Terms & Conditions

Beacon Reading – Terms & Conditions For Online Tutoring

By booking and paying for services provided by Beacon Reading, you confirm that you have read, accepted and agree to these Terms & Conditions. These Terms form the agreement between Beacon Reading and you, the parent or carer of the child receiving tuition.

 

My aim is to make reading support positive, effective and enjoyable for every child.

 

1. About Beacon Reading and Our Agreement

Beacon Reading provides specialist online phonics and reading tuition for children through small-group and individual sessions.

Email: ali@beaconreading.co.uk
Website: www.beaconreading.co.uk

These Terms & Conditions, together with the Beacon Reading Privacy Policy and Safeguarding Policy, form our agreement with you.

 

2. Services

Beacon Reading provides online tutoring sessions, normally delivered via Zoom.

For online sessions, your child will need:

  • a suitable laptop, computer or tablet;

  • a stable internet connection and working microphone and camera; and

  • ideally, a whiteboard and pen or paper and pencil, although these are not essential.

Teaching is planned according to each child's needs and progress and may include phonics, decoding, word reading, fluency, vocabulary, reading comprehension and spelling strategies.

I will work to the best of my ability to support your child's reading and spelling development. However, every child learns at a different rate and specific outcomes, assessment results or rates of progress cannot be guaranteed.

 

3. Tutor Responsibilities

I agree to:

  • confirm the time, frequency and duration of your child's sessions;

  • plan and deliver tuition appropriate to your child's assessed needs;

  • discuss your child's learning and the structure of tuition with you;

  • keep you informed about your child's progress;

  • give as much notice as reasonably possible if I need to change or cancel a session;

  • maintain appropriate professional boundaries;

  • follow Beacon Reading's safeguarding procedures; and

  • provide tuition in a professional, supportive and encouraging environment.

If Beacon Reading has to cancel a session, the session will be rearranged or credited and you will not be charged for tuition that Beacon Reading has been unable to provide.

 

4. Parent/Carer and Student Responsibilities

You agree to:

  • ensure your child joins sessions on time and is ready to learn;

  • provide a suitable device, internet connection, camera and microphone;

  • provide a suitable environment in which your child can participate safely and concentrate;

  • be available or contactable as appropriate for your child's age;

  • help younger children with technology where necessary;

  • ensure your child behaves appropriately and does not disrupt group sessions;

  • respect the privacy and confidentiality of other children and families participating in group sessions;

  • not record, photograph, copy or share tutoring sessions without prior permission from Beacon Reading; and

  • communicate with Beacon Reading on your child's behalf rather than encouraging your child to contact their tutor independently outside sessions.

 

I encourage parents and carers to sit with their child during sessions where possible, particularly for younger children. As well as helping with any technical difficulties, this gives you an opportunity to become familiar with the teaching methods and language used during sessions so that you can support your child's reading in the same way between sessions.

 

5. Attendance, Rescheduling and Cancellations

a) Group Sessions

Group sessions take place at the scheduled time and continue when individual children are absent.

Your child's place in their group is reserved for them. Because the session goes ahead whether or not an individual child attends, missed group sessions are not normally rearranged, refunded or credited.

If your child misses a group session, I will provide information about what was covered and, where appropriate, activities or resources to help them catch up.

If your child is unable to attend, please let me know where possible so that I know not to expect them.

If Beacon Reading has to cancel a group session, a replacement session or credit will be provided.

b) Individual Sessions

If you need to cancel or rearrange an individual session, please give at least 24 hours' notice.

With at least 24 hours' notice, the session can normally be rearranged or credited.

Where less than 24 hours' notice is given, or your child does not attend, the session will normally be charged in full because that time has been reserved specifically for your child.

If Beacon Reading has to cancel an individual session, a replacement session or credit will be provided.

c) Ending Tuition

Ongoing tuition may be ended at any time by contacting Beacon Reading before your next four-week payment is due.

No further payment will then be taken and your child's regular place will end at the conclusion of the period for which you have already paid.

You are not required to commit to another four-week period.

If tuition comes to a natural end because your child has achieved their learning goals or no longer requires support, the arrangement will end accordingly.

Beacon Reading may also end tuition where there is a reasonable need to do so, for example where continuing tuition is no longer appropriate, payments in advance have not been made, or behaviour is seriously or repeatedly affecting the learning or wellbeing of others. Wherever reasonably possible, I will discuss this with you first.

d) Consumer Cancellation Rights

If you enter into your tuition agreement online, you will normally have a legal right to cancel the agreement within 14 days of entering into it, without giving a reason.

If you would like tuition to begin during this 14-day cancellation period, you will be asked to expressly request that Beacon Reading begins providing tuition before the cancellation period has ended.

If tuition has begun at your request and you subsequently exercise your statutory cancellation right, you may be required to pay for the tuition that has already been provided up to the point at which you cancel. Any remaining amount due to you will be refunded in accordance with your statutory rights.

You can exercise your cancellation right by emailing ali@beaconreading.co.uk with a clear statement that you wish to cancel. You do not have to give a reason.

A model cancellation form will also be provided, although you do not have to use it.

Nothing in these Terms & Conditions affects your statutory consumer rights.

