Apprenticeship Handbook 2024-25

Welcome to Northeastern University London

Congratulations on becoming an apprentice. You are now part of an innovative, global learning community, within the Northeastern University Global Network. Northeastern University London is proud to represent the best in experiential education, drawing on over a century of experience from Northeastern University’s partnerships with employers.

By choosing an apprenticeship pathway, you will benefit from structured, high-quality training to help you gain sought-after qualifications and certifications, alongside your apprenticeship. Importantly, your apprenticeship represents a significant investment in your development by your employer, and as such, a tremendous opportunity. 

This opportunity is not without challenge. As you progress through your apprenticeship, learning will become increasingly demanding, helping you become competent in your chosen career. You will also need to balance the demands of a career alongside those of ongoing learning and development.

Throughout your journey, the University is on hand to support, and this handbook sets out the comprehensive support and services on offer; helping you to successfully overcome challenges and make the most of your apprenticeship.

As you embark on your apprenticeship, take the time to read through and see what is on offer. As you progress, keep this guide to hand, to provide helpful answers to questions and a quick guide to the resources and services available.

I am pleased to welcome you to your apprenticeship and look forward to your future achievements.

Emma Kelly

Director of Business and Partnership Development & Apprenticeships

Northeastern University London

About This Handbook

This handbook provides you with information on Apprenticeship programmes at Northeastern University London (the University) and the facilities available to you on campus. It is accompanied by information on the University website, which can be found here.

If any changes are necessary, the Apprentice Handbook will be updated and the most recent version will be available on the University’s Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), Canvas.

For the purpose of this document the term Student, Learner or Apprentice all relate to the same individual who is undertaking the apprenticeship.

Comments

If you have any comments on this handbook, what you found useful or what else you think could be included, please email the Apprenticeships Admin Team.

Structure of an Apprenticeship

All apprenticeships are defined by an Apprenticeship Standard for a specific subject area, and which is composed of the Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours (KSB’s) an apprentice must work towards during their apprenticeship. Final achievement of an apprenticeship is validated through End Point Assessment (EPA).  This is where an apprentice will competently demonstrate that they have successfully gained the required knowledge and skills for their chosen apprenticeship standard through various assessment methods such as projects, presentations, professional discussions and multiple choice question tests (MCQ).

Knowledge – This component is mainly delivered by Northeastern University London with input from your organisation, and provides competence and theoretical understanding. The apprentice must demonstrate that they have the knowledge to carry out work to the level required and an understanding of why this is required, as outlined within the apprenticeship standard and by their employer. Taught classes and online learning are a requirement for this. The achievement of the elements of the Knowledge is recorded on Maytas.

Skills – The apprentice must show competence in all Skills criteria through demonstration via a range of work activities. The achievement of skills is recorded in a portfolio of evidence. The Success Manager discusses what can be used as evidence throughout the programme and guides the apprentice and line manager to End Point Assessment. The achievement of the elements of the Skills are recorded on Maytas.

Behaviours – The apprentice must show competence in all behaviours through demonstrating them in a range of work activities. The achievement of behaviours is recorded in a portfolio of evidence. The Success Manager discusses what can be used as evidence throughout the programme and guides the apprentice and line manager to reach the (EPA). Behaviours are mainly demonstrated in the workplace. The achievement of the elements of the Behaviours are recorded on Maytas.

Apprenticeship Standards can be found here.

There are 4 main parties that need to work together in order for an apprenticeship to succeed, these are:

Apprentice – An individual studying an apprenticeship programme, thereby combining academic and practical training culminating in demonstration of full competence in the job

Employer/Line Manager – Provides the workplace opportunity and study-time to enable an apprentice to gain Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours to complete the apprenticeship

Northeastern University London – Facilitates, delivers and assesses Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours required within the apprenticeship standard. Provides support to the apprentice and employer to enable successful achievement

End-Point Assessment Organisation (EPAO) – An independent organisation who conducts the final assessment activities for all non-integrated degree programmes. Please note that for integrated degree programmes, Northeastern University London is considered the EPAO.

Apprentice Commitment

You are on your own learning journey to success and therefore, this programme will require your full commitment. You will combine your academic studies with the significant experience you gain within your workplace role in order to achieve the Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours set out in the Apprenticeship Standard for your Programme.

For this to become a reality, you will need to commit to both your role within the workplace and your apprenticeship learning delivered by the University. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Committing to achieving the full requirements of your apprenticeship and job role. This will incorporate technical Knowledge, Skills development, practical experience and exhibiting professional positive Behaviours, in line with your Apprenticeship Standard and place of work.
• Making an active and meaningful contribution to the work of your department.
• Looking for opportunities to stretch yourself as what is expected of you will expand, and the level at which you work will increase through the duration of the programme.
• Engaging with and taking personal responsibility for your learning throughout the apprenticeship i.e., completing independent study tasks and actively looking for opportunities to apply your learning to your work.
• Undertaking all of the various assessments, including work-based tasks, written assignments, tests and exams.
• You will also need to commit time and effort to achieve the EPA, which completes your apprenticeship.
• Maintaining a clear line of communication with your Success Manager and Line Manager, ensuring you speak to them at your earliest opportunity if you need any support within your role and/or apprenticeship.

