Terms & Conditions

Tuition Terms & Conditions - Biosheps Tuition - Updated August 2024

Session Logistics

Term Dates: Group tuition only runs during school term times (following Hampshire school terms). Many group students then book "one off" 1:1 booster sessions or revision courses during the holidays as revision for upcoming mock exams, assessments and final exams. 1:1 tuition continues throughout school holidays at the family's discretion. For 1:1 tuition, I will book you a protected weekly slot. Although I can often accommodate occasional changes to these slots, please be aware this may not be possible during term time. Currently weekly slots are only available Monday-Thursday. During school holidays, there is more flexibility for daytime sessions etc so students may wish to change slots during this time to fit around their schedules. If I am unavailable for a regular session, I will give you at least a fortnight's notice and offer an alternative date.

Timekeeping: Please ensure students arrive promptly for tuition, in-person and/or online. I deliberately schedule a 10 minute break between sessions to allow for any overrunning of the previous (sometimes you can't stop in the middle of an explanation or question!) but time is otherwise tight. Wherever possible, I will try to accommodate late arrivals to ensure 60 minutes of tuition but this is not always possible. Responsibility lies with the student. If a student has not turned up for tuition within 15 minutes of the allotted time, the session is forfeited and will be charged fully. Where I am travelling to a student for in-person tuition, I will do my best to give prior warning should I be late due to unforeseen circumstances e.g. extreme traffic.

Cancellation policy

Student Cancellations: I understand that sometimes circumstances change and you may need to cancel a session due to severe illness or emergencies. If you need to cancel a session, please give me a minimum of 24 hours advance notice. Wherever possible, with advance notice, I will try to reschedule the session and if this cannot be arranged, a refund will be issued. If you cancel with less than 24 hours’ notice, Biosheps (Caroline Shepherd) reserves the right to charge you for the full session. Repeated cancellation or late payment will result in termination of the tutoring contract.

Tutor Cancellations: In the rare event that I have to cancel tuition, I will endeavour to give as much notice as possible and provide alternative dates to reschedule. If less than 24 hours notice is given due to emergency or illness and no alternative dates are suitable, I will offer a full refund. I may have scheduled holiday dates throughout the term and will inform you of these at least 2 weeks ahead of time. I avoid taking time off during peak exam seasons and usually take a longer holiday in March, allowing me to work throughout Easter.

Group Tuition: If a child can’t make a group session but still wishes to access the recording, resources and feedback from me, they can do so with a £5 reduction in fees.

Cancelling Ongoing Tuition Contracts: This tutoring contract may be terminated by either party at any time. As a courtesy, I ask for 1 week's notice for cancellation - over email or message is fine.

Payment:

Payment: Payment is required in advance for all tutoring sessions initially. We may then, after 1 month, switch to a once monthly invoice. This will be issued in the middle of the month. Payment should be made online via my secure portal, using your tutorbird account, via BACs or in cash. I use Stripe to process online payments - a fast, reliable and secure online payment portal - and I use Tutorbird to invoice clients and track payments. You can be invoiced on a session-by-session weekly or monthly basis.

Refund policy: As per the cancellation policy above, refunds will only be issued in the unlikely case of not being able to reschedule tuition and only if adequate notice is given. I try to be as understanding and accommodating as possible to avoid students missing sessions and/or parents incurring costs.

In Person Sessions:

Travel expenses: If you choose to have an in-person session, we will travel to a convenient location of your choice. Usually this is clients homes. Please ensure that the location is safe and appropriate for tutoring - see my safeguarding rules. If the location is more than 15 minutes away from my home in Ringwood, you will be charged for travel expenses at a rate of £8 per 10 mins travel. Alternatively, the student can join me in my home however please be aware I have a large (but calm) dog.

Location: Please ensure we have a clean table or desk to work at in a communal space (see safeguarding guidelines below). Tuition is most productive in a quiet space with minimal distractions and disturbances.

