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Under 18’s Handbook

We choose our homestays very carefully, both for the facilities they have to offer and their ability to make you feel welcome. As a member of the household you will be eating together and sharing the common living areas. Living in a homestay gives you the opportunity to improve your English at home, too.

We are very lucky here at Beet to have a team of enthusiastic and highly-motivated teachers.

All of them hold a Teaching Certificate or Diploma, and all have a university degree or equivalent. As a team, they have many years of teaching experience between them. This experience helps them to make lessons interesting and clear so that you enjoy your lessons while you improve your English. They use modern methods and technology combined with more traditional techniques to help you develop your understanding of English and improve your communication skills.

Meet the Team

Alison Yorke-Saville

Accommodation & Welfare Manager
Designated Safeguarding Lead

I came to Beet in October 2013 as the Accommodation and Welfare Officer. Beet is like a home from home family, with a lovely feel good factor along with a great ethos. I work alongside Andrew and Laura in Room 3, accommodating students in both homestay accommodation and student houses. I enjoy meeting students and placing them with our homestay families. There is no other job like this, fun, exciting, hard work but very rewarding! Out of school I enjoy playing Badminton, I trained as a chef straight out of school and enjoy cooking. I also love going for walks along the beach.

Andrew James

Accommodation Officer & Advanced Safeguarding Officer

I joined the accommodation team at Beet in May 2022 after being a Homestay host for the school. Since becoming part of the accommodation team I feel I have settled into the role and enjoy working with both Alison and Millie, as well as the other members of the Beet team. In my role I place students with our homestays families according to the students’ preferences, I speak to the families daily, welcome students on their arrival to the school and help with any welfare issues the students may have during their stay.
I enjoy meeting new people and learning about different cultures. I have travelled to many parts of the world whilst working on board Cruise Liners in my younger years and have met many people of different Nationalities whilst on my travels. I have kept a close friendship with many of my former work colleagues and have been lucky enough to visit a few of them in their home countries.
I enjoy keeping fit by going to the gym and swimming, and have a passion for cooking international cuisine.
I look forward to the coming years in my role at Beet and meeting many more students of different nationalities.

Your first day at Beet!

 

On your first day you will need to come to Beet Language Centre at 08.45. Our address is: Nortoft Road, Bournemouth, BH8 8PY

Please bring your passport or identity card with you.

At 09.00 we will welcome you and you will meet some of the Beet team. Students who have not already completed an online pre-course test are given the Placement Test, which tests grammar, vocabulary, reading, writing listening and speaking. The result will tell us which class to put you in.
After the test you will have a break, and you can have a drink and a snack in the school canteen.
You will have an induction meeting after your break, when you will also meet other new students and find out about the school.

If you start on one of our ‘Preferred Start Dates’, you will have a coach tour of the town. One of our teachers will lead the tour and explain the journey, local shops and area to you.

After your tour you will have a meeting with one of our safeguarding leads (officers). This is a special meeting for all students under the age of 18 – we will explain the most important things you need to know while you’re living here in England.

We will give you all your course books, a notepad, pen & student card.
We will also give you your timetable for the next day.

What next?

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If you would like to, come along to our evening activity after your meal with your host family. This will be in the school canteen and usually starts at 19:45. Please don’t be late, because we lock the doors after some activities have started.

Your homestay family will be friendly and welcoming and will treat you as a member of the family.

You will be the only student who speaks your language in your family unless you have asked to share with a friend or a member of your own family. Your homestay family will encourage you to speak English at all times.

During the week you will have 2 meals a day (breakfast & dinner) at your homestay – in the UK it isn’t common for the family to all sit together for breakfast but you should expect to have the evening meal with your family and other students in the house.

At weekends, if you have made plans, please always tell your homestay family if you won’t be at home for a meal.

We have a lovely canteen at Beet where you can buy a variety of hot and cold food, snacks and drinks – a hot meal and a drink plus a snack costs about £7.50. The canteen stays open most of the day.

At the end of our road there’s a busy high street where you will find lots of restaurants, cafés and shops, so if you want to go out for lunch, there’s lots to choose from!

On Saturdays, you will have lunch with your homestay family – if you are out on an excursion, your family will make you a packed lunch if you want one.

Road Safety in the UK
We drive on the left so it is important when crossing to LOOK RIGHT FIRST! Please use the special crossings for people who are walking (“pedestrians”). Some of these are like the one in the picture above, but most have lights. You need to press the button and wait for the lights to change colour.

