• New Pupils
    All new pupils are offered a two week free trial in any genre before signing up to classes.

    Registration, Health Declaration & GDPR Consent Forms
    All parents/guardians must complete and sign a registration form on joining the School agreeing to our terms and conditions. Parents/guardians are asked to complete our GDPR Consent form which will also inform us of their preferences for press releases, photos/videos on our website and social media sites etc.

    Fees and Payment
    Invoices are emailed out at the start of each term and should be paid within 30 days. Parents may choose to pay in instalments as long as fees are fully paid up by the last day of term. A 10% surcharge will be added to any outstanding fees if not paid by the end of term. No refunds will be given for classes missed due to holidays or illness except in exceptional circumstances, for example long-term injury. The Principal reserves the right to ask parents to withdraw their child should fees be in arrears.

    Cancellation of Classes
    In the unlikely event that a class needs to be cancelled or changed at short notice due to staff illness parents/guardians will be notified by email as well as a notice being placed on our social media sites. The class will either be made up at a later date or a credit given on the following term’s fees.

    Illness
    Pupils must not attend class if they are showing any symptoms of illness or have been off school that day due to illness. Please inform us immediately if your child has an infectious disease that we need to make other parents/guardians aware of. If a child has been sick or had diarrhoea they need to be clear of any symptoms for 48 hours before returning to class.

    Giving Notice
    A half term’s notice is required if a pupil wishes to stop a class, or a half term’s fees paid in lieu.

    Uniform
    All classes have a uniform which should be worn once a pupil is officially enrolled at the school. Most items can be ordered from us and we suggest this to ensure that you purchase the right items. Items will be invoiced after receiving them and these are payable on receipt. Long hair must always be neatly tied up for class and preferably should be in a bun.

    School Policies
    The School’s policies as listed below can be found on our website and should be read by all parents/guardians in conjunction with these terms and conditions. Child Protection & Safeguarding Policy Data Protection Policy Student Behaviour Policy.

    Physical Contact in Class
    Due to the nature of teaching dance, teachers may have to have physical contact with pupils in order to correctly position a pupil’s body. This will always be done in a professional way. If you would rather your child not be touched please inform the Principal in writing.

    Photography & Recording
    Teachers may make use of photography and recording in class to aid with teaching or to allow pupils to practice at home. Photos or clips from class or on exam days may be posted on the school website or social media pages. These will only posted if parents have consented to this on our GDPR consent form. When invited to class on watching week or for exam coaching practice, parents may photograph or record provided that everyone present is in agreement and nothing is posted on any social media sites. Any parent/guardian who does not permit the use of photography or recording as stated above must put this in writing to the Principal.

    Examinations
    Examinations are optional. Decisions on suitability for examinations or Class Awards are made by the class teacher and Principal who together will always have a pupil’s best interests at heart. If a student is put forward for an examination attendance in weekly classes and exam coaching is compulsory and we reserve the right to withdraw a pupil if they have not attended enough classes in the run up to the exam.

    Festivals & Competitions
    We have a small cohort of students who enter festivals and competitions. Pupils are entered for these events at the discretion of their class teachers and must pay for private lessons to learn their festival dances.

    Contacting Us
    Parents should contact the Principal either by email on sarah@southwestdance.co.uk or phone 01458 850263 if they have any questions or concerns. Please do not discuss things with teachers at the start or end of classes as this takes up valuable lesson time. We encourage all parents/guardians to look at our website regularly and our social media sites for up to date news and notices: www.southwestdance.co.uk Instagram: thesouthwestschoolofdance Facebook: The South West School of Dance Facebook page for 2nd hand uniform: The South West School of Dance Second Hand Uniform.

    Attending Classes Elsewhere
    It is not permitted to attend classes at any other local dance schools without prior permission of the Principal. Pupils are encouraged to audition for Associate schemes as long as these do not clash with SWSOD classes. By signing the registration form, parents/guardians agree to abide by the above terms and conditions.

  • We believe that no child or young person should be the subject of neglectful or abusive behaviour.

    We will promote and maintain the welfare and well-being of every child in our care and seek 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.

    This policy applies to all our staff, volunteers and chaperones and covers children under the age of 18 and/or vulnerable adults under the age of 24.

