will then cancel the Direct Debit Mandate and cancel any payment plan in place.
  • If you have a loan approved you may be eligible to apply for an Advanced Learner Loan bursary if you are on an income of less than £25,000.   You will need a copy of your loan approval letter and submit this with a Bursary application, which is available from the Admissions office,
  • A Bursary will not be approved unless you have secured your loan, so please forward a copy of your loan agreement to Admissions as soon as you receive it. 
  • The Bursary will offer a contribution towards financial support for travel costs, childcare costs and any non-compulsory course items and equipment

 

Discretionary Learner Support Fund (Bursary)

Students from low-income families can apply to the Discretionary Learner Support Fund for help with Travel Costs

Don’t worry and don’t let it stop you from applying as there is a ‘Discretionary Learner Support Fund’ which you can apply for which is designed to help 16, 17 and 18 year old students who struggle with the costs of full-time education or training.

Students aged 19 or over are only eligible to receive a discretionary bursary if they:

  • are continuing on a study programme they began aged 16 to 18 (‘19+ continuers’) or
  • have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP)

These 2 groups of students can receive a discretionary bursary while they continue to attend education (in the case of a 19+ continuer, this must be the same programme they started before they turned 19), as long as their eligibility continues and their institution considers they need the additional support to continue their participation. Students aged 19 or over are not eligible for the vulnerable student bursary.

To be eligible for the vulnerable bursary, students must be under 19 and in one of the defined vulnerable groups;

  • in care
  • care leavers
  • receiving Income Support, or Universal Credit because they are financially supporting themselves or financially supporting themselves and someone who is dependent on them and living with them such as a child or partner
  • receiving Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payments in their own right as well as Employment and Support Allowance or Universal Credit in their own right

Financing Your Study – Students aged 19 and over

Discretionary Adult Learner Support Fund The 19+ bursary is awarded on a discretionary basis and due to its limited nature, meeting the criteria does not necessarily guarantee an award. The bursary fund is means tested and operates on a first-come, first-served basis. You must be:

  • 19 or over as at 31st August starting a new programme of study and be attending a full or part time course funded by the Education Skills Funding Agency
  • You must be 20 or over to get help with childcare costs (If you are 19, you should apply for Care to Learn instead

You can apply for help towards:

  • Emergency Accommodation and meals
  • Childcare fees (qualifying learners) you must not be receiving funding for childcare costs from any other source e.g. free early education places (childcare) or Childcare Tax Credits. If you are these hours should be deducted from your claim for Bursary Childcare funding
  • Course materials & equipment, books etc
  • Exam costs
  • Travel, such as for public transport or taxis
  • Support with course fees up to 50%
  • Educational Visits/Trips

 

Means-tested grants towards course-related costs for students meeting the eligibility criteria.

Click here for Students aged 16-19
Click here for Students aged 19+

Apply Online

Financial Support for Students

There are various grants and allowances available, dependant on your age and circumstances. If you would like to talk to a member of the Admissions team about possible financial support, please contact the Admissions Office at Brooklands College.

Tel: 01932 558990
Email: bursary@brooklands.ac.uk