i have been using it for past 7 days and got a great learning experience, purely self study, easy to access the content.
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I've been using Stay Sharp for AAT level 2 for a month. I think the concept is great, however, it's basically them reading from their coursebook out loud with intonations and markings on the book :D I... See more
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Great experience in getting registered but everything after that is slightly complicated re. next steps.
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My experience is overall a 5* but there was some little things that threw me off whilst preparing for my exam. Whilst working the practice assessments I come across some questions that had speller err... See more
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Company details
- #98 of 124 best companies in Educational institution
Written by the company
Subscription-based training that lets you study in your own time, on your own schedule.
Contact info
Aldine Place, 142-144 Uxbridge Road, London, W12 8AA, London, United Kingdom
- marketing@staysharp.global
- staysharp.global
4.3
Excellent
179 reviews
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Reply from StaySharp
Hi Chris
Thanks for leaving us a review - much appreciated. Really pleased that StaySharp is working well for your ACCA studies. Best of luck
Thanks
Kate
I have just finished my L5 with…
I have just finished my L5 with Staysharp. I actually started elsewhere but lack of communication meant it was fruitless.
What a difference - a live chat with an actual person helping you is so good as well as lots of good content - I didn’t fail one exam and the feedback was helpful.
The people at staysharp get back to you when you have a query about payments as well.
I am now considering l7 - thank you staysharp for helping me with my CIPD.
21 August 2024
Unprompted review
Reply from StaySharp
Hi Gene
Thanks for taking time to leave us a review.
Firstly, congratulations on completing your Level 5 - a fantastic achievement.
We're really pleased you found the support helpful. Our customer service team work hard to ensure they are on hand to help with any queries you may have so am pleased this has worked well for you.
Over the last year, we've been investing heavily in building a large pool of expert markers and working closely with them to ensure marking feedback is of high quality and helpful so can help you develop your skills as you work through the qualification.
Best of luck with your Level 7 if you decide to do it - I am sure you won't regret it and it will no doubt help you with your HR career goals.
Thanks
Kate
StaySharp - CIPD L5 course - great learning experience!
From signing up, to great course content and general support from the staff - this company is top notch! Thanks so much for the easy to read course materials including the videos which as easy to understand too. They use plain English and will give further examples for clarity on each topic which makes the overall learning experience very helpful and enjoyable. Their recommended reading materials, and useful reference point for my CIPD Level 5 course is brilliant! I highly recommend StaySharp! Thank you so much!
30 August 2024
Reply from StaySharp
Hi
Thanks for taking time to leave us a review - we really appreciate it.
We're really pleased you enjoyed the whole process. We've tried to make the journey from subscribing to learning as learner friendly as possible, and we try to provide lots of relatable content that is designed to help you prepare for your assignments and also be enjoyable. It's great to hear its working well for you.
Best of luck, I am sure your CIPD qualification will support your career goals.
Thanks
Kate
Relatively inexpensive but poor experience
StaySharp is relatively inexpensive for professional qualifications but suffers from poor staffing and weak IT infrastructure. Administrative staff seem to simply want to 'process' their interactions with learners as quickly as possible without actually seeming to read the query they've been sent or trying to respond to it effectively. (E.g., being told 'the link to the platform is at the bottom of this email' when we've been in touch to point out that something is WRONG on the platform.)
The ability to attend live deliveries of course content has been removed in place of 'lunch and learn' webinars. Feedback on assessments is often late, and the answer to trying to improve this has been to remove the use of formative assessment to reduce the marking load. The actual feedback often doesn't seem relevant (e.g. explaining the different between a bibliography and reference list as 'feedback' when the reference list in the submission is entirely correct!). And it doesn't count as "feedback" until an administrator has emailed you a week or ten days after the feedback has actually been supplied in TurnItIn by the marker.
Some of the content also seems irrelevant to the subject matter at hand (e.g. in one of my modules there was a very large chunk of 'learning' about British Values that felt like it had been cut-and-paste from some other qualification as padding to make the module length long enough?).
