Adult Learning and Skills Learner Behaviours Policy

Wigan Council Adult Learning and Skills is committed to ensuring the safety of all learners and to the provision of a safe, secure learning environment where all can achieve their goals and aspirations.

The purpose of the Behaviours Policy is to provide clear guidance which helps and encourages all learners to understand the expectations, achieve and maintain acceptable standards of behaviour, conduct, and academic performance.

It is also intended to provide clear guidance to all staff in order to ensure consistent and fair treatment in relation to disciplinary action taken, in response to allegations of unacceptable conduct or performance.

The Code of Conduct sets out the basic principles we expect all learners to adhere to and must be read in conjunction with this policy.

Code of Conduct

To ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity to learn well in a safe environment, we ask you to:

  • Attend every lesson, and let your tutor know if you cannot
  • Ensure you catch up on any work you have missed before you attend the next session
  • Arrive to every class on time and stay to the end
  • Complete all homework you are set and bring it back to the next class to be marked
  • Practise your skills in between classes to keep making progress
  • Use behaviour and language which is respectful and inclusive to all 
  • Comply with the building/venue rules where your learning is hosted, and ensure you follow safe practice as you move about and/or attend your class
  • Tell us about bullying or harassment if it happens to you or to other learners
  • Talk to us if you are concerned about your own safety or the safety of other learners
  • Take part in sharing feedback with your tutor and on surveys about your learning and progression. 

Behaviours Process

There are three stages of the Behaviours Process which include one informal and two formal steps:

• Stage One - Cause for Concern (Informal)*

• Stage Two (Formal)*

• Stage Three (Formal)*

* Please note that any inappropriate behaviour can be dealt with at any stage depending on the nature of the concern.

A student has the right to appeal against any disciplinary penalty imposed from stage three.

An adult learner may be accompanied by another learner or advocate(s) at stages two and three.

Staff must consider the individual needs of learners and adapt the process where there are communication challenges.

The Council will consider whether any referrals need to be referred to the Police, and act accordingly. 

Stage One (Informal):

This includes, but is not exhaustive:

  • Lack of respect for the delivery venue’s property, fellow students, or staff
  • Smoking in non-designated areas
  • Poor attendance (less than 70%) without any extenuating circumstances
  • Swearing or using coarse language
  • Use of some discriminatory language.
    • Process
      • Cause for concern identified by tutor
      • Meeting takes place between tutor and learner to discuss behaviour within one week
      • Actions recorded on the learner Individual Learning Plan (ILP)
      • Tutor to informally monitor impact of actions and review on ILP for following month.

Stage Two (Formal):

  • Persistent failure to adhere to any one, or a combination, of the Code of Conduct rules
  • Persistent absenteeism, punctuality, unauthorised lateness, or failure to engage in learning after failing to meet targets set at stage one
  • Repeated failure to meet deadlines or complete set work
  • Failure to uphold British values
  • Disrupting the learning of others
  • Bullying, harassment or discrimination
  • Failure to use the venue facilities with care and respect
  • Undertaking dangerous behaviours within the learning environment.
    • Process
    • Initial meeting with tutor and learner within ten days. Tutor to complete behaviour report. Actions put into place with learner signing agreement
    • Actions to be reviewed within one month (Curriculum Manager may support this meeting, depending on the concern being addressed)
    • Completed report and review shared with Curriculum Manager
    • At this stage, actions may include the learner moving to a different class/having set targets for attendance, exam dates deferring, or may include more generalised targets for the learner to meet.

 Stage Three (Formal):

  • Serious breaches of acceptable behaviour - gross misconduct
  • Violent, threatening or intimidatory behaviours
  • Harassment or bullying (physical or verbal, including by electronic means e.g. text messages, email, social networking sites, taking or distributing photos/videos without the subject’s permission)
  • Knowingly discriminatory behaviour, or language, and/or continuation if identified at stage two
  • Possession of, or dealing in, illegal substances
  • Being under the influence of alcohol/drugs
  • Vandalism/theft
  • Viewing of, or sharing of, illegal/offensive websites or images
  • Inappropriate behaviour, criminal or otherwise
  • Cheating in examinations and/or any form of plagiarism or falsifying of evidence.
    • Process
    • Tutor completes initial report regarding concerns
    • Curriculum Manager/Service Manager to investigate within ten days
    • Decision made and reported back to learner within twenty days
    • At this stage, this may include removal from class/removal from all Wigan Council adult learning courses/reporting to other services, including the police, where needed.