    To protect children and young people in our care, we will:

    • Value and respect children and listen to what they have to say

    • Work with children, parents and relevant organisations

    • Share our policy with all staff, parents and students

    • Ensure all required checks are made when hiring staff and that those in regular contact with children hold a current DBS check

    • Provide appropriate training and support to all staff

    • Take responsibility for children and young people’s safety when in our care

    • Seek permission from parents before taking images (photographs or film) of students and inform them how and where the images will be used

    • Report suspected neglect or abuse swiftly to the nominated member of staff (the Principal) who will then contact the local safeguarding team

    • Ensure that this policy is regularly updated

    Additional guidance can be found in the following documents at the end of this policy:

    • Reporting Suspected Neglect or Abuse

    • Appropriate Physical Contact in Dance

    • Chaperoning Students to and from Dance Events

    • Use of Photographs and Film of Children

    This policy was last reviewed on 01/09/2023 and will be reviewed again before 01/09/2024.

    Name: SARAH JONES

    Job Title: PRINCIPAL

    Signature: S JONES

    Additional Guidance A: Reporting Suspected Neglect or Abuse

    Concerns regarding a child’s welfare can be reported by:

    • Parents

    • Teachers

    • Friends

    • The child or young person

    All allegations of neglect or abuse will be taken seriously. If a concern is reported directly by the child or young person we will not seek to disagree, ask probing or leading questions, or do anything else which may discourage them. We will make it clear that reported concerns cannot be kept confidential but will need to be shared with a nominated member of staff or external organisation. Parents or guardians will also be involved if appropriate.

    We recognise that early action is vital. Any concerns will be reported immediately. If the child or young person is in immediate danger of harm, we will contact the police on 999.

    In all other cases, we will report concerns to the local Protection Team

    Contact: Children and Young People's Team

    Address: Customer Contact, PO Box 618, Taunton, TA1 3WF

    Email: childrens@somerset.gov.uk

    Phone: 0300 123 2224

    OR to the NSPCC Child Protection Helpline

    Phone: 0808 800 5000

    Additional Guidance B: Appropriate Physical Contact in Dance

    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:

    • Lifting

    • 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.

    During the course of some South West School of Dance classes students may need to touch each other for example as part of their own improvisation and choreography. Staff will keep this to a minimum and ensure that all students involved feel comfortable with any touch involved.

    Staff may when necessary give a distressed child comfort and reassurance which may include physical comfort such as a caring parent would give. Staff will use their discretion in such cases to ensure that this does not become unnecessary and unjustified and will inform the parents of the pupil if appropriate.

    Where a member of staff has a particular concern about the need to provide this type of care and reassurance they should seek the advice of the DSL, the Principal.

    Additional Guidance C: Chaperoning Children to, from and at Dance Events

    When chaperoning students to an event, we will:

    • Provide parents and students with information about what the event is for

    • Provide parents and students with the full address of the event

    • Supply the planned journey route with parents and students upon request

    • Make sure that students are aware of what they should do if they get lost

    • Ask parents and students for their contact details in case of emergency

    • Have a clear idea of how students will be cared for while at the event and ensure students know who is responsible for their wellbeing and safety at all times

    We will ensure that chaperones hold all required checks and licences and are aware of our Child Protection Policy.

    Additional Guidance D: Use of Photographs and Film of Children

    We recognise that taking images of students in our care may not always be appropriate and that some children and parents may not want images taken at any time. Therefore, before taking images of a child or young person, we will:

    • Make clear to the child and parent where and when the image will be taken

    • Clearly identify the person who will be taking the image

    • Explain how the image will be used, e.g. whether it will be posted on social media or printed to be displayed at the school

    • Seek written agreement from parents that images can be taken of their child

    Where we have publicly displayed images at our school or on social media, parents and students may withdraw their permission at any time. In such cases, the images will be removed as soon as is reasonable and without question. We ask that any parent wanting to take photos or film at our events only do so with our prior permission. Permission will only be granted on the agreement of all present.

  • The emphasis within The South West School of Dance is to encourage a love of dance, and through this to develop confidence, poise, co-ordination, fitness, musicality and self-discipline.

    The teaching team strive to make the School a happy and caring one, and that all pupils enjoy and benefit from their time at The South West School of Dance.

    We believe that good behaviour is essential to enable all pupils to reach their full potential. Good behaviour promotes effective learning.

    Children’s learning in all areas be it academic, social and personal, is best supported in an environment where pupils feel happy, safe, valued and motivated.

