CREATIVE DESIGN SCHOOL
TERMS, CONDITIONS & AGREEMENTS
1. Introduction
It is very important that you read through this section carefully so that you fully understand what is involved in your chosen course and what to expect from your Course Tutor/Design Coach. Once you have read everything, please contact your Design or Training Coach if you have any questions or concerns, so that they can go over these with you in more detail. Your course is designed to be carried out completely through your Student Account within our online campus, so it is very important that you now use this facility for your course, questions, arranging appointments and sending messages to your Course Tutor/Design Coach. Studying and Learning through the CDS (Creative Design School) is expected to be enjoyable and a good experience, so we have taken extra care to make sure that we offer the best methods possible. We work closely with employers and businesses within the sectors we cover and keep up to date with our learning material to make sure our students keep up to date while learning. It is sometimes essential that we either change or introduce new techniques or procedures into our courses or course programmes from time to time, which we will do without prior notice.
2. Project Assessment
If you have enrolled in one of the following study areas, you will be given a Project Assessment for Diploma Course Levels 1-3, Specialist Courses, and Level 4 Professional Level Courses. The reason we ask our students to carry out a Project Assessment is to allow us to establish their present level of knowledge and skills. This will then provide us with the correct information to set the correct level for your course. This is not a test, and you should be able to enjoy doing this assessment. But we do ask you to be as creative as possible and to keep within your own limits. Try to follow the brief as much as possible and make sure to present it in the way stated. Once you have completed your Project Assessment, you will be contacted by your Course Tutor/Design Coach to set up a Teams Call or Online Campus to go over your submission. Once this is completed, your main course will become active and ready for you to begin.
3. How to Present Your Course Submissions
It is very important that you present your Projects and Assignments properly. You will be shown a basic style and layout by your course tutor, but you should produce a template for yourself. You are encouraged to come up with your own unique style, so have a think about this and plan it before you set this up.
4. Course Modules, Grades and Live Teams Tutorial Sessions
Your course is split into Modules, and each Module completed is awarded a grade. If you don't manage to reach 70% for each Module, you will be required to repeat that Module or part of it (your Course Tutor/Design Coach will decide this). You should study each unit within a module in great detail and ask questions whenever possible. Setting up Teams Tutorials is essential to your course, and you should at least have one appointment for each module in your course.
5. Communication
All communication should be carried out through your Student Account on our Online Campus. Only if you experience problems or the system is down for some reason, you must email us directly. But, you should only communicate directly with your Course Tutor/Design Coach through your Student Accounts messaging App. If you are experiencing technical problems, you should email admin@creativedesignschool.com and explain the problem in as much detail as possible. Also, we have noticed that there are some problems being experienced by students who use GMAIL email addresses.
6. Teams Course Sessions and Appointments
Teams Sessions are available on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays of each week (except during holidays). You must give at least one week's notice for an appointment or a lesson request. The more notice you give, the more chance you have of getting the appointment that is best for you. Contact your Course Tutor/Design Coach to discuss this in more detail. It is also important that you send your questions to your tutor at least 3-4 days before your Teams tutorial. Failure to do so will result in your Teams tutorial being cancelled automatically. Also, failure to turn up without our hour's notice for your booked Teams lesson with result in a £30 fee plus administration costs being issued to you for late cancellations.
7. School Holidays
Like any other educational organisation, the Creative Design School closes for holidays and in-house training each year. School Holidays are also listed on your campus dashboard on the online campus. This also applies to UK Bank Holidays, including Scotland. Please keep a note of these. Your Course Tutor/Design Coach will not be contactable during these closures unless prior arrangements have been made directly.
8. Changes to Courses and Course Structures
The Creative Design School has the right to change the course structures, Modules and Units at any time without notice. This is required as a progression of course improvements and the change in the subject sectors. It is essential that we continue to improve our courses in line with business and sector demand, giving our students the very best in knowledge and skills in an ever-changing market.
9 Inappropriate behaviour or misconduct
The CDS will expel any student or individual who is causing or carrying out any inappropriate behaviour or misconduct within the online campus, external websites or social media/networking that are related to or in part to the CDS (the Creative Design School).
9.1 Maximum Completion Time for Courses
The CDS offers flexible learning, but we have to set a time limit on all our courses. The maximum time for completing our main Diploma Course is 12 months, and our Short Courses average between 6-8 weeks, depending on the Short Course. Extensions can be given depending on each individual case, but there may be a fee for this.
9.2 Software & Copyright
It is important that students do not infringe copyright laws for the use of software or images, etc. It is the student's own responsibility to obtain the correct software for the course in the correct way, and not that of the school. The same applies to the use of images, etc, within their projects and assignments. You are able to use examples as long as you state this within your submissions, but please remember that you are also building a portfolio of your work, which you will be showing to future potential employers or clients.
