TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR SING AND SIGN SOUTHWARK (REV February 2020)
Classes must be booked and paid for in advance for the full term. We do not accept bookings for part of a term. I guarantee you your place in the class every week for that term. Term dates are on the Southwark pageof the Sing and Sign website.
How to book a place. Places are offered on a first come, first served basis. To secure a place in a class, please book and pay online
DATA PROTECTION/EMAILS
By agreeing to these terms and conditions, you agree to receive emails, Whasapp messages and Text Messages from Sing and Sign during the time you are attending the classes.
I may email you after this from time to time, if you do not wish to receive these emails, please then opt out by asking to unsubscribe. I will not give out your contact details to anyone or any other body.
Payment card data is not held or processed by me - it is securely handled by Stripe payments. I have no record of, nor access to your card details.
Terms and Conditions - Southwark Classes
If for any reason I am unable to run the class (e.g. because of illness) then another Sing and Sign teacher will run the class. If for any reason this is impossible and a class has to be re-scheduled, I will add another class at half term or the end of term. If this isn't possible you will be notified of cancellation by tex, WhatsAppt or phone call. If I am unable to reschedule the class then I will refund you for that class (£9).
HEALTH AND SAFETY IN THE CLASSROOM Knowingly ill children and adults MUST NOT attend the classes.. You must leave 48 hours clear of symptoms if your baby has had an upset stomach (D&V), a cold/cough, conjunctivitis, impetigo (etc.). Please notify Trish Cummings if your baby has an infection that requires quarantine, e.g. chickenpox, hand, foot and mouth, etc.
Please STRICTLY observe Government guidelines on infectious diseases such as coronavirus, flu, Ebola, etc.. If you have travelled to an affected country you are REQUIRED to observe the quarantine procedures without exception.
We welcome breastfeeding, bottle feeding and drinks at classes, and (within reason) weaning food on a spoon. Please note NO foods are permitted at South London Dance Studios (Herne Hill venue).
FINGER FOODS are BANNED from the classroom - they are extremely distracting for ALL the children and liable to be swiped from your child by a curious baby. We also ask you to bear in mind that there might be children and adults with serious allergies in your class. In our experience, finger foods in class lead to distraction, mess and upset stomachs (babies/toddlers seem to love picking up and eating other children's discarded, spat out crumbs...) This applies to EVERYONE, no matter how many terms of classes you have attended!
Refunds policy
If you withdraw from classes before the term has started, I will refund you in full. I do greatly appreciate you giving me as much notice as possible please. Whilst it might seem that this is a large business, it is actually just one person for whom this is their livelihood!
If I have to cancel a class and you are unable to attend an alternative (same week) or replacement class, I will refund that week’s fee (see above).
In certain exceptional circumstances, Sing and Sign Southwark may be prevented from running classes due to situations beyond their control. These may include (but are not limited to) floods, venue inaccessibility, pandemic, public health enforcement or treacherous conditions which would pose a risk to our teachers and parents.
On these occasions Sing and Sign Southwark will endeavour to offer a 'catch up' class at the end of the term but if this weren't possible, Sing and Sign Southwark will not refund due to the exceptional nature of the circumstances.
If you leave during the term of classes, I MAY refund you up to 50% for the classes that you will not be attending, at my discretion. Please note, I cannot allocate your place to a friend in these circumstances unless you are leaving before week 3 of the term. If you leave classes after the half-term break, no refund will be made.
Attending classes - change of days
If you are unable to attend your booked class on a regular basis, it MAY be possible for you to visit a different class, or to transfer to a different class. However, please consult me before doing so. Sing and Sign has strict limits on the numbers allowed in classes.
Can I carry over money from missed classes to the next term?
Sorry, you can’t do this. There is a plenty of repetition from week to week as well as online handouts, so if you miss a week for any reason, you’ll soon be able to catch up, even if you can't attend a catch-up class (which you must arrange directly with Trish Cummings - please do not just turn up unannounced at a different class!). Catch ups are not yours by right; they are on offer as a customer courtesy WHERE THERE IS AVAILABLE SPACE TO SAFELY ACCOMMODATE YOU.
Can I bring a friend and their baby to class as a trial? Please do not bring friends along to class unannounced. It MAY be possible to accommodate a friend and their baby if there are still spare places in the class, but I do not guarantee this. New starters may only join us up to week 3 of the term unless they’re transferring from Sing and Sign classes elsewhere and are already familiar with Sing and Sign.
Can I bring another adult with me? We do welcome other family members as visitors in classes. Grandparents, partners, etc. Please ask BEFORE you bring family members with you – some of our class venues are quite small and can easily become uncomfortably overcrowded if everyone decides to bring a family member with them each week! If you are bringing twins to the class, you are welcome to bring along an adult helper with you at no extra cost, but please let me know in advance.
Older siblings If your baby's sibling is 3 years or older, you may bring him/her to class if you discuss this directly with Trish Cummings in advance of the start of term. Your teacher will do her best to involve them in the class proceedings. Please note that they remain your responsibility at all times and parents must be alert to their children’s behaviour and safety, especially in terms of the younger babies. Please try not to bring a toddler aged 2 years old, however, as disruption to the rest of the class is likely however well behaved they are! There is no extra charge for bringing along one sibling.
If you are regularly bringing someone else’s baby or are a child-minder bringing more than one child (who are not siblings) then you will have to pay IN FULL for each place. A one-time visit is free.
Children’s behaviour in class
We hope your baby will enjoy the class and be thoroughly engaged with the teacher and the other children. We encourage babies to crawl or walkabout and interact, they are not forced to sit still. Problems of behaviour are very rare, but of course, they can happen occasionally. If a baby hits, bites, pushes or throws toys the parent should immediately remove their child from the class to avoid further disruption and in exceptional circumstances of continuing problems, we reserve the right to withdraw your place and offer a refund for the remainder of the term at the teacher's discretion. Your teacher will always behave in a fair manner and will apply the same expectations to every child in the class. We do understand how shocking and overwhelming it can feel when your own child behaves unexpectedly and we are all sympathetic to this; please understand though that we have an obligation to every family present to run classes at which everyone is relaxed and not worrying about the safety of their child. All of our teachers are experienced mothers as well as good teachers - and therefore we will act firmly and decisively where necessary. If we decide it is better to withdraw your place, that decision is final.
Complaints /Feedback/Compliments procedure
I really hope that you will be delighted with your experience of Sing and Sign classes. I am absolutely committed to you finding that your class meets or exceeds your expectations and that you enjoy your classes enough to recommend Sing and Sign to all of your friends!
However, sometimes things might go wrong and we do want to hear about it. Please do get in touch if you have a complaint or concern (or compliment!). I will always do my best to resolve any problems as quickly as possible and to everyone’s satisfaction. If there is any aspect of the course/classes that you are unsure about, please don’t be too shy to ask!
Contact me: Tricia Cummings, Tel/TEXT or WhatsApp me. on 07779 887521 or email triciacummings@singandsign.co.uk.