learning agreement
When you arrive we will need you to read and sign a 'Learning Agreement'.
The Learning Agreement says that the student agrees to :
- attend all classes regularly and punctually, including learning support where identified. We expect an attendance rate of at least 80% over the term.*
- inform the School Administrator as soon as possible if you are absent for any reason.
- supply us with a Doctor's Certificate if you are 'off sick' for more than 7 consecutive calendar days.
- accept personal responsibility for your learning programme, and find out what is expected of you while on the course.
- discuss your progress with your personal tutor.
- switch off mobile phones in learning and study areas.
- keep to the timetable and targets set out in your individual learning plan.
- submit work / prepare presentations for assessment at the agreed times.
- not to borrow any materials without permission; and return any borrowed equipment and materials by the agreed date.
- only present your own work for assessment. Presenting other people's work as your own, or allowing others to use your work in this way will result in disciplinary action.
- follow our 'Behaviour Code' (below) and behave responsibly in class, taking care not to disrupt the learning of others, acting with respect and courtesy towards your tutors, students and others on site at all times.
- adhere to our House Keeping Rules and avoid leaving litter or personal belongings and equipment lying about.
- wear the appropriate clothing & footwear for each of the activities (see 'What to Wear').
- read and adhere to 'Circus Maniacs School Rules and Safety Procedures' which include:
- and the 'Injury Management Policy'(below).
- consult your tutors and your parents/guardians before taking any decisions to seek a change of course or to leave the School.
- That you agree to comply with the school's 'Leave of Absence Policy' (see below).
* Any 'Authorised' absences for the purpose of furthering your training, project work or professional career are excluded from this calculation, so have no effect on the resulting figures.
However 'unauthorised' absences and time 'off sick' do count within this calculation.
The Learning Agreement says that the School agrees to :
- Provide you with an induction programme.
- Provide you with a learning plan and information about your programme of study e.g. attendance requirements, coursework, deadlines for assignments, possible extension times, final assessment dates and appeals procedures.
- Provide qualified and experienced staff who will attend all sessions on time. You will be informed when they are absent.
- Ensure that you have a personal tutor to support you through your course.
- Provide full-time students with careers guidance.
- Provide you with feedback on your progress and evidence of your achievement.
- Provide opportunities for you to express your opinions about the service we provide and to report back to you the action taken on your suggestions, concerns or complaints.
- Return your work after assessment within an agreed period of time.
- Provide you with advice on progression.
behaviour code
There are 3 types of behaviour which are unacceptable and non-negotiable at Circus Maniacs School of Circus Arts.
Any person behaving in any one of the following ways will be asked to leave the school immediately
- Violent behaviour directed at other people or property**
- Verbal abuse including bullying and racist, sexist, or homophobic language
- Being under the influence of, or in the possession of drugs or alcohol.
If you are involved in any of these three activities you will be asked to leave the school premises immediately and only allowed back into the school at our discretion.
**Including being in possession of an offensive weapon
injury management policy
All full-time students must agree to:
(a) an Initial Physical Assessment with a recommended outside specialist.
(b) listen to and take teachers advice; warm-up, stretch and cool down properly.
(c) take care to manage any strains, pain & injuries, and if a problem arises, you agree to get professional medical advice straight away.
More specifically, if the problem persists for more than three days we expect you to get medical advice.
It is in your own best interests to do all of the above, because:
(i) If there is something going on it needs appropriate action.
(ii) If it is diagnosed as a non-issue regarding your training, it will put your mind at rest.
In our experience, if the student does not take action in this way - training and/or recovery becomes impossible, and it simply wastes time!
student attendance
- Students are expected to attend all classes, course presentations and meetings throughout their taught programme. Students will normally be given details of the weekly schedule and course assignments / presentations.
- Students are expected to use their free time to practice the skills they have been taught, to work on their personal conditioning plan, and to work on their course assignments / presentations.
- Students will be informed of their individual attendance requirements.
- Circus Maniacs is required to keep records as to whether a student's conduct, attendance and progress is satisfactory. We occassionally have to show these records to the appropriate monitoring authorites.
