Terms and Conditions
- BAES provides a range of leisure and accredited courses for learners aged 16+ and our Family Learning provision caters for young people attending with their parent or carer.
- Most courses delivered by BAES are fully or partly funded by the West Midlands Combined Authority.
Payment of Fees
- By enrolling on a course, you are agreeing to pay the total fee due for the whole course and any accreditation fee, including all outstanding balances, should you withdraw. This applies to all courses, including those funded by a 19+ Advanced Learner loan. The fee must be paid by the start date of the course or the loan agreed no later than 6 weeks after the start date of the course.
- To secure your place on a course, all fees must have been paid, or an instalment plan agreed. Any learner who does not meet the payments for an agreed instalment plan will not be allowed to continue the course or be registered for any exam, and will be sent an invoice for the outstanding charges.
- Your tutor will notify you of any additional costs applied by awarding organisations for exam fees.
- Payments may be made by card only; cash and cheques are not accepted.
Instalments
- If your qualification course is over £200, you can pay by 3 monthly instalments during the first 3 months of your course, provided the course length exceeds the instalment period. For example: if you enrol in August, your payments would need to be made in August, September and October. If the fee is not paid within the agreed timescale, you will be invoiced for the monies outstanding.
- If you wish to discuss methods of payment, please speak to your local Centre Manager.
Course Fees and Concessions
- Learners who join a qualification class late will pay the fee for the whole course. Learners who join a non-qualification class after half term will pay a pro rata fee.
- Where discounted fees are claimed, you will need to provide the necessary documentary evidence to demonstrate eligibility for this fee reduction when you enrol.
- Learners must be resident in England to receive subsidised or discounted fees for any funded course.
- Learners resident in any other combined authority area except West Midlands Combined Authority are not eligible to receive subsidised or discounted fees for any funded course.
- Learners who do not meet the residency requirements for funded courses can join courses and pay the non funded fee.
Cancelled sessions
- Where a session is cancelled, for reasons beyond the control of BAES, such as staff illness or extreme weather conditions, and a replacement session is offered, no refund will be given. If we are unable to offer a replacement session, we will refund at the end of the term as applicable.
- If a class does not reach its minimum number, we may offer you the opportunity to reduce the number of weeks with no corresponding reduction in fee, or we may increase the fee as an alternative to closing the class.
Refunds
- If your chosen course is cancelled before it starts, we will refund your fees in full.
- Where leisure courses are closed after they commence and we cannot offer an alternative, a pro-rata refund will be made to any learner attending at that time who has attended at least 80% of their sessions.
- Where a course with an accreditation is closed and we cannot offer an alternative, we will refund your fees in full.
- Refunds may take 28 days to process.
- If you change your mind within ten working days of enrolling and before the course starts, we will refund you the amount you have paid, minus an administration charge of £30.
- If you withdraw from a course once it has started, you will not be eligible for a refund.
- It may occasionally be necessary, for reasons beyond the control of BAES, to change the course tutor, make slight changes to the timing or content of the programme, or move the course to an alternative venue within a reasonable distance of the advertised venue. No refund will be given under these circumstances.
Attendance
- Unless you hear from us to the contrary, please assume that your course will be running.
- Under the terms of our Attendance and Punctuality Policy, all learners are required to be punctual for their class and to attend regularly. If you are unable to attend a session, please let us know. If we do not hear from you, staff will try to contact you. If you are absent for 3 weeks without contact with us, you will be withdrawn from the course and your place may be offered to someone else.
- Learners on some courses can have childcare costs paid while they are studying. If you stop attending a course where we have agreed to pay childcare fees, you will be responsible for cancelling the childcare arrangements and for paying any fees owing to the childcare provider from the date you stopped attending the course.
General
- All learners are required to complete all necessary documentation and sign the Learner Agreement form at the beginning of their course. This could be either paper based or via an electronic signature capture. Learners who fail to comply will be excluded from the course and will not receive a refund. BAES reserves the right to exclude learners from further courses should they not complete all appropriate paperwork.
- By signing the Learner Agreement, learners are agreeing to follow all the policies and procedures of BAES. These may be updated during the academic year to take account of legislative changes and applying best practice.
- All learners are required to show respect for staff, other learners and to behave responsibly and safely at all times.
- We are unable to accept responsibility for any damage to or loss of learner property (including motor vehicles) or work.
- By enrolling on a course with BAES you agree to wear a BAES issued Identification Badge whilst attending a BAES course onsite.
