FAQ

Q: How do I make a booking? The best way to book is to book online, by visiting our Courses page - if you book online, you get a 10% discount!
Q: Can I provisionally reserve a place? No. we limit the number of delegates on our courses to twelve. This is because the emphasis is on productivity and participation more than profit. If you reserved a place and then cancelled we may have turned someone else away by then.
Q: What happens about confirmation about booking? If you book online, you will receive a confirmation email as soon as you make your booking. If you book via post, fax or email, you will also recevie confirmation of your booking. In addition, you will receive a reminder two weeks before the course.
Q: How do I know your courses are any good – I have never heard of you before. It’s not surprising you have not heard of us before – we were only formed in 2007! You may well have heard of some of our trainers though. John Mannion, as just one example has written the following books: Publications Chapter on poetry in English for The Caribbean (Longman 1985) Co-author Cascades Fiction Folder (Collins 1987) Units in the Collins English Programme Books 1-4 (1987-89) Article on Retreats New Statesman and Society (December 1989) Series editor Staccato Scripts (Stanley Thornes 1992) Editor and author Practice with Prose (Collins 1994) Co-author English Solutions Books 1-5 (Longman 1994-97) Tolkien Teaching Pack (Collins 1997) Collins School Grammar (1997-1998) Collins Reference Grammar (November 1998) The Little Book of Shakespeare (April 1999) Starting Henry V (Collins 2001) Very Like a Whale: An Anthology of Science Writing –Ed (Collins 1999) I Spy: An Anthology of Personal Writing – Ed (Collins 1999) Framework Focus: Media and the Moving Image (Letts 2003) GCSE English (GCSE Success Question Answers) (Letts 2003) Collins GCSE English and Literature: Exam Preparation Student's Book (2003) Collins GCSE English and Literature: Exam Preparation Teacher’s Folder (2003) Co-author Impact English Books 1-3 (Collins 2005) Co-author DVD Piracy resources (Film Education 2006) The Divided City Class Pack (OUP 2007) Consultancies Stockport Literacy Development Panel (1989-93) BBC Educational Programming - English Cascades Fiction Series (Harper Collins) English Panel Roehampton Institute of Education Teachers’ Resources for World Book Day - publishing industry promotion Work on BBC Bitesize Website English specialist and advisor for Learn.co.uk Contribute lessons to back up the resources published in The Guardian Education Online lessons for the Welsh NGfL Assessor of electronic resources for NGfL Research officer NATE Judge for the Royal Television Society’s annual awards in Educational Television Illimina Digital Consultant for successful BBC Jam bid
Q: How were your Trainers selected? In 2007 we advertised for people to become Trainers. The advertisement stressed that experience was the key. We do NOT want Trainers, however well qualified, to stand in front of a group of teachers and be totally unable to relate. Over 35 very well qualified Oxford graduates never proceeded past the first stage, owing to this very strict criteria. From an initial list of 73 applicants a shortlist was drawn up. Each Trainer was then interviewed for an hour. Then followed a second shortlist and finally, Trainers were appointed. During the final interview each Trainer had to micro-teach as well as fully explain their proposed seminars. We also explained OSL Training and how the emphasis was on quality and value for money. Uniquely an element of the fee we pay Trainers is given directly to a charity of their choice.
Q: Is the course still running? Courses will not run if there are fewer than 5 applicants. Our Trainers have found in the past that if there are fewer than 5 on a course then full discussion and exchange of ideas is limited. If, currently, there are fewer than five then sign up – or come back and check later. We only ever cancel courses for educational reasons- and such cancellations will be 7 days before the course date. For us ‘viable’ refers to ‘educationally viable’ not ‘financially viable’.
Q: May I transfer my booking to another course? Yes, provided such transfer is made two weeks before the course date. Transfers asked for later than that may only be made at our discretion.
Q: Will the course be offered again at a later date? Please keep returning to the site and you’ll see! In addition, if you register with us, you can request that we let you know when a course is run, or if places on a full course become available.
Q: Details about the course itself – who is it for? What is the level? Start and finish times? These details are included in the course descriptions, which you can find via the Courses and Conferences page.
Q: Is there a chance that I attend a course elsewhere and it's delivered by one of ‘your’ trainers? In theory, yes as our Trainers are self-employed and Freelance. Remember, however, that enrolling on a course at OSL-Training is not just about one day but includes the exchange of information before and after the event. There are excellent Trainers who work for several organisations, and the fees may vary between such organisations but on our courses the whole ethos is very different!