Roles and Responsibilities

Below are key individuals involved in your apprenticeship and a brief description of their responsibilities. These roles have been created to ensure that you are fully supported throughout your apprenticeship.

For queries around your academic studies or the apprenticeship itself, your main point of contact will always be your Success Manager. For queries relating to your workplace, your main point of contact is your Line Manager.

Success Manager – A designated Success Manager will support you throughout your apprenticeship. You will first meet your Success Manager during your apprenticeship induction. They will oversee your apprenticeship and will be the first point of contact for queries relating to the apprenticeship programme. The Success Manager will ensure that you are receiving the appropriate off-the-job time to complete your academic studies (i.e., approximately 1 day per week).

You, your Success Manager and Line Manager will meet every 6-8 weeks to review your progression through the apprenticeship, set SMART* objectives and discuss any additional support that may be required. *SMART = Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound

Line Manager – Your Line Manager will guide, support and challenge you both in your work and your apprenticeship. They will provide you with work that relates to your academic studies and allows you to contribute towards the organisation’s successes. Your line manager will review and adapt your work as your ability grows. They will regularly meet with you and the Success Manager to review your progress in the workplace and academic studies. 

Programme Lead – Your Programme Lead will be an academic (Faculty member) with overall responsibility for your apprenticeship programme. This includes teaching, learning, assessment, and preparation of all the courses in your apprenticeship programme.

Course Lead – Your Course Lead will be the point of contact in your apprenticeship course for any queries relating to your learning. They will conduct the seminars, support your course learning, and assess your learning.

Designated Safeguarding Officer – The Apprenticeship Designated Safeguarding Officer can advise you on any queries or concerns around Safeguarding. The University has a Safeguarding Policy which can be found on the University website.

How We Will Communicate With You

Outside of induction sessions, tripartite reviews, seminars, tutorials, or other scheduled sessions, the University email system and Canvas will be the main methods of relaying important information to you. Emails will be sent to your University email address, which you should check regularly. Any hard copy correspondence will be sent to the address on your student record. It is important that you keep this up to date via your account details held by Registry. Course specific communication will be made via the cohort-wide announcements in Canvas.

Off-The-Job Learning

Off-the-job learning is the academic learning activity that you complete during your paid hours of work, for the purpose of achieving your apprenticeship (e.g., your online learning activity). Every apprenticeship requires the apprentice to have at least the equivalent of 1 day per working week for off-the-job learning for the duration of their programme. Off-the-job learning is directly linked to the apprenticeship standard, teaching new Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours required to reach competence in the particular occupation. You will log your off-the-job learning on Maytas.

You may wish to consider additional development activities (e.g., work shadowing/workplace training courses), if so, you should speak to your Success Manager and Line Manager to discuss if they are appropriate, as your prescribed academic studies should take priority.

The apprenticeship team will work with you at the beginning of your apprenticeship to create your Individual Learning Plan (ILP) on Maytas. Your Learning Plan and progress, as declared on Maytas, will form the basis of your regular review meetings with your Success Manager and Line Manager.

Structure of Programme / Mode of Study

The majority of your programme will consist of 6-week courses, equating to 15 credits, and 12-week courses, equating to 30 credits. You will study these courses independently via our online Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) Canvas, In addition to these 6 and 12-week self-study courses, each year contains a face-to-face induction and bootcamp where you have the opportunity to work closely with academic faculty and your peers, along with invitation to regular seminars that are delivered via the VLE throughout the duration of your apprenticeship.

There are set breaks throughout your programme, at which point we recommend that you book holidays, rather than during the intensive learning periods. After following the curriculum and engaging fully in the work of the department over the duration of your apprenticeship, you should be ready to begin your (EPA).

Assessments

Each course contains two different types of assessment – Formative and Summative. Formative assessments do not count towards your final course grade but are a good opportunity to establish how well you are understanding the learning material. Each course contains two Summative assessments which will count towards EPA and your final grade. For Undergraduate courses, you are required to get a score of 40% or more to pass the course. For Postgraduate courses, a final grade of 50% or more is required to pass the course.

The following list shows the different types of assessment used in our courses:

• Essays or reports
• Short answers and problem sets
• Computer-based examination
• Written assignment
• Dissertation
• Practical skills assessment
• Oral assessment
• Presentation
• Set exercise
• Project

Extenuating Circumstances

The University’s Extenuating Circumstances (EC) procedure is in place if there are genuine circumstances that may prevent you from submitting an assessment. If you are not ‘fit to study’, you can either request an extension to the submission deadline of five working days or you can request to submit the assessment at the next opportunity (Defer). In both instances, you must submit an EC application with relevant evidence. If accepted by the EC Panel, there will be no academic penalty for late submission or non-submission depending on the request. You are reminded that an EC covers only short-term issues (20 working days) and that if you experience longer-term matters that impact on learning then you must contact the Student Support and Development Team for advice. For further information, please refer to the Extenuating Circumstances Policy in the University Academic Handbook.

