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Guide Training in London
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Propectus |
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Please Note:
All enquiries must be by e-mail to the Course Director.
The Prospectus and Application Form are available only by downloading them from this site.
Please do not contact the Guild offce. |
Objective
To prepare students to enter the tourist industry as qualified guides for the London region. Registered tourist guides are qualified by examinations set and administered by the Institute of Tourist Guiding. Those students who are successful in these examinations will be awarded the "Blue Badge" for London. |
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Course Content
During the course students study the following:
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Background knowledge - a wide cultural background to Britain. |
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London knowledge - an in-depth local knowledge |
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Regional knowledge - covering sites frequently visited from London in a day. |
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Guiding techniques - communication and presentation skills for guiding on foot, on site and from a moving vehicle. |
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Business skills - learning to work as a self-employed guide within the tourist industry. |
Subjects covered include: history, geography and geology, agriculture and countryside, law, English literature, visual and performing arts, monarchy, government, tourism, sport, industry and commerce, finance, various galleries and museums in London, religion, architecture current affairs, tour planning and problem solving.
In depth: St. Paul's Cathedral, the British Museum, a London Gallery, the Tower of London. Westminster Abbey and a City Walk.
Regional sites include: Oxford, Stratford-on-Avon, Windsor, Stonehenge, Salisbury, the Cotswolds, Bath and Canterbury.
A handbook containing the full syllabus is given to students at the start of the course.
Please Note:
It is essential for students to have regular access to a computer, email and a good printer as many handouts for lectures and communications regarding changes or additions to the course are sent out electronically.
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Course Structure
The five components of the course content form an integrated course of study. The course is designed to be part-time, with lectures and practical training sessions outside normal office hours.
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Lectures: There are two evening lectures in central London each week. (These will usually be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays 18.30 - 20.30). |
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Practical training: There are also practical training sessions and visits most Saturdays. These sessions are an essential part of the course and should not be missed. |
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Private home study: The student should expect to spend several hours each week on private research and learning of material. In addition to this, the holiday breaks are intended as study leave. |
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Course Dates
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Introductory weekend
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5 - 6 April 2008 |
Part 1
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02 September 2008 - end March 2009 |
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Small group sessions
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Late June 2009 |
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Part 2
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01 September 2009 - end January 2010 |
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Course Fees
The course fee is £3,800.00. This includes all teaching, entrance fees, coach travel as part of the training, core knowledge CD and other course learning materials.
Also included is a two day communications seminar on practical presentation skills and a first aid training course, all of which will take place mid-week
Half of the course fee (£1,900.00) is payable upon acceptance of the place by 28 March 2008. The other half (£1,900.00) is payable before 28 August 2008.
No refunds will be given if a student withdraws form the course or any part of it, nor for non-use of services provided. The Guild of Registered Tourist Guides reserves the right to cancel and refund all fees paid or to offer the course at a higher fee if insufficient enrolments are received.
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Course Fees - Funding
The Guild of Registered Tourist Guides is registered with the Learning Skills Council as a Learning Provider. Subject to meeting certain conditions, it may be possible for a Career Development Loan to be granted by the LSC. Full details will be made available if you are accepted for interview
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Final Assessment
The course director will submit students for practical and written assessment administered by the Institute of Tourist Guiding. To gain the Blue Badge qualification students have to pass all the sections:
| - Planning and problem solving project |
30 May 2009 |
| - Background knowledge written examination |
September 08 or April 09 |
| - Regional knowledge written examination |
Late September 2009 |
| - 2 London practical examinations |
Late September 2009 |
| - London knowledge written examination |
February 2010 |
| - Practical site and coach assessments |
February 2010 |
For 2008/10, the examination fees are likely to be in the region of £800.00, payable in two instalments, half by the end of June 2008 and the second half by September 2008 to the Institute of Tourist Guiding.
There is an additional linguist test and fee for those wishing to qualify to guide in a language, which is not their mother tongue.
Successful candidates will have their name added to the Institute of Tourist Guiding's Register of Guides and will be issued with the London Registered Guide photo card and Blue Badge.
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Working as a Guide
The role and function of a tourist guide is to welcome, organise, inform and entertain. This rewarding work allows great opportunities to meet a wide range of people, to travel and manage your own working environment. Tourist guides in Britain are mainly freelance and self-employed. Work is seasonal, often involving unsocial hours, and is usually obtained by direct contact with tour operators and other agencies. In addition, a guide with good marketing skills can successfully establish a strong client base.
Registration with the Institute of Tourist Guiding signifies that a tourist guide has achieved an acceptable level of professional competence. The Institute does not offer work to tourist guides but promotes the Blue Badge in general. Tourist guides are listed in its annual register, which is distributed to users of guide services.
Depending on what type of work is being undertaken, tourist guides will charge a range of fees. For mainstream guiding work in 2007/08, fees for freelance London Blue Badge guides are in the range of £110 - £126 per half day and £170 - £196 per full day.
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Application and Selection
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Application should be made by completing the form and returning it with a cheque for £40, made payable to Guild Training, London Account, to
London Blue Badge Course
The Guild of Registered Tourist Guides
52d Borough High Street
London
SE1 1XN
You can download an application form here
The last date for receiving applications for the course is 18 January 2008
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All applicants will be asked to sit a pre-entry general knowledge test.
This will take place on Wednesday 30 January 2008 at 18.30 at a central London venue to be decided. Details will be sent to all applicants nearer the time.
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Shortly after the pre-entry test, selected candidates will be informed in writing and asked to attend an interview. Interviews will take place during the week of 3 - 7 March 2008. Offers of a place on the course will be sent by March 17
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Candidates' acceptance letters (together with 50% of the fee) should be received by 28 March 2008 in time for the Induction week end 5 & 6 April.
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Candidates, of a minimum age of 18 years, will need to demonstrate an outgoing personality, smart appearance, physical stamina, good general knowledge, organisational ability, flexibility, a genuine interest and concern for people and the motivation to develop their own business.
Preference for places on the course will be given to those who are fluent in more than one language and to those with a background in the tourism industry.
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The Institute of Tourist Guiding
The Institute of Tourist Guiding is the standard setting body, not only for Blue Badge guides but for the whole of the tourist guiding sector. It provides examinations and accredits courses that meet its standards.
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Course Director
Hazel Docherty MA Hons PGCE FETC MITG.
Hazel qualified as a guide in 2002 after spending many years in education for both adults and children and leading visits abroad. She is course director for the Guild of Registered Tourist Guides. Hazel is Chair of the Language Committee of the Institute of Tourist Guiding. She guides in English, Spanish and French.
Training Provider
The Guild of Registered Tourist Guides is both a membership organisation and a training provider of guide training courses in London and other areas of England.
Course Tutors & Lecturers
All the tutors on the course work as London Blue Badge guides. Many of the lecturers are guides and specialists in their subject.
Steering Group
There is a steering group for the course made up from representatives of the industry. These include the Course Director, the Course Administrator, the Chief Examiner, the Chair of the Guild of Registered Tourist Guides, a representative of Visit London, an academic, 2 users of guide services or representatives from sites and working blue badge guides.
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