BAEC News

BAEC wins the People's Team Award of the Year at Bromley Stars Award Ceremony

On Friday 7 July at the Bromley Council Stars Award Ceremony, BAEC was declared winner of the People's Team Award of the Year.
Here are only some of the reasons for which we won the award:
  • Learning continued uninterrupted during the pandemic and centres were open at all times when not in full lockdown
  • BAEC provided extremely swift and wide ranging response to ESOL needs of Ukrainian refugees in Bromley
  • BAEC greatly improved digital skills of staff and learners between 2020 and 2023
  • BAEC staff have demonstrated an exceptional ethos of mutual help and support, all pulling together to deliver a great service
  • Learner feedback is always high

BAEC holding Open Days on 5 and 6 September 2023

Bromley Adult Education College, the borough’s dedicated service for adult learning, is delighted to invite residents to visit our centres in Penge and Orpington.  These events are a fantastic opportunity for prospective students to see what is on offer and to chat with staff and other students. Further information on what to expect can be found on the Open Days page.

 

 

Summer college holiday 2023

From 7 July 2023 until 1 September 2023 BAEC has summer break. Although the centres at Poverest and Kentwood remain open, there may be occasions when opening hours are shortened or there are closures for maintenance. Please call the college on 020 8659 7976 before you plan to visit to ensure the centre is open. You can also contact us on enquiries@baec.ac.uk.

 

 

BAEC at Launch your Career Recruitment Fair 

BAEC Curriculum Development Managers participated in the LBB Launch your career recruitment fair held at LSEC on Bromley common, alongside providers of education , apprenticeships and work placements.

BAEC entry level courses in ESOL, English and maths, Digital Skills and employability can help set people up on the ladder to success.

Vocational courses will nurture talent towards mastery of creative art, sewing, upholstery, cookery or stained glass.

BAEC staff met the Mayor of Bromley at the event

 

Remembering Pupak Navabpour

It is with great sadness that we learned that Pupak Navabpour, our outstanding photography tutor, passed away on 15th December 2022.

Pupak worked at BAEC for almost 20 years, first teaching digital skills, and more recently, photography. She was a highly skilled photographer and tutor who inspired many, many students. Pupak taught beginners' courses as well as Level 2 and Level 3 photography qualifications. Many of her students have gone on to become independent photographers, starting their own businesses; others went on to study at prestigious universities.

Every year, the external assessors for the qualification board reported on the extraordinarily high standards of work achieved within her classes. Pupak encouraged students to showcase their work and enter local and national competitions, some of them achieving the Royal Photographic Society LRPS distinction.

Pupak’s artistic flair and technical expertise went hand in hand with her excellent teaching skills. She developed innovative yet rigorous schemes of work, resources and projects to match the interest of her adult students. An early adopter of all teaching technologies, she pioneered the use of Google Classroom at BAEC and  seamlessly transferred her courses online during the pandemic. 

She was a wonderful member of the team who will be sadly missed.

Christmas Show by students in LLDD provision

Our Learners with Disabilities and Learning Difficulties performed their annual winter end of term show on Wednesday 14th December.

Driving Home for Christmas is a favourite song of theirs. You can see the group in action in this video 

Wishing everybody best wishes for the season!

Remembering HRH Queen Elizabeth II

BAEC staff join the nation in expressing sorrow for the passing of HRH Queen Elizabeth II.

Staff and students wishing to express their feelings will find a Book of Condolences in the cafe area at Kentwood and one in the reception at Poverest.

In recognition of the Public Holiday for The Queen's funeral, both BAEC centres will be closed on Monday 19th September. No classes will take place on site or online.

Credits for the session missed will be applied where applicable to learners' accounts. Please note that there will not be make-up sessions arranged at a later date.

 

Welcoming Ukrainians to the UK  - Вітаємо українців в Сполученому Королівстві Великої Британії

All Ukrainian adults and their family members over the age of 19, supported through the Ukraine Family Scheme and Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme, are immediately eligible for ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) courses at both the Kentwood and Poverest Centres. These courses are likely to be free but your individual circumstances will be assessed on application.

A new partnership agreement has been launched to enable more English language learning support for people from Ukraine.

Bromley Adult Education College and London South East Colleges have come together to enhance provision and capacity in support of people from Ukraine.  This means that additional courses will be put on to meet the demand for English language support in Bromley.

Adults from Ukraine have enrolled on English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) courses, with a variety of language practice learning opportunities underway, including with volunteers.  From April to June, over 350 Ukrainian speakers have been invited for an initial language assessment prior to enrolling on local courses.

Ukrainians living in the Borough are being contacted about the new provision, with an initial short online application available to prospective students to enable the most appropriate learning option to be found.

Councillor Kate Lymer, Deputy Leader and Executive Councillor for Children, Education and Families said, “Learning in all its forms is important and we have successfully placed over 200 children in schools across the Borough and thank you to schools for supporting this.  Adults and children from Ukraine have been learning English for some time now but in recognition of the importance of this and to expand capacity, I am pleased we are working with London South East Colleges and Bromley Adult Education College, which will help expand our provision with understanding and speaking English crucial for all ages.”

Neil Coates, College Principal, Enterprise and Employment at London South East Colleges said: “We are delighted to be involved in such an important initiative to support Ukrainians in the Borough with learning English.

“Our aim is to make high quality education accessible to all; ultimately helping to support people of all ages and from all backgrounds to live fulfilling lives and achieve their career ambitions.