If you have failed to achieve a pass mark for a course at the first sitting, you shall be offered a referral attempt for each failed assessment at the second sitting, except where the recommendation of an Academic Misconduct Panel invokes a ‘no right to referral’ academic penalty. You shall not be able to re-attempt any passed elements of assessment except where you are required to repeat a course or where an academic misconduct penalty of fail course has been recommended. You must attempt the referred and deferred assessments at the next sitting as indicated at the time of results publication.

If, after the second sitting, you have failed the course but are eligible to progress to the next level with deficit credits, you will be granted two further attempts at the failed assessment element(s). Deficit courses that have not been passed after the final attempt will be classified as an irretrievable failed course. You cannot progress to the next level with an irretrievable failure. If, after the second sitting, you did not pass the course because of deferred elements but are eligible to proceed with deficit credits will be granted further attempts at the failed assessment element(s). If, after the second sitting, you are unable to progress to the next level shall be permitted one opportunity to repeat the course(s) which were not passed, except where the recommendation of the Academic Misconduct.

End-Point Assessment

End-point assessment (EPA) is the final stage of an apprenticeship. It is an impartial assessment of whether you, as an apprentice, have developed the knowledge, skills and behaviours outlined in the apprenticeship standard. As well as successfully completing the EPA, you may need to complete additional requirements before completion. This might include mandatory English and Mathematics qualifications. Once all elements of the apprenticeship are completed, you will receive your apprenticeship certificate. For more information, please refer to the Academic Regulations 336.

The assessment methods and grading systems of EPA vary based on the apprenticeship standard. The final year of your apprenticeship programme incorporates the preparation for EPA. You can find the details in your degree apprenticeship programme specification.

Systems

Finance and Data

The Finance and Data teams are responsible for:

• Raising fee letters to students, chasing and reconciling payments
• Processing and releasing Bursary, Hardship, and Internship payments as approved in other departments.
• Processing wages, including those of Student Ambassadors, once timesheets are approved by Student Life.
• Responsible for supporting all other departments with their supplier
• payments, budgets and general accounting requirements.
• Supporting other teams in their duties regarding GDPR, including collection, storage, retention and deletion of data, Freedom of Information
• Requests, Data Subject Access requests.
• Liaise with Northeastern University for all financial, payroll, data, and budgetary matters.

Operations

Facilities

The Campus

The University occupies space within a shared building, Devon House, consisting of Ground Floor East, Ground Floor West, First Floor and Second Floor West of the building. Devon House (the Campus) is located at 58 St Katharine’s Way, London E1W 1LP.

The Campus buildings are open Monday to Friday from 08:00-21:30. During exam periods or under special circumstances the University may be open at weekends. You will need to submit an enquiry to Facilities for further information. 

The Landlord allows all tenants of the building to make use of the shared communal area in the Ground Floor Landlord entrance, which includes the outside terrace. The Landlord’s communal space is restricted to no more than 20 students at any given time.

Showers are located in stairwells Core 1 and Core 2, and bike parking is located at the rear of the building on St Katherine’s Way and are available to all members of the University. Because we are in a multi-tenanted building, you will need to use your University ID Card to get back from all toilets/showers.

Professional and Faculty Staff are situated a few minutes away in Marble Quay. If you wish to speak to a member of professional staff stationed in Marble Quay, you should go to First Point or email the member of staff in question.

The University provides you with a wide range of spaces and facilities, including:

Devon House

Campus Hub (Ground Floor West)

• Space to work and relax
• Event space
• First Point (student help point)
• Instant chilled and hot water taps
• WCs
• Pool/Table Tennis
• Accessible toilet

Ground Floor East

• Quiet study space
• Five classrooms
• Two support rooms
• Three huddle rooms
• One seminar room
• First aid room
• Film studio

First Floor

• Quiet study space
• 13 classrooms
• Three seminar rooms
• Meeting space (not enclosed)
• Seven tutorial rooms
• Two support rooms
• Printer
• Instant chilled and hot water tap
• WCs
• First aid room

Second Floor

• Study space
• Silent study zone
• Three support rooms
• Multi-faith room
• Six Classrooms
• Four Tutorial rooms
• Printer
• Instant chilled and hot water tap

Portsoken

The University occupies the 5th floor at Portsoken House, 1 Portsoken, E1 8BT.   The facilities provided include:

• Campus Hub
• 9 classrooms
• 4 huddle rooms
• 2 support rooms
• First aid room
• Multi faith room
• 1 seminar room
• First Point
• IT Hub
• Quiet Study area
• Instant cold and hot water taps
• Printer
• Two accessible toilets

Moretown

The University has office space on the first floor at 1 Thomas More Square, Moretown. This provides research working areas for PhD and Network Science staff.

