Introduction
The terms and conditions set out below may be amended from time to time. Their provisions, subject to any such amendments, shall continue to apply during the whole period a pupil continues to attend the Centre, irrespective of age. The admission or retention of a pupil is conditional on acceptance of these terms and conditions. Unless the Centre is informed to the contrary, the terms and conditions detailed below will be deemed to have been accepted. Parents are jointly and severally responsible in respect of these terms and conditions.
Enrolment
Enrolment may take place at any time. A place may be reserved for prospective pupils, from Year 9 onwards, in writing, with a deposit of £100 which will be returned when the pupil leaves the Centre. Places are subject to available space. Where insufficient space is available pupils’ names may be placed on a waiting list.
Payment of Fees
Fee levels are notified to parents on an annual basis during the summer term for the following academic year. All fees are payable on the first day of term in which they are due unless payment is made by direct bank transfer on a monthly basis and a mandate has been signed and returned to Centre before the last day of the previous term in which fees are due. The Centre reserves the right to withdraw educational provision without notice in respect of any pupil whose Centre fees are outstanding at any time. For pupils in Years 11, 12 and 13, it is a special requirement that Centre fees are kept up-to-date before they can be allowed to sit their public examinations.
Interest is charged on any balances outstanding at 2% per month where payment has not been received within five days of the start of each term or in the case of those making payment by bank transfer by the 7 th of each month. This does not imply that the Centre will accept habitual late payment of fees. For the sake of clarification, interest will be charged on the total balance outstanding at the time. Interest will be invoiced and is payable within 30 days of the date of the invoice. Centre fees cannot be refunded for any part of a term in which a pupil is absent through illness, accident or other cause. The Centre may appropriate all payments received from a parent in reduction of any part of the parent's obligations as the Centre decides.
Withdrawal
A term's notice must be given before a Pupil is withdrawn from the School (including withdrawal after the Pupil has sat GCSE) or a term's Fees in lieu will be immediately due and payable as a debt at the rate applicable on the date of invoice whether or not the place can be filled. The Pupil's decision to withdraw from the School shall, for these purposes, be treated as a withdrawal by the Parents. The charge of a term's Fees represents a genuine pre-estimate of the School's loss in these circumstances, and sometimes the actual loss to the School will be much greater. This rule is necessary to promote stability and the School's ability to plan its staffing and other resources.
The School may terminate this agreement on one term's written notice sent by ordinary post or on less than one term's notice in a case involving expulsion or required removal. The School would not terminate the contract without good cause and full consultation with Parents and the Pupil (where appropriate), and would offer the Parents a Governors' Review of a decision to terminate.
The Principal reserves the right, having afforded parents a fair and reasonable hearing, to request that a pupil leave the Centre if it is his opinion that such as course of action is in the best interests of either the student or the Centre. Such an action would be carried out in accordance with the terms of the school's disciplinary policy which includes an appeals procedure. If a pupil leaves under such circumstances, no refund of fees will be made.
Please note that the Centre operates a zero-tolerance policy with regard to drugs. If a pupil is found in the possession of drugs or is involved in the supply of drugs (or other harmful substances), he/she will be severely punished with the Centre reserving the right to expel that pupil forthwith.
Holidays During Term-Time
Holidays taken during term-time cause disruption to a pupil's education. It is Centre policy not to authorise any holidays taken during the term and this includes holidays that overlap with the beginning or end of the term. Since our Centre holidays are longer than those of maintained schools, the Centre considers that parents have ample scope to enjoy a family holiday during our holiday periods. If a parent still decides to take a pupil on holiday during the term, the Centre must be informed in writing well in advance. The absence will be treated as unauthorised and will form part of the pupil's record of attendance.
Property of Pupils
The personal property of the pupil is the responsibility of that pupil. Whilst every effort will be made to assist in the recovery of mislaid items, the Centre cannot accept responsibility for their loss. The Centre's insurers are not liable for any claim in respect of a pupil's property. Pupils are forbidden to bring any item of value into school.
Publication of Photographic Material
Occasionally, photographs of pupils are taken for publicity and marketing purposes, and to celebrate success in displays around the school. When publishing such photographs, we exercise our knowledge and judgement as to the suitability or sensitivity of using pictures of the children involved. For practical reasons, we cannot contact each parent for permission to use a photograph in which their child may appear. We therefore make an assumption that parents trust our judgement and discretion in this matter and allow us to make use of such photographic material.
