January 2026 

The following conditions are agreed to by tick box upon completion of the registration form, or by tick box update link, sent and renewed annually. 

By ticking your agreement, we take this to mean that you have thoroughly read and agree to these terms and conditions, to prevent confusion or misunderstanding. 

ETIQUETTE FOR CLASSES – CHILDREN AND ADULTS 

• Arrive promptly and be ready for the start time of the lesson. 
• Physical contact may be necessary when trying to demonstrate or correct and is a requirement for spotting in Acro and Hoop classes. Physical contact also includes between pupils e.g. holding hands. 
• No jewellery or chewing gum. We reserve the right to ask for jewellery to be removed and placed into bags, where it is the child’s responsibility to keep their property safe. 
• Please bring a bottle of water or isotonic to keep hydrated, especially in hot weather. 
• We encourage positive and respectful behaviour in our classes. Disruptive or unkind behaviour will be discussed with parents/carers. We will not tolerate bullying of any kind.
• Townsend Dance does not accept responsibility for lost or stolen items although anything we do find we will place in lost property. Please label dance wear to prevent mix ups. 
• Please send a message, if possible, via social media or email if you are unable to attend class so that we can estimate attendance and plan lessons accordingly.  

REGISTRATION – CHILDREN AND ADULTS  

• The Person who completes our registration form becomes an Account Holder with Townsend Dance and is the person to whom we will speak regarding any matters related to classes with us. This includes account details, payments, class information and performance information. Requests for information to us from a person other than the Account Holder will be directed back to the Account Holder, and we will inform the Account Holder of the request made. 
• Children must be dropped and collected at the studio door by the Account Holder or an agreed person. So that we can identify an agreed person we will ask to keep a password on your file which you can share with them only. 
• Children may walk out to the car park unattended once they are at secondary school if preferred. We will ask the Account Holder to complete a permission slip for our records, stating that the Account Holder agrees to this. 
• Upon arrival/departure we request that all visitors and students sign in and out 
• Townsend Dance reserves the right to change fees, timetables and locations, however we will endeavour to inform the Account Holder of any changes as soon as possible. 

PHOTOGRAPHY – CHILDREN AND ADULTS 

Photographs and videos may be taken of you/your child during lessons or performances. These photographs may be used as teaching aids, progress tracking, on our website or social media pages, or in promotional material such as adverts, flyers and posters.  

By ticking the consent box, you are agreeing to their use. If you wish for your/your child’s photographs to not be used, please do not tick the photography consent box and we will exclude you. 

MEDICAL – CHILDREN AND ADULTS 

• Please inform the teacher of any injuries before the class. 
• Asthma pumps/other medicines which are self-administered must be handed to the teacher at the commencement of class if they may be needed during the lesson. If necessary, please add a note regarding the type of medicine and how it would be administered. 
• If a member of staff may be required to assist in administering medicines, please provide all medicines in a sealed bag with a note explaining clearly how they will be administered and authorising a member of staff at Townsend Dance to assist. It is preferrable that a parent be available to supervise administration where possible. 
• Please check that any medicines brought to dance classes are in date and stored correctly. 
• Adults are responsible for their clearance to exercise from a doctor and must be responsible to stop if they feel unwell. 
• Adults who may be pregnant or have recently given birth need to inform the teacher. 
• We request to be informed of diagnosis of ADHD, ASD or other neurological or developmental disorders on your medical form so that we can best accommodate all student needs and requirements.  

By agreeing to these terms and conditions, you agree to the following statements:  

•  In my absence during an emergency, I authorise a member of staff at Townsend Dance to give consent for any medical treatment that may be required for my child. 
• I give consent for my child/myself to receive first aid treatment by a member of staff at Townsend Dance, and, if necessary, be transported to receive emergency care. 
• I will keep Townsend Dance updated of any changes to medical conditions which are relevant to my/my child’s participation. 
• I agree to reconfirm my medical information annually, regardless of alterations in my medical conditions. 
• I understand that some skills, particularly in higher-level Acro and Aerial Hoop classes, despite all safety measures, correct supervision and training, inherently pose a risk due to the nature of the skills themselves. I understand those risks and that accidents can happen, and I will not hold Townsend Dance responsible in the instance of an accident, unless it was caused by negligence of a member of staff. 