If you have any queries, please contact the Facilities Team.

Student Lockers

Devon House has 140 lockers situated on the first floor, 60 aon the second floor, and 65 on Ground Floor East for student use. These are available for booking via an email request to Lockers.DH@nulondon.ac.uk . This service is managed by the Facilities Team, so if you have any queries, please contact the Facilities Team.

Portsoken has 165 lockers situated on the 5th floor.  These are available for booking via an email request to Lockers.PS@nulondon.ac.uk.

Visitors

From time to time, you may wish to have visitors attend the University. The University has a Visitors Policy, which outlines the procedures that must be followed.

Security

Staying Safe on Campus

The University has security procedures in place as outlined in the Campus Security Policy. It will be mandatory for you to wear university-issued ID whilst on campus; please be vigilant of any suspicious behaviour. Your university-issued ID will be required to gain access to and around the Campus. This card will also act as your student ID.

You must follow security procedures and cooperate with requests from staff or Security as required, including requests made in the event of an emergency or evacuation. You are responsible for visitor compliance as specified within the Visitor Policy and  Health and Safety Policy.

There are members of Security staff present at all times on our Campus and CCTV to enhance campus security.

Health and Safety

At the University, health and safety is a serious matter. Please take care and report anything you deem to be unsafe to Facilities or directly to a member of the team at First Point. The University has a Health and Safety Committee, with Faculty and Student Representation. Student Representation can be contacted independently. A list of first aiders and fire wardens are present at every kitchen across the University should you experience an emergency whilst on our campus.

Fire Evacuation Procedure

Weekly fire alarm tests are conducted at 10:45 every Tuesday. 

In case of a fire alarm activation:

• Stop what you are doing.
• Calmly leave the building via the nearest fire exit.
• Do not stop to pick up your belongings.
• Exit the Campus, turn right and report to the meeting point opposite Dickens Inn.

Prevent Duty

Under the Counter Terrorism Act 2015, the University has a statutory duty to have due regard to preventing people from being drawn into terrorism. The University’s Prevent Policy is in place to safeguard you and staff.

If you are worried that a student or member of staff is becoming radicalised or is radicalising others, you must report this to the Prevent Officer to investigate where appropriate.

Please familiarise yourself with the University’s Student Welfare Policies and Procedures.

Library Resources

You have a number of world-class libraries in London and an enormous online provision through Northeastern.

The VLE and Learning Resources Team

The Canvas VLE and Learning Library Resources at the University in London are organised by a team and are contactable via Canvas and via Library Resources. Please do contact us about anything at all as we can always guide you to the correct member of staff if it isn’t us. The range of library resources that you have access to is vast, so again, please contact us with any questions.

The Northeastern University’s Digital Library

You have access to the University’s complete digital resources. This includes over 1,000,000+ e-books, 150,000 electronic journals, and 120,000+ streaming video and audio files. The University’s Library also offers invaluable resources, including a 24/7 LibChat service, one-to-one assistance from subject specialist librarians and workshops and events that run throughout the year.

The City of London Libraries

You have full membership access to the City of London’s municipal lending libraries at the Barbican Centre, Shoe Lane, and Artizan Street. The facilities offered at these libraries include study spaces, wifi, printing and scanning, access to digital resources, and full book-borrowing privileges. Additionally, you can request access to the specialised Guildhall Research Library and the fantastic London Metropolitan Archives, which are available on request.

The Devon House Collection

A very good collection of print reference books covering all core readings of each discipline taught at the university is available on-site in the Silent Study space at Devon House.

The Senate House Library

You are welcome to request annual membership to Senate House Library, which is one of the UK’s best academic libraries for the arts, humanities, and social sciences. Located in central London, it is home to 2,000,000+ books and over 1,800 archives and special collections. Access is also available to the Library’s enormous digital resources, many study spaces, wifi, printing and scanning facilities.

Membership provides borrowing rights to the Library’s entire collection of printed books, including the specific Northeastern University London collection of books, located in the magnificent Middlesex South Reading Room and selected by the University’s faculties.

The British Library

The British Library’s Reading Rooms are dedicated to quiet study, where you are able to explore any of the 170,000,000+ items in the Library’s collection. Access to the Reading Rooms is by way of registering for a free Reader Pass.

The Westlaw and Lexis+ Databases

For those studying Law courses, you have full access to the most up-to-date law reports, case law, legislation, and journal articles etc. through the Westlaw and Lexis+ online legal databases.

In addition, you can also register for a Reader’s Pass to the British Library, where you can explore any of the 170,000,000+ items in the collection. As it is a copyright library, it holds copies of all new books published in the UK, many of which are then published abroad, making it an excellent resource where more detailed research is required.

Books

We recommend that you use the excellent library facilities available to all students and that, where it is possible you purchase your books from second-hand book shops or buy second-hand books online to minimise your expenditure.

Contact Details

Please feel free to contact the Library Team about any issues or support that you want or need.

