AGBs der M.L.S Sprachschule Bournemouth

Enrolment
To enrol on a course at M.L.S, students must forward a completed enrolment form and a copy of their Passport, together with a non-refundable deposit of £500.00. Alternatively they may forward their full fees to M.L.S with their enrolment form and Passport. Students over 18 must sign the enrolment form to confirm their acceptance of these Terms and Conditions. The parents or legal guardians of students aged 16-17 must also read and countersign the enrolment form to signify their acceptance of the Terms & Conditions. Additionally, a Parent Declaration Form, which will be forwarded by M.L.S with the enrolment confirmation documents, must be completed and submitted by the parents or legal guardians of students under 18. Completed enrolment forms may be forwarded to M.L.S by fax, e-mail, courier or post, or completed online via the M.L.S website. If an application is successful, M.L.S will confirm the booking and invoice for the total fees due.

Enrolments are accepted on the understanding that students will study for the duration of stay declared at the time of enrolment. The onus is on clients to ensure that they receive full information on the course they require prior to enrolment. M.L.S reserves the right to make changes to the dates, fees and content of courses, without notice.

Travel Documents
It is the responsibility of all students to ensure they have valid travel documentation (ie a valid passport, National ID card, travel permit or visa, as applicable). Students who require a visa to study in the UK will be issued, on successful enrolment, with the following documentation from M.L.S to support their visa application: Confirmation of Enrolment (a Visa Letter to support applications for a Student Visitor Visa); Confirmation of Enrolment (a Visa Letter to support applications for an Extended Student Visitor Visa)*; or Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) for Tier 4 General Student Visa applicants.

Student Visa Holders
Student visa holders must provide M.L.S with their current UK address, telephone number and emergency contact details as well as any changes to this information during their course. Students must maintain satisfactory attendance and academic progress throughout the course of their studies. M.L.S is required to share information on student visa holders with the UKBA, including personal contact details, enrolment details and course changes, attendance records, and any suspected or confirmed breaches of visa conditions.

Courier Charges
Where original copies of enrolment documents are required, these will be sent by standard airmail post. Should students wish the documents to be sent by courier service (eg DHL), they must request and pay for this in advance.

Payment of Fees
Full payment of fees is due 4 weeks before the start of a course. Payment may be made either by telegraphic transfer, bankers draft, cheque (drawn on a UK bank), debit card or credit card (a 3 per cent handling charge applies to credit card payments). When making a telegraphic transfer, clients will need to provide the Bank with their name, address and M.L.S invoice number. All bank charges must be met by the client. M.L.S reserves the right to withhold course certification in the event of outstanding fees, or for reasons related to attendance.

Minimum Age
M.L.S accepts students aged 17 and above for all its programmes, with the exception of our General English courses, for which the minimum age is 16 years. M.L.S courses are designed for adult students, therefore students aged 16-17 are advised that they will be attending classes with students aged 18 and over. All students under the age of 18 must provide a signed Parent Declaration Form, available on request, before arrival.

Language Levels
Should students wish to check their English-language levels are sufficient for a particular course, they are recommended to undertake the M.L.S on-Line English Test at http://www.M.L.S.co.uk/online_english_language_test and submit the results to M.L.S. Please note, however, that the final decision regarding suitability for any chosen course will be made following the entry-level assessment on arrival at M.L.S. Should a student’s language level prove too low for the course selected, M.L.S will recommend an alternative course and advise as to how much additional study time will be needed to reach the required level. In the above circumstances, M.L.S reserves the right to place the student on an appropriate alternative programme, which may have fewer lessons.

Academic Timetables
Lessons are timetabled daily in blocks of 2, forty-five minute lessons, within the study periods detailed in the M.L.S brochure ‘Academic nSummary’, Page 6, and on the M.L.S website at http://www.bbsi.co.uk/bbsi_academic_summary. Students receive a personal timetable on arrival at M.L.S, and class times/alterations are published weekly within the School.

