Stonebridge Associated Colleges

I recently completed a certificate course from Stonebridge Associated College, UK and on registering online, it was mentioned that :

Qualification 1: Operations and Operations Management (Byte Size) Certificate
Qualification 2: Level 1 Operations and Operations Management (Byte Size) Award : This Course leads to an NCFE Level 1 Award Certificate for successful learners. That means that it is independantly accredited at a level of learning equivalent to level 1 on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) for England, Wales and Northern Ireland (in which case GCSE's are at levels 1 and 2 and A Levels are at level 3). In accrediting the programme at level 1, NCFE attests that its learning outcomes are at an equivalent level to a level 1 national qualification.

Now as i have completed the course, i got the Stonebridge certificate, however for the ASET certificate on inquiring, i am told that i am not eligible for that. I pass the course in A+ grade.

Now what is this ? Where to complaint about this stonebridge institute. Although they are on UKRLP register, what kind of instituion they are ?

 

Your own experience tells you what kind of institution they are. Here's another thread (do your homework!) that might shed more light on this entity.

http://forums.degreeinfo.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=22328&highlight=stonebridge

 

Stonebridge College claims that the ASET (Now EDI ) Level 3 and Level 4 are equivalent to the O and A levels of the British Qualification Framework etc. Well, this is true as i have seen it on the NVQ levels.

But how much authentic stonebridge college is, this i am now in doubt.

For ASET : http://www.aset.ac.uk/

 

Following up on the link you provided ASET is dead - it is replaced by EDI http://www.ediplc.com/

Their courses seem to be aimed at 14 to 19 year olds.

 

Awarding bodies for the certificate and diploma programs that institutions on the UKRLP offer may differ. It's my understanding that not all courses will be ASET accredited. For example, for the certificate program that you completed, "
http://www.stonebridge.uk.com/det/550/Operations+and+Operations+Management+(Byte+Size) " the awarding body seems to be awarded by NCFE and not ASET ( now EDI ).

Both Education Development International plc and NCFE are awarding bodies

http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/section96/search/search.cfm

 

Have you considered certificates or diplomas from colleges and universities that have royal charter? For example, the university of london external offers
a diploma in management at the undergraduate level. Also, Heriot Watt University offers diplomas and certificates. Tuition for these programs are more expensive.

http://www.londonexternal.ac.uk/prospective_students/undergraduate
/lse/dip_grad/management/index.shtml

http://www.postgraduate.hw.ac.uk/courses/distance/

 

oops typo alert
"the awarding body seems to be awarded by NCFE and not ASET ( now EDI )"

I meant, "the awarding body seems to be NCFE"

 

Thanks for your reply. I got one email response from Stonebridge :

"The course was not accredited by NCFE when you began it and thus you are not eligible for the award. If you wish to dispute this you can write into the college and make a formal complaint, I will no longer deal with this matter via e-mail."

But as i register on 19th Feb, this information was written on the internet.

UOL has some good programmes, but expensive and long.

I am looking for having a quick recongized and cheap diploma

 

Sorry to hear about that. Have you spoken with NCFE about this?

 

Do you believe this course was ASET accredited when you signed up on February? When you signed up, do you know what the awarding body was?
If it was NCFE and disclosed on their site when you signed up on Feb, then somethings wrong. If stonebridge associated colleges fraudulently disclosed that the course was accredited by NCFE, then this serves as a warning sign for members and lurkers to stay away from stonebridge. Perhaps there was also a misunderstanding.

If you want quick and inexpensive certificates, then perhaps there are some available from accredited universities and colleges in the United States. Due to the currency exchange rate, if you live in Europe and better yet the UK, you may be able to take advantage of short term certificate programs offered schools in the US.

 

In the future, before you register for courses, contact the awarding body and ask if the institute that is hosting these programs has sought the accreditation disclosed for that course. We are here to help you find the program you seek, so you are welcomed to ask as many questions as you want. Also, by discovering these programs and gaining awareness of the customer service that they provide ( good and bad ), we all learn something and gain valuable knowledge.

 

Well, i know already that the course was NCFE accrediated as it was written on the website. As i am a resident of Pakistan, and here $ is a huge thing for us. So, it makes us very difficult to study in expensive online universities.

 

Yesterday I paid the Tuition Fee for the Student Achiever plan and they told me they would send me the material per post what I did not expect. I think that the informations dispatched are pretty unclear. No I had a strange e-mail exchange with the admin officer of this institution who told me twice he would be more than happy to de-register and I should not even consider coming back to them and when I am asking him if I will get my money back there is no answer, now I am afraid to not get 350 Pounds back!!!

 

Does anybody know where I should complain?

 

Yes, what he said. Please feel free to ask as many questions as you wish, no question is a dumb question.

Good luck,

Abner

 

Moreover they say that they are ''... Society for Holistic Therapists and Coaches (SHTC), a professional body who are dedicated to recognised standards of qualification and practice ...'', but apparently the society has been established by themselves (http://community.elearners.com/forums/thread/3002.aspx)

I doubt I will get my money back...

 

Well, for the Student Achiever Plan, this is written that you can't study it online. Can you please quote the name of the admin guy who responded to you.

 

Dear all!

okay they write on their website that it is not possible to study the courses per e-learn, but they do not write that there is an additional fee of 25£ per course in the mail package! Itis not that it is expensive, but not telling these informations in front is strange...

Moreover I wrote an e-mail to BILD www.thebild.org, because Stonebridge Associate Colleges claim that they are full member f the BILD.(http://www.stonebridge.uk.com/associations.php)

I got the response today:
Dear Catherine,



I can confirm that the Stonebridge Associated Colleges are not members of the British Institute for Learning and Development.



Kind Regards

Elena([email protected] or [email protected])

Strange....


Moreover, apparently the Federation of Holistic Therapists has been created by themselves (http://www.stonebridge.uk.com/associations.php)


The money issue is allright: They did not take the money from my account (at least not until now), but still al this seems to me very strange and not very trustworthy!!!

FAKE FAKE FAKE

 

This is Interesting

I hooked Stonebridge Associated Colleges properly. I sent a formal complaint to NCFE and they hook Stonebridge people up. The college contacted me for my postal address to send the NCFE award in 8 weeks time. Meanwhile, they have also asked me to formally withdraw the complaint from NCFE.