Information Technology

Here you will discover how we access communications networks, offer support with troubleshooting and computer problems and safeguard data and information.

Outside of induction meetings, Academic Advisor meetings, lectures, tutorials, or other scheduled sessions, the University Gmail system and the Canvas communications tool are the main methods of relaying important information to you. Emails about important matters will be sent to your university email address, which you need to check regularly.

Any hard copy correspondence will be sent to the address on your student record. It is important that you keep this up to date via your account details held by Registry.

Laptops and Other Mobile Devices

You can bring your own device to the University Campus, and in doing so you must follow the Bring Your Own Device Policy, which supports the University’s compliance with the Government backed Cyber Essentials Certification, and should be read in conjunction with the Acceptable Use Policy for Students (IT), Data Protection Policy, and the Information Security Policy.

Online Resources

Email

You will be issued with a university email address when you register. Important communications will be sent to this email address, and you are strongly advised to check your email at the beginning and end of each day during teaching periods and regularly over vacation periods so that you do not miss important messages.

Failure to check emails will not normally be accepted as an excuse for you not to respond to or take action on emails sent to you.

Canvas

You will have access to the Canvas Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). This is the University’s platform for providing all digital learning resources and exercises, including discussion boards, formative and summative quizzes and assignments. You should certainly not regard the resources presented on the VLE as sufficient for your research purposes. Independent research and literature searches are a requirement for most of your assignments..

The Canvas Operations Team welcomes requests for support on any issues and will forward requests that they cannot help with to the relevant Team for assistance; in fact most of us all sit together.

Celcat

• Your Timetable

You can check your timetable via CELCAT Calendar the University’s timetabling application and will also be available on your Outlook Calendar.

Before Registration, you will be emailed the links and a ‘how to access’ guide.  During induction in Welcome Week, Timetabling staff will be based at First Point to answer any questions you have.

• Office hours

Office hours are bookable via Celcat Calendar and can be booked in 15-minute slots, 14 days in advance and up to 1 hour before.  By default, the Office Hours will be online and a Zoom link provided in the timetable.  Students will be emailed a ‘how to’ guide.

Quercus

For uploading and accessing final grades.

Assistive Technology

Assistive technology encompasses any equipment or software designed to accommodate diverse needs, increase accessibility and support all students across different aspects of academic and working life, including:

• Organisation and time management
• Writing, planning and proofreading
• Reading
• Note-taking
• Research and referencing
• Revision
• Procrastination and stress management

Students will find information, links and tutorials for a range of assistive technology resources, and accessibility features available in Apple Mac and Windows on the University’s VLE, Canvas, under the Academic Support ‘Student Toolkit’.

Online Data Storage

Google Drive is the default storage for all Google Workspace users, which can also be used as a computer backup and sync through the Google Drive app or via browser.

This online storage method is recommended for individual storage, and each student will have a default allocation of 100 GB.

Documents created with other Google Workspace apps like Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Slides and Google Forms will not count towards the allocated storage space mentioned above.

Access to Google Drive can be done from any supported Windows or Mac device with internet access, via the dedicated desktop app or by logging in to https://drive.google.com/drive/my-drive using your NU London email account credentials.

You are given 5GB of disk space on Google Drive. This space is only for non-Google documents (i.e. PDFs, Microsoft files, movies, pictures, etc.) which means that any Google document is not counted. This ‘cloud’ file storage is less risky than using a USB stick: it is regularly backed up, so your data will always be safe and available. It also has the benefit of enabling you to access your files anywhere in the world with the Internet.

IT Support

For technical support, please contact IT.

For an animated guide to setting up and accessing anything IT.

Audio-Visual

The Campus features cutting edge audio-visual equipment throughout its campus to support academic and co-curricular programming. Classrooms offer integrated audio-visual technologies that provide a fully immersive streaming experience. These spaces can be utilised for classes and panels and will enable the University to leverage experts remotely across the global network. Meeting rooms are outfitted with wireless presentation technology that enables student collaboration. A large AV-enabled event space supports student events, local industry collaboration, and community networking.

If you have any questions about audio-visual equipment, please contact IT.

Printing & Photocopying

Printers and scanners are available for safe use on the Campus. You are provided with a starting allowance of £5 for printing, and further credit can be purchased if needed. Guidance on how to use the University printers will be provided during welcome week.

Wi-Fi

The “eduroam” wireless service provides Internet access from your own computer and from some smartphones, as long as the devices are compliant with our BYOD Policy and Acceptable Use Policy for Students (IT). You will need to use your Network username followed by @nulondon.ac.uk and Network password to access the University “eduroam” wifi (same credentials as Canvas/Celcat).

Information Sharing & Phishing

The Internet exposes you to constant risks from malware and from criminals who want to defraud, harass or harm you.

To combat this, you need a combination of common sense, security awareness and the right software tools. You also need to be alert to the possibility of ‘phishing’, i.e. attempts, generally via email messages, which trick you into divulging personal information such as bank account details, credit card numbers or passwords. Some phishing takes the form of bogus websites. Therefore, be cautious of any site which claims to be part of the University but is not within the nulondon.ac.uk domain.

