HEALTH CARE
Registering with a doctor
When you go to register with a GP, take proof that you are a student in the UK and proof of address with you and ask to be registered as a NHS patient.
Hospital and Emergency Treatment
Emergency hospital treatment is free for everyone.
If you feel that you need urgent medical attention you should go to A&E (Accident and Emergency). A&E departments assess and treat patients with serious injuries or illnesses. They are not suitable if you have a minor problem.
If you are unable to go to A&E, dial 999 for free emergency treatment. It is free to dial from any telephone.
Students from an EU country are encouraged to carry a valid European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) from their home country, and will need to have this card to access free treatment if their course of study is part time or less than 6 months. If you do a full-time course of 6 months or more, you will be entitled to free NHS hospital treatment.
NHS Walk-In Centre
If you feel unwell whilst you are at the College, you might want to go to a NHS Walk-In Centre. This nurse-led facility provides treatment for minor ailments such as infections, lacerations (minor cuts or wounds) and fractures. No appointment is needed for this service, but you might be required to wait for sometime before you will be seen by a doctor.
Dental Treatment
You can find the contact details of dentists who give NHS treatment at www.nhs.uk.You should ask the dentist whether they accept NHS patients – many do not. If you are entitled to NHS treatment, you may still have to make a contribution towards the cost of your dental treatment. If you are not entitled to NHS treatment, or the dentist you choose does not take NHS patients (some dentists will only accept private patients), you will have to pay for the full cost of your treatment.
Pharmacies
Your doctor may write a prescription for you if you require a medicine. The prescription authorises a pharmacist to give you a particular medicine. You can get prescriptions and other medicines from your local pharmacy.
Please check with your doctor whether you will need to pay for prescriptions.
For more detailed information on medical treatment and how keep healthy please visit the website of the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA)
http://www.ukcisa.org.uk/content.aspx?CategoryID=2509
Physical Disability
The College is accessible for wheelchair users. While we aim to provide access to all and make all reasonable adjustments, our courses or facilities may not be suitable for everyone. In these cases we will give impartial advice about other Colleges and Learning Institutes.
Visual and Audible Impairment
The College always aims to make all reasonable adjustments to the environment. In some cases, an application can be made to the awarding body, proposing alternative assessment methods and making a request for specifically adapted learning resources. Please contact welfare officer to arrange a confidential meeting to discuss your individual needs and requirements.
Learning Difficulties
The most common type of learning difficulty that we encounter is dyslexia. The College will give impartial advice about external agencies and organisations who can offer additional support for a learner to be successful. In some cases, an application for adaptions and special considerations can be made to the awarding body. Please contact welfare officer to arrange a confidential meeting to discuss your individual needs and requirements.
LOCAL LIBRARIES
Stratford College London is ideally based for optimum use of all the local amenities and is based very close to the local libraries. We would encourage you to register with the local libraries as it is a great resource that you can access at no cost to yourself.
IT FACILITIES
At Stratford College London we have multiple computer suites that are accessible to students. Students are able to benefit from high speed internet free of charge in the state of the art suites whilst working in a controlled and study focussed environment. There are wireless hotspot zones around the college for students to use with their own laptops or tablets and many black and white photocopiers or printers around the campus.
NUS EXTRA – DISCOUNT SCHEME
As a registered student you are entitled to a number of discounts for travel and shopping. You can get a discount on national rail travel, as well as the London Underground and bus services. You are also entitled to register for an NUS Extra card which grants you access to extensive discounts in clothes shops, leisure and entertainment activities, subscriptions and even travel and holiday packages. Stratford College London can authorise your attendance at College in order to grant you access to these discounts.
STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE COUNCIL (SRC)
As a student at Stratford College London you are automatically registered as a member of the College Student Representative Council (SRC). The SRC is a platform from which students are able to voice their opinions and concerns relating to any educational or social issues at the College, with a view to enhancing the student experience as a whole. Stratford College London is committed to creating a rewarding, challenging and valuable working environment for all its students and therefore actively seeks the feedback of students through SRC.
