Conditions of Enrolment

1) All course fees are payable in advance of the class/course/Summer school to which they apply.

2) An application form must be completed and signed before a student can commence at the school.

3) All fees must be paid through our GoCardless Direct Debit system. Fees can be paid on a termly or monthly basis. Monthly payments are subject to 7.5% administration fee.  PLEASE NOTE: Monthly Direct Debit payments are calculated over a 12 month period and as such full fees due to the school for classes already attended will not be cleared until August’s payment.

4) If any Direct Debit payment fails, a £5 failed payment charge will be applied to the Direct Debit amount due for each and any failed payment and the payment will be re-requested through GoCardless.  If this fails again, another £5 charge will apply and we will then request payment via bank transfer.  As in clause (6), please note an 8.5% late payment charge is applied on top of the failed payment charge/s if the fees are still outstanding 14 days after the original payment due date.  If Direct Debit payments fail consistently, fees will need to be paid in advance in full.

5) Pupils will automatically continue at the school indefinitely until one half term’s notice is given, in writing or payment in lieu will be necessary. This can be given before the beginning of each term or half term or end of the Autumn and Spring term. PLEASE NOTE: It will be assumed that the student will be returning to the school every September after the Summer holidays unless notice is given at May Half term. Those paying fees on a termly basis will be required to pay half a term’s fees in June to secure their child’s place for the following September.

6) Any late payments whether by the term, monthly or for the notice fee period owing will result in an 8.5% late payment fee being added to the outstanding amount after 14 days. After a further 7 days you will be contacted by post which will incur a £25 administration fee being added to the outstanding amount. After a further 7 days we will pass the matter onto our solicitors and any subsequent expenses incurred to us will be charged to your account. Please be aware that further delinquency of your account may result in legal proceedings.

7) If a student/parent wishes to defer their/their child’s current termly attendance by one term only, they can do so by paying the half term’s notice which will then be deducted from the following term’s fees when they return.

8) Any deposits or fees paid with regard to any courses/classes/Summer schools/productions are non-refundable unless cancelled by The School directly.  The School cannot be liable for the cancellation of classes by any third party due to circumstances beyond the school’s control including adverse weather conditions, fire, flood or pandemic and as such cannot refund any fees for that period.  In the case of a national lockdown, the school will continue classes online for the period of the lockdown and all notice periods stated will remain the same.

9) No remission of fees is possible for absence through illness or for any other cause. Neither will fees be carried over or used for other family members.

10) Any refunds made due to no error by the school will be subject to a 5% deduction due to Direct Debit fees.

11) Students and parents/guardians agree not to disclose any information relating to the school’s teaching methods, techniques, business and affairs to any other third party.

12) Before lessons, between lessons and after lessons students are the responsibility of their parents/guardians and as such the Dorset School of Acting/Youth Theatre cannot accept responsibility for any student outside of these times.

13) Term fees do not include the provision of resources, such as play scripts, music, scores, CDs or other such items which students are expected to provide for themselves. Any supplies provided by the Dorset School of Acting to a student will incur the necessary fee. Term fees also do not include any fees due for taking part in performances.

14) The School reserves the right to remove any pupil whose work or conduct, in their opinion, necessitates such a step and in such cases no fees or deposits will be repaid and any outstanding fees due in the respect of the class shall be paid.

In relation to venues:

16) DRUGS AND INTOXICATING LIQUOR No drugs, other than drugs prescribed for medical reasons, are to be brought onto the premises. No intoxicating liquor is to be consumed on the premises under any circumstances. Students will not perform any performance or non-performance related tasks while under the influence of alcohol.

17) CONDUCT OF PERFORMANCES Students are obliged to carry out the performance as instructed by the Director and not deviate from said direction. No articles shall be thrown from the stage into the auditorium of the theatre.

18) DAMAGE The Student/ Parent/ Guardian shall be liable for and make good any damage done to any part of the venue, of any furniture fittings or fixtures scenery or other effects belonging to DSAYT/the venue caused by the act, omission, default caused by the individual student.

19) CLEANING The student shall be responsible for the removal of all their personal items, belongings and rubbish caused by them and ensuring that any unwanted material of any description is properly disposed of. Students/ Parents/ Guardians if necessary shall be liable for any additional cleaning required to restore the spaces occupied to their original condition.

20) DRESSING ROOMS & BACKSTAGE No alterations or additions shall be made to the lighting of the dressing rooms and no spirit stoves lamps candles or inflammable gas or spirit of any kind shall be brought onto the premises by the student.

21) NO UNAUTHORISED PERSONS IN STAGE AREA
All personnel and performers will enter and leave the venue through the Stage Door and will sign in and out accordingly. There will be no admission of any persons not actually connected with the production onto the stage nor into any backstage areas of the building (including the Dressing Rooms) during rehearsals or performances or at any other time.

22) The School may from time to time change the conditions for the benefit of the School.

Please Note

For all students there will be at least one annual production which, nearer the time of performance will require strict rehearsals. We will inform students and parents/guardians of the rehearsal schedule as early as possible and full commitment to these times and dates is required. There may be circumstances during the penultimate weeks before performance where rehearsals may run over or extra rehearsals may need to be called.