Keep your passwords safe and secure and do not disclose them to anyone. If you use any University websites to enter or update your personal information, always check for https:// and nulondon.ac.uk in the security certificate, which you can see by clicking on the padlock found in your browser’s toolbar where the web address is present, or footer of the web page. If you do inadvertently disclose any personal information, please contact the IT Team immediately so that we can protect your account.

If you receive an email that seems suspicious and unsolicited if you know the sender, please contact them by a new email (do not reply) or other means and ask them to confirm if that email is legitimate and was actually sent by them and not an impersonator.

If you receive any suspicious spam or phishing emails, please contact the IT Team      immediately with a full screenshot of that email (sender details and date must be included).

Additional Support

The Student Support and Development Team is on hand to offer a range of additional support. This includes:

• Access to Target Connect to book 1:1 wellbeing appointments
• Referrals to a Student Wellbeing Coordinator to create a learning Support Plan if you have additional needs
• 24 hour Student Assistance Helpline 0800 0318227 (freephone) – Please Note: University credentials will be required to access this service.

The Student Support and Development Team can be contacted directly for additional information.

Safeguarding

The University is committed to protecting the welfare of all its students, staff and visitors who access its services and activities. The University recognises that the best protection for children and students participating in its programmes is the vigilance and forethought of staff in preventing circumstances where abuse of trust could occur.

The University has appointed a Designated Safeguarding Lead who is responsible for the implementation of this Policy and who will be the person to whom any safeguarding concerns will be reported and who will then discuss and agree the appropriate action to be taken. The Designated Safeguarding Lead will have a Deputy who will act in their place when they are on annual leave or otherwise unavailable or if a complaint or concern is raised about them.

The University’s Designated Safeguarding Lead is:

• Head of Student Support and Development

The University’s Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead is:

• Head of Business Development

The Safeguarding Policy can be found on the university website.

Prevent Duty

Under the Counter Terrorism Act 2015, the University has a statutory duty to have due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism. The University’s Prevent Policy is in place to safeguard students and staff.

The University recognises that students spend a lot of time online, and that the online world is a necessity for accessing resources and it delivers huge benefits. Although rare, there is a risk that increased online activity and feelings of stress and isolation may be exploited by negative influences and online groomers.

Learner Voice

The student voice is a key priority within the University. Students’ opinions have a valuable role in informing the development and enhancement of programmes and courses and shaping all aspects of the learning experience. There will be many opportunities to share views such as:

• Learner voice committee
• Programme Student Satisfaction Survey
• End-of-Course Student Satisfaction Survey
• Tripartite reviews
• Learner reps
• Ad-hoc
• The University Student Union Office for Academic Affairs and Learners reachable at NUSU London.
• Consultation on Programme Development

Further Information

Breaks In Learning

If you encounter circumstances that adversely affect your studies for a period in excess of four weeks, you should discuss this with your Success Manager. It may be in your interests to suspend your studies, or to consider an alternative mode of study, until such time as you have been able to resolve the circumstances in question; with the agreement of your employer. During this time, you will need to be placed on an agreed break in learning (BiL). Please see the University’s Change in Circumstances Policy and Guidance.

Withdrawal

In exceptional circumstances an employer may agree that you should withdraw from your programme. This decision cannot be made without your employer’s approval in writing, and the request must come from your employer. If you are withdrawing from your programme you should speak with your Success Manager in the first instance to ensure that you receive the appropriate support and advice, There are very specific arrangements that must be made if you are withdrawing. If you permanently withdraw from your programme and you must return your

• ID Cards
• Borrowed books and/or other resources.

If you withdraw from the University, the Progress Award Board will consider your performance and the credits you have achieved to date and confer the highest award for which you are eligible. If you are receiving an award in this way you may be subsequently considered for re-admission under the arrangements for Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy.

Redundancy

In the event of redundancy, the University will support you with next steps. Your Success Manager will be the first point of contact for this process and together you can agree a suitable pathway following redundancy.

Complaints

The University encourages you and your employers to resolve academic and nonacademic issues of concern on an informal level where possible. This process is set out for you and your employers in your respective complaints policy. Support for you and staff (as specified in policy documents) is provided where required in case of conduct, complaint or discipline matters. Both you and your employer may also raise issues with the Education & Skills Funding Agency, who are responsible for the funding and regulations relating to apprenticeships, as noted in the Training Plan (TP).

We hope that you never need to make a complaint while at the University, but we recognise that problems can occasionally arise. If you feel something has gone wrong, please raise your concerns with someone immediately.

For more information, please familiarise yourself with the Complaints Procedure for Students. As well as the Work Related Learning Policies and Procedures, The ESFA Complaints Policy and The Office of the Independent Adjudicators Complaints Process.