SAFEGUARDING AND EQUALITY – CHILDREN AND ADULTS 

• Townsend Dance does not discriminate against background, race, religion, sexual identity, gender/gender identity or those with disabilities or SEN. 
• Townsend Dance will place pupils in classes appropriate to their level of development. 
• Townsend adheres to health and safety and safeguarding policies, which are available to view upon request, and are reviewed annually. These include: 
• Risk Assessments and Evacuation Procedures (regular venues and performance locations)
• Health and Safety policy 
• Children and Vulnerable Adults Safeguarding policy 
• Data Protection policy
• Equal Opportunities policy 
• Customer Services policy 
• Code of Professional conduct 
• Continual Professional Development policy 
• Social Media Policy
• Anti Bullying Policy
• Members of staff at Townsend Dance are qualified and insured, and undertake regular training in Health and Safety, First Aid, Chaperoning, Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable People. Certificates available to view upon request. 
• We do our utmost to ensure the safety of those in our care, please assist us in doing so by keeping us updated of changes to your contacts, medical conditions, or other relevant circumstances which may occur outside of our annual checks. 
• Any outside staff booked in to assist us or offer any additional training are all DBS checked and hold relevant qualifications.  

UNIFORM – CHILDREN’S CLASSES 

• Correct uniform and shoes are required for all classes. We have recently updated the uniform to a base layer with accessories depending on the subject to keep costs to a minimum for parents. 
• Uniform is available to order on our website. Items ordered will be delivered to the studio and given out in lesson. We do try to turn orders around as quickly as possible but please note that this is a service that we run in-house around teaching. Occasionally items may be delayed as we order items in batches. 
• New children enrolled in classes can wear their own items suitable for exercise in trial period; once they have settled into classes, we ask for uniform to be purchased around 6-8 weeks. 
• Please ensure you are ordering set uniform from our dancewear store. The items we have listed are set by the examining body and you may not be able to enter an examination with dancewear that is incorrect. Dancewear purchased from supermarkets/Amazon are often not suitable – they can be lower prices but poorly fitting and made from cheap materials. If your budget is tight do come and talk to us as we have a range of second-hand items for sale. 
• Please ensure dance ware is correctly fitted. This can be tricky when ordering online, so feel free to bring ordered items to show us how they fit before you remove tags so you can exchange if required. We are aware that items can become expensive, especially when ordering a full set, but loose shoes and baggy clothes are a hazard, look sloppy in examinations and will lose you points. Please do not allow too much ‘room to grow’ – ballet shoes for example should fit like a second skin and leather will stretch to the shape of the foot.
• Hair must be styled up securely for classes. This is for health and safety, and children may be asked to sit out and secure it. Please carry your own hair styling kit in your bag, including ties, pins and a brush/comb for hygiene reasons.  

PERFORMANCES AND EXAMINATIONS – CHILDREN AND ADULTS 

• Only once the required standard is attained will students be invited to take part in examinations or performances. Examinations and performances are not compulsory, and you can opt out, however we do strongly encourage participation for the skills it will develop, and we are there to support anyone who requires it. 
• Performance Commitment – we kindly request that if you should only sign-up for a performance or examination if you are committed to participate. Once we have had your booking confirmation, your place will be being factored into expenses, choreographed into routines, and your costumes will be being sourced. For these reasons, show/event fees are non-refundable. We also ask that you commit to attending all rehearsals in the lead-up to these events, as it is unfair to the rest of the group to have to rehearse around gaps. 
• Shows and examinations will be subject to an additional fee. This fee will cover costs and additional expenses. You will be given information of total fees in advance of confirming for a show or examination. We aim to keep fees to a minimum as we do not want finances to be a barrier to participation. We also offer split payments to spread costs. 
• The preferred hair styles for performances and exams are either a classical dancer’s bun, or two plaits crossed over and pinned (you will be advised in advance of hair requirements). We will provide you instruction on how to do these hairstyles, and if required can assist with hairstyling on the day of the event. If you will require assistance with hair styling, please send an email in advance of the event so that we can factor this into the timing of the day. If we have too many requests for us to do hair we may have to book a hair stylist, in which case please note there may be a small fee.
• Costumes for performances are hired by us and factored into your performance/exam fee (where required). Please be aware that you may be asked to purchase accessory items, such as a base layer/dance underwear, or tights etc. 
• Graded examinations will require the set uniform which you wear for classes. Please ensure that you have the correct items, and that they fit well at least 4 weeks in advance of the exam date to give time to order replacement items if required. We hold some emergency stock items of uniform which we can hire out on the day. The hire charge for these are £5.00 per item. 
• Make up will be required for all who participate in performances. Make-up is used solely to make the face and features visible from a distance and under strong lighting. Males are included in the wearing of make-up for this reason but if anyone objects then we of course respect their wishes. 
• When a performance approaches, please build your own collection of ‘base’ make-up and hair supplies. Make-up kit should include: a foundation one shade darker than your usual skin tone; a brown eyeshadow, a brown eyebrow shading pencil, black mascara, a bronzer, a pink blush and red or pink lipstick. This base kit will be your responsibility to provide and apply to ensure that the correct shades and types of make-up used are suitable for your skin and for hygiene reasons. Eyeliner and false eyelashes are optional for older children if they/or a parent can apply them and be worn comfortably. Hair kit should include plain hair elastics, fine hairnets and pins in the shade of your child’s hair, a hairbrush and comb, gel and hairspray. 
• When we announce a show or event, we will also send out a chaperone request. It is a legal requirement that we have the correct number of chaperones to safely look after the children backstage. This unfortunately must be a volunteer role, as the price of paying chaperones would mean we would be unable to put on these events for the children. For full school performances we would need 20-30 parents to volunteer. When we send out this email please take the time to consider helping us out, we would ideally like one parent volunteer per class.  

