Officer Cadet Pre-Sessional Training Courses

The BBSI Officer Cadet Pre-sessional training courses are designed to prepare small groups of trainees for entry to one of the British military colleges: BRNC Dartmouth, RMA Sandhurst or RAFC Cranwell. BBSI employs former military officers from all 3 Services to conduct this study programme, each of whom has extensive experience in a training capacity.

Prior to entry, military officer cadets require high degrees of self discipline, moral courage, excellent physical fitness, confidence, a sense of responsibility, integrity, professionalism, adaptability, initiative, determination, a strong sense of duty, and foremost among these attributes, a good sense of humour. The BBSI training team focuses on developing these prime attributes, in addition to developing effective English-language communication skills, IT Skills, Academic & Core Skills, and the qualities of leadership, character and intellect demanded of an officer cadet.

Course Objectives: The course is designed to:

develop a functional level in professional communication &  presentation skills
develop confidence & communicative competence
build appropriate professional & specialised vocabulary
develop an understanding of military ethos & integrity
build the skills necessary to function under pressure
build general & cultural awareness
develop willpower & the temperament for decisive action
develop personal, inter-personal & personal-presentation skills
develop sound leadership & motivational skills
develop competent IT Skills
develop competent Academic & Core Skills

The study programme focuses on developing basic English-language communication skills, prior to introducing elementary aspects of military phraseology, vocabulary and terminology, and personal development. The intense course is conducted with a military ethos of self-discipline and self-organisation, and specialised topics focus on:

map reading
leadership
field craft
management
politics
history
geography
numeracy
geography
social etiquette & forms of address

The course can be offered in 24 or 36-week modular format, depending on the English-language entry level of participants and previous experience levels.

The weekly study programme is typically as follows:

Term 1

24 lessons English language & communication skills
6 lessons IT Skills
4 lessons IELTS Examination Preparation / Academic Core Skills
10 lessons Directed Self Study

Terms 2 & 3

20 lessons English language & communication skills
10 lessons Officer Training Skills
4 lessons IELTS Examination Preparation / Academic Core Skills
10 lessons Directed Self Study

Learning Outcomes.

The course is designed to prepare potential officer cadets for entry to IOT at one of the military academies. The programme is both stimulating and wide-ranging in its delivery and content and requires a high standard in motivation and approach from participants. Language and professional development is optimised by active participation in practical course work and is fully supported by leadership and presentation tasks, authentic discussion, current affairs and planning activities. On course completion, participants would be expected to have achieved a high standard of self-discipline and organisational skills, and be able to:

fully comprehend native-speaker dialogue deliver effective briefings/presentations & handle
subsequent questions
express & defend considered opinions demonstrate effective leadership skills handle the
unexpected with authority & presence fully understand authentic texts in military manuals
compose letters, briefs & formal reports to a good standard
demonstrate effective map-reading skills
training methods & resources
interactive classroom work
current affairs activities
discussion & debate
IT, audio & visual facilities
manuals & formal publications
practical work
role play
group exercises
external visits

Cultural & Professional Visits.

The cultural and professional excursion programme comprises regular part-day and full-day visits to professional and cultural places of interest. The visit programme is integrated with and structured around the academic elements of the course and is designed to fully compliment the academic and professional training.

Typical Visit Programme.

HQ Royal Armoured Corps – Museum
RNAS Yeovilton - Aviation Museum
HM Dockyard Portsmouth
HQ Royal Corps of Signals
Royal Marines, Poole

Social Programme.

Trainees are provided with a varied social programme that provides opportunities for them to integrate with senior BBSI staff, other military and government trainees, and also the School´s international student body.

Progress Reporting

Students undergo pre-course diagnostic tests on their arrival at BBSI for placement and planning purposes.
Reporting. A detailed report on the performance and achievements of each trainee will be submitted to the Sponsor quarterly and also on course completion. Training reports will cover the following:

language level on entry & progress in all areas of study
attitude to studies, ie motivation, effort & participation
quality & submission of assignments
attendance & punctuality
major strengths & weaknesses, & any remedial action required
any known welfare or social problems
study skills demonstrated

Special reports may be submitted at any time in the case of participants whose conduct, effort, or motivation raise doubts as to their suitability to continue the programme.

Enrolment Details

Sponsors should contact BBSI with a Statement of Requirement, which must detail the number of course participants, their respective English-language skills´ levels and the precise training objectives. BBSI will then respond with a detailed, comprehensive and tailored
European Computer Driving Licence®

The European Computer Driving Licence® (ECDL)

is an internationally-recognised qualification that enables individuals to demonstrate their competence in computer skills. ECDL is the fastest growing IT user-qualification in over 125 countries. It is designed specifically for those who wish to gain a benchmark qualification in computing to enable them to develop their IT skills and enhance their career prospects. No prior knowledge of IT or computer skills is needed.

Benefits of ECDL
raises an individual´s level of competency in IT & computing skills
improves personal productivity, both at home & at work
requires no prior knowledge of IT or computer skills
provides individual´s with an internationally-recognised qualification

ECDL is a qualification that verifies practical competence in computer skills in either a professional or personal capacity. It is an internationally-recognised performance benchmark that is suitable for all computer users.

BBSI ECDL training programmes cover:

basic concepts of information & computing technology
using a computer effectively & managing files
word processing
spreadsheets
database
presentation
information & effective communication

ECDL aims to raise the general level of computer competency; improve productivity at work; reduce IT support costs and ensure that best practice and quality issues are understood and implemented.

IELTS Fact File

IELTS is the preferred English language assessment for universities in English-speaking countries worldwide.

IELTS examinations take place monthly in Bournemouth, and a place can be secured at the time of booking a course.

Examination must be booked at least 6 weeks before the examination date.

Academic & Core Skills

Academic skills preparation for university. The training objectives are:

practise listening comprehension & note-taking skills in recorded lectures
develop academic reading skills
develop more effective academic writing skills
transfer information in note form to properly written essays
understand conventions of essay layout, bibliographies, footnotes & quotations
develop effective reading-comprehension skills
develop time-management & effective study skills