Classes
All classes have a maximum of 12 participants; however, during peak periods M.L.S reserves the right to increase class sizes to a maximum of 15. For classes missed due to first day inductions, examinations, excursions or other unavoidable circumstances, no refunds or substitutions will be made.

Examination Fees
The fees for external examinations are not included in the M.L.S course fees. However, the award of NCFE certificates in relation to those courses that have NCFE accreditation, is included within the M.L.S course fees. Details of the fees for external examinations are available on the M.L.S website at http://www.bbsi.co.uk/bbsi_course_dates_and_fees or http://www.bbsi.co.uk/examination_courses_at_M.L.S, or can be forwarded by M.L.S on request.

Course Books & Materials
All books and course materials will be supplied to students during their course. Course materials and books for English-language, Business English or Summer Courses are included within the course fees. For Vocational, University Foundation and Pre-Masters courses, where further specialised books and resources are needed, a fee will be charged in this respect and will be shown on the invoice as a book fee. Details of book fees can be found in the M.L.S Dates & Fees document and also at http://www.bbsi.co.uk/M.L.S_course_dates_and_fees.

Social Programme Fees
For activities that incur entry fees and transportation costs, a charge will be made. Other events and activities may be free of charge. A detailed M.L.S social programme, including fees, is published monthly in advance on the M.L.S website at http://www.bbsi.co.uk/social-programme/, whilst details are regularly made available to students in the School.

Extending or Changing a Course
A course can be extended at M.L.S at any time during study. However, students must pay the full course fees before commencing an extended study programme. Students wishing to change their course after arrival at M.L.S must complete a course change form (available from School Reception). A minimum of one week’s notice is required for any course change requests, and M.L.S is not obliged to fulfil such requests. Any course changes are strictly subject to availability, the terms of a student’s visa, a student’s language level, academic progress and attendance record, and payment of any additional fees due. Course changes will be charged at the standard published fees at the time of the request. In the event that a student requests to change to a course of lesser value, no refund will be payable on the initial course fees paid.

Holidays & Absences
Should a student decide to take a holiday and be absent from their course, he or she will forfeit the period of holiday taken, with no right to refund or compensation. Holiday dates are built into long-term specialised course programmes and students cannot make changes to these dates. Breaks taken at other times will be marked as periods of absence. The School will normally be closed on UK public holidays. Term dates and public holiday dates are published annually within the M.L.S Dates & Fees document. Compensation will not be made for missed classes falling on public holidays.

Attendance & Discipline
Students must attend all lessons on time and are not permitted to be absent, other than during scheduled School holiday breaks. Students arriving late for a class may be refused entry. Absence due to sickness must be covered by a doctor’s certificate for the whole period. The School must be informed immediately of all illnesses that result in a student’s absence from lessons. In the event of a student’s attendance being below 80 per cent, a student’s final certification may be affected. The School reserves the right to dismiss a student for unsatisfactory work, poor attendance, misconduct, failure to adhere to School rules and policies, committing a criminal offence, failure to pay fees due, or breaking the terms of their visa. In such circumstances, fees will not be refunded and no final course certification or awards will be awarded.

Complaints Policy
The School aims to deal with all complaints efficiently and fairly. If a student has a complaint to make about any matter relating to their course at M.L.S, ie classes, facilities, accommodation, administration, other students etc, they are advised to speak to the Administration Manager, who will then ensure that the complaint is dealt with in a satisfactory manner.

Accommodation
Homestay accommodation is selected in accordance with AccreditationUK guidelines. For all other types of accommodation, M.L.S acts as an intermediary and any arrangements made with third party providers will be subject to the terms and conditions of that provider. Requests to change or leave previously allocated accommodation must be made in advance. Notice periods for vacating accommodation are as follows: one week for homestay, or The Outlook Residence; 2 weeks for other residential accommodation; or full payment in lieu. A fee of £25.00 will be charged to students who request a change in accommodation. Where accommodation is required for a part-week only, that week’s fee is payable in full. During holiday periods, between terms, or when the School is closed, students must make their own arrangements with their respective hosts. Should a student be absent during a School break, a retainer of £40.00 weekly would be payable for a standard homestay, or £50.00 weekly for an executive homestay.