Student Conduct

The University is a community that expects you and its staff to behave professionally and respectfully to each other, the public and University property at all times. The Disciplinary Procedure for Students defines the conduct expected of learners. The Staff Handbook (available on the human resources platform) defines the behaviour expected of staff. These documents are there to ensure that a pleasant and supportive environment for study and work is provided for all. The following policies are in place should any misconduct need to be reported:

• Bullying, Harassment and Sexual Misconduct Policy
• Disciplinary Procedure for Students
• Public Interest Disclosure (Whistleblowing) Policy
• Academic Misconduct Policy

Academic Integrity

While studying, you must adhere to the Northeastern University’s Academic Integrity Policy, which can be found on the website of the Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution (OSCCR).

Please make sure that you are especially aware of the policies on plagiarism, including the Academic Misconduct Policy, which is representing anyone else’s words or ideas as your own. It doesn’t matter where you got these ideas—from a book, on the web, from a fellow-student. You are not the originator of the words or ideas, then you must state clearly and specifically where they came from. You can also consult “Avoiding Plagiarism” on the Library Website.

Student Support and Development

Please familiarise yourself with University’s Student Welfare Policy.

Members of Student Support and Development (SSD) can be found at First Point in the Campus Hub. You can also access SSD through the online platform TargetConnect which is accessible on the Current Student Hub on the University website and via the link on Canvas. TargetConnect allows you to access resources, make appointments and sign up for workshops and events.

Through a mixture of in-person and online workshops and one-to-one appointments, the SSD can provide information, advice and guidance on:

• Disability and medical queries and Learning Support Plans.
• General personal and wellbeing issues.
• University policies such as Extenuating Circumstances, Break in Study, Withdrawal and Complaints.
• Money matters, budgeting and UK student loans.
• Planning your return to studies following a break resulting from illness.
• Support for students with experience of care or who are estranged from families.
• Mental health support available within the University and externally.
• Developing strategies and techniques to self-manage mental health conditions, where possible.

SSD work alongside other members of staff and students’ General Practitioner (GP), all of whom can provide ongoing support

Tips for Studying at Home

Try and have a dedicated space to study uninterrupted, this doesn’t have to be an entire room, but a desk or table somewhere away from distractions can be a good way to separate studying and relaxing

Keep a routine for physical activity and mealtimes – while studying from home, it is easy to think flexibly about your daily schedule, but missing mealtimes and living a sedentary lifestyle can have an impact on your mental health. Try to stick to three meals a day and make time for exercise, even if it is just a short walk, you will find that you will study more effectively as a result

Take regular breaks, focusing intently on conversation in order to absorb information and looking constantly at the camera is exhausting

Avoid multitasking – close tabs and programmes that might distract you, and put your phone away

Keep connected with your peers – if you begin to feel isolated while studying at home, the chances are that your classmates will be feeling the same. You could try organising a study session and invite other from your group to talk through an assignment or particular piece of work

Many people feel lonely at some time, for many different reasons. These feelings might be heightened if you are studying at home. If you feel that loneliness is affecting your life, speak to the Student Support and Development team, or reach out to us at apprenticeships@nulondon.ac.uk.

Support for Students with Medical Conditions, Disabilities and Specific Learning Differences (SpLDs)

Information regarding this can be found on the University Website.

For more information, please read the Student Disability Policy and other policies or email Student Support and Development.

Assistive Technology

Information, links and tutorials for a range of assistive technology resources, and accessibility features available in Apple Mac and Windows on the University’s VLE, Canvas, are under the Academic Support ‘Student Toolkit’ (link here).

Students with disabilities may also be recommended specific assistive technology as part of their reasonable adjustments, and where they may be eligible to apply for Disabled Students Allowance.

For more information about DSA or accessing assistive equipment/technology in relation to your disability, please contact Student Support.

Mandatory Reporting

Mandatory Reporting for allegations of sexual misconduct have been brought in, to align the University with the global network and initiatives being explored by the Office for Students. Mandatory reporting is when a student discloses to a Mandatory University Reporter an alleged incident of sexual misconduct, assault or violence, that staff member is required to report it to the University, even if a student asks for the information to be kept confidential. The reporting of the incident will not normally automatically instigate disciplinary procedures, however it will enable the University to support the student who has disclosed the incident. 

All staff are considered Mandatory University Reporters. Mandatory University Reporters also includes student workers who assume roles which other students may reasonably believe obligate that student worker to report allegations of sexual misconduct, for example Student Ambassadors and Student Research Assistants. Mandatory University Reporters are required to immediately report allegations of sexual misconduct using the platform provided.

There is a network of staff, suitably trained in sexual violence support and safeguarding to manage and support individuals involved (alleged victim and alleged perpetrator) in the incidents reported.

Policies and procedures have been adjusted to incorporate mandatory reporting.

Report and Support

If you or someone you know has experienced or witnessed sexual misconduct, micro-aggression or any form of harassment, discrimination or hate, you must report it and get support from a trained member of professional staff.