Resources: I will bring all relevant resources and materials with me. However, students are expected to bring their own basic equipment such as a pen, pencil, ruler, scientific calculator and paper. Most students also find highlighters useful.

Online Sessions:

Accessing Sessions: All sessions are scheduled over Zoom. Students will receive links and resources around 48 hours prior to the lesson. Tuition is best with a larger screen, such as on a laptop. It can also work very well to have another device, such as a phone or iPad nearby for group activities (such as Kahoot quizzes) or to connect to the meeting to send pictures of work.

Technical Issues: For online sessions, it is the student’s responsibility to provide a suitable internet connection and a device to use for tutoring. I will try and accommodate minor technical issues wherever possible however I am not responsible for any technical issues that may arise during the session due to the student’s internet or device. I would recommend doing regular checks that your device, connection and zoom are working and to log on at least 10 minutes prior to the start of the session to allow time for troubleshooting.

Resources: Please ensure pupils have basic equipment, such as a pen, pencil, scientific calculator and paper/word document if needed. A microphone and camera are desirable but not essential (however please bear in mind that limited progress can be made with minimal contribution). Pupils may wish to print lesson resources prior to the lesson (they follow sessions and are perfect to annotate as we go) but this isn't a necessity.

Recordings: Please be aware that group sessions are recorded for students that can’t attend live. There will be no video of your child or full name shared online but I may use your child’s first name in the audio, to be shared with other group students. Masterclass sessions are recorded and may be available for purchase but no identifying information for your child will be present.

Safeguarding Policy:

I hold a full, enhanced DBS check and update my safeguarding training each year with the NSPCC and the Qualified Tutor membership.

Any student/s under the age of 18 requesting a tuition service must have parental or a legal guardian’s permission to do so.

Please ensure a safe and communal study area for both online and in-person sessions: this should NOT be a bedroom and doors should remain unlocked & ajar.

It is expected that parents/guardians are at home during tuition.

I use a secure Zoom portal with a waiting room function. Nobody will be admitted other than the student's due to attend the group so please ensure your Zoom name matches the student name.

Warranties & Disclaimer:

Biosheps tutoring services are meant to supplement, not replace, classroom instruction. I will always try my hardest to promote academic success (as well as the increase in confidence, study skills and exam technique that tutoring brings). However, I make no guarantees or warranties regarding the Student’s future academic performance or exam success. I cannot garuantee particular grades or an increase in grade achieved. The Tutor warrants that all information given to the Client (via Biosheps or otherwise) whether prior to or during the provision of the services is true and accurate in all respects. The Tutor has represented that she is skilled to teach the subjects as per the Curriculum Vitae provided to the business and the Client. Any breach of this clause shall entitle the Client to terminate the Tutor’s Services immediately. We respect your privacy, and all information shared during tutoring sessions will be kept confidential. We do reserve the right to contact parents, guardians if we feel that there is a safety concern. We are not responsible or liable for any damages or injuries that may occur during an in-person session. We are also not responsible for any technical issues that may arise during an online session.

Obligations

Obligations of the Tutor: The Tutor agrees to do all preparation prior to lessons and to structure lessons in such a way as to optimise time to the benefit of the Student. The Tutor shall keep confidential all information of the Student and shall contact other parties involved in the education of the Student only if given written permission by the Student/Parent to do so. Names and images of students will be kept confidential unless given express written permission to be shared e.g. on social media. The Tutor shall at no time be required or obliged to execute homework, coursework or assignments on behalf of the Student.

Obligations of the Student: The Student agrees to assist the Tutor in identifying problem areas in which the Student needs specific tutoring. The Student agrees that assignments, exercises or homework form an integral part of tutoring and undertakes to complete such work. The Student will have all the necessary books, folders and any other relevant materials ready prior to the lesson starting to ensure a prompt start. The student agrees to contribute fully to lessons, including answering questions from the teacher. The student agrees to communicate fully