Buses
The school and homestay families are in Charminster. You can walk to Bournemouth town centre in 30 minutes, but there is a great bus route.

There is a bus stop at the end of our road and buses come every few minutes. If you’re using the bus every day then you can buy a special bus card so you don’t need to pay each time.

Taxis
Taxis are more expensive but not too much if you’re sharing – a journey into town costs around £8.20.

We recommend students use United Taxis, on 01202 556677, because they’re quick and reliable. When a taxi arrives you will receive a text message on your phone telling you they’re waiting.

If you’re getting a taxi on the street or from a taxi rank, NEVER get into an unlicensed car. All licensed taxis have a special ‘license plates’ on the back of their car with a number.

Bicycles
Another nice way of getting around is by bicycle. There’s a bike shop called “On Yer Bike” at the end of the road where you can rent bikes – To rent a bike for a day costs £12 and to rent one for a week only £15!

You will need to pay a deposit of £70 which the shop will return to you when you return the bicycle.

You don’t have to wear a helmet when you are riding a bicycle in the UK, but you really should wear one! If you hire a bike from On Yer Bike, they will usually lend you a second-hand helmet for free. A new one costs about £20.

If you ride a bicycle here, it’s very important to remember that we drive on the left. Be extra careful when you are at junctions (where roads meet).

We have a full social programme at Beet, and you will find something to do at the school every night of the week – you will find information about all of the activities on the BEET Facebook page and on our website.

Please do come along to these as they’re great fun, and they give you more opportunity to make friends and also practise your English.

We sometimes have evening activities outside Beet. At some of these, there will be alcohol. You will be able to join the activity but you will not be allowed to drink any alcohol.

You can bring your own food and drink to our evening activities, but alcohol is not allowed.

Activities usually start at 19:45 and usually finish around 21:00.

✔We have a timetable of scheduled and suggested activities in the afternoons.
✔We have a teacher-guided Conversation Circle every Wednesday afternoon – free cakes & brownies are provided!
✔ The library is open on request until 15:00. You can ask teachers about books and listening materials or even ask for help with your homework.
✔ There are computer rooms you can use for self-study, or to catch up online with your friends.
✔ Table tennis and table football are available.
✔ There are cards and board games in the canteen for you to play with your friends.
✔ If you go into the town centre, make sure that you give yourself enough time to return to your homestay for your evening meal.

✔ Beet has a trained welfare & safeguarding team, and we are here to support you! If you have any problems at all, you can contact someone 24 hours a day/7 days a week.
✔ On your first day of school Alison, our Designated Safeguarding Lead (safeguarding officer) will give you all of the most important information you need for your stay.

✔ Our first school rule is that members of Beet – staff and students – must show respect to others. We will do our best to make sure you are in a safe environment without any kind of unpleasant behaviour or bullying.
✔ Our staff are always here to listen to you and help you. However, if you would prefer to speak to a person who is not a member of staff, you can talk to the Student Representative. This is another student who is there to listen to students’ problems and help them.

✔ You MUST keep your phone charged and switched on at ALL TIMES. If there is an emergency we need to be able to contact you 24 hours a day/7 days a week.
✔ You must come to classes every day. If you are sick or cannot come to school for any reason, or think you will be late for class, you should telephone the school. If you want, you can ask your homestay family to contact Beet for you. We will contact you and/or the homestay just after 09:00 if you are not at Beet and we do not know why you are absent. If we cannot get an answer from you or your homestay, we will come to your house to check that you are OK.
✔ You must NOT use your mobile phone in class unless your teacher has asked you to use it for English language learning.
✔ If you go out at night, you must be home before 23:00 from Sunday to Thursday and by 00:00 on Fridays and Saturdays. If there is an emergency and you are going to be late, you must call your homestay family immediately.

✔ At night, please remember it’s safer to walk in a group than to walk alone. Always make sure your friends and/or host family know where you’re going.
✔ On Saturday excursions, it’s important that you are always with at least one other student. If you want to explore, you will need to contact the activity leader every 2 hours to tell them you’re OK. You will also need to give the activity leader your mobile phone number in case they need to contact you.
✔ If you plan to visit another town/city and stay overnight, you need to tell one of our Safeguarding Leads, who will then email your parents. Your parents must then reply to the Beet email and confirm the dates that they agree you will be away, and the address where you will be staying. If you’re just visiting for the day, it’s a good idea to let us know anyway, so we can check your travel arrangements are OK and help you.
✔ You must agree to respect the School Rules.