Some key bits of the learning platform, like knowledge checks, which you previously had to do to complete the course, only seemed to work reliably on Windows machines, which is very early 2000's learning technology. The knowledge checks were ditched recently, however.
Those in charge of administering the platform also don't seem to be able to plan for/anticipate learner needs, so things are often unclear or wrong. E.g. people have been complaining for weeks about assessment boxes being made inaccessible when we haven't been able to access the feedback yet, but this still hasn't been dealt with systematically.
If you're willing to put up with a low-quality experience because you're just trying to clear a qualification hurdle, then this is a reasonable option, but do beware!
8 September 2024
Unprompted review
Reply from StaySharp
Hi DG
Thanks for taking the time to leave a review, we do appreciate all feedback as we are trying to provide the best experience. Let me take your points in turn and provide some context:
Our customer service team are passionate about supporting learners. I'm sorry you feel they rushed your query - looking at the chats since January 2024, the average live chat conversation is 16m 54 so we do not try to rush live chat at all, and I am sorry that you feel this was the case. I will share this feedback with the customer service team.
We've been communicating with students about live sessions since March 2024. We're always looking to innovate and enhance the programmes we offer. When we looked at the data less than 2% of learners attend live sessions, and many don't watch the recordings. When we've chatted with learners most have said they want an on demand programme and watch whenever they want. Therefore we have redesigned the programme so it contains lots of high quality pre-recorded bit size videos along with assignment walkthrough videos. These have proved really popular and we've had some great feedback. We have increased the number of live drop in sessions each month to provide those live touch points for those learners who prefer live sessions.
Formatives were removed in March 2024 - the driving reasons for this were a) low submission rates and b) we aren't allowed to mark them only provide some feedback and some learners found this misleading. We've worked hard to build a large team of expert markers and work with them to ensure marking is timely (10 working days from the Monday submission) and to the highest standard. If you'd live to reach out to the team on live chat, would be happy to explore your specific marking case and also the content around British Values so we can investigate your personal case.
The systems we use are modern up to date systems from the subscription model through to the learning systems - all should work on Windows and Mac (typically about 30% of our learners use Macs) so happy to explore this with you to see if we can support any technical issues you may have experienced.
Re the assignment submissions, we do try to support with the assignment switchovers which we know can be a confusing and stressful time. So for example, when the June assignments are refreshed, you are correct, we will look to 'hide' the old submission links once everyone had been marked and passed - this is to make it less confusing than having two assignment brief and submission areas. We can of course unhide and allow learners to go back and download their personalised feedback as required so please do reach out to us and we can do this for you.
Thanks again for taking the time to provide detailed feedback. I will share your feedback with the programme and operations team and we will review and look to see where we can make changes to enhance the programme and service we offer.
Thanks
Kate
I've been studying my CIPD Level 5 HR…
I've been studying my CIPD Level 5 HR qualification with StaySharp. It's been self guided learning which was great as I could do it in my own time, flexing it around my schedule and working full-time. The content is really informative and useful, making completing the course enjoyable. The team are also amazing, incredibly responsive, happy to answer any question no matter how small.
7 August 2024
Unprompted review
Reply from StaySharp
Hi Kate
Thanks so much for taking the time to leave us a review.
We have designed the CIPD L5 programme to be as flexible as possible and allow you to work at your own pace, in your own time and it's great to hear this has worked well for you. The programme team work hard to ensure the learning is designed to be bitesize, engaging and enjoyable to ensure you feel supported as you work through the assignments. Thank you for your feedback on the support you've received - I'll share your feedback with them.
Best of luck as you complete Level 5. I'm sure the qualification will help you progress in your career aspirations
Thanks
Felix
Great experience
Really enjoyed my time completing my level 3 CIPD with StaySharp. The self guided learning was perfect for me as I could do it in my own time and I didn't feel pressured to complete it within a certain timeframe. The course content and materials were all really useful and easy to navigate. The team behind the live chat are so helpful and take time to ask how you are getting on etc if you ever reach out to them
23 July 2024
Unprompted review
Reply from StaySharp
Hi Lauren,
Thanks for taking the time to leave us a review and congratulations on completing Level 3.