- All learners are expected to complete our induction process.
Data Protection
- Personal information is processed in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018.
- Fees for learners are subsidised by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) who fund further education and skills training in the West Midlands region. Their privacy notice can be found here: https://www.wmca.org.uk/policies
- Learners can refer to the privacy notice that is issued by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) on behalf of the Secretary of State for the Department of Education (DfE). It is to inform learners how their personal information will be used by the DfE, the ESFA and any successor bodies to these organisations. For the purposes of the Data Protection Act, the DfE is the data controller for personal data processed by the ESFA. Your personal information is used by the DfE to exercise its functions and to meet its statutory responsibilities, including under the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009 and to create and maintain a unique learner number (ULN) and a personal learning record (PLR).
- All new learners will be allocated a Unique Learner Number (ULN). This ULN is the education equivalent of a national insurance number and is used for life. ULNs are issued to most learners from age 14 and they are used in schools, further and higher education, and particularly when entering exams or accessing the National Careers Service.
- Your information may be shared with third parties for education, training, employment and well-being related purposes, including for research. This will only take place where the law allows it and the sharing is in compliance with the Data Protection Act 2018.
- The European Social Fund (ESF) Managing Authority (or agents acting on its behalf) may contact you in order for them to carry out research and evaluation to inform the effectiveness of training.
- Further information about use of and access to your personal data, and details of organisations with whom we regularly share data are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/esfa-privacy-notice
- You may be contacted after you have completed your programme of learning to establish whether you have entered employment or gone onto further training.
- BAES provides access for learners to online learning materials in some subjects to support learning. These materials are provided by reputable third-party suppliers who comply with the requirements of the Data Protection Act.
Service Disruption: Coronavirus Updates
Thursday 19 March 2020
Following the latest government guidance, we are now moving from face-to-face learning to online and flexible distance learning. Therefore classes will not take place at BAES Centres after 3pm on Friday 20th March and centres will be temporarily closed to learners.
However, your class will continue online. Your teacher will contact you shortly and explain how you can access learning resources and how you will be supported. These are some of the measures that your teacher will use to support you:
1. Your tutor will contact you by email to tell you how to access online learning for your course and other ways that materials will be provided
2. Your teacher will also email you class materials and presentations where an online option is not available to you or is not the best way to conduct your lessons
3. You can contact your teacher via email for any questions you have
4. If you have problems accessing materials online and if you don’t have access to the internet, teachers are preparing study packs that will be sent out to you.
Please wait for your teacher to contact you next week with the exact information on how you will access your learning. If your teacher does not contact you early next week and you have a question, in the first instance call your centre or email us on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we will try our best to sort out any issues.
Thursday 12 March 2020
Birmingham Adult Education Service is aware that a number of cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the United Kingdom. We are taking preventative actions for the safety of students, staff, and visitors.
What we are doing:
- Monitoring the situation within the UK and Birmingham
- Following advice and guidance from Public Health England
- Keeping students and staff informed, in line with BCC, Public Health England and DfE guidance
Frequently asked questions
I think I have symptoms - what do I do?
As per the latest government advice, we are urging students and staff who are displaying either high temperature or a new continuous cough to stay at home and self isolate for 7 days. You don't need to contact 111, your doctor's surgery, pharmacy or hospital.
What can we do to stay healthy?
- Wash hands regularly with soap and water
- Sneeze or cough into a tissue and wash your hands afterwards
- Refrain from touching face without washing hands
- Do not share items that come into contact with your mouth e.g. bottles/cups
- Maintain a fit and healthy lifestyle.
I have a specific question that I would like to discuss
In the first instance we would urge all students to speak to their tutor. In addition, the Department for Education Coronavirus helpline is available to answer questions regarding to education. Learners can contact this helpline as follows - 0800 046 8687 (opening hours 8am - 6pm Monday to Friday).
How many confirmed cases of COVID19 virus are there within BAES?
There are no confirmed cases at present amongst staff or learners.
Are our centres likely to close?
All of our centres are currently open as normal and we are keeping a close eye on the situation as it develops. Be sure to check here or on our social media channels (Facebook and Twitter) for updates.
For the most current advice and guidance from Public Health England, click here
For advice and guidance for educational establishments, click here
Coronavirus Update
Birmingham Adult Education Service is aware that a number of cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the United Kingdom. We are taking preventative actions for the safety of students, staff, and visitors.