9.3 Project & Assignment Submission Feedback and Grades
Once you have completed a Module Project or Assignment, you must let your Course Tutor/Design Coach know that you have uploaded these. Projects and Assignments will be checked only on Monday or Friday, so the day on which you upload your submissions will depend on which day these will be looked at. For example, if you submit your Project or Assignment on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, it will not be looked at until the next Friday or Monday. If you submit on a Monday, it will not be looked at until the following Friday, and the same applies to Friday submissions; these will not be looked at until the following Monday or Friday. Our response time for feedback on submissions is 1 week (but can sometimes take 2 weeks). Please also note that submissions will not be checked during holiday periods.
9.4 Cooling-Off Option
The Creative Design School allows refunds only within 7 days of receiving your course payment. If you decide not to continue with your course during this period, you must notify us in writing within 7 days. We will then arrange a refund of your course fee, minus administration and PayPal transfer fees. PayPal Fees: When you made your payment, PayPal deducted a fee. This amount will not be refunded to you, and there may also be an additional PayPal fee applied when you receive your refund. We are not responsible for these charges. Administration Fees: These cover the costs involved in closing down your student account, carrying out security checks, processing your refund, and any additional work linked to a refund or payment dispute. Refunds can take up to 30 days to process and complete.
Please note that this refund policy applies only to students who have paid their full course fee in one payment. It does not apply to students paying by monthly instalments, those enrolled under a discount offer, or students on short courses.
9.5 Examinations
The final examination for our Main Diploma Courses is carried out through our online campus. You will be given full instructions on when your exam is scheduled for by your Course Tutor/Design Coach towards the end of your final Module. The exam is assessed and marked by the school's main examination board, plus the examination of your complete report throughout your Course Studies, Project and Assignment Submissions. You will receive your results within 60 days of completion. If you fail your examination, you will be given a second chance to sit this exam again, but the time of this second attempt exam will be decided following a consultation with your Course Tutor/ Design Coach. If you fail the second exam, you will need to enrol again in the course before you are able to sit the exam a third time. You can also appeal any failure of exams by sending your complaint to us at admin@creativedesignschool.com. There are no final exams for Short Courses.
9.6 Certificates and Diplomas
You will receive your Certificate or Diploma Certificate results within 90 days of successful completion of your course and final exam. The Certificate or Diploma Certificates will be posted to you along with your final results on our issue dates, which are at the end of each semester.9.7 Online Campus
The Online Campus is not a stand-alone course and only serves as a central point between the Student and the Course Tutor/Design Coach. There may be times when the Online Campus website or our main website is down due to maintenance or as a result of hacking and breach of security by users or outsiders of the school. If and when this happens, the courses are not affected, and your studies should continue. If there are any issues with either our online campus or our main website, you should communicate with us through our email at admin@creativedesignschool.com. As explained in 9.4, we do not issue refunds, and students must accept that the Online Campus is not the main course facility. Your course will continue whether the Online Campus is operational or not.
9.8 Inactive Students
All student accounts and courses will remain active unless we have not had any activity for a period of 30 days. If a student does not take part in submitting assignments or projects or contact their design coach for 30 days or more without notice, the student's account will be suspended. To reactivate the course and student account, a reactivation fee of £80 for short courses and £200 for all other courses. Any student account which has been inactive for more than 60 days without any notice from the student will then be cancelled in full, and the student must reapply and pay the course fee in full unless a prior written agreement has been arranged between the school and the student.
9.9 Course Cancellation & Transfer
If a student decides they no longer wish to continue with their course for whatever reason, and no matter what stage of the course they are at, they will not be issued any type of refund (unless it is within the first 7 days of making their full course payment). Neither are they able to transfer their course to another student, but they may be able to transfer to another course, depending on which stage you are at with your present course. There would also be an administration fee to be paid in addition to a transfer from one course to another. No refunds are given after 7 days of receipt of payment, as explained in section 9.4
9.10 Course Updates and Terms & Conditions
Changes Please note that the Creative Design School may change the course curriculum, course modules, module structures, course structures and any part of our Terms and Conditions at any time without prior notice, but we will do our best to keep all students informed whenever possible.
9.11 Complaints
All complaints should be sent in writing to us by email to admin@creativedesignschool.com
9.12 Student email addresses
Students are responsible for the management of their own email addresses. If, for some reason, you are not receiving communication or course material from us, you must inform us right away. Plus, if we are sending emails to you which are not being delivered, this is not our responsibility, and we are unable to investigate any of these issues. Communication issues on the student's behalf are the responsibility of each individual student. Please make sure you provide the correct email information and, if possible, another email alternative to help with any issues.
10. Course Payment
Course fee payments must be received within five working days from the submission date, including the signatures in this course application form. Once we have received your course fee payment, we will start setting up your student account, which can take up to 5 working days to complete (we do try to complete this sooner, depending on the number of enrolments we have received at the same time). Payment should be made through direct bank transfer (We will issue you an invoice with our details included) or PayPal. PayPal payment must be made online through our website.