|
Course Content
During the course students study the following:
|
-
|
Background knowledge - a wide cultural background to Britain. |
|
London knowledge - an in-depth local knowledge |
|
-
|
Regional knowledge - covering sites frequently visited from London in a day. |
|
-
|
Guiding techniques - communication and presentation skills for guiding on foot, on site and from a moving vehicle. |
|
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 London Sites: St. Paul's Cathedral, the British Museum, a London gallery, the Tower of London. Westminster Abbey, a City walk and a panoramic coach tour.
Regional sites include: Oxford, Stratford-on-Avon, Windsor, Stonehenge, Salisbury, the Cotswolds, Bath and Canterbury.
At all times health and safety, customer care and the widest possible access for all are stressed.
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 handouts for lectures and communications regarding changes or additions to the course are sent out electronically.
|
Contents
Final Assessment
The Programme 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.
The examination dates and fees for the next course payable to the Institute of Tourist Guiding will be published in due course.
|
Background Knowledge
|
|
 |
|
|
Written project
Two London practical examinations
Out-of-London written examination
|
|
|
|
|
London knowledge written examination
Practical coach and London sites examinations
|
|
There is an additional language test and fee for those wishing to qualify to guide in a language which is not their mother tongue. The cost of this test is about £80.00 for each language.
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.
Contents
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 his or her 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 directory, 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. As an example for ‘mainstream’ guiding work in English in 2009-2010 freelance London Blue Badge guides are negotiated minimum fees in the range of £120-£140 per half day and £190-£215 per full day. Driver guides and those with second languages generally charge a higher minimum.
Contents
Application and Selection
| 1. |
Application forms for the next course will be available in due course.
|
| 2. |
All applicants will be asked to sit a pre-entry general knowledge test. For further information click here.
|
| 3. |
Shortly after the pre-entry test, selected candidates will be informed in writing and asked to attend an interview.
|
Candidates 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 work as an independent professional in a freelance capacity.
Contents
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.
Contents
Programme Director
Mrs Jennifer Basannavar, BA Hons, PGCE, MITG
Jennifer has combined a career as a Blue Badge Guide with teaching and management in the independent sector of education. She is a well-established and experienced guide in both German and English and a tour manager for groups to Central and Eastern Europe. She specialises in working with orchestras and choirs and has a particular interest in Ethical Tourism. Until she became the Programme Director, Jennifer was the Programme Co-ordinator for the Institute of Tourist Guiding, where she organised all the examinations for tourist guiding courses accredited by the Institute of Tourist Guiding. She is now Chair of the Qualifications Board of the Institute of Tourist Guiding.
Programme Administrator
Ms Wendy Hammerston, BA Hons, PGCE, MITG
Guiding Is Wendy’s third career. Having been firstly a PA and later an office manager in a variety of law firms, she then qualified as a teacher in English at secondary level undertaking a variety of administrative and pastoral roles as well. She qualified as a Blue Badge Guide in 2006.
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. All the lecturers are specialists in their areas and most of them are also Blue Badge guides. .
Steering Group
There is a steering group for the course made up from representatives of the industry. These include the Programme Director, the Course Administrator, the Chief Examiner, the Chair of the Guild of Registered Tourist Guides, a representative of Visit London, an academic, two users of guide services or representatives from sites and working Blue Badge Guides.
Contents