What we are doing:
- Monitoring the situation within the UK and Birmingham
- Following advice and guidance from Public Health England
- Keeping students and staff informed, in line with BCC, Public Health England and DfE guidance
Frequently asked questions
I think I have symptoms - what do I do?
As per the latest government advice, we are urging students and staff who are displaying either high temperature or a new continuous cough to stay at home and self isolate for 7 days. You don't need to contact 111, your doctor's surgery, pharmacy or hospital.
What can we do to stay healthy?
- Wash hands regularly with soap and water
- Sneeze or cough into a tissue and wash your hands afterwards
- Refrain from touching face without washing hands
- Do not share items that come into contact with your mouth e.g. bottles/cups
- Maintain a fit and healthy lifestyle.
I have a specific question that I would like to discuss
In the first instance we would urge all students to speak to their tutor. In addition, the Department for Education Coronavirus helpline is available to answer questions regarding to education. Learners can contact this helpline as follows - 0800 046 8687 (opening hours 8am - 6pm Monday to Friday).
How many confirmed cases of COVID19 virus are there within BAES?
There are no confirmed cases at present amongst staff or learners.
Are our centres likely to close?
All of our centres are currently open as normal and we are keeping a close eye on the situation as it develops. Be sure to check here or on our social media channels (Facebook and Twitter) for updates.
For the most current advice and guidance from Public Health England, click here
For advice and guidance for educational establishments, click here
Privacy Notice
Overview
As a local authority Birmingham City Council (the council) and Birmingham Adult Education Service collect, holds and processes information, including personal data about you.
We understand that your personal data is important to you, and we have a responsibility to you regarding the information we hold about you, to ensure that the information we collect is used proportionately, correctly and safely.
Being transparent with you and providing accessible information about how we use your information demonstrates our commitment to the General Data Protection Regulations, hereafter referred to as GDPR. (Regulation (EU) 2016/679).
We are committed to safeguarding your privacy and in this document we explain how we will handle your personal data.
Purpose BAES use learner information
Why do we collect and use learner information?
We collect and use learner information under the West Midlands Combined Authority and the Education and Skills Funding Agency contract for the provision of learning. We also collect learner information to pass to the Learning Records Service who create a Unique Learner Number (ULN) for each learner
We use the learner data to:
- Report to the West Midlands Combined Authority and the Education and Skills Funding Agency
- Obtain unique learner numbers from the Learning Records Service
- Support learning
- Monitor and report on learner progress
- Provide appropriate pastoral care
- Assess the quality of our services
- Comply with the law regarding data sharing
- Carry out statistical analysis that allows us to target and plan the provision of services
The categories of learner information that we collect, hold and share with the West Midland Combined Authority and the Education and Skills Funding Agency:
- Personal information (name, unique learner number, date of birth, address)
- Characteristics (where provided) such as ethnicity, residency status, employment status, disability
- Achievement of qualifications and learning goals, destination information
The categories of learner information we collect and hold within Birmingham Adult Education Service:
- Email address, phone number
- Income based benefits claimed
- Attendance information (such as sessions attended, number of absences and absence reasons)
- Disclosures made regarding learner health issues and convictions
- Support needs to provide appropriate learning support
- Emergency contact details provided by learners
- Online initial assessments outcomes (where applicable)
- The starting point of your learning, your reason for learning and information about your progress information towards your learning goals.
- Learner photos for ID cards
The categories of learner information that we collect, hold and share with other agencies with your consent:
- Laser Learning Portfolio e-system (health and social care learners) – name, address, date of birth, email, phone number
- Equal Platform (health and social care learners)- name and email address
- Results of assessments e.g. dyslexia assessments for exam access arrangements – relevant awarding body and Joint Council for Qualifications.
Other agencies with whom we may be obliged to share information:
- Local authority social services
- Police
- Department of Work and Pensions
- Public Health England
Timespan for storing learner data
We hold learner data for the year in which the learner studies plus 6 years; the exception is enrolment data which is held for the year in which you study plus 25 years. Safeguarding records are held for 3 years or until the learner leaves BAES, whichever is the later date.
Qualifications
For learners enrolling for qualifications, the Learning Records Service will give us a learner’s unique learner number (ULN) and may also give us details about the learner’s previous learning or qualifications.
Why we share learner information?
We do not share information about our learners with anyone other than those listed above without consent unless the law and our policies allow us to do so.