We're pleased you enjoyed the flexibility of the programme and the content and materials were useful and enjoyable. The live chat team work really hard to support students as they work through their courses so we're pleased it was helpful to you and we will feed your comments back to the team.
Enjoy some time off and we're always here if you decide to move onto Level 5.
Thanks
Kate
Completed my CIPD 5 in 6 months with…
Completed my CIPD 5 in 6 months with Staysharp. Highly recommend, content and materials easily accessible, recordings are great and spoken with common sense so easy to understand. Help is just as good and with such great pricing it is the best provider : )
19 July 2024
Unprompted review
Reply from StaySharp
Hi,
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review. Firstly congratulations on completing the CIPD L5 - a fantastic achievement.
We have produced a flexible programme that allows you to complete in a pace that suits you, in your case 6 months, and I've no doubt you've worked incredibly hard to complete the work in that time - but it shows just how flexible our programme is, if you have the time to devote to your studies
Enjoy some study free time after all your hard work.
Thanks
Kate
Just brilliant
Due to having a terrible experience with another provider for my L3, I was really worried about siging up for my L5.
I used the 2 week free trial to access the learning materials and videos and I thought they were really informative and a way better learning experience than before, so I signed up.
I'm SO glad I did! I've completed the course in just over 12 months, the support was brilliant and the feedback on assignments was so really helpful. Special mention to Nazma who was so responsive to my emails.
18 July 2024
Unprompted review
Reply from StaySharp
Hi Natalie
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review.
Firstly congratulations on completing the CIPD L5 - a fantastic achievement.
We have produced a flexible programme that allows you to complete in a pace that suits you, in your case 12 months, and I've no doubt you've worked super hard to complete the work in that time.
We're very proud of our product - we've tried to create a programme that appeals to lots of different learning styles, and provide support that is there when you need it, and we're happy that has worked well for you. We will pass on the feedback to Nazma - who works tirelessly to help support our subscribers and does a fantastic job
Enjoy some study free time after all your hard work.
Thanks,
Kate
Great learning provider.
I want to express my deepest appreciation to Staysharp as i have concluded my study with them with the opportunity to make instalment payments.
Also, the materials and videos for CIPD Level 5 in people mgt. are well tailored to meet the needs of learners.
In terms of feedbacks, they respond within the time frame.
I never had a reason to regret my studying with them and i'm looking forward to studying my level 7 with Staysharp.
Keep the good work.
5 July 2024
Unprompted review
Reply from StaySharp
Hi Aghomi
Thanks for taking the time to leave a review and congratulations on completing your CIPD Level 5 - a fantastic achievement.
We work really hard to provide a great platform and learning content to help your studies and its great to hear that this has worked well for you. Our team work tirelessly to make sure any queries you have are dealt with promptly and you have the support you need.
We don't currently offer Level 7, but this is something we are looking at introducing. BPP (our parent company) offer Level 7 courses too
Best of luck as you move onto Level 7.
Thanks
Kate
Not great but what can you expect for the price
Lots and lots of cons including:
Customer service - they don’t really reply on live chat feature
Resources - not printable meaning you can’t follow along with the videos and do the practice questions without actually paying for hard copy books
Website UX - they’ll randomly update the website (2 weeks after planned update) and make you lose all your progress
Lots and lots of other issues which makes studying with StaySharp an absolute nightmare BUT you won’t find anything cheaper so if you’re broke like me I’d recommend it :)
27 June 2024
Reply from StaySharp
Hi Mustafiz,
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review - we do value all feedback.
I can see you reached out to the team at 9.23pm on Monday evening, when our customer service team was offline. We will investigate why your query was not passed over to the team to respond to the following working day on this occasion, as this is the usual process. The team are online from 9am-5.30pm, Monday to Friday, so please do reach out to them with any queries.
As an online provider all material is online, but you can purchase hard copies or interactive eBooks if this is required.