“Learning English is a vital first step for many and by working with the London Borough of Bromley, we are ensuring that more people can access this important provision.”

New partnership work underway to improve English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) in support of Ukraine with thanks to

@LSEColleges

@BromleyAdultEd

https://bromley.gov.uk/news/article/381/new-partnership-to-improve-esol-in-support-of-ukraine

 

Direct enquiries to BAEC

Register your interest for BAEC ESOL courses by completing this form. You will then be contacted and booked in for an assessment to assess your level of English so we can place you in a suitable class.

You can also call us on 020 8659 7976 or visit in person - the Kentwood Centre, SE20 7PR or the Poverest Centre, BR5 2DG.

We aim to contact you within two weeks of your registering your interest and we will place you in the first available class, so you can start learning as soon as possible.

Please bring your official permission letter from the Home Office and your passport with the 6-month entry stamp when you come to the college.

PLEASE NOTE - THERE IS NO NEED FOR YOU TO REGISTER SEPARATELY WITH BAEC IF YOU HAVE COMPLETED THE FORM WITH LONDON BOROUGH OF BROMLEY

Other useful links:

Register your interest in becoming a host family/sponsor under the Homes for Ukraine scheme

Apply for a visa under the Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme (Homes for Ukraine) - Guidance for Ukrainian nationals and their family members to come to the UK under the Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme.

Apply for a Ukraine Family Scheme visa  - Guidance for family members of British nationals, UK settled persons and certain others to come to or stay in the UK under the Ukraine Family Scheme.

London Borough of Bromley - your local council where you will find more information about living and working in Bromley, including schooling and health care.

Вітаємо українців в Сполученому Королівстві Великої Британії

Всі українці дорослого віку та члени їхніх родин,  що перебувають в  країні  згідно Ukrainian Family Scheme  та   Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme          одночасно мають право скористатися   ESOL   (англійська для іноземців) курсами в обох  Kentwood   та  Poverest  центрах  коледжу .Ці  курси безперечно будуть безкоштовні для Вас ,але ваші особисті обставини будуть враховані після перевірки вашої заяви.

Зареєструватися для  ESOL курсів шляхом заповнення  заяви.

Register your interest for ESOL 

Надалі  ми з Вами   зможемо зв’язатися    та узгодити час для співбесіди, щоб оцінити рівень вашої англійської, саме так ми зможемо зарахувати вас до відповідної групи .

 

Ви також можете  зв’язатися за номером    02086597976  або особисто відвідати центри коледжу - Kentwood Centre,SE20 7PR

або Poverest Centre, BR5 2DG

Із собою  необхідно принести офіційній лист-дозвіл з Home office та паспорт із печаткою про в’їзд.

Інші корисні посилання:

Register your interest in becoming a host family\sponsor under the Homes  for Ukraine scheme

Apply for a   visa under the Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme(Homes for Ukraine)

Довідник  для українців та членів їхніх родин по в’їзду до Сполученого Королівства по українській спонсорській візі

Apply for a Ukraine Family Scheme visa 

Довідник для членів сімей родини громадян Сполученого Королівства, осіб з тимчасовим та постійним дозволом на проживання  та інших, по в’їзду або проживанню у Сполученому Королівстві по українській сімейній візі

 London Borough of Bromley 

Ваша районна адміністрація ,тут  ви знайдете більше інформації про перебування та роботу в Бромлі, враховуючи школярство та охорону здоров ‘я

 

Our team at BAEC

Members of our management and administrative team have been interviewed as part of International Women's Day. You can see below a display board with some of their stories and comments.

 

Digital Champions at BAEC

Over the past two years, our team of Digital Champions has worked hard to make sure that all our staff and learners can access and use technology to support learning.

Curriculum Leader, tutor and Digital Drop In facilitator Lou Smith has guided learners and DDI participants in acquiring digital skills, from helping beginners start with basic digital literacy to guiding staff in  using specialist software packages.

Tutor and Digital Champion Sam Matthews has hosted weekly workshops and one to one support sessions, and has produced guidance materials available in Guidance for Online Learning 

Curriculum Leader and tutor Izabela Bialas-Lecybyl became a qualified Google Educator in January 2022. Izabela has worked with tutors and learners to upskill them in using Google Apps, including Google Classroom,  to enhance their learning and make it easier to access materials.

Tutor Jill Collier has created a series of podcasts Back to Work with Confidence and hosted DDI sessions and workshops.

Digital Champions are always happy to help. If you have a computing question or you are not sure how to do something, please email enquiries@baec.ac.uk and we will put you in touch with one of the team.

Two BAEC learners receive Royal Photographic Society Distinction 

Congratulations to Martin Sharrock and Clive Williams on achieving the Royal Photographic Society LRPS distinction. Martin completed Level 2 and Level 3 NCFE Certificates in Photography previously, and Clive completed NCFE Level 2 in 2018/19; both under the tuition of Pupak Navabpour at BAEC. Well done Martin and Clive, what a great achievement!

Martin's work can be viewed on

https://martinsharrock.myportfolio.com/

Clive's work can be found on

https://www.cedubya.com/

https://www.instagram.com/cedubya46/?hl=en

Tutor Amanda Webster 'SAA Artists of the Year' Award

More congratulations to tutor Amanda Webster, whose entry 'My Transgender Child' won the Supporting All Artists award in the SAA Artists of the Year competition. A fitting award, as Amanda always brings out the best in all her students.