Terms and Conditions and Policies - including COVID-19 updates
TERMS AND CONDITIONS and SCHOOL POLICIES
Below you will find important information which we request all parents read, share and discuss with their children as appropriate.
1. Registration and fees
2. Discounts
3. Refunds / cancelations
4. Notice period
5. Timetable changes
6. Photographs / filming
7. Code of conduct
8. Child Safety policy
9. Child Protection policy
10. Policy re physical contact
11. COVID-19 protection policy
12. GDPR policy
1 REGISTRATION AND FEES
Fees are payable half termly. We will automatically enrol your child for their classes and invoices are raised and emailed to your 10-14 days prior to their payment due date.
You can sign up for FREE taster for new or different classes if spaces are available at any time, either via the portal or an email to [email protected]. Please note:if we feel that your request for a taster is not appropriate for your dancer we will make contact with you to discuss this.
You will receive automatic, regular payment reminders via email.
If fees remain unpaid after 7 days, an automatic late fee of £10 will be added to your bill.
Failure to pay fees will result in your child losing their space and may lead to legal action.
If you have issues with making payments, please contact Mary-Ann ASAP so that we can make arrangements comfortable for both Ta Da’nce and yourself - this will also mean you may be able to avoid the late payment admin fee.
Fees are invoiced for the following half term - if we need to cancel any lessons you will either be offered an alternative or credit will be applied to your account to be used against your next invoice.
Class fees are fixed. Monthly fees vary based on how many classes in the month. Any increase in class fees will be notified to you by email at least one term in advance of any increased fee being implemented.
Payment can be made:
Online, simply by clicking the PAY THE INVOICE BY CARD button on your email invoice
Direct Debit - please inform Mary-Ann by email if you’d like to pay this way and a mandate will be sent to you
By Card in person (Contactless)
By bank transfer: Contact Mary-Ann for details.
2. DISCOUNTS
Any discounts will be applied to your invoice and details will be visible for you.
3. REFUNDS / CANCELLATIONS
No refunds will be given due to not being able to attend class, except under exceptional circumstances and at Mary-Ann’s discretion.
If we have to cancel a class that you have paid for, we will offer an alternative where appropriate or credit your account, which will be deducted from the next half term’s fees.
4. NOTICE PERIOD
When you book and pay for your half term of classes, you are committing to these classes and no refunds will be issued if you change your mind about attending. If you plan to give up a class, please note that we request 2 weeks’ notice in writing (by email) which is must be paid. Of course your dancer is welcome to attend those 2 weeks worth of classes.
5. TIMETABLE CHANGES
We aim to keep class times consistent for all pupils but sometimes, changing a class time and/or venue is unavoidable. We aim to give as much notice of such changes as possible. If, however, we must change a class time/venue at short notice and your child has to leave the class because of this, the rule for notice period (above) will be waived as appropriate.
6. PHOTOGRAPHS AND FILMING
We do take photos and video footage of the children from time to time and use it to help with marketing for the school. The photos may be used on our website or on social media. Please indicate clearly on your Parent Portal when registering if you do not allow us to take such photos of your child.
7. CODE OF CONDUCT
Children should arrive promptly, correctly dressed and attend classes regularly. If hair is long enough to do so it should be tied back in a bun, ponytail or similar.
Children should wear the correct Ta Da’nce uniform for class. New pupils may attend no more than their first month of classes with incorrect uniform. Details of uniform requirements and current uniform ordering process is available on request from Mary-Ann, or see our website here.
Students participate at their own/parents risk and are obliged to inform the staff of any existing injuries or medical conditions.
During class, children are expected to listen and focus and we discourage any unnecessary talking, most of the time. (Although there will be times when the atmosphere is more relaxed). If a child is persistently causing disruption Mary-Ann will discuss this with parents to try and figure out why this might be.
You/your children are responsible for your/your children’s belongings. We request you name items of uniform, especially cardigans that are only worn for part of class. Although we will store any lost property that we find after class, we cannot be liable for lost or damaged property
8. CHILD SAFETY POLICY
Our teachers are responsible for your children’s safety while in class, for the duration of the class itself. Please ensure you are waiting for your child when they leave the hall/building at the end of their class. You should make sure your child understands that if for any reason you are not there when they finish class, they must come back into the hall, tell their teacher and wait for you to arrive. Do please try to avoid being late – it can cause the next class to be late, your child to be distressed and disruption to the rest of the day/evening if classes run late.
If your child is under 10 years old and they are being collected by someone else, you must inform your class teacher in advance.
If your child is 10 years or older and they inform us that they are going home with a friend who we know, we will trust your child. Please inform us if you are not happy with this policy.
9. CHILD PROTECTION POLICY
Ta Da’nce School of Dance will promote and maintain the welfare of every child in our care and seeks to protect them from harm regardless of race, age, disability, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief or any other form of identity or creed. We will create a safe and welcoming environment for all. To protect children in our care we will
– Value and respect children and listen to what they have to say
– Ensure all required checks are made when hiring staff and ensure that those in regular contact with children will hold a current DBS check. Staff will also have appropriate training in First Aid
– Ensure any staff have appropriate training for the work they do at Ta Da’nce School of Dance. The school takes the long-term physical well-being of students very seriously and strives to ensure that ballet training will strengthen and improve physical health, and never be harmful to children’s growing bodies.