There were some updates to the learning platform a little while back and these changes were introduced so we could enhance the platform features. More recently, we have updated all courses in-line with the new 2024/25 syllabus updates. We did notify students to inform them of this update, but apologies if this caused any inconvenience.
We work hard to ensure students have a great experience, so please do reach out to us and we'll do our best to help answer any queries and make sure you are off to a flying start.
Thanks
Kate
The acca courses
The ACCA COURSES ARE WELL ESTABLISHED AND VERY GOOD,THE ONLY DOWNSIDE THAT THERE IS NO DISCOUNT ON BPP BOOKS IF YOU HAVE A SUBSCRIPTION
27 June 2024
Reply from StaySharp
Hi AD,
Thanks for taking time to leave a review. We're glad you are enjoying the ACCA course subscription. Thanks you for feeding back re the BPP books, this is something we will feedback to the product team.
Best of luck with your studies.
Thanks
Kate
I feel really grateful to have found…
I feel really grateful to have found StaySharp. It has made independent study so much easier. The curriculum of the course is laid out in a clear way with lots of practice questions and some drop in sessions (though I haven't had to use this yet) and the lectures are also structured very well. I would highly recommend StaySharp. I plan to stick with them for the rest of my studies.
27 June 2024
Reply from StaySharp
Hi Rachel,
Thanks for leaving us a review, it's great to have you onboard.
We do try to structure all the content in a way that is manageable and easy to use so it's great, it is helping your studies. The live drop in sessions are optional so if you do ever have any queries or want to chat to the Programme leader then please join - you'll always find a friendly face there to support with anything you need.
Thanks
Kate
Lessons were easy to follow
Lessons were easy to follow, you can do it at your own pace however fast or slow that is. They were able to offer me a private coaching session, where we were able to iron out some of the issues I had with assessments. Once we had those I passed the assessments with ease. Six Months Start to finish - CIPD level 5!!
19 June 2024
Unprompted review
Reply from StaySharp
Hi Alison,
Thanks for taking the time to leave us a review and congratulations on completing your CIPD Level 5 - that's a fantastic achievement.
We design our courses to allow you to take control and fit your studies around your own commitments, so if you have time to allocate to study, as you were able to, then it is possible to complete the qualification quite quickly as you have done. We're so pleased it has worked for you and you had the support you needed with the assessments.
Kind regards,
Kate
The explanation of topics are…
The explanation of topics are nice,short and to the points.
.I whish there are more video answering more exam question.
27 May 2024
Reply from StaySharp
Hi Osamah,
Thanks for leaving a review. It's great to hear that the topics are working well for you - we have designed the programme to be in short bitesize chunks to make it more manageable to study. Re the video debriefs - we do provide lots of these in each course (where appropriate) and students always feedback they find them super useful. If you're struggling to find them then please do reach out to the team on live chat and we'll direct you to where they are.
Thanks
Kate
Every thing about the course is great
Every thing about the course is great. The lessons are available all the time to you. The explanations are simple and very easy to undestand even for the ones who are not natively English speaker. The staff are always available to help you.
7 June 2024
Unprompted review
Reply from StaySharp
Hi Aazam,
Thanks for taking time to leave us a review. We're glad you're enjoying the on demand content which provides a flexible study solution for you. I will share your feedback with the team.
Thanks
Kate
CIPD Level 3
It was an easy learning platform with great resources and online sessions. Past module recordings were available, and working at my own pace was a great advantage.
6 June 2024
Unprompted review
Reply from StaySharp
Hi Cecilia,
Congratulations on completing your CIPD Level 3 - a fantastic achievement. Our flexible online approach is designed to let you work at your own pace so we're thrilled this has worked well for you.
Best of luck for the future.
Thanks
Kate
Ideal platform
Ideal platform, makes picking a study plan easy and plenty of material to work through. Probably wouldn’t have started the course if the study option via staysharp wasn’t available.
27 May 2024
Reply from StaySharp
Hi Steven,
Thanks for taking time to leave a review and great to have you onboard. We're pleased you're finding the platform easy to use with lots of material to support your learning.