- In the case of international students, we are required by law to comply with the latest Immigration and Nationality department guidance on notification of absent students (which came into force in 2005).
- During their programme, students should not engage in any activity which will interfere with the maintenance of a satisfactory standard of work or damage their training / creation progress.
National guidelines and recommendations say that full-time students should be advised not to have more than 15 hours per week paid employment during term-time. Circus Maniacs recommends that students prefereably limit any part-time employment to no more than 12 hours per week during term time, as our concern is any more would adversely effect your training & creation progressions.
absence from circus maniacs through illness
It is essential that you inform the School Administrator in the Circus Maniacs Office as soon as possible, of any absence whether it be for personal reasons or sickness.
The School Administrator should then in turn inform the Course Director and all relevant tutors if a student has a reported absence.
Self-Certification of Illness
- It is your responsibility to 'self-certify' any illness that causes you to have absence from Circus Maniacs for any period up to 7 consecutive calendar days.
This should be done using the 'Self-Certification of Illness Proforma' (SIP), which can be obtained from the School Administrator. - So that the Circus Maniacs School Administrator is aware that you have been away from your studies as a result of illness, you should submit an SIP immediately upon your return following the absence.
- If you fail to submit the SIP immediately upon your return, and no later than the 7-day period of grace stated on the proforma, the School Administrator will record your absence as 'Unauthorised'.
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Where it is suspected that students are abusing the self-certification process, this will be addressed using Circus Maniacs's Student Disciplinary Procedures.
Such matters are dealt with by the School Administrator or a member of the Teaching Staff in the first instance and then, for more serious cases, referred to the Course Director, who may require the student to provide medical evidence.
- Please remember to notify the School Administrator that you have returned following any absence.
absence for non-medical reasons
If you need leave of absence from Circus Maniacs or if your return is delayed by illness or other special circumstances, you must apply to the Course Director for approval.
Leave of absence is normally granted only in cases of emergency or exceptional circumstances.
Any unapproved absence will be deemed 'Unauthorised'.
interruption of programme
Occasionally a student finds that it is necessary to apply to interrupt a programme of study. For example, this may be for reasons of ill health or pressing personal difficulties.
It is essential that a formal application is made in writing to the Course Director, stating the reasons in full.
Each application will be given every consideration, although it is only when the Course Director writes to the student to approve the request that the student will be allowed to interrupt.
If you think that you need to interrupt your programme, you should make an appointment to discuss your situation with the Course Director.
leave of absence policy
Policy Statement
Circus Maniacs School of Circus Arts (the School) has adopted the following policy concerning absences from class:
Regular attendance in classes is a vital part of the training process.
At the School each student is expected to accept the responsibility of attending classes regularly and promptly. Teachers are encouraged to state their policy on attendance to their classes; they may refer any student to the Director whose attendance record they consider unsatisfactory.
The Director of the School will follow teachers requests to confer with students who are absent from classes too often and, when necessary, will impose training discipline upon these students.
While students are training with us, they must not take part in auditions or in performances outside the school, unless they first have agreed permission, through the school, and have been granted an 'authorised absence'. This is primarily because we do not wish students to get distracted from their training.
However, under certain circumstances, we may encourage and even seek out certain contracts / opportunities for you if we feel it is appropriate and will benefit your particular project.
Absences traditionally excused are those that occur because of: hospitalisation, serious illness, death in a student's family, important religious holidays, or authorized School activities (field trips, School-sponsored cultural events, or the like).
Students anticipating the need to be absent are expected to consult with the teacher in a timely manner.
The teacher is not obligated to allow students to make up missed work; it is the teacher's decision, not the school's, whether students may be allowed such a privilege.
Contact the school's director only when students are unable to contact teachers themselves (e.g. debilitating illness, leaving town suddenly for family emergencies, protracted absences).
It is the student's responsibility to consult directly with the teacher regarding absence from class. Excuses for absences from final project presentations must come only from the School office.
Eligibility
All students in courses administered by the School are eligible for Leave of Absence.
Application Process
Application for a leave of absence should be made in writing and forwarded to the school.
You should include a simple statement that you wish to apply for leave of absence, some indication of the reason(s) and the length of the period you require. The reason can simply be "family matters", "ill health" or "travel". We do not require a detailed history.