    At The South West School of Dance we create a positive learning environment that ensures our approach to behaviour management and discipline is consistent, and understood by all staff, pupils and parents.

    We expect every member of our School community to behave in a considerate way towards others.

    We believe that it is important for children to be aware of their behaviour and its impact on others.

    Pupils need to take responsibility for their behaviour and be actively involved in finding solutions to behaviour that does not meet the School’s high expectations.

    No pupil will be allowed to behave in a manner which adversely affects the learning opportunities of others.

    There will be a zero tolerance approach to violence, threatening behaviour and disorderly conduct including abuse in all forms, against South West School of Dance staff or other members of The South West School of Dance community.

    The South West School of Dance Staff Code of Conduct

    Staff will:

    • Treat every pupil fairly, with respect and understanding

    • Ensure all pupils are clear about our expectations of behaviour and remind pupils regularly

    • Plan quality learning tasks which will engage and motivate pupils

    • Praise good choices, behaviour and achievements

    • Ensure that they are fully familiar with children’s needs and make every effort to be positive, motivating and inspiring – thus minimising the risk of poor behaviour during class

    • Keep parents/carers informed about their child’s behaviour and relationships within the School

    • Ensure the health, safety and welfare of all pupils

    • Follow The South West School of Dance guidance when faced with any misbehaviour and deal with this in a fair and honest way.

    The South West School of Dance Parent Code of Conduct.

    We expect parents/carers to:

    • Be aware of The South West School of Dance’s expectations of behaviour

    • Celebrate their child’s achievements and show an interest in their South West School of Dance classes and events

    • Ensure that pupils arrive for class on time and with the things they need

    • Work with The South West School of Dance to model high expectations of behaviour or support us in improving children’s behaviour

    • Act promptly if we contact you in the instance of a behaviour problem and support any decision made if needing to apply consequences

    • Support the teaching staff when making decisions on exams/competitions/shows as we always have pupils’ best interests at heart.

    The South West School of Dance Pupil Code of Conduct

    • Be kind to all

    • Show respect to your teachers, the building and each other

    • Be in class on time and please apologise to your teacher if you are late for any reason

    • Wear the correct uniform

    • Girls should wear hair neatly up, and in a bun where possible

    • Bring everything you need to class

    • Be ready to work hard

    • Be positive in class

    • Be honest

    • Accept and apply your teacher’s feedback and corrections as they are trying to get you to be the best you can be

    • Be patient as some things take time

    • Remain in the studio unless you have asked permission from your teacher to leave

    • Focus, listen and be ready

    • Thank your teacher at the end of class

    • Most importantly, enjoy what you do and enjoy your time when at The South West School of Dance

    Bullying

    As a School we take bullying and its impact very seriously. Pupils and parents should be assured that known incidents of bullying will be responded to. Bullying will not be tolerated at The South West School of Dance.

    Bullying is unacceptable behaviour used by an individual or group, usually repeated over time, which intentionally hurts another individual or group either physically or emotionally.

    Bullying can take many forms:

    • Emotional – being unfriendly, excluding, tormenting

    • Physical – pushing, kicking, or any use of violence

    • Verbal – name calling, sarcasm, spreading rumours, teasing

    • Racial

    • Sexual

    • Homophobic

    • Cyber bullying – via email or internet chat, social media platforms, text messaging or phone calls

    Bullying may be related to:

    • Race

    • Gender

    • Religion

    • Culture

    • SEN or disability

    • Appearance or a health condition

    • Home circumstances

    • Sexual orientation

    Bullying could take place in the dance studio, changing rooms, on the journey to and from the dance school or online.

    South West School of Dance staff must remain vigilant towards bullying behaviours and approach these in the same way as any other category of child abuse.

    Students must not hesitate to report any form of bullying to a South West School of Dance member of staff.

    Staff will help any student/family who is the victim of any form of bullying. Staff will investigate any allegations in a sensitive and prompt manner and this may result in the perpetrator being asked to leave The South West School of Dance.

    The South West School of Dance’s working philosophy ensures all staff actively encourage children to have respect for each other and for other people’s property. Good behaviour, kind behaviour and polite behaviour will be regularly acknowledged and rewarded.

    This policy was last reviewed on 01/09/2023 and will be reviewed again before 01/09/2024.

