Supervision Concept
Our supervision concept for juniors is based on a compulsory activity programme with options for you to choose from. The cornerstone of our supervision is TTT (Time to Talk) that takes place three times per day. You will be part of a TTT group in which one particular supervisor is responsible for you and makes sure that you know what to do, and can get all the information you need. There is a strong link between the supervisor and his/her TTT group. The lunch and night time TTTs can be rather short as they mainly serve to give an overview of what the students are doing in the next couple of hours and to check their general well-being. The TTT groups are organised on a weekly basis.
Our staff members are always available for you. They live in the same residence as you and they structure your holidays. In our own language schools, you can always find staff members in the IP Ocean Lounge and every day after lessons you will have an assembly to provide you with all the information you need for your stay and for the daily programme. There is an extensive activity programme in the afternoons, usually consisting of several workshops for sports, arts and crafts, culture and lifestyle. You can choose your favourite activity each day. There are fewer options during the evenings because many evening events are on a larger scale.
Age-appropriate supervision
On our junior courses the degree of supervision and support depends on your age. Your safety and welfare are very important to us. Our staff ratio on campus for the age group 10-12 years is 1:10 and for 13-17 years is 1:15. However, supervision groups during activities on or off campus will have different ratios per member of staff of up to 15 students for 10-12 year olds and up to 25 students for 13-17 year olds, depending on the situation.
Please note in exceptional circumstances due to the Covid 19 pandemic we may accept a small number of students aged 18+ on our junior courses. Please note that our risk assessments and safeguarding policies have been updated to reflect this and all staff are appropriately trained.
10 to 12 year olds:
Our youngest students are supervised more thoroughly by specially trained staff. The staff ratio for this age group is 1:10. The activity programme is compulsory and your supervisors will ensure that you take part in the offered activities. You are not allowed to leave the campus without supervision, but we will offer town walks most days. It is not possible for your parents to give you permission to leave the campus without supervision.
You will be in separate TTT groups of up to 15 children per group. In the lunchtime TTT you tell your supervisor what you want to do in the afternoon, and the supervisor will put your name on the respective sign-up list, which will be checked when the programme starts. The same happens at the dinner-time TTT for the evening event. Daily checks include: wake-up, breakfast, class check, lunch, assembly, lunchtime TTT, programme check with sign-up lists, dinner, dinner-time TTT, night-check TTT, night check.
We do not normally accept students aged 12 and below in homestays. We may make exceptions to this if your agency is sending a closed group and there are special circumstances. In these exceptional circumstances, if the host is further than 0.5 miles from the school, the student will have an accompanied transfer from the homestay to the campus and back again in time for dinner. In these cases participation in the evening programme is not possible unless the group leader accompanies the student on their transfer, and then the student may participate in the evening activities too.
13 to 15 year olds:
The staff ratio for this age group is 1:15. You participate in a compulsory programme with a wide range of activities, including town visits. You are not allowed to leave the campus without staff members - even if your parents give you permission to do so. During town walks our staff will accompany you into town. You will then have the opportunity to explore the city centre with your friends in pairs or bigger groups for a period of up to two hours. From a meeting point in the city centre, your staff members will take you back to the campus. During excursions you will also have the chance to explore and have some free time in pairs or groups with a staff member waiting for you at the meeting point.
You will be part of a TTT group of up to 25 students. In the lunchtime TTT you tell your supervisor what you want to do in the afternoon and the supervisor will put your name on the respective sign-up list, which will be checked when the programme starts. The same happens at the dinner-time TTT for the evening event.
Daily checks include: wake-up, breakfast, class check, lunch, assembly, lunchtime TTT, programme check with sign-up lists, dinner, dinner-time TTT, night-check TTT, night check.
Homestay students only have one TTT around lunchtime, when they need to inform their supervisor about their plans for the day and for the evening. In the evenings the students can either take part in the activity programme or stay in their homestay, as long as the homestay host is at home.
Please note students will not be accompanied to and from their homestays.
16 to 17 year olds:
Teenagers aged 16 and 17 are free to experience and explore things with their friends in pairs (or bigger groups) on and off the campus. Participation in the afternoon and evening activity programme is voluntary for students over the age of 16.
In the afternoons, you can choose between taking part in the offered activity programme or signing out at reception on the campus and exploring the town with international friends. Please bear in mind that when you sign out to go to town, you are required to stay in pairs or larger groups at all times. We will have a supervisor based in the town centre in case you need them or have any questions. If you do not want to take part in the activity programme, or go to the city centre – you can always stay on campus and relax in our specially designated chill-out zone equipped with cosy bean bags, table tennis tables, football tables, board games and books.