The best way to book is to book online, by visiting our Courses page - if you book online, you get a 10% discount!

Q: Can I provisionally reserve a place?

No. we limit the number of delegates on our courses to twelve. This is because the emphasis is on productivity and participation more than profit. If you reserved a place and then cancelled we may have turned someone else away by then.

Q: What happens about confirmation about booking?

If you book online, you will receive a confirmation email as soon as you make your booking. If you book via post, fax or email, you will also recevie confirmation of your booking. In addition, you will receive a reminder two weeks before the course.

Q: How do I know your courses are any good – I have never heard of you before.

It’s not surprising you have not heard of us before – we were only formed in 2007! You may well have heard of some of our trainers though. John Mannion, as just one example has written the following books:

Publications

Chapter on poetry in English for The Caribbean (Longman 1985)
Co-author Cascades Fiction Folder (Collins 1987)
Units in the Collins English Programme Books 1-4 (1987-89)
Article on Retreats New Statesman and Society (December 1989)
Series editor Staccato Scripts (Stanley Thornes 1992)
Editor and author Practice with Prose (Collins 1994)
Co-author English Solutions Books 1-5 (Longman 1994-97)
Tolkien Teaching Pack (Collins 1997)
Collins School Grammar (1997-1998)
Collins Reference Grammar (November 1998)
The Little Book of Shakespeare (April 1999)
Starting Henry V (Collins 2001)
Very Like a Whale: An Anthology of Science Writing –Ed (Collins 1999)
I Spy: An Anthology of Personal Writing – Ed (Collins 1999)
Framework Focus: Media and the Moving Image (Letts 2003)
GCSE English (GCSE Success Question Answers) (Letts 2003)
Collins GCSE English and Literature: Exam Preparation Student's Book (2003)
Collins GCSE English and Literature: Exam Preparation Teacher’s Folder (2003)
Co-author Impact English Books 1-3 (Collins 2005)
Co-author DVD Piracy resources (Film Education 2006)
The Divided City Class Pack (OUP 2007)

Consultancies

Stockport Literacy Development Panel (1989-93)
BBC Educational Programming - English
Cascades Fiction Series (Harper Collins)
English Panel Roehampton Institute of Education
Teachers’ Resources for World Book Day - publishing industry promotion
Work on BBC Bitesize Website
English specialist and advisor for Learn.co.uk
Contribute lessons to back up the resources published in The Guardian Education Online lessons for the Welsh NGfL
Assessor of electronic resources for NGfL
Research officer NATE
Judge for the Royal Television Society’s annual awards in Educational Television
Illimina Digital Consultant for successful BBC Jam bid

Q: How were your Trainers selected?

In 2007 we advertised for people to become Trainers. The advertisement stressed that experience was the key. We do NOT want Trainers, however well qualified, to stand in front of a group of teachers and be totally unable to relate. Over 35 very well qualified Oxford graduates never proceeded past the first stage, owing to this very strict criteria.

From an initial list of 73 applicants a shortlist was drawn up. Each Trainer was then interviewed for an hour. Then followed a second shortlist and finally, Trainers were appointed. During the final interview each Trainer had to micro-teach as well as fully explain their proposed seminars.

We also explained OSL Training and how the emphasis was on quality and value for money. Uniquely an element of the fee we pay Trainers is given directly to a charity of their choice.

Q: Is the course still running?

Courses will not run if there are fewer than 5 applicants. Our Trainers have found in the past that if there are fewer than 5 on a course then full discussion and exchange of ideas is limited. If, currently, there are fewer than five then sign up – or come back and check later. We only ever cancel courses for educational reasons- and such cancellations will be 7 days before the course date. For us ‘viable’ refers to ‘educationally viable’ not ‘financially viable’.

Q: May I transfer my booking to another course?

Yes, provided such transfer is made two weeks before the course date. Transfers asked for later than that may only be made at our discretion.

Q: Will the course be offered again at a later date?

Please keep returning to the site and you’ll see! In addition, if you register with us, you can request that we let you know when a course is run, or if places on a full course become available.

Q: Details about the course itself – who is it for? What is the level? Start and finish times?

These details are included in the course descriptions, which you can find via the Courses and Conferences page.

Q: Is there a chance that I attend a course elsewhere and it's delivered by one of ‘your’ trainers?

In theory, yes as our Trainers are self-employed and Freelance. Remember, however, that enrolling on a course at OSL-Training is not just about one day but includes the exchange of information before and after the event. There are excellent Trainers who work for several organisations, and the fees may vary between such organisations but on our courses the whole ethos is very different!