– Take responsibility for children’s safety when in our care
– Seek permission from parents before taking photographs or film of students and before sharing the images in any way
– Share our policy with all staff, parents and students
10. PHYSICAL CONTACT
Teaching dance is a physical activity and a teacher will sometimes need to make physical contact with a student to show an idea or to correct the student’s position. This can include:
Adjusting arms, legs, rib cage, hips, feet, hands
Moving one student in relation to another
Where contact is needed, we will remain sensitive to the student’s wishes and put their welfare first. In all cases, we will say why and how we will be correcting the student’s position before making any contact. We encourage students to report any concerns.
The above has always been a policy of our school and will remain so. For the foreseeable future, due to COVID-19, if a teacher needs to adjust a child’s positioning by coming into physical contact, they will use hand sanitiser immediately before and after such contact. It is not possible to effectively teach dance safely without sometimes adjusting a child’s position.
11. COVID-19 PROTECTION/INFECTION ILLNESS POLICY
COVID-19 notice - updated August 2023
*The safety of our dancers, their families and that of our own is of utmost importance to us at Ta Da’nce; therefore if your dancer has any sign of illness please do not bring them to class.
If your child attends with a runny nose, please provide disposable tissues and hand sanitiser.
12. GDPR Policy (General Data Protection Regulations)
What we do and do not do at Ta Da’nce:
We do not disclose or sell personal data to third parties.
We do not disclose personal data to other members of the school and their families.
The School uses contact numbers and emails for newsletters, updates, whole school and individual communication, invoices and general information.
Emergency parent contact numbers are available to teachers purely for the use of emergency contact only.
Personal data is stored in a password encrypted database through the Class Manager system. Email addresses are stored on our school computer, which is password protected and is not accessible by anyone other than the Principle.
We do not keep any school registers or any of your data on paper, at all. Everything is stored digitally.
We collect the personal data of people making enquiries about our school, and those on the waiting list to join. These records too are stored digitally, on the Class Manager system and on the school computer, both of which are password encrypted. Digitally stored data is deleted one year after a pupil leaves our school, or after any last contact from someone interested in joining.
With parents’ agreement, Ta Da’nce stores images of pupils as photographs or video clips.
GDPR includes 7 rights for individuals
1) The right to be informed - Ta Da’nce School of Dance is registered with UKADance and as so, is required to collect and manage certain data. The school collects parent’s and or guardian’s names, addresses, emergency telephone numbers and email addresses. We also collect children’s’ full names, addresses, date of birth along with any SEN requirements and are stored via a secure electronic system Class Manager, and some of this data is also on the school computer.
As an Employer of self employed practitioners, Ta Da’nce School of Dance is required to hold data on its Teachers such as names, addresses, email addresses, telephone numbers and bank details. Information such as Disclosure and Barring Service checks (DBS), personal Public Liability insurance, First Aid Certificate’s, Membership details and any qualification’s. This information stored securely in the school’s password protected computer, only accessible by the Principal.
2) The right of access - At any point an individual can make a request relating to their data and Ta Da’nce School of Dance will need to provide a response (within 1 month).
3) The right to erasure - You have the right to request the deletion of your data where there is no compelling reason for its continued use. However Ta Da’nce School of Dance has a legal duty to keep student and parents details for 12 months. Self Employed Teaching records will be erased when the member leaves their position.
4) The right to restrict processing - Parents, visitors and staff can object to Ta Da’nce School of Dance processing their data. This means that records can be stored but must not be used in any way, for example School Newsletters, General Emails about School news and updates. In this situation, The School has no obligation to refund any classes missed or cancelled due to ‘lack of communication’. It will be the parents responsibility to ensure they are informed about the termly event’s happening at the School, cancelled classes, etc.
5) Data portability - Ta Da’nce School of Dance will transfer data such as student dates of birth and exam pin number’s to UKADance to be able to enter students in exams. In this case, UKADance uses secure file transfer systems and have their own policies and procedures in place in relation to GDPR. In addition, student data will be transferred to chaperoning staff when they are working with us at a performance in a theatre or similar. This is the only time we may hold children’s names and emergency contact details on paper. This paper will be stored securely by trained and registered chaperoning staff, for the duration of a rehearsal / performance period only, and then Ta Da’nce School of Dance will ensure all paper copies are shredded.
6) The right to object - Parents, visitors and staff can object to their data being used for certain activities like marketing or research.
7) The right not to be subject to automated decision-making including profiling - Automated decisions and profiling are used for marketing based organisations. Ta Da’nce School of Dance does not use personal data for such purposes.
This Policy was issued by the Principal, Mary-Ann Cartwright, owner of Ta Da’nce School of Dance in August 2020.
Policy review date: September 2024
*Updated September 2023