Policies
This Policy and Procedure document outlines the policies in place at Happy Feet Dance Studios, the responsibilities that Happy Feet Dance Studios undertakes as well as the responsibilities undertaken by parents/ guardians/ carers/ pupils.
Happy Feet Dance Studios may change this policy from time to time by updating the website page. This policy is effective from 9th October 2008.
Updated on the 27th July 2023
Parent/Guardian Responsibilities
The responsibility lies with the parent/guardian to keep Happy Feet Dance Studios updated in writing with any vital information regarding the students personal, contact and medical information etc. and to complete a new registration form if or when appropriate. A copy of emergency numbers is kept on the register, this must be kept up to date.
Students will be supervised during class time only and parents/guardians must ensure the safety of their children in the waiting and toilet areas. Children must not be left unsupervised before or after their class.
The responsibility lies with the parent/guardian as to the fitness of the student to attend class and you must inform Happy Feet Dance Studios if the student has an injury or medical condition.
It is important that teachers are aware of any learning difficulties the student may have in order to provide the best possible teaching methods.
Parents/guardians must inform Happy Feet Dance Studios of any allergies or health conditions and should inform us of any actions to be taken.
If you leave your child with us during the lesson it is the parent/guardians responsibility to ensure that a contact number provided is valid for the duration of the lesson.
Parents/guardians understand that in the unlikely event that the building needs to be evacuated (i.e. fire or other alarms going off) it is the teachers responsibility to guide the students to the arranged meeting point where a register must be taken before students are permitted to leave.
Any other persons waiting in the building are to make their own way from the building using the nearest fire door (which may not be the same as the students). If any other children not attending classes are in the building, they are the responsibility of the accompanying adult.
It is the nature of dance teaching that sometimes it is necessary for the teachers to have physical contact with the student, to help them gain understanding of where the body should be or where they should feel a certain stretch to aid correct positioning and posture. It is your responsibility to ensure that the dance teacher is made aware if no such consent is given in the physical aiding of pupils. It is also your responsibility to ensure that Happy Feet Dance Studios is made aware if members of staff are not allowed to assist students under 6 years old to the toilet if an accompanying adult is not available.
Happy Feet Dance Studios Responsibilities
A copy of the students emergency number will be kept on the register (However, it is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to ensure this is kept up to date).
In case the building needs to be evacuated (i.e. fire or other alarms going off) all teachers have a clear understanding of their responsibilities. The teachers will guide the students to the arranged meeting point where a register will be called before students are permitted to leave.
It is the schools responsibility to keep a fully equipped First aid box and cold packs are available for use together with other first aid equipment. In case of an incident – an accident/incident report must be made.
All personal data will be held in line with the Happy Feet Dance Studios Privacy Policy which can be found on our website or a hard copy can be requested.
Consent
In the event of a medical emergency where a parent/guardian cannot be contacted the parent/guardian authorises Happy Feet Dance Studios to seek medical advice for the child.
In the event of a medical emergency the parent/guardian authorises Happy Feet Dance Studios to administer first aid.
If required the school will contact the emergency services first, then the parent/guardian of the student(s) involved by the telephone number on the class registers.
Parents/guardians understand that dance is as active an engagement as any sport, and whilst every effort is made to avoid them, injuries can happen. Happy Feet Dance Studios accepts no responsibility for injuries sustained via any means.
Consent is required for the students to have photographs and videos taken while at Happy Feet Dance Studios. These images are used externally on our website, advertising posters and on social media and to produce a DVD of our shows. Please note we never use the student’s full names in any photos/videos we use.
During Lessons
Please ensure all young children have been to the toilet before the lesson starts.
Pupils should not wear any jewellery that may pose a risk to themselves or others (stud earrings, and jewellery worn for religious or cultural reasons are acceptable).
Please ensure that the elastics on the students ballet shoes are securely sewn and neither too loose nor too tight.
Parents/guardians are not permitted in the class studios, we ask that all parents/guardians please use the waiting areas provided or leave the premises.
Correct footwear must be worn within classes. New starters have a few weeks trial before needing to purchase these.