Health Declaration
Students must advise M.L.S on enrolment of any mental or physical illness, allergy, disability or condition that may affect their studies or impact the health or wellbeing of any other student, host or staff member. M.L.S reserves the right to reject an enrolment or terminate a student’s course in the event that continued participation would represent a risk to the student’s health and safety, or the health and safety of other students or staff members. In such circumstances, the refund of fees will be strictly at the discretion of the M.L.S directors.

Refund Policy
A minimum of 4 weeks’ notice is required should a student wish to cancel a course before the scheduled course start date. In such an event, M.L.S will pay a refund less the £90.00 enrolment fee and any additional expenses incurred by the Company, eg credit card charges, DHL delivery fees etc. If M.L.S has provided original visa documentation to the student, a refund will be paid only on return of the original M.L.S documentation.

Should a student request a course cancellation within the 4 weeks leading up to the scheduled course start date, M.L.S will refund full accommodation fees and tuition fees, less the £500.00 deposit and any additional expenses incurred by M.L.S, eg credit card charges, DHL delivery fees etc. If original visa documentation has been provided to the student, a refund will be made only on return to M.L.S of the original documentation.

Should a student request cancellation of their course after the scheduled start date, M.L.S will make no refund.

In the case of a student visa refusal, at the discretion of the M.L.S directors, and only on production of an original Visa-Refusal document and provided that the student concerned has met full UK Border Agency criteria, M.L.S will refund the fees paid less the £90.00 M.L.S enrolment fee and any additional expenses incurred by M.L.S, eg credit card charges, DHL delivery fees etc.

In the event of a student making a false declaration or breaking the terms of their visa, M.L.S would be required to submit a report to the UKBA, withdraw sponsorship, and dismiss the student. In such circumstances, the student would have no right to refund or compensation.

In the event of expiry of a student’s visa, failure to secure a new visa, or withdrawal of the M.L.S sponsorship licence, a student will not be allowed to continue their studies, and will have no right to refund or compensation. Moreover, in the event of changes to UKBA regulations that affect the M.L.S sponsorship licence to the extent that it would not be possible for a student to continue their studies, that student would have no right to refund or compensation.

In the event of any of the above circumstances, a student’s final certification may be in question.

Insurance
M.L.S will make no refund to a student in the event of: late arrival for a course; a change of course; School closure; or, should a student leave M.L.S early, or be dismissed from M.L.S before the course completion date. Students are therefore strongly advised to obtain travel and health insurance before travelling to the UK. It is each student’s responsibility to take out personal insurance cover against all such risks, including the inability to attend or continue a course due to illness or injury. Cover should be arranged for the following:

• medical expenses • personal effects & money
• personal accident • loss of ‘Leave to Remain’ (visa)
• cancellation/curtailment • personal liability

Data Protection
A student’s personal information will be held by M.L.S in accordance with the UK Data Protection Act 1998. M.L.S will not disclose personal information to any unauthorised person or body, except where appropriate to student sponsors, agents, the police, the UK Border Agency, or to other official authorities. M.L.S may, however, disclose personal data to appropriate authorities in connection with the prevention, or detection, of fraud or other crimes.

Photographs, Videos & DVDs
M.L.S sometimes takes photographs and video footage within the School, some of which might be incorporated in our future publicity material, or be forwarded to student sponsors and M.L.S agencies. On request, M.L.S might forward such footage to the police, the UK Border Agency, or other official authorities. Should individuals not wish to appear in any M.L.S promotional media, they must advise M.L.S in writing.

Liability
M.L.S and its representatives will not be liable for any loss, damage, illness, or injury to persons or property, however caused, except where such liability is imposed by English law.