Student Health

General Practitioner (GP)

We strongly recommend that you register with a local GP within two weeks of arrival for the duration of your studies. You can only be registered with one GP at a time and can find your nearest GP by using the NHS Find a GP service.

Dentist

If you are 19 or older, you do not automatically receive free NHS dental care. You may be eligible for an HC2 Certificate, which will entitle you to financial assistance with NHS charges. You can apply for an HC2 Certificate by completing an HC1 form, which is available from your dentist. The application process normally takes up to six weeks and is dependent upon your means. Please note, the HC2 Certificate also entitles you to free prescriptions and eye tests. It is only valid for six months and requires re-application after that time.

If you require dental care and have not got a HC2 Certificate yet, you must pay for your NHS dental care. If you keep your receipts, you can obtain a refund of your charges when you receive your certificate.

Sexual Health

For many students, university marks the point in their lives when they become sexually active. The best way to protect yourself and your partner is to always use a condom and try to carry one at all times if you are sexually active. If you do have unprotected sex (or the condom splits/comes off) go to your local sexual health clinic as soon as possible, to talk about STI tests and emergency contraception.

It is also important to remember that you have complete autonomy over your body – never do anything that you don’t feel totally comfortable with and report any abuse or violence to the police or SSD.

Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment (as defined by Section 26 (2) of the Equality Act 2010) is:

• ‘any kind of unwanted behaviour of a sexual nature that makes you feel humiliated or intimidated, or that creates a hostile environment’
• (e.g., spreading of sexual rumours, insulting with sexual names, talks about you in a sexual way that makes you uncomfortable)

Sexual harassment includes a wide range of unwanted behaviours which may include:

• Sexual comments, jokes or name calling
• Sharing with University members graphic pictures, posters or photos of a sexual nature
• Suggestive looks, staring or leering
• Propositions and sexual advances
• Making promises in return for sexual favours
• Sexual gestures
• Intrusive questions about a person’s private or sex life, and discussing your own sex life
• Sexual posts or contact on social media
• Spreading sexual rumours about a person
• Sending sexually explicit emails or text messages
• Unwelcome touching, hugging, massaging or kissing
• Criminal behaviour, including sexual assault, stalking, grooming, indecent exposure and sending offensive communications
• Coercion

As with all lists in this Policy, the above are indicia, and not conclusive indicators of the proscribed activity.

Students and staff are encouraged to report incidents of bullying, harassment or sexual misconduct.

The University has a Report and Support page, where students and staff can report incidents.

The Bullying, Harassment and Sexual Misconduct Policy can be found on the University’s website.

Student Union

The Northeastern University London Student Union (NUSU London) is a student-led organisation at the heart of the Northeastern University London student experience. The NUSU exists to promote the interests of the student body as well as planning social and extracurricular activities and providing support to student clubs and societies. The NUSU drives positive changes, big and small, across Campus ranging from academic representation to global transitions. The NUSU also runs many successful fundraising, cultural and awareness events each term/semester.

Social media: https://www.instagram.com/nusu_london/Links to an external site.

This NUSU has three aims:

• Drive positive change to develop student advocacy capacity.
• Create a consistent and fair environment between the SU, University and students.
• Provide strong and representative student life experiences.

For further information follow the link to the Student Union’s homepage or contact us.

The Student Union is made up of a President and ten Officers who all make life at university the best it can be. These include: Vice-president, Secretary, Communities, Media and Comms, Opportunities, Academic, Campus, Global Campuses, Postgraduate, and LearnersOfficer.

If you are interested in becoming a Student Union Officer, you should speak to any current Student Union Officers about how to put yourself forward for the elections. The University’s Student Voice Strategy may be read here.

Student Union Officers

Each year, students elect a Student Union comprising the following roles.

• President – Chair NUSU Committee, Chair NUSU Advisory Board, manager & face of NUSU London, responsible for Union development and bringing student concerns to the highest levels of University management.
• Vice-President – Assists President in executive decisions, manages the Union budget, in charge of policy and constitution upkeep /no longer combined with another officer role.
• Secretary Officer – Assists Union officers with various administrative and operative tasks.
• Community Officer – Bridges societies, sports, and events.
• Campus Officer – DEI, facilities, welfare.
• Opportunities Officer – careers, volunteering, fundraising.
• Academic Officer – Coordinate the student reps, liaises with the Associate Dean Teaching and Learning, Students. Member of the Teaching and Learning Committee.
• Media and Communications Officer – oversees the Union’s website and social media presence, promotes Union events within the university.
• Global CampusesOfficer – represent opportunities available across the network.
• Postgraduate Officer – represents the interests of postgraduate students at the University.
• Learner Officer – represents the interests of apprenticeship learners in the Union.

Careers

During your apprenticeship you will benefit from the support of NU London’s Careers Team. They will be able to provide a full range of support to help you progress professionally during your apprenticeship and prepare for the transition out of your apprenticeship. Helping you to make a positive impact in your organisation and continue to develop and progress your career.

Version History