Water is permitted in sports bottles.
Students will be kind and considerate to all other students.
Safeguarding
Happy Feet Dance Studios is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children and expects all staff, visitors and parents to share this commitment.
It is every dance school's statutory responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, as outlined by the DFE in its publication Keeping Children Safe in Education.
This means that the dance school must protect children from maltreatment, prevent impairment of children’s health or development, ensure that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provisions of safe and effective care and take action to enable all children to have the best outcomes in life. Our safeguarding officer is Nicola Liddle (Owned) and our deputy is Georgia Paxton.
At Happy Feet Dance Studios we ensure that all members of staff and visitors who come into contact with the children and their families are clear on the role that they play in safeguarding children. We promote an ethos where children and parents feel comfortable sharing their concerns about their safety and well being of others.
Child protection is everybody’s responsibility and all people in the dance school community have a duty to act on any concern. If you are concerned about the safety of any child in our dance school, you must report this to the designated safeguarding leads - Nicola Liddle.
If you are concerned about the conduct of an instructor or a volunteer in our dance school, you must contact the Owner - Nicola Liddle.
Photographs must not be taken (or recordings made) whilst on site unless authorised by the dance school to do so.
Visitors Procedures (not related to the drop off and collection of pupils)
All visitors (excluding class attendees and parents/guardians) must sign in at reception.
All visitors will be asked to remain under the supervision of a designated member of staff whilst on site.
All visitors (excluding class attendees and parents/guardians) must sign out at the reception before leaving the site.
Child protection policy
Happy Feet Dance Studios fully recognises its responsibilities for child protection.
Our policy applies to all teachers and staff working in the school. There are three main elements to our policy:
1. Ensuring we practice safe recruitment in checking the suitability of potential staff to work with children – this is achieved by running a DBS (formerly CRB) check against all new teachers.
2. Raising awareness of child protection issues and equipping children with the skills needed to keep them safe.
3. Establishing a safe environment in which children can learn and develop.
The school will endeavor to:
– Establish and maintain an environment where children feel secure, are encouraged to talk and are listened to.
– Ensure children know that there are adults in the school whom they can approach if they are worried.
This policy applies to both children under 18 years and vulnerable adults.
Happy Feet Dance Studios has a duty of care to safeguard all children from harm whilst involved in tuition, practice and performance during the time they are in class under supervision.
The Happy Feet Dance Studios Child Protection Policy is to follow good practice guidelines. These guidelines cover physical injury, sexual abuse, emotional abuse and staff are made aware of their responsibilities which include avoiding unnecessary physical contact and/or private or unobserved situations.
Included in our registration form will be a disclaimer for all parents/guardians/carers to give their permission for photographs and/or video recordings to be taken from time to time by school staff or appointed professionals for promotional material for the school and social media. If any parent/guardian/carer objects to this, it is their responsibility to ensure that the owner is made aware. If you require a change to this, it is your responsibility to ensure that the principal is made aware.
Behaviour Policy
Standards of Behaviour expected: All members of the dance school community are expected to:
– be responsible for their own actions and to know how to behave.
– show self-discipline and support others.
– have good manners and be polite.
– show understanding and respect towards each other and others’ property.
– display positive attitudes to school and work which emphasises high standards.
Occasionally, parents need to be more directly involved and we believe that by working closely with pupils and parents we can achieve positive results.
Happy Feet Dance Studios staff are responsible for modelling good behaviour and having high expectations of all children with regard to their behaviour. The studio environment gives clear messages to the children about the extent to which they and their efforts are valued. Resources should be arranged to promote independent learning and minimise disruption.
Praise should be used to encourage good behaviour as well as good work.
Anti-bullying Policy
Here at Happy Feet Dance Studios we do not tolerate bullying of any kind and it is expected that parents will support Happy Feet Dance Studios in encouraging their children to show respect and support Happy Feet Dance Studios authority when disciplining its pupils. Any incident of apparent bullying is investigated. DfE guidance defines bullying as “actions that are meant to be hurtful and which happen on a regular basis. Bullying can be direct or indirect.”