CHILDREN’S FEES 

• All children’s classes are paid by monthly subscription. The monthly subscription covers the full month – if you decide to leave mid-month there is no deduction. 
• There is no set notice period to leave, however please note that if you wish to cancel or alter your subscription, the Account Holder will need to let us know at least 7 days before payment date (payments are automatically collected, and they begin processing in advance). Please do this by sending an email to admin@townsenddance.co.uk ONLY, as messages on social media/via a teacher may be missed. 
• The classes scheduled per year are the same as the school year (38 weeks), with half terms and holidays running in-line with local schools. Please note that classes remain open on term-time Bank Holidays. 
• The monthly subscription price is the total cost of 38 weeks of lessons spread over 12 monthly payments. This means that your payment will still be collected during months where there are no/fewer classes. 
• Townsend Dance reserves the right to increase class fees annually in-line with inflation.
• If we have advanced notice of needing to cancel any classes due to elements within our control (e.g. staff illness) we will notify you and give you a date for a make-up session so that you receive all 38 weeks of lessons within a school year. In the unlikely event of a last-minute cancellation of a session due to exceptional circumstances (e.g. extreme weather or building damage) where we are unable to reschedule the class, we may be unable to refund that session. 
• The monthly subscription secures your place at the school regardless of short absences, as venue hire, teacher fees and other overheads are still necessary. However, your subscription can be paused by month for longer absences (e.g. recovery from an illness prevents attendance for a month). 
• We offer a trial month of 4 lessons for new students/existing students adding a class at the same price as the month subscription. This is so that new students have chance to settle in and get to know their class before setting up a subscription. The trial month is charged as a single charge and Account Holders will be asked to confirm that they would like to join at the end of the trial period before a subscription is created. 

Discounts available:  

Graded Bundles: 

When a student signs up for Tap, Ballet and Modern classes we combine the individual class durations and charge by the total duration, instead of by individual class duration price.  

Student Plans: 

When an account (single person or family) has class durations totalling over 3 hours of tuition per week we will create a statement and apply your discount as follows: 

ADULT’S CLASSES 

Adult dance and exercise classes are paid via two options: 

•  4-week blocks via invoice. Invoices will be sent via email in advance, and payment in full is due by the first lesson. 
• Weekly pay-as-you-go, via bank transfer or card machine at the studio. 

Please note that the pay-as-you-go option is charged at a higher rate for those who are unable to commit to regular attendance.  

4-Week blocks are cheaper for regular attenders, but please note that there is no reduction for absences, as the price is already reduced. If you are aware in advance that you are unable to attend some classes in an upcoming block, just let us know and you can pay weekly instead. 

We do accept cash however request bank transfer or card machine, since the local branches have closed making depositing cash regularly difficult.  

Classes run throughout the year, breaking for two weeks at Christmas and two weeks in the summer.  

Please wear suitable clothing for exercise and soft soled shoes. Adults do not need to purchase uniform items and can wear any suitable clothing they feel comfortable to exercise in. Shoes and printed items are available on our website, and we can source adult sizes in other dance wear items upon request.