TERMS AND CONDITIONS

SUSSEX DANCE STUDIOS

Unit 6G, Southbourne Business Park, BN22 8UY

This is part of your agreement when joining Sussex Dance Studios. Membership is open to all subject to the following conditions:

· Sussex Dance Studios accepts no responsibility for loss or damage of personal belongings while on the premises.

· Sussex Dance Studios accepts no liability for any injuries sustained whilst participating in a class or on the premises.

· Sussex Dance Studios Staff must be notified of any changes to the information provided on the Class Manager system.

Staff/teachers:

All staff, including cover teachers (who may be brought in at short notice), are DBS checked. Volunteer class assistants and trainees on placements are all DBS checked. There is always a first aider on site.

All staff have sign and agreed to their own policies. These can be viewed at any time on request.

Supervision while on site:

Students must ensure they always get full permission from staff prior to leaving class. Children, who are unable to use the toilet facilities on their own, must be accompanied on site at all times.

Behaviour:

Racist, sexist and other offensive language and behaviour is not tolerated, and we reserve the right to terminate membership without notice, the final decision being undertaken by the Board of Directors. Behaviour of staff, parents and students must always follow our code-of-conduct.

Please note that under no circumstances are pets allowed on school premises, unless previously agreed by Principal Owner, due to Health and Safety reasons.

Shows:

Parents/carers will be invited to one class/performance per year. Parents/carers are not permitted to watch otherwise. (If a child is new or particularly unconfident, parents/carers may be allowed to sit in during the first class at the Teachers discretion). Sussex Dance Studios provides costumes and props for shows where possible, but parents may be asked to pay a small fee towards costumes.

Photography and Filming:

Sussex Dance Studios will sometimes photograph and film the students/children to be used for publicity purposes. These media images may appear on our social media platforms or website. The images will always only be used for business purposes and only the child first name and initial will ever appear alongside the images.

Emergency contact number:

Sussex Dance Studios’ emergency mobile phone is kept with the onsite First Aider. The number will be given out upon registration and must only be used if there are problems regarding the collection of children. Do not ring the office as there may not be anyone there.

Food:

Chewing gum is strictly forbidden on the premises. No food is to be eaten in the studios or corridors.  
Please bring a quick, light snack and drink with you always. Main meals are allowed to be eaten on site within the kitchen or waiting area.

The kitchen is available for anyone to use. Students under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult or seek permission from a teacher before use.

Uniform:

This is essential and gives the students a sense of belonging, a sense of ritual and sense of dressing for something important, their class tuition. Appropriate clothing, as below is necessary for health and safety and child protection:

Students must wear their Sussex Dance Studios uniform to all classes. Wearing the correct clothing gives a sense of belonging, allowing all to feel equal, healthy and safe. Please see individual class uniform lists for full details.

· All uniform, shoes and bags must be clearly labelled – lost property will be sold on if not collected by the end of every term.

· Strictly no jewellery – no earrings (earrings are very unsafe during physical activity). New stud piercings must be plastered over.

· Hair must be tied back from the face for all classes. A bun for all core lessons.

· SECOND-HAND SHOES and CLOTHING for sale: there is often a good selection of second-hand clothing and shoes which can be bought from the school at a greatly reduced rate including tap and ballet shoes.  
DONATIONS OF DANCE CLOTHING: We welcome donations of dancewear that are in good condition and can be re-sold at a small price or lent to students.

Failure to follow uniform and grooming standards will result in the child not being allowed admittance into class.

Attendance:

Children must arrive and be collected promptly. It is very important that children arrive in time for their classes, preferably 5 minutes before the start. This allows the group time to settle from the moment the class starts. Latecomers will have to wait outside until the teacher lets them in at an appropriate time to join the class. Upon entry, the late child must apologise to the teacher before finding their place within the class. Children arriving after 15 minutes may be refused admission, as this may disrupt the professional attitude to classes we aim to foster.

Absence:

Any child missing for more than two classes per term without a given reason may not be able to join future courses. Class numbers are limited, and many have long waiting lists, so good attendance and commitment to the course is essential.

Illness/Injury:

Parents are not to allow their child to attend Sussex Dance Studios if they are feeling unwell or have a known injury which would prevent a student from fully taking part. We always encourage the student to come and watch if possible.

This includes presenting any contagious illness including (but not limited to): Chicken Pox, Head Lice, Common Cold, Flu and, as of March 2020, symptoms of COVID-19.

COVID-19: Parents are expected to follow government advice in relation to when to self-isolate. You must complete a health declaration form before attending Sussex Dance Studios.

Child Collection:

SUSSEX DANCE STUDIOS’ TEACHER POLICY AND PROCEDURE FOR YOUR INFORMATION

Teachers must ensure that each child has left a session with an adult or older child (agreed in advance with parent). It is the parent/guardian’s responsibility to ensure the child is collected punctually at the end of the class or session. Should a parent/guardian not turn up to collect a child on time – this is the procedure to follow:

· Inform the Principal who will contact the parent/guardian.

· If the Principal is not available, contact the office and or Callum McFadyen.