Thanks
Kate
StaySharp has really improved my HR…
StaySharp has really improved my HR career life. I happened to know about StaySharp’s online CIPD course in August 2023 via an online advertisement while browsing webs. At that time I was at the edge of leaving my recruitment job when there was not much recruitment needs in a company and was thinking of a way to continue my HR career path in the UK. The idea of studying a CIPD Level 5 course totally online via monthly subscription method and the programme was credited by BPP really attracted me of its flexibility, cost-saving, and a promising high-quality BPP course, which was totally a new idea in comparison to other online CIPD centres I used to research about in the past. I started the course with the 14-day trial and the experience with StaySharp was so great and user-friendly on both mobile and computer that I could easily study whenever I wanted (which I often spent time in the early morning, on the train, or weekend time to study). The teachers at StaySharp were amazing and knowledgable, especially Helen Minor. She was really an inspiring teacher who could explain every difficult terms in a simple, meaningful way that I could understand and remember. Her ability to connect everyone in a virtual class trying to give learning and interaction opportunities for everyone helped me not feeling lost. Besides, the feedback that I received from Helen and other assignment assessors (McCarthy, etc.) was so valuable that I learned more from my weaknesses. Furthermore, I received continuous support from customer care team. When I failed my first assignment because of not giving reference to one answer, Nazma was always there to kindly instruct me how to improve from it and resubmit the assignment. She worked day and night even at weekend I guess as whenever I asked for support, she always replied quick even after working hours (I hope this doesn’t affect her health) but overall it was so great to receive her support. There was once time that my assignment was delayed to get scores for about two weeks due to assessors resources but the center sorted it out quick and even emailed me to apologise and reimburse me with one month free. Wasn’t it brilliant? I could say that without these support I could not ever think of completing my CIPD Level 5 in 7 months, which I am now only waiting for the certificate to be arrived. The decision to study CIPD level 5 also supported my job search so I could move in to a new senior HR role smoothly since Jan 2024 and can now practice what I learnt from StaySharp in my people practices. Thank you so much StaySharp team for giving me this chance to upgrade my career life! Wishing you to expand further in the near future!
Hermi (Thi Thanh Thuy) Tang.
3 May 2024
Unprompted review
Reply from StaySharp
Hi Hermi
Thank you for taking the time to leave such a detailed review, we really appreciate it and know it will help other learners as they're thinking about CIPD Level 5 qualification.
We're thrilled you have completed the Level 5 in 7 months, we know how hard you have worked and how dedicated you have been to your course. We've built the programme so it is really flexible so if you want to focus and complete the programme in a shorter period, this is possible as you have shown!
We'll pass the feedback on to the tutor team, marking team and customer care team - we're are lucky to have a fantastic and dedicated team who really do try to help students achieve their goals.
It's great to hear that doing the Level 5 qualification has helped your career goals with you new senior HR role - am sure you'll make a huge difference to the team and it's great to hear you're able to put into practice what you have learnt on the course
We're always looking to expand our programmes and services so stay tuned!
Thanks
Kate
Terrible
Terrible! Just terrible! Watching lectures and they keep stopping, rewinding themselves from beginning to the end, voice keeps breaking. Unbearable! Impossible to understand the topic and therefore impossible to learn. AVOID!!!!!
27 April 2024
Unprompted review
Reply from StaySharp
Hi,
Thanks for leaving a review. I think you reached out to us on Live Chat on Saturday to explain you were having issues with the videos. A member of the team has checked the videos and we have been unable to replicate the issues raised. We have also not had anyone else raise a similar issue.
We think the issue may be at your end and most likely due to connectivity. The team responded to your chat on Sunday morning with some things to try - please try these and hopefully you'll be back up and running.
Do not hesitate to contact us on Live Chat if you have any further questions.
Thanks
Kate
Reply from StaySharp
Hi Helene,
Thank you so much for taking the time to provide a review.
It's great to here that you are enjoying StaySharp. Wishing you the best of luck as you progress through your studies.
Thanks
Kate
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