Our learners aged 16-19
We will also share certain information about learners aged 16+ with our local authority as they have responsibilities in relation to the education or training of 13-19 year olds under section 507B of the Education Act 1996.
This enables them to provide services as follows:
- Post-16 education and training providers
- Youth support services
- Careers advisers
Your Rights
Under data protection legislation, parents and learners have the right to request access to the information about them that we hold. You also have the right to:
- ask for access to information about you that we hold
- have your personal data rectified, if it is inaccurate or incomplete
- request the deletion or removal of personal data where there is no compelling reason for its continued processing
- restrict our processing of your personal data (i.e. permitting its storage but no further processing)
- object to direct marketing (including profiling) and processing for the purposes of scientific/historical research and statistics
- not to be subject to decisions based purely on automated processing where it produces a legal or similarly significant effect on you
If we are processing your personal information using your consent, you can withdraw your consent at any time. For further details on the rights you have please see our privacy notice on our website at www.birmingham.gov.uk/privacy
If you have a concern about the way we are collecting or using your personal data, you should raise your concern with us in the first instance or directly to the Information Commissioner’s Office at https://ico.org.uk/concerns/
Contact
If you would like to discuss anything in this privacy notice, please contact the Information Line on 0121 303 4318 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
EU Cookie Law - Brasshouse Cookie Policy
Since 26th May 2012, all UK websites need to comply with the EU E-Privacy Directive 2009/136/EC. Cookies are only a small part of this directive, and whilst you are still allowed to use cookies on a website, it must be made clear to visitors to your site that cookies are being used. A message or warning must be displayed so that the visitor is aware of them.
At the top of our website we have displayed a message to warn you that our website makes use of cookies and that one has already been set. By displaying this message we hope that we are providing you with the information you require about our use of cookies, and presenting you with the option to consent to their use. This message will be displayed until such time as you agree to our site using cookies by clicking on the continue button.
What is a cookie?
A cookie is a small amount of data, often including a unique identifier, sent to the browser of your computer or mobile phone (referred to here as a "device") from a website's computer. It is stored on your device's hard drive. Each website can send its own cookie to your browser if your browser's preferences allow it. To protect your privacy, your browser only permits a website to access the cookies it has already sent to you, and not the cookies sent to you by other websites. Many websites do this whenever a user visits them to track online traffic flows.
On the BAES website, our cookies record information about your online preferences so we can tailor the site to your interests. You can set your device's preferences to accept all cookies, notify you when a cookie is issued, or not receive cookies at all. Selecting the last option means you will not receive certain personalised features, which may result in you being unable to take full advantage of all the website's features. Each browser is different, so please check the "Help" menu of your browser to learn how to change your cookie preferences.
During the course of any visit to our website, every page you see, along with a cookie, is downloaded to your device. Many websites do this because cookies enable website publishers to do useful things like find out whether your device (and probably you) has visited the website before. On a repeat visit this is done by the website's computer checking to see, and finding, the cookie left there on the last visit.
How do we use cookies?
Information supplied by cookies can help us analyse the profile of our visitors, which helps us provide you with a better user experience. For example, if on a previous visit you went to our contact pages, we might find this out from your cookie and highlight contact information on subsequent visits.
Third party cookies on our pages
Please note that during your visits to our website you may notice some cookies which are unrelated to us. When you visit a page with content embedded from, for example, YouTube or Flickr, you may be presented with cookies from these websites. We do not control the dissemination of these cookies. You should check the third party websites for more information about these.
Cookies used on our site
We only use cookies to help us continuously improve our website and maintain a nice browsing experience for our visitors. Here is a list of cookies used on this website:
Google Analytics - we use cookies to compile visitor statistics such as how many people have visited our website, what type of technology they are using (e.g. Mac or Windows which helps to identify when our site isn't working as it should for particular technologies), how long they spend on the site, what page they look at etc.
Various cookies connected to social media channels that enable you to share our content with your contacts
Session cookie - this is a standard cookie just to remember user preferences (like font size and saves you logging in every time you visit)
How to delete cookies or control them
This site will not use cookies to collect personally identifiable information about you. However, if you wish to restrict or block cookies set by this or any other website, you can do this through your browser settings. The Help function within your browser should tell you how.
Alternatively, you may wish to visit www.aboutcookies.org which contains comprehensive information on how to do this for a wide variety of browsers. You will also find details on how to clear cookies from your computer as well as more general information about cookies. For information on how to do this on your mobile phone's browser, you will need to refer to your handset manual.