Please speak English in the school at ALL times, even with students who speak the same first language.

Respect
Everyone must show respect at all times to other people in the school. No abusive behaviour is acceptable. For example, no abusive behaviour, or negative comments about appearance, age, sex, sexuality, marital status, nationality, race, religion or disability. This includes abusive behaviour on social media like Instagram or Facebook. If you experience any abusive behaviour, you should speak to Alison, the Accommodation & Welfare Manager, about it and we will take appropriate action.

Attendance
Students are expected to attend all their lessons. Muslim students are excused from Options lessons on Friday to attend mosque, but all other absences must be approved, in advance if possible, by an Academic Manager. Students must arrive at lessons on time – students who arrive late for a lesson will not be allowed in until the next lesson.

Participation
Taking part is important. Students must participate in class activities, complete homework assignments, and be in a fit state to study when on school premises. This means students must not be drunk, under the influence of drugs, dressed inappropriately, or too tired to take part in lessons effectively.

English
Students should use English as much as possible, both in and out of the classroom, even in conversation with students from their own country.

Smoking
Students must not smoke in the school building or in the road. Please stand away from windows when smoking in the car park. This also applies to vaping.

Mobile phones
Your phones should be switched to silent when inside the school building. Mobile phones may be used during lessons with the teacher’s permission, but only for language learning. Students who use their phones for social networking, web browsing, emails or other non-academic purposes will be asked to turn them off. If they refuse to do so, they will be asked to leave the class.

If you break school rules and your behaviour does not improve, your course may be terminated (you will have to leave the school with no refund).

Smoking
Although it is very bad for your health, you can smoke in Britain if you are aged 16-17. However, it is illegal to buy cigarettes, e-cigarettes or tobacco.

Alcohol
You can go into pubs if you are 16-17 years old, but you can’t buy alcohol or, in most cases, drink alcohol. It is also illegal for another person to buy alcohol for anyone under 18.

Drugs
It is illegal to buy or take drugs or ‘legal highs’ – never accept anything anyone offers you! We have a strict NO drugs rule. If you break this rule, you will have to leave the school and return home.

Gambling
Gambling under the age of 18 is illegal.

Tattoos
You cannot get tattoos in the UK if you are under 18.

Stealing
If students are caught stealing anything, they could be arrested by the police and will be sent home immediately. Most shops have CCTV cameras and work closely with the police.

Littering
Littering is illegal. If you drop rubbish on the ground, including cigarette ends, you may be fined up to £80.

Neighbours
We are in a residential area, so when you leave the school at night, please respect our neighbours and don’t make any noise. Don’t lean or sit on cars or garden walls.

E-Safety (internet, tablets, phones)
Students must follow Beet’s E-safety policy. Students mustn’t send abusive messages or inappropriate messages or images. Sending or receiving a sexually explicit message, image or video of people under 18, including yourself, is illegal in the UK.

Valuables
Please carry enough money with you in case you need to take a taxi or get transport back to your homestay, but don’t carry all your cash with you. Don’t take more than one credit card around with you. Be very careful not to lose your passport or national ID card!

We’re always here for you to talk to

If you’re worried about anything, it’s important you know you can ALWAYS talk to us. We’re here to help you. You can talk to any member of staff, but Alison is specially trained to help with under-18s. If you prefer to speak to a man, you can speak to John, our Director of Studies.

 

UK EMERGENCY SERVICES – POLICE, FIRE SERVICE, AMBULANCE OR COASTGUARD 999 (OR 112)

 

If you need to call the police, the fire service or get an ambulance – call this number.

 

CHILDLINE: 0800 1111

 

ChildLine is a counselling (advice) service especially for young people and children. If you have a serious problem and you don’t want to talk to a member of staff or someone you know, you can call them for help and advice.

 

Beet EMERGENCY NUMBER: 07729 164998

 

Please store this number in your phone. If you are NOT at the school and you have a big problem which can’t wait until the morning or after the weekend, please call this number. Please call 999 if you don’t feel safe or you have had a serious accident or feel very very sick.

 

 

Extremism and Terrorism
Beet Language Centre believes in a fair, tolerant and democratic society and reducing the possibility of people getting involved in extremism or terrorism. If you want to talk to someone in the school about this, please speak to Alison Yorke-Saville, our Prevent Lead.

If you would like to read our full Safeguarding Policy, please follow this link.

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