Student Representatives are elected and also make part of the Staff-Student Liaison Committee. Student Representatives will attend departmental Committee meetings and raise any issues they have in relation to their learning experiences, their activities at the College and any opportunities they would like to see made possible. Being a member of the SRC involves all students whether full time, part time or distance learners and either EU or Home students.
STUDENT COUNCIL MEMBERS
The Student-Staff Liaison Committee or SSLC provides a link between the student body and the College staff. The existence of the SSLC permits a discussion on issues that don’t fit within the stricter remit of the Academic Board. We value this formal method of communication between students and staff and at all times appreciate the feedback of students. The SSLC will meet once a semester and will be a student led discussion. Providing an opportunity for students to discuss teaching, learning and student support in an open manner, the SSLC is a vital channel of communication. The College will consult with the SSLC on any proposals to make changes to courses.
The College recognises it as the responsibility of the Student Representatives to gather feedback from the class groups they are representing, in order to engage in constructive and worthwhile discussions. In turn, they then expect the outcome of these discussions to be reported back to their fellow students. The ultimate objective of the SSLC is to work with their departments to find solutions to any problems that they encounter.
COUNCIL ELECTIONS
Student Representatives are elected democratically by each class group. In a ballot, organised by the Principal , or academic support staff, each group will nominate their representative. The decision of the class is normally indicated by a show of hands or ballot paper.
This ballot is conducted in the first few weeks of the course, or in the case of a 12 week course, it is conducted in the first week
STUDENT FUNDING
Students who are studying with us may be eligible for financial assistance through the Student Finance organisation for some of our courses if they are UK or EU Nationals. This means that you could receive financial assistance in the form of loans or grants to cover your course costs and living expenses.
Students wishing to study for a Higher National Diploma on a full or part time basis should apply online for financial assistance. Student loans to cover course fees are available from Student Finance up to the value of £6,000 for full time students and £4,500 for part time students. All loans are a repayable way of financing your studies. Students who are eligible and also wish to apply for maintenance loans can borrow up to £7,751 if they are living away from home in London. This loan is intended to cover living costs such as rent and day to day expenses. This is also repayable on completing your studies and earning the required salary.
Who will be eligible?
You must be 18 years of age at the start date of your course and:
- Have been ‘ordinarily resident’ in the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man
- Have ‘settled status’ – which means you must be settled in the UK within the meaning of the Immigration Act of 1997
- Citizen of the EU
- Family member of European Economic Area (EEA) or Swiss migrant worker, frontier worker or self-employed person
In addition to the student loans available to cover course fees and living costs from Student Finance, full time students may also apply for a maintenance grant. Maintenance grants are not repayable and are available to help with living and studying costs. In order to receive this grant, you must be an English home student and disclose information about your household income and course start date. Accepting a maintenance grant will reduce the value of the maintenance loan you are entitled to receive.
For more information on how to apply for funding through the Student Finance system, please visit www.gov.uk/apply-for-student-finance
EmployabilityApart from giving individual advice, our career advisers run regular workshops on topics like postgraduate study, how to put together a CV and covering letter, and improving your application and interview techniques. We either arrange trips to exhibitions, seminars, visits to companies or invite companies or business to visit our college and give presentations. We also place adverts or notices on a broad range of jobs, employers, and opportunities for further study, both in the UK and overseas. Please speak to a career adviser for Advice, Guidance, and Information at a drop-in session. These are one-to-one discussions, up to 15 minutes long. |
FURTHER INFORMATION
Careers & Employability recommend that you also register with Prospects.ac.uk, providers of the official national graduate careers web site with a range of services for students and graduates, with whom we work in close partnership.
PROSPECTS PLANNER
Prospects planner is an online career exploration tool for Higher Education students and graduates. You will be asked a series of questions about your skills, interests, and motivations. Prospects planner can help you to:
- Identify what you want out of a job; generate new job ideas and check out your existing ones.
•Find out what motivates you in a job; identify your skills and what you can offer to the job/employer.
•See how these match the jobs you are considering.
•Research your chosen jobs in more detail, compare your options, and decide on the right choices for you.