· If the office is closed, ask the child to contact the parent/guardian immediately.

· If the child cannot call the parent/guardian, contact the parent/guardian directly to arrange collection.

· If the parent/carer is not reachable, and you must leave, the emergency procedure is as follows:

· Leave a message with the parent and contact the entire Sussex Dance Studios Management Team with all the information. Wait until another member of the team can arrive.

· If the parent/guardian is not reachable and there is no adult available, you must take the child to the nearest police station. Inform the police of all contact details for the parent/guardian and notify the entire Sussex Dance Studios Management Team as above. Leave a message for the parent/guardian to say where the child will be.

Booking:

Sussex Dance Studios does not provide drop-in classes for children and young people on all term time courses. All courses must be booked in advance. New students may join courses during the term subject to availability and authorisation of the Sussex Dance Studios management team. If there are no spaces on a requested course when booking, then Sussex Dance Studios will aim to provide an alternative option where possible.

Waiting List:

Members on the waiting list will be contacted in order of the list. If members are unavailable, no message will be left. The next member will be contacted and the first to make contact will receive the place.

Priority Booking:

A priority booking period for current students will take place for two weeks before general booking opens. Those wishing to continue should register during the priority booking period to secure their places in the next term’s courses. If any current students have not registered during this time, one attempt to make contact will be made to determine whether the student is continuing before offering the place to someone else.

Placement Priority on Courses:

· Current Students continuing in same course
Current students changing courses and additional courses

· Siblings of current students

· Waiting lists of new students

Payments:

Payments must be received by the agreed upon due dates.

Non-payment:

Failure to make payments by the agreed upon due dates may result in no place being available.

If any payment is outstanding, Sussex Dance Studios reserves the right to withhold services. Every attempt will be made not to discuss monies owed with children, although in extreme circumstances (especially when children arrive without supervision) children may be turned away.

Sussex Dance Studios may share data with debt collection agencies in order to re-coup monies owed.

LOCALISED LOCKDOWNS and PANDEMICS:

If Sussex Dance Studios cannot deliver classes due to force majeure or government directive, we shall implement online classes via video conferencing software as a replacement. No refunds will be offered.

If a child or household member is told to self-isolate by NHS Track and Trace (or equivalent service) and therefore, their entire bubble, classes will be provided to the students via video conferencing software. If the infected student is unwell and cannot take part,

· This will be classed as missed sessions and as per the below, no refund will be made.

Refunds

Sussex Dance Studios will not offer a refund if the child does not attend classes for any reason.

Should you wish to leave Sussex Dance Studios, you will still be liable for the remainder of the term fees. Failure to pay will result in procedures detailed in the Non-Payment section.

A full refund will be given if the chosen workshop date/course is fully booked on receipt of payment.

NEW STUDENTS ONLY: The first two classes are considered ‘trial’ classes. After this, full payment will need to be received before the child can continue classes.

Holiday courses are non-refundable.

Should a lesson be unable to go ahead, and the cancellation was made by Sussex Dance Studios. An alternative lesson will be scheduled to take its place. If the cancelled lesson cannot be rescheduled for any reason, a refund will be given in the form of a class credit.

By enrolling, you are agreeing that you are the parent/guardian and you have read and agree to the T&Cs above and the policies associated with Sussex Dance Studios. You may request to see further policies or more information at any time by emailing the Principal Owner at sussexdancestudios@outlook.com

SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN POLICY

for

Sussex Dance Studios

1 Introduction

1 Sussex Dance Studios is a for-profit organisation run by:

Kirsty Bond

2 Sussex Dance Studios is based at:

Southbourne Business Park, Eastbourne, BN22 8UY

3 Sussex Dance Studios is managed by a management team (the Team). One of the management team has particular responsibility for safeguarding children.

4 The Team has adopted this safeguarding children policy and expects every adult working or helping at Sussex Dance Studios to support it and comply with it. Consequently this policy shall apply to all staff, managers, trustees, directors, volunteers, students or anyone working on behalf of Sussex Dance Studios.

2 Purpose of the Policy

1 This policy is intended to protect children and young people who receive any service from us, including those who are the children of adults who may receive services from us.

2 As an organisation we believe that no child or young person should experience abuse or harm and are committed to the protection of children and young people and this policy is intended to provide guidance and overarching principles to those who represent us as volunteers or staff, to guide our approach to child protection and safeguarding.

3 The risks to children

Nearly every child grows up in a safe and happy environment and it is important not to exaggerate or overestimate the dangers. Nevertheless, there are situations where children need protection including:

- Sexual abuse
- Grooming
- Physical and emotional abuse and neglect
- Domestic violence
- Inappropriate supervision by staff or volunteers
- Bullying, cyber bullying, acts of violence and aggression within our schools and campuses
- Victimisation
- Self-harm
- Unsafe environments and activities
- Crime
- Exploitation

4 Universality of Protection

We recognise that:

- the welfare of the child is paramount
- all children regardless of race, gender, religious belief, disability, age, sexual orientation or identity have a right to equal protection from harm.
- some children are more vulnerable to harm as a result of their circumstances, prior experiences, communication needs or level of dependency.
- working with children, young people, their parents and/or guardians, carers or other agencies is essential to protecting their wellbeing.