Implications re 'Leave of Absence' for International Students
International Students are not permitted to remain in the UK unless they are full-time students.
International students MUST speak with the School International Office about the immigration-related ramifications of taking a leave of absence before the leave of absence will be approved. International students who take leaves of absence must be aware of how this might affect their visa status.
Length of Absence
- We allow up to four weeks leave of absence in a single application.
- You may be allowed more than this limit but this will be heavily dependent upon your course / training progress to date and your circumstances.
- You may find that we need more detail of your reasons if you request more than the maximum.
- If you require longer than the maximum that can be granted, you will be withdrawn from the course or training programme. However, it is rare for re-admission if you have a difficult training history (for example, poor progress records or withdrawals).
Consequences of taking Leave of Absence (with notification)
The principal consequence is that when you return from Leave of Absence (or you are readmitted) the new school rules then in force will be applied to you. You will normally find us to be as flexible as possible about prerequisites, co-requisites etc. that may have changed since you last enrolled. However, please be alert to possible changes and we strongly recommend that you obtain a copy of the latest school rules when you return.
Consequences of taking Leave of Absence (without notification)
An international student missing a cumulative total of four weeks of course work during one academic year without notification of absence, will be withdrawn from the course he/she is enrolled on and fees paid to the school will not be refunded in any circumstances.
Compliance with latest Immigration and Nationality Department on notification of absent students
The school will notify Immigration and Nationality Department immediately about absent students with contact details of UK and home country.
The school will also provide help and support for further investigation if required.
implications of poor attendance
Students may well be asked to leave if:
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(a) If their attendance rate for the agreed programme drops below 80%, particularly if this figure is calculated from 'Unauthorised Absences' and 'Self-Certification of Illness'. (Where Doctor's Certificates are provided, leeway will be given.)
(b)'Unauthorised' absences registered are higher than 5% over any four week period, so be sure to keep the School Administrator well informed about the nature of any absences.
withdrawal from circus maniacs
A student may find that Circus Training is not for them and it can take courage to admit this to oneself or to others. It is also difficult to tell whether unhappiness is a matter of short-term homesickness or a major mistake in choice of career.
If you have any worries about continuing on your programme, discuss it with someone before making up your mind. We ask that you inform the School Administrator of your concerns. The School Administrator will arrange for the Course Director or one of the Tutors to talk through these problems with you to help you clarify your own thoughts and feelings, in confidence.
If you decide to withdraw from your programme you must write to the Course Director outlining your reasons and giving your last date of attendance.
What happens if students break the Learning Agreement
If your tutors feel that you are not keeping this agreement they will first discuss the matter with you.
If they are not satisfied with the result, disciplinary action may be taken. You will be given in this order:
- first verbal warning
- second verbal warning
- a written warning
- a letter from college management asking you to leave
For very serious breaches of the Learning Agreement, such as breach of the 'Behaviour Code', plagiarism, interfering with the school's computer system, interfering with other equipment or acting in a way that might endanger others, or where the learning of others has been very seriously disrupted, more serious action can be taken immediately. These actions can result in suspension and possible expulsion.
If you are under 18 years old, copies of second verbal and written warnings will be sent to your parents/carers. If you have committed a serious breach of the Learning Agreement and a written warning is given straight away, a copy will be sent to your parents/carer.
If you are employed, and your employer is contributing to your course and /or exam fees, copies of second verbal and written warnings will be sent to your employer.
if you think the school has broken the learning agreement
If you think that this agreement is not being kept you can raise the matter with your personal tutor.
Alternatively please contact: The School Administrator, Circus Maniacs, Office 8a, The Kingswood Foundation, Britannia Road, Kingswood, BRISTOL BS15 8DB and your complaint will be dealt with as soon as possible.
We welcome suggestions on how to improve our Service. Please address your comments to Jackie Welbourne, Director, Circus Maniacs at the above address.
Tel / Fax: 0117 9477042 Email: info@circusmaniacs.com
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Circus Maniacs students Lisa Truscott and Jessie Walters (Hoop La La) performing as Milly and Tilly at the Fusion Festival Berlin
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