    Name: SARAH JONES

    Job Title: PRINCIPAL

    Signature: S JONES

  • The South West School of Dance is a member of the ICO (Information Commissioner’s Office) and is registered under the Data Protection Act.

    General Statement of the School's Duties and Scope.

    The School is required to process relevant personal data regarding members of staff, volunteers, parents / guardians, current and prospective pupils, alumni and customers as part of its operation and shall take all reasonable steps to do so in accordance with this Policy.

    Data Protection Controller

    The South West School of Dance has appointed Sarah Jones (Principal) as the Data Protection Controller (DPC) who will endeavour to ensure that all personal data is processed in compliance with this Policy and the Principles of the Data Protection Act 1998. The Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 are also relevant to parts of this policy.

    The School recognises The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (Regulation (EU) 2016/679) of 25 May 2018 and is actively working towards compliance with that directive.

    The Principles

    The School shall so far as is reasonably practicable comply with the Data Protection Principles (the Principles) contained in the Data Protection Act to ensure all data is:-

    • Fairly and lawfully processed

    • Processed for a lawful purpose

    • Adequate, relevant and not excessive

    • Accurate and up to date

    • Not kept for longer than necessary

    • Processed in accordance with the data subject's rights

    • Secure

    • Not transferred to other countries without adequate protection

    Definitions

    • The School is ‘The South West School of Dance’

    • Parental consent, includes the consent of a guardian.

    • Data Subject, an individual who is the subject of the personal data.

    Personal Data

    Personal data covers both facts and opinions about an individual where that data identifies an individual, for example, dates of birth, attendance records, exam results (this is not an exhaustive list).

    Personal data may also include sensitive personal data as defined in the Act, for example relevant medical information.

    Processing of Personal Data

    Consent may be required for the processing of personal data unless processing is necessary for the fulfilment of a contract. Any information which falls under the definition of personal data and is not otherwise exempt, will remain confidential and will only be disclosed to third parties with appropriate consent.

    Sensitive Personal Data

    The School may, from time to time, be required to process sensitive personal data. Sensitive personal data includes data relating to medical information, gender, ethnicity, criminal records and proceedings.

    Rights of Access to Information

    Data subjects have the right of access to information held by the School, subject to the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998 and the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Any data subject wishing to access their personal data should put their request in writing to the DPC. The School will endeavour to respond to any such written requests as soon as is reasonably practicable and in any event, within 30 days for access to records and 21 days to provide a reply to an access to information request.

    The information will be imparted to the data subject as soon as is reasonably possible after it has come to the School's attention and in compliance with the relevant Acts.

    Exemptions

    Certain data is exempted from the provisions of the Data Protection Act which includes the following:

    • National security and the prevention or detection of crime

    • The assessment of any tax or duty

    • Where the processing is necessary to exercise a right or obligation conferred or imposed by law upon the School, including Safeguarding and prevention of terrorism and radicalisation

    The above are examples only of some of the exemptions under the Act. Any further information on exemptions should be sought from the DPC.

    Accuracy

    The School will endeavour to ensure that all personal data held in relation to all data subjects is accurate. Data subjects must notify the data processor of any changes to information held about them. Data subjects have the right in some circumstances to request that inaccurate information about them is erased. This does not apply in all cases, for example, where records of mistakes or corrections are kept, or records which must be kept in the interests of all parties to which they apply.

    Enforcement

    If an individual believes that the School has not complied with this Policy or acted otherwise than in accordance with the Data Protection Act, they should notify the DPC and follow the GDPR complaints process (published online).

    Data Security

    The School will take appropriate technical and organisational steps to ensure the security of personal data.

    All staff will be made aware of this policy and their duties under the Act.

    The School and therefore all staff and pupils are required to respect the personal data and privacy of others and must ensure that appropriate protection and security measures are taken against unlawful or unauthorised processing of personal data, and against the accidental loss of, or damage to all personal data.

    An appropriate level of data security must be deployed for the type of data and the data processing being performed. In most cases, personal data must be stored in appropriate systems and be encrypted or password protected when transported offsite.

    External Processors

    The School will ensure that data processed by external processors, for example, service providers, Cloud services including storage, web sites etc. are compliant with this policy and the relevant legislation.

    Secure Destruction

    When data held in accordance with this policy is destroyed, it will be destroyed securely in accordance with best practice at the time of destruction.

