Fees

FEES

We charge term fees to gain your commitment for the whole period. This must be paid in advance of the start of term. A refund is possible if you decide you don’t want the place but only within the first two sessions of the term and once their place is filled by someone on the waiting list (minus admin fee).

If you have accepted a place for a new term and then change your mind after we have organised classes and sent confirmation, you will still be charged for the first 2 sessions plus an admin fee.

PARENTS HELP

To do what we do means sometimes having to ask for help. This is essentially around show-time and any volunteering really does make the whole thing possible. You will be sent a helpers list to fill-in as we get nearer Show Week. It is expected that 1 parent of each child is available to help during at least 1 performance or Dress Rehearsal.

Also, most of the time costumes are made for you or provided by us but sometimes we need help with this. This may mean making or sourcing your own costumes as instructed or helping Ruth with any costume making, cutting etc… The right costumes are definitely a requirement for the productions.

Finally, the shows are more enjoyable for all, with bigger audiences -so you are encouraged to help promote our productions to schools, friends and families.

DRESS CODE

We don’t have any clothing/shoe-wear requirements for our classes although they are asked to dress appropriately for running around and performing (this means no Uggs or Crocs or heeled shoes).  HCTG Hoodies and Sweatshirts are available to buy.

COMMITMENT

As you know, a lot of time, work and effort goes into our productions so please let me know as early as possible if your child is unavailable for their scheduled performance. In these cases, it is fine to come to the term-time classes but miss the show. I’m afraid choosing performances or swapping performances is NOT allowed.

Missing some sessions during the term is obviously up to you and fair enough but please appreciate that towards the end of each term, the sessions become increasingly important. Children MUST ATTEND the Dress Rehearsal. If a child misses too many rehearsals, this may mean they have to miss out on the shows, as it effects the whole class. I would say missing 4 or more is probably too many.

We will always try to stick to times but occasionally rehearsals may run over- Particularly Dress Rehearsals. Your patience with this is greatly appreciated.

DATES/TERMS

Term dates and Show dates will always be sent out at the start of each term but it is also possible to find out the show dates and start dates earlier by looking at the ‘Next Term’ page.

We run 2 terms over the year -ending in 2 productions: Sept-Jan and Feb-July. Please note that the Summer Productions happen after private schools have broken up and amidst the end of term for other schools. This is a busy time, so please make a note of dates and times.

TICKETS

We have an automated service where you can choose your seats and pay online. We are unable to offer refunds on unwanted tickets.  We will let you know when the Box Office is open!

PAYMENT

Payment for Term Fees is done via an invoice and paid by BACS. Tickets for the Shows, Holiday Workshops and Parties can all be made via the website. It is a safe and secure paypal method. A small transaction fee is added. We cannot accept cheques.

SECURITY

We always strive to keep our emails to a minimum. When we send a group email we always blind copy everyone’s addresses. We do not hand out any email addresses or phone numbers or names of children without your permission. When photos are used on the website or facebook or in the local Press, we don’t include names. No photography is allowed at their shows, backstage or from the audience. Professional DVD’s are filmed but can only be bought with a security code we give to all parents. Sometimes a professional photographer takes photos at shows or classes for HCTG only.

CLASSES

It might not always be possible for friends to be in the same class although we will make every effort to please everyone. Between each term we rearrange classes and we cannot always keep groups together. It’s also not guaranteed that places will always be available when moving up an age-group. In this case, swapping of days might be offered.

Children in the top classes, playing principal characters are sometimes expected to attend extra rehearsals.

AGES

For the avoidance of any doubt, we don’t do “ages” according to school years. We effectively do it by half years (6 months). If they are already the right age for the next age-group-or turning that age during the term, then they are due to move up. Ages of classes are 3-6, 7-9, 10-12, and 13 upwards.

This means that sometimes 1 child moves up an age-group and 1 child doesn’t –even though they are in the same school year.

SHOWS

All of the children are scheduled to be in at least 1 performance and they will have a special ‘moment’, be it a line, a solo, a dance etc. Sometimes they are asked to be in more than 1 performance, you will be told about this at the start of each term. Children in the top classes are allowed to come and watch the other casts if seats are available. The Preview Wednesday Performance is for Cast only. They are all welcome to come and watch (they will be supervised).

MOBILE PHONES

The children are welcome to bring them to classes but they must be placed on our desk to the side of the Hall until the end of the class. They must be switched off during performances. We cannot be held responsible for any loss or damage to these items whilst at classes or rehearsals.

VENUES/CANCELLATIONS

We will always notify you if we need to change a venue or cancel anything. Under normal circumstances, if a weekly class is cancelled by us, we will try to schedule in an additional session or send an online video. If we are forced to cancel sessions or shows due to reasons beyond our control, it will be treated as a force majeure and we may not be able to fulfil our contract. In this unlikely event, we will keep you posted.

WAITING LIST

At the end of each term we ask all current members if they’ll be returning for another term. They get priority. Once we’ve heard from them, we then know how many free spaces there are and we start to fill those via the waiting list.

If you’re on the list, you’ll hear from us near the start of each term to keep you updated and also occasionally to let you know about our holiday workshops and productions.

We are often asked how long the Waiting List is and it’s always a very hard thing to answer accurately. Any available spaces are for exact ages and sometimes gender specific, therefore sometimes people are offered places before those above them on the Waiting list, as they fit the criteria for that particular place.

LIABILITY

HCTG is fully insured and our staff are all DBS checked/approved. However….

We do not accept liability for death or personal injury to any child attending save to the extent that such death or injury shall be caused by the negligence or default of any member of our staff or any other default on our part.

Without prejudice to the above provisions, we do not accept any responsibility for your child until there has been a conscious handover of your child by you or your carer which is accepted by a member of our staff. This means that you must witness your child being acknowledged and ticked into the class. For the avoidance of doubt, we do not accept responsibility for children left at the main entrance of venues or who enter on their own from outside any building or space that we hire.

We do not accept responsibility for any loss of, or damage to, personal property belonging to you or your child irrespective of whether such possessions might be used by you or the child for the purposes of any HCTG activity save to the extent that such loss or damage shall be caused by the negligence or default of any member of our staff or any other default on our part.

It is your responsibility to ensure that we have current contact details for you and all adults authorised to pick up your child. You must also keep us appraised of any changes in the health or other relevant circumstances of you or your child.

No provision of these Terms and Conditions shall operate or be construed to operate so as to exclude or restrict our liability under the provisions of any UK legislation in force from time to time which are not capable of being excluded or restricted.