5 Safeguarding children at events / activities

1 There are three kinds of events/activities:

1.1 those open to adults and children of all ages,

1.2 those for children accompanied by a 'parent',

1.3 those for unaccompanied children, which are sometimes run alongside other events/activities.

2 At events and activities open to all ages, children under 16 must be accompanied throughout by an adult over the age of 18 who not only brings the child but also takes the child home again afterwards. Young people aged 16 or 17 may attend unaccompanied if they bring the written consent and mobile telephone number of one of their parents.

3 At events and activities for children accompanied by a 'parent', children under 16 must be supervised throughout the event by an adult over the age of 18 who not only brings the child to the event but also takes the child home again afterwards. If a lone adult brings more than one child, then the children will have to stay together, so that the one adult can supervise them. Young people aged 16 or 17 may attend unaccompanied if they bring the written consent and mobile telephone number of one of their parents.

4 At events and activities for unaccompanied children, children under the age of 16 must be enrolled by a responsible adult before being left with the event leader. The enrolment must record the child's name, age and address and the names and addresses of the child's parents, plus the parents' mobile telephone numbers. Young people aged 16 or 17 may attend unaccompanied if they bring the written consent and mobile telephone number of one of their parents.

5 Both event and activities are to be defined broadly to include any occasions where Sussex Dance Studios will be providing a service.

6 Disclosure and barring

1 Sussex Dance Studios offers the following activities for children:

Dance Lessons
Drama Lessons
Performance Opportunities
Singing Lessons
Parties

2 Some of our activities may therefore require adult participants or adult leaders to undergo DBS and/or police checks under the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006. The required level of checking (if any) will broadly reflect the degree and frequency of unsupervised access given to other people's children.

3 The Team will take very seriously any allegation of impropriety on the part of any member of Sussex Dance Studios. A member of Sussex Dance Studios who discovers anything amiss should get in touch immediately with the following:

Kirsty Bond

4 The Team will review the allegation and the likely risk to children and, if appropriate, will consider banning the member from future events or revoking his or her membership or both, but only in full accordance with the rules and procedures of Sussex Dance Studios.

7 Health and safety aspects of safeguarding children

1 Before starting any event for unaccompanied children, the Team will carry out a risk assessment and then take steps to minimise all risks to health and safety. Parents and children will be made aware of any particular risks and of the steps to be taken to minimise those risks. The Team will keep a record of all risk assessments.

2 Sufficient adults must be present at any event for unaccompanied children to enable one adult to deal with any emergency while another adult supervises the children not directly affected by the emergency.

9 Policy on the prevention of bullying

We will not tolerate the bullying of children either by adults or by other children. If any incident of child-on-child bullying should arise at a Sussex Dance Studios event, those involved will be separated immediately and the parents of the children involved will be asked to deal with the matter. The Team will review all incidents of child-on-child bullying and assess the likely future risk to children. If appropriate, the Team will consider banning a child from future events, but only in full accordance with the rules and procedures of Sussex Dance Studios. Allegations of adults bullying children will be dealt with under paragraph 6.3 above.

10 Photographing children

People must expect to have their photograph taken at many of our events and we reserve the right to publish suitable photographs of those attending, along with the names of members involved.

11 Managing behaviour, discipline and acceptable restraint

1 Adults supervising children at Sussex Dance Studios events must never use any form of corporal punishment. If physical restraint is absolutely necessary to prevent injury to any person or to prevent serious damage to property, then the minimum necessary restraint may be used — but for that purpose only.

2 Unacceptable behaviour at Sussex Dance Studios events for unaccompanied children will generally be stopped by separating the children from each other and from the group. The miscreants will be suitably supervised and will be returned as soon as possible to the care of their parents.

3 Sussex Dance Studios may apply a further disciplinary sanction; namely the banning of the child from one or more future events over the following 18 months. Any such sanction would be determined and applied by the following officer:

Kirsty Bond

4 A parent who is aggrieved by this ban may appeal to Sussex Dance Studios who will hear the views of all relevant persons. The decision of Sussex Dance Studios is then final. Any such appeals should be made to, and will be determined by the following officer:

Kirsty Bond

12 Other Policies

This safeguarding policy should be read together with the following policies and resources:

Code of Conduct
Health and Safety
GDPR
Photography Policy
Employee DBS Check

13 Legal Framework

This policy has been drawn up in accordance with the following:

- Children Act 1989
- United Convention of the Rights of the Child 1991
- General Data Protection Regulation
- Human Rights Act 1998
- Sexual Offences Act 2003
- Children Act 2004
- Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006
- Protection of Freedoms Act 2012
- Children and Families Act 2014
- Special educational needs and disability (SEND) code of practice - Guidance on the special educational needs and disability (SEND) system for children and young people aged 0 to 25, from 1 September 2014
- Information sharing: advice for practitioners providing safeguarding services
- Working together to safeguard children (2017)

NOTE: This Policy was approved by the following officer on 08/08/2020 and is due for review every 2 years:

Kirsty Bond

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