 

6. Lateness

Group Sessions

Please join group sessions on time wherever possible. Joining significantly late can be disruptive to the other children and may mean that your child has missed important teaching.

If your child is more than 10 minutes late, it may not be possible to admit them to the session. The session will still be charged because their place in the group has been reserved.

Individual Sessions

If your child is late for an individual session, I will wait for up to 10 minutes where possible.

After 10 minutes, the session may be treated as a missed session and charged in full as that time had been reserved for your child. A late start will not normally extend the scheduled finishing time.

If I am late to a session, I will make up the lost teaching time or arrange an appropriate alternative.

 

7. Payments

Tuition is paid four weeks in advance.

Payment will normally be taken automatically every four weeks using the payment method agreed when tuition is arranged.

Before ongoing tuition begins, you will be told:

  • the cost of your child's tuition;

  • the frequency and duration of their sessions;

  • the amount that will be taken every four weeks; and

  • when payments will be taken.

Your child's regular place will continue from one four-week period to the next unless you choose to end tuition.

You may stop future payments and end tuition by contacting Beacon Reading before the next payment is due. There is no additional cancellation fee for ending tuition in this way.

Sessions must be paid for in advance. If payment cannot be collected or remains outstanding, tuition may be paused until payment has been received.

Payments are made in GBP through the payment system specified by Beacon Reading.

If fees change, you will be given reasonable notice before the new price takes effect. You will be free to end tuition before the new price applies.

 

8. Holidays and Planned Breaks

Beacon Reading offers tuition during school holidays as well as term time.

Group Tuition

Group sessions continue during school holidays unless Beacon Reading informs you that there will be a planned break.

If your child will be away, please let me know. Their place in the group will remain reserved and the missed session will still form part of the paid four-week period.

I will provide information about what was covered and, where appropriate, activities or resources to help your child catch up.

Individual Tuition

Individual tuition can be paused for planned holidays or breaks.

Please give as much notice as possible if you know your child will be unavailable. Sessions affected by an agreed planned break will not be treated as late cancellations and will not be charged.

I will try to retain your child's usual individual session time during a planned break, although a particular time cannot be guaranteed following an extended absence.

9. Progress Updates

I will keep you informed about your child's progress and the areas being taught.

Progress updates may include information about:

  • your child's strengths;

  • areas that require further teaching or practice;

  • progress since their starting point;

  • current teaching priorities; and

  • ways you can support reading at home.

Where I believe your child may benefit from additional or different support, I will discuss this with you.

If you would like a more detailed discussion about your child's progress, please contact me so that we can arrange a suitable time.

 

10. Safeguarding

Safeguarding is a priority at Beacon Reading.

I hold a current Enhanced DBS certificate and undertake appropriate safeguarding training.

Communication relating to tuition will take place with parents or carers rather than directly with children outside tutoring sessions.

Parents and carers remain responsible for providing an appropriate and safe environment for online tuition and should be available or contactable as appropriate for their child's age.

If a safeguarding concern arises, I will follow Beacon Reading's safeguarding procedures and, where necessary, contact the appropriate safeguarding services or authorities.

Further information about Beacon Reading's safeguarding procedures is set out in the Beacon Reading Safeguarding Policy.

 

11. Data Protection

Personal information will be collected, stored and used only where necessary to provide and administer Beacon Reading services, meet legal or safeguarding responsibilities, or where you have otherwise given permission.

Personal information will not be sold.

Further information about how personal data is used, stored and retained is set out in the Beacon Reading Privacy Policy.

 

12. Resources and Intellectual Property

Resources and materials provided by Beacon Reading are for the personal educational use of your child and family unless otherwise stated.

Beacon Reading materials must not be copied, recorded, distributed, published or sold without permission.

Some materials used during tuition may be provided under licence by third-party educational publishers or services and remain the intellectual property of their respective owners.

 

13. Technology and Online Sessions

Beacon Reading will take reasonable steps to provide reliable online tuition.

Occasionally, sessions may be affected by internet, power, software or equipment problems.

If a significant technical problem at Beacon Reading's end prevents tuition from taking place, the affected teaching time will be rearranged or credited.

If a technical problem at the student's end prevents them from accessing a session, I will do my best to help where practical. Whether the session can be rearranged or credited will depend on the circumstances and the type of session.

 

14. Changes to Services, Fees or These Terms

These Terms & Conditions may occasionally be updated.

Changes will not normally alter the terms applying to a period of tuition you have already paid for.

If there is a material change to tuition arrangements or fees, you will be told in advance and will have the opportunity to end ongoing tuition before the change takes effect.

Changes required by law or for safeguarding reasons may need to take effect sooner.

 

15. Concerns and Contact

I want families to feel comfortable raising any questions or concerns about their child's tuition.

If you are dissatisfied with any aspect of the service, please contact me in the first instance so that I have the opportunity to discuss the issue with you and try to resolve it.

 

For questions, cancellations, payment queries or other matters relating to your child's tuition, please contact:

Beacon Reading
Email: ali@beaconreading.co.uk
Website: www.beaconreading.co.uk

By booking and paying for Beacon Reading services, you confirm that you have read and agree to these Terms & Conditions.