    Retention of Data

    The School will only retain data where justifiable. Some statutory obligations, legal processes and enquiries may also necessitate the retention of certain data.

    The School may store some data such as registers, photographs, exam results, achievements, marketing material indefinitely in its archive.

    Author: Sarah Jones (Principal and Data Protection Controller)

    Updated: 01/09/2023

    Next review: 01/09/2024

  • The data controller is The South West School of Dance (SWSOD), a dance school based in Somerset.

    SWSOD takes your privacy very seriously, and we seek to ensure that we comply with the Data Protection Act 1998 and General Data Protection Regulation EU 2016/679 at all times when collecting your personal information. This privacy notice sets out how we will process the limited personal data we collect from or about you, or which you provide to us. We may change the privacy notice from time to time by amending this page.

    Your Privacy
    SWSOD is committed to protecting your privacy when you use our services. The privacy notice below explains how we use information about you and how we protect your privacy.

    Personal information
    Personal information can be anything that identifies and relates to a living person. This can include information that, when put together with other information, can then identify a person. For example, this could be your name and contact details.
    We may need to use some information about you to: inform you about our latest news and offers or to survey you about what we offer.
    There are a number of legal reasons why we can collect and use your personal information. Generally we only collect and use personal information where: you have given consent; you have entered into a contract with us; it is necessary to inform you of important information (such as a booking you’ve made with us); it is required by law; or you have made your information publicly available.
    We only use what we need. In most cases we’ll only collect and use personal information where you have offered it to us and told us that you’re happy for us to use it in the future. If we don’t need personal information we’ll either keep you anonymous if we already have it for something else or we won’t ask you for it. For example in a survey we may not need your contact details, so we’ll only collect your survey responses. If we use your personal information for research and analysis, we’ll always keep you anonymous or use a different name unless you’ve agreed that your personal information can be used for that research. We don’t sell your personal information to anyone else.
    The information you share with us won’t be shared with third parties without seeking consent from you beforehand.
    We do not make your personal details available to third parties for marketing purposes without your explicit consent. SWSOD will only send you marketing emails and contact you for promotional purposes if you have signed up to a mailing list or otherwise asked to be kept informed. If you wish to have your name removed from a mailing list or have any questions please contact us.
    The law gives you a number of rights to control what personal information is used by us and how it is used by us. You can ask for access to the information we hold on you, and update it if it is out of date or you want it removed altogether You have the right to ask for all the information we have about you. When we receive a request from you in writing, we must give you access to everything we’ve recorded about you. You should let us know if the information we hold for you is wrong or if you would like it removed. If you’d like to see what information we have about you, or if you want it updated or removed please contact us.
    We’ll do what we can to make sure we hold records about you (on paper and electronically) in a secure way, and we’ll only make them available to those who have a right to see them.
    The majority of personal information is stored on our systems in the UK. But there are some occasions where your information may leave the UK such as if it’s stored in a system outside of the EU.
    We will keep your information until you tell us you no longer want us to store or use it. If you have any worries or questions about how your personal information is handled please contact us.

    Cookies
    We want to make our website as easy and useful to use as possible. Therefore, like most other websites we use 'cookies', which are small text files that are placed on your computer by websites that you visit. They are used in order to make websites work, or work more efficiently, as well as to provide information to the owners of the site. Any cookies that may be used by this website are used solely on a per session basis or to maintain user preferences. Cookies are not shared with any third parties. Before storing any of these cookies for the first time on your device, very often you will be asked your permission to use cookies before proceeding.

    Links to other websites
    SWSOD's website may contain hyperlinks to websites owned and operated by third parties. This privacy notice does not cover the links contained on this site which takes you to another website. These third party websites have their own privacy policies and you are encouraged to read the privacy statements on the other websites that you visit. SWSOD is only responsible for the content it inputs on its own website and social media and we do not accept any responsibility or liability for any other content including links to third party websites. Your use of such websites is at your own risk.

    Social networking sites
    We may monitor and respond to comments or opinions on social networking sites, for example Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

    Changes to this privacy notice
    We keep our privacy notice under review and if this privacy notice changes in any way, an updated version will be placed on this page. If you think there are any errors or you have any other comments or queries on the content of this privacy notice please contact us.

    How to contact us
    If you are not happy with the way in which we have used your personal information please contact us.