Code of Conduct - Candidates

The British Dyslexia Association (BDA) is a welcoming, diverse and supportive community.

We are committed to promoting the highest standards of behaviour and practice. To maintain our working, learning and social environment, we are committed to fostering a learning experience in which everyone engages positively and treats others with respect, dignity and care. When necessary, the BDA will take action to protect the wider BDA community on the rare occasions where individuals do not wish to adhere to this ethos.

We expect good conduct from each candidate. Good conduct involves being aware of your own behaviour, knowing what is acceptable and taking responsibility for your own actions. By undertaking one of our accredited courses, you are agreeing to adhere to this Code of Conduct.

Good conduct includes:

• Acting responsibly
• Being honest
• Being considerate and courteous towards others
• Behaving in a respectful manner towards others so that they do not feel they are being harassed or bullied

In order to maintain these high standards of behaviour, all students on joining the BDA agree to adhere to this Code of Conduct. Examples of unacceptable behaviour which breach the Code of Conduct include:

• Abusive, threatening or offensive language (verbal or written) including online/social media.
• Bullying and harassment (this includes bullying of any individual or harassment of an individual based on protected characteristics such as race, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation).
• Action likely to cause upset or distress to other candidates and staff
• Violent, indecent, disorderly, threatening and offensive behaviour
• Behaviour which damages the good name of the BDA eg. inconsiderate or anti-social behaviour online
• Deceit, deception and dishonesty

Items specific to the BDA:

It is expected that all candidates will interact with tutors and BDA staff in a professional manner. This includes email communication and calls. The BDA reserve the right to discontinue communication with a candidate who is not acting in a professional manner.

Tutors mark all work in the order in which it is received, though some teaching documents may be marked sooner. Candidates should not contact their tutor to request that work is marked sooner than the usual 15 working day deadline. Every candidate’s work is equally important and tutors cannot prioritise one over another.

The BDA is an online learning course and, as such, candidates are expected to work independently using the course materials. Tutorials can be offered to clarify understanding and to answer queries, they are not a substitute for content gained from the course materials which must be absorbed and understood by the candidate autonomously.

Behaviour during communication:

The BDA do not consent to the recording of interactions with tutors such as the recording of Zoom/Teams calls, in line with GDPR (2018).

If during a tutorial the candidate becomes upset or impolite, the tutor will stop the tutorial and reconvene when the candidate is able to re-engage with the tutorial in an appropriate manner.

If you wish to have a representative with you on calls, including tutorials, this call will need to be with the course leader and you will need to let your tutor know this in advance.

If you feel the need to include anyone in email communication with your tutor, this will be referred to the course leader. Please be aware that the BDA are unable to communicate with anyone other than the candidate to adhere to The Data Protection Regulations 2018.

Behaviour in sharing forums:

Candidates should not engage in any behaviour which damages the good name of the BDA. This includes during interactions with other students, on social media and any public platform.

Candidates are not permitted to share any course content with others, whether privately or publicly. This would be deemed a breach of copyright.

This is not an exhaustive list.

In cases where candidates are alleged to have breached this Code of Conduct, the BDA reserve the right to remove candidates from the course with no obligation to refund course fees.

When considering what action to take against a candidate the BDA will consider the severity of the breach, impact on other students and staff and any previous incidents of misconduct.

Incidences which may breach this code of conduct are thankfully rare and the BDA value each and every candidate who undertakes this course with the aim of becoming a specialist teacher and providing further support for individuals with Dyslexia. Working together in this way will provide a positive approach for all, maintaining high standards of professionalism which will be essential in your future careers as specialist teachers.