In the evenings, you will not be allowed to leave the campus without supervision, but there will be a special supervised programme called ‘City by Night’ every evening as an alternative to the activity programme. After dinner you will go to the town centre with a supervisor, where you will get free time to enjoy the city with your friends. Afterwards, you will meet your supervisor at an agreed meeting point to go back to the residence together. Homestay students will have to check-in after their free time at the meeting point, and then they will go back directly to their homestay. The supervision ratio for this age group is 1:25. Homestay students can only stay in their homestay if it is pre-arranged with the host. Our staff will check with your host if this is possible to organise.
You will be a part of a TTT (Time To Talk) group of up to 25 students. During the lunchtime TTT you will have to inform your supervisor what you would like to do in the afternoon and evening and sign-up on the respective lists provided by the supervisor. It is important to choose the option wisely as once you have chosen the activity, you cannot change your mind later in the day. The sign-up lists will be checked by supervisors when the programme starts.
Please note, students will not be accompanied to and from their homestays.
Young Adult Courses for 16- and 17-year olds in Bournemouth are a separate programme!
During our language holidays for young adults (16 to 20 years) in Bournemouth, our staff members do not supervise you, but instead provide guidance on how to enjoy your holiday safely. Students enjoy their freedom as well as the safety of having responsible adults to help them should there be a problem. Students will meet our IP Young Adult Coordinator during the welcome meeting upon arrival. The coordinator shows them around the town, introduces them to local places of interest and informs them about possible dangers. The coordinator also provides all the information students might need in order to plan their holidays and students will meet once a day with their IP Coordinator every weekday. Students will have a 24-hour emergency contact number. Young adult students will be able to contact their coordinator at any time if they need help or assistance.
Please note unsupervised 16 and 17-year-old students at our school have a curfew of 11pm.
How do we train our staff?
Since we are a specialist tour operator for junior language courses, your safety and supervision are of major importance to us. This is why we spend a lot of time and money on the selection and training of our staff. The applicants go through several stages during our recruitment process and are assessed for their general suitability, their experience in working with children and teenagers, as well as their commitment. Furthermore, applicants have to provide a clean criminal record and need to be first-aid trained.
As part of our recruitment process, our applicants take part in a specially designed training event where they have to demonstrate their abilities as a supervisor. Every year we train up to 300 teachers and supervisors, who accompany several trips a year and work between 1 to 10 weeks for us. The training session takes a minimum of four days and depending on the position, even up to 10 days. During the training we place special emphasis on different topics according to the specific position staff have applied for: e.g. leisure educational input, legal background, risk assessment, intercultural competence, tour management, etc.
What does a typical day look like?
| 08:00 | Breakfast in the residence/private home |
| 09:00 | Students begin morning lessons |
| 10:30 | Mid-morning break - 30 minutes |
| 11:00 | Back to lessons |
| 11:45 | General Course lessons are finished! ‘The IP Ocean Lounge’ is open for drinks, music and information. |
| 12:30 | Intensive Course Lessons finish!!! ASSEMBLIES for all students – What's new? What's happening today? What's the programme for today? Lunch is served in the dining hall! |
| 14:00 | Start of afternoon activities |
| 17:00 | Afternoon activities finish; time to go to ‘The IP Ocean Lounge’ to write postcards and relax before dinner. |
| 18:00 | Dinner time in the residence or in homestay accommodation |
| 19:00 | TTT – Time to Talk |
| 20:00 | Evening Programme starts |
| 22:00 | Evening Activities end; students go to their accommodation |
FAQ
Who are those supervisors?
Our staff members are young people, usually between the age of 21 and 30. Most of them are students (education, tourism, etc.), who like to travel with children and teenagers during their term breaks.
Is there a curfew?
Yes. Depending on their age, students have got various levels of freedom. The strictest rules apply to students under the age of 13, 13 to 15 year-olds have a bit more freedom and 16/17 year-olds experience even more freedom within our supervision framework. Our supervisors may restrict the level of freedom if necessary.
What about alcohol and cigarettes?
Our staff members ensure that youth protection laws are followed. It is against the law for under-18s to buy or to consume alcohol in public places. It is also against the law for under-18s to buy cigarettes or tobacco. For all under 16s it is against the law to smoke in public places. In our IP Centres we have a strict ‘No Alcohol’ and ‘No Smoking’ policy on campus.
How much pocket money should I bring?
That depends on what you would like to do during your holidays. We recommend having a budget for treats, such as ice cream or soft drinks. If you want to go shopping, you should bring along some extra money. Surveys indicate that our guests usually take around £100.00 for a two week stay.
Quick overview
- Trained, international staff in the course centre
- Language in the course centre: English
- Age-appropriate supervision for children (10-12), teenagers under the age of 16, 16/17 year-olds and young adults (16-23)
- Learn more than a language: our staff create activities and space for unique experiences that help you to develop your intercultural competence
- You can experience a lot in our language schools – be it our own school or selected partner schools: sports, workshops, excursions, evening events and lots more
- In our own language schools we offer several activities during afternoons and evenings that you can choose from
- Our staff members are always available for you if there are any problems