A parent's signature on the Centre's admission form is deemed to be written permission under the Data Protection Act 1998 for the school to publish material that may contain images of his/her child.
General Conditions
a. Liability and Insurances: The Centre does not, unless negligent, accept responsibility for accidental injury or loss of property. The Centre undertakes to maintain those insurances which are prescribed by law. All other insurances are the responsibility of parents including insurance of the pupil's personal property whilst at Centre or on the way to or from Centre or on any school sponsored activity away from the Centre. The Centre is not the agent of the parents for any purpose related to insurance.
b. Pupils' Personal Property: Pupils are responsible for the security and safe use of all personal property and are responsible for ensuring that all such property is clearly marked with the owner's name. A pupil may not bring any item of equipment on to school premises which runs off mains electricity without the prior written permission of the Principal.
c. Concerns/Complaints: Parents who have cause for serious concern as to a matter of safety, care or quality of education must inform the Principal without delay.
d. Progress Reports: The Centre monitors each pupils progress and parents will receive a formal profile of the pupil from time to time.
e. Learning Difficulties: Each pupil will be ‘screened for learning difficulties during the first term at the Centre and at key stages thereafter. Parents will be notified if it appears that formal assessment by an educational psychologist is advisable or the pupil is falling behind with studies. A formal assessment can be arranged by the Centre at the parents' expense, or by the parents. Our staff are not however qualified to make a medical diagnosis of conditions such as those commonly referred to as dyslexia or other learning difficulties. Parents will be asked to withdraw the pupil without being charged fees in lieu of notice if, in the opinion of the Principal, the Centre cannot provide adequately for a pupil' special educational needs.
f. Biological Samples: The Headmaster may at any time when grounds for suspicion exist, require the pupil to give a biological sample under medical supervision to test for the use of illegal drugs or other substances damaging to health. A record of such sample will not form part of the pupil's permanent medical record.
g. Confidentiality : The Centre will take care to preserve the confidentiality of information concerning the pupil and parents. The parents, however, consent on behalf of themselves and the pupil to the Centre (through the Principal as the person responsible) obtaining, holding, using and communicating, on a ‘need-to-know' basis, confidential information which, in the opinion of the Principal is material to the safety and welfare of the pupil and others, including a pupil a ed 16 and over. The parents consent also to the Centre communicating with any other school which the pupil attends or which a parent proposes the pupil should attend about any matter concerning the pupil or about payment of fees, whether or not the information passing is also held in machine readable form.
h. Examinations, Reports and References: The Centre will enter a pupil's name for an examination if the Principal is satisfied that such is in the best interests of the pupil. Information supplied to parents and others concerning the progress and character of a pupil and about examination, further education and career prospects and any references will be given conscientiously and with all due care and skill but otherwise without liability on the part of the Centre. Where parents are separated or divorced, reports and other information will be sent to the person with whom the pupil normally resides.
i. Intellectual Property: The Centre reserves all rights and interests in any intellectual property rights arising as a result of the actions of a pupil in conjunction with any member of staff of the Centre and/or other pupils at the Centre for a purpose associated with the Centre. Any use of any such intellectual property rights by a pupil is subject to the terms of a licence to be agreed prior to the use between the pupil, the pupil's parents and the Centre. The Centre will allow the pupil's role in creation/development of intellectual property rights to be acknowledged.
j. Prospectus: The prospectus describes the broad principles on which the Centre is presently run and gives an indication of our history and ethos. Although believed correct at the time of printing, the prospectus is not part of any agreement between the parents and the Centre. Parents wishing to place specific reliance on a matter contained in the prospectus should seek written confirmation of that matter before entering this agreement.
k. Consumer Protection: Care has been taken to use plain language in these terms and conditions and to explain the reasons for any of the terms that may appear one-sided. If any word/s, alone or in combination, infringe the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999 or any other provision of law, they shall be treated as severable and shall be replaced with words which give as near the original meaning as may be fair.
l. Interpretation : These terms and conditions supersede those in the prospectus and elsewhere and will be construed as a whole. Unless required to make sense of the immediate context, headings are for ease of reading only and are not otherwise part of the terms and conditions.
