LSC consults with dance industry bodies, such as One Dance UK and Higher Education partners, and is constantly looking to review and enhance its practices to provide students with the best possible support.
Our Student Welfare Department strive to deliver excellent student support and we are thrilled that they have been shortlisted for the One Dance UK Dance Healthcare Team Award in both 2020 and 2021.
Head of Student Welfare: Kim Hutt
Head of Pastoral Care and Student Counsellor: Lizzy Du Verney
Head of Dance Science: Laura Erwin
Physical and mental health are recognised as necessary and important factors in supporting the student experience. Dance Science and pilates based conditioning are threaded throughout our courses and pathways to support students dance training. LSC also has a team of dance-specialist practitioners who have weekly appointment availability on site. The team includes:
All students are strongly advised to register with their own general medical practitioner (GP) near to their term time address. This is for the treatment of everyday health problems, and for referral as needed.
LSC has an ongoing relationship with the NHS Dance Injury clinic in London, which supports LSC students with complex injury cases.
During the induction process strategies are introduced to help prepare the students for the increased demand of vocational training. This is supported by the first year of training for both Foundation and BA students, and the first term module for MA Dance Performance students, which contains sessions surrounding Dance Science which equip the student to better understand how to prevent injury, optimise performance and develop personal strategies to manage their wellbeing.
Students are further supported throughout their training with Health and Wellbeing week activities, workshops and drop-in sessions.
Both the Head of Student Welfare and the Head of Pastoral Care liaise on a regular basis to monitor the needs of the student body, which feed in to immediate and annual enhancements. LSC has an open door policy and welcomes feedback from student’s about the support services available to them. All staff have completed an enhanced DBS check and safeguarding training.
Head of Learning Support: Dr Deveril
Students with Specific Learning Differences (SpLD) are supported by the Head of Learning Support, in line with London Studio Centre’s Specific Learning Differences Support Policy.
LSC can advise students without a formal Diagnostic Assessment on the steps they might wish to take to get assessed. The process involves one-to-one discussions with the Head of Learning Support to ensure that students are aware of the implications of an assessment and procedures needed to be tested privately. (NB: LSC cannot assess and diagnose any SpLD or related barrier to learning)
Following discussions and/or SpLD assessments, students are given the necessary support across their programme/course. UK students who receive Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) funding might also be provided with external support as per their Needs Assessment.
Please note that students are responsible for applying for DSA through Student Finance.
Through the audition process each student undergoes a physical assessment with a dance specialist physiotherapist which involves a 20-minute assessment looking at posture, biomechanics, strength and flexibility. The aim of the physical assessment is to identify students who are able to demonstrate threshold physical competency to progress successfully and safely within full-time vocational dance training.
All students undertake a Physical Screening and health and wellbeing 1:1 within their first term at London Studio Centre. The health and wellbeing 1:1 is a 20-minute conversation between the student and a member of the Student Welfare Department. Topics discussed can include medical information, Specific Learning Differences (SpLD), mental health, preparedness for training and injury history. This discussion will also be used to highlight information from the student’s physical assessment, to identify a list of priorities to optimise the student’s health and wellbeing, as well as their learning experience.
All LSC students will be registered into our physical support scheme, which is designed to help students suffering from injury or who have other physical support needs. Students will benefit from in-house injury treatment and management from the moment of injury through to their return to full practice, along with other necessary clinical investigations.
From time to time, injuries or medical conditions can be more complicated than in-house practitioners can manage, and for this reason, private medical insurance is encouraged.
All students are advised to insure their personal belongings.
Each student has a Personal Tutor with whom they have regular contact, either in the form of group tutorials or individually as required. The Personal Tutors help guide the students through the course. Issues of a more personal nature are referred (with student consent) to the Head of Pastoral Care who supervises the Personal Tutors. Issues requiring medical or injury support are referred (with student consent) to the Head of Student Welfare. Issues arising are dealt with in strict confidence and in the case of post 16-year-old students no information is divulged to external sources without explicit permission from the student. Counselling, physiotherapy, massage and nutritional support is available to students on site throughout each term. London Studio Centre also has information on a range of specialist practitioners and resources involved in the care and wellbeing of young people, should the student wish to seek support externally.
Each student also has a number of Course Tutors who deal with specific techniques and contextual studies, and each of whom offer regular feedback, both verbal and written.
London Studio Centre has a Health and Safety Committee that monitors every aspect of the development and application of the Health and Safety Policy at the conservatoire.
London Studio Centre also has comprehensive Student Welfare Policy, with supporting guidelines across a number of health and wellbeing areas, including safeguarding.
London Studio Centre recognises Student Partnership as the value and insight that the student community can provide to the enhancement of LSC and the delivery of its provision.
Feedback is welcomed and encouraged by students in a number of methods, verbally through the open-door policy, through the committee structure or through student surveys, allowing students the opportunity to feedback anonymously should they wish. As such London Studio Centre has a vast number of student representatives that highlight the student voice at LSC’s extensive committee structure contributing to a range of areas across the conservatoire, from the Academic Board (which requires student reps to be quorate), Board of Studies, Equality and Diversity Committee, throughout to the Student Reps Forum.
LSC is proactive to enhancement initiating strategies from its Enhancement Strategy. But is also reactive to feedback from students and staff to enhance the provision and resources. LSC endeavours to close the feedback loop by circulating enhancements to its students through the weekly bulletin and during committee meetings, so they can see how their feedback has enhanced provision.
LSC is proud of the interaction it has with its student reps who are keen and excited to get involved providing their feedback.