Terms and Contitions – Classes

Code of Conduct

To ensure the smooth, safe running of Brightsparks Performing Arts School and an enjoyable experience by all, below you will find our code of conduct. As always, we are open to feedback, so if any of the requirements outlined below are unclear or concerning, please give us a call to discuss further. Following a formal meeting, we do reserve the right to dismiss or take disciplinary action on any students or parents who breach our studio’s code of conduct. Families who do not comply with their fee or any other payment obligations may be charged an late fee, and/or be excluded from performances. External debt collection may occur when fees remain overdue and this will be at the expense of the client. Costume expenses are the responsibility of the parent, and costumes will not be issued to students with unpaid class fees.

• No classes (including private lessons) or teachers are to be disturbed unless it is an emergency. Parents are not to approach teachers or students during class and if messages or food/drink/medication needs to be passed on to a student, it must be done before or after the lesson. All parents must wait in the waiting areas or outside of the studios until classes have been dismissed.
• We are unable to take responsibility for our students before or after their scheduled classes and it is the responsibility of the parent to ensure their child is picked up and dropped off on time. In the case of an emergency or unavoidable delay, please contact the studio immediately to inform us of the situation so we can keep your child calm and safe until they can be collected.
• Any questions or complaints must go through the director – parents and students are not permitted to contact Brightsparks Performing Arts School teachers via phone, in person, or via email / social networking with studio issues unless it has been approved with the director first. Personal meetings can happily be arranged via email.
• In the rare case of a parent or student showing disrespect or defamation to any parent, staff member or student, a meeting will be called immediately, and dismissal may be considered at the discretion of the director. Physical, mental, emotional or cyber bullying by parents, staff or students will not be tolerated and may result in dismissal from the studio.
• Brightsparks Performing Arts School takes no responsibility for any stolen or misplaced property on the studio premises and we encourage our families to avoid bringing valuable items into the studio where possible.
• Only private lesson students are permitted to enter solo competitions and it must be with the permission of the director and teacher.
• Brightsparks Performing Arts School reserves the right to change teachers or timetabling when necessary at any time throughout the year.

Social Media

Brightsparks Performing Arts School Social Media Policy refers to all social networking sites, video/photo sharing sites, blogs, micro-blogs, wikis, podcasts, forums, instant messaging and geo-spatial tagging (for example, Facebook check-ins). Please see below for our regulations regarding Social Media and feel free to contact us if you have any questions.

• When selecting  Yes – I give permission for my child’s picture to be used on the Brightsparks Co. website and/or in any advertising material for Brightsparks, in the enrolment form, you are allowing Brightsparks Performing Arts School PTY LTD to use your child’s image in any of the social media sites used by the school including, but not limited to; Facebook, Instagram, Brightsparksco Website, Flyers for distribution, and YouTube.
• At all times Brightsparks Performing Arts School aims to exercise anonymity of a child’s image where necessary and will not disclose any private information regarding that child.
• All the images posted are selected carefully to maintain respect of the child and to not display any image that could interpreted or used in a negative or abusive interactions which can harm children.
• All YouTube videos containing footage or images of your child will be listed as Private or Unlisted videos. Direct communication and permission will be sought should Brightsparks Performing Arts School wish to publicly list the video and a media release form will be signed and released before making the video open to public viewing.
• Please remember that your anonymity on Social Media is never guaranteed and to exercise particular caution when posts, images or videos identify children in your care.
• Any comments or posts perceived to be obscene, defamatory, threatening, harassing, discriminatory or hateful towards Brightsparks Performing Arts School staff, students or families may subject the owner to disciplinary or legal action.
• Should you wish to engage on Social Media while identifying as a studio volunteer or employee, you may only do so with integrity, respect, and adhere to privacy and confidentiality policy.
• Any content revealing or referring to sensitive studio information is not allowed to be shared online.
• Intellectual property laws (for example, song arrangement, scene direction and/or choreography) must be observed by all studio patrons when posting online.
• While affiliated with our studio, (for example, images of your child in Brightsparks Performing Arts School uniform) we will not tolerate any posts that are racially, sexually, physically or religiously offensive.
• All matters pertaining directly to the studio – whether it be fees, scheduling, placements or performance opportunities – may not be communicated via Social Media. We have an open-door policy and encourage all communication, complaints and feedback to be communicated to the director directly.
• Identifying information of any featured minors – including names, ages or location – must be removed when posting on Social Media.

Privacy

When you purchase or hire a product or service with Brightsparks Performing Arts School, the information we may collect from you includes your name, address, telephone numbers, email addresses, medical information and perhaps credit card or bank details. It may also include details of the products and services we provide to you as well as the status of your enrolment. We only collect information directly from our students or their parent/guardians primarily for the purpose of providing services and products to you and to administer and manage invoicing and debt collection.

We may occasionally use your information to promote and market to you, information which we consider may be of interest to you unless you contact us and tell us not to do so.

We will never sell or pass on any of your information to third parties unless required by government authorities or in the event of debt recovery. Any information passed on will be done so with appropriate privacy and confidentiality protection.

Information is stored securely in paper or electronic form and is accessible only by authorised personnel.

If you would like to know what information we hold about you or wish to update the information, or if you wish to be removed from all further direct marketing communications, please contact us via email.

Fees

Upfront Payment – you will receive your term or semester invoice prior to the commencement of the new term or Semester and have until the end of week 3 to pay these fees in full. Payment options include cash, Internet Bank Transfer or Credit Card (paid in person in the studio or over the phone).

Overdue fees will accrue an administration fee of 10% increase of the fees in fortnightly increments, and if fees remain unpaid in week 6 of classes students will not be permitted to participate in their lessons.

Please note: All students involved in our classes are invoiced based on two terms (up to 10 weeks in each term) which is a Semester worth of classes. If you decide to withdraw from classes mid-semester for any reason, you will still be charged for the entire invoiced period.

Refunds will not be issued for missed classes due to cancellation or illness – where possible, we will endeavour to arrange make-up lessons for classes cancelled by Brightsparks Performing Arts School. For private lessons, missed classes will be charged unless the teacher receives a minimum of 24 hours notice. Where notice is given, another time will be offered during the term schedule. Should a time not be available a lesson credit will be issued for the following term.