At Happy Feet Dance Studios we are committed to working with staff, pupils, parents and carers to create and maintain a happy, family friendly atmosphere where all forms of bullying will not be tolerated, including when bullying is motivated by prejudice or negative attitudes towards a person’s race, religion, nationality, ethnicity, disability, gender, gender identity and sexual orientation (LGBT).
Happy Feet Dance Studio’s anti-bullying policy has been developed with due regard for our duties and obligations under existing legislation for the safeguarding and wellbeing of all our pupils and we will take all steps to ensure their safety.
Happy Feet Dance Studio aims to build a feeling of confidence in children and parents so that they know that all reports or suspicions of bullying will be investigated.
Happy Feet Dance Studios aims to equip children with the skills, attitudes and values that will prepare them for adult life. Children who exhibit bullying behaviour may carry it into adult life. Prevention of bullying in order to avoid bullying. Happy Feet Dance Studios aims to establish a positive approach to behaviour.
Equal Opportunities Policy
Happy Feet Dance Studios actively promotes diversity and equal opportunity in all aspects of its work and seeks to prevent discrimination against any individual or group within Happy Feet Dance Studios, on the grounds of racial/ethnic heritages, religious or political belief, socio- economic and marital status, physical attributes, disablement, gender, sexual orientation and age.
Disabilities Policy
Happy Feet Dance Studios recognises that it has clear obligations towards all its students to ensure that they are all afford the opportunity to realize their full potential.
Happy Feet Dance Studios tries to anticipate the needs of all students who join with a disability or special need, or who become impaired during their course of study. The aim is that no one should be disadvantaged in any way.
If students have impairment, or have special requirements, they are encouraged to inform us as soon as possible (usually on the registration form). We rely on the parents/student to tell us what is needed. This will give us time to check that we can meet particular needs or, if not, make sure that suitable provision is in place by the time that student arrives. This policy embraces the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.
Health and Safety Policy
Happy Feet Dance Studios aims to keep the working environment clean, tidy and free from hazards. Our teachers endeavour to conduct dance classes in a safe and proper manner, encouraging good warm-up and cool-down practices and supplementing the syllabus exercises by keeping abreast of the most up to date thinking in dance/sport medicine.
First Aid
Happy Feet Dance Studios will comply with the requirements of the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981.
First aid boxes are located in the kitchen of Happy Feet Dance Studios and checked on a monthly basis by Nicola Liddle and where necessary the contents are replenished.
Fire Risk Assessment
Fire Risk Assessments have been completed for the premises which gives details of the controls in place in order to minimise risk to life in the event of fire (this can requested as a hard copy). All teachers are instructed on the action to be taken in the event of a fire or other emergency. All teachers will be fully conversant with procedures for fire prevention, detection and evacuation.
Risk Assessments
It is Happy Feet Dance Studios’s policy that formal written risk assessments will be undertaken prior to commencement of any work, which is potentially harmful to health. All risk assessments can be found on our website or you can request a hard copy.
Data Protection Act
Happy Feet Dance Studios keeps paper records of pupils on a database file. We will not share any of your personal details without your permission, aside from where the law allows. This complies with the Data Protection Act 1998.
Browsing our website
By simply browsing our site, we do not collect any personally-identifiable information about you.
Emailing us or enquiring about a class
If you email us, you will share with us certain information. This will include your email address and could also include your name, your child’s name, their date of birth and any other details you tell us within the message. Only key members of our staff can read these messages and we will only use the details you provide to enable us to fulfil your request (for example, giving you details about a suitable class).
Registering your child
If you register your child for our classes, we will collect personal information about you and your child. This will include your name, your email address and phone number as well as your child’s name, their date of birth, their school year, the date they started classes, if they have any needs or conditions we should be aware of (for example allergies, disabilities or any medication they might need to take whilst dancing). We store this information securely and only key members of staff have access to it. We use the information to provide our services to you, keep you informed, and help us tailor our services better to the needs of our customers. We DO NOT share your details with any third party companies.