Terms and Conditions
Our Agreement With You:
Your agreement with O'Tooles shall be considered to be in affect upon receipt of your completed booking form and payment. We will thereafter include confirmation of the booking online via your online account or in writing and all relevant information to you prior to the start of the related term or activity.
1. Bookings
We require all places on O'Tooles courses to be booked prior to the course commencing to ensure correct staff-to-children ratios are met. Registration on the day may be accepted depending on the availability of places but we cannot guarantee a place so please have alternative arrangements ready.
Renewals for the next term take place approximately four to six weeks before the current term ends.
In making a renewal you are reserving a place on the next course and not a specific time. However, we will endeavour to keep your slot as close to your current time as possible.
Your lesson day and time will be confirmed one week prior to the end of the current term. If you have not received confirmation at this point it is the customer's responsibility to contact the support office and ask for confirmation.
Bookings are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis and must be accompanied by full payment of the course fee. Any bookings received without payment will not be deemed valid until payment is received in full. We are unable to reserve places.
2. Changing, Moving and Cancelling Lessons
We always try to be as flexible as possible within our operational constraints.
a) During the booking process you can request to change your lesson time, day, or pool and we will endeavour to accommodate your request subject to a space being available.
3. Payment
O'Tooles accepts the following forms of payment: paypal, debit and credit cards selected childcare vouchers, postal order and cash. O'Tooles does not accept post-dated cheques. Please note if customers wish to pay by credit card there will be a 2% fee added.
4. Cancellations By O'Tooles
O'Tooles pool sessions and teachers are contracted for the term in advance. We are therefore unable to refund any monies for sessions missed because of general illness to either parent/guardian or child, holidays confirmed prior to or taken during the term or for missed sessions because of late arrival or non-attendance (voluntary withdrawal).
5. Cancellation of a FULL course by O'Tooles
Should it be necessary for O'Tooles to cancel a course in its entirety, you will be offered a full refund or a place on the same or similar course at a later date.
6. Cancellations Due to 'Circumstances Beyond Our Control'
There maybe circumstances beyond our control and contemplation, in which the pool might not be available for O'Tooles session(s). Examples of these circumstances include (but are not limited to) damage to the pool, severe weather conditions, power failures, industrial action. Such circumstances are referred to as ''Force Majeure''. In such a case no refund will be issued.
Where reasonably possible O'Tooles will try and include an additional lesson during half term breaks or school holiday periods. However this can be in no way guaranteed.
7. Cancellation and Refund Policy on Receipt of Your Allocated Time.
You will receive notification regarding details of the forthcoming term prior to the start of the term. If you wish to cancel the next terms booking you must do so within 7 days of this notification. The published dates for notification of class allocation can be found at http://www.otooles.co.uk/ under the Dates and Times section.
If you would like to cancel after the 7 day period or once the course has started we will only issue refunds if we are able to fill your place/places with a new pupil. This must be made in writing. You will then receive a refund for remaining weeks taken by the new pupil.
When cancelling a course of intensive lessons refunds will only be issued if the office is notified within two weeks of the start of the course.
When booking a space at our Holiday Activity Camp parents are to be aware of our two week cancellation policy. O'Tooles will only be able to refund fees for Holiday Activities if we are notified in writing two weeks prior to the start date.
8. Returned payments
Payments returned by the bank are subject to bank charges of £5.00
O'Tooles does not accept any liability for bank charges you may incur if a post-dated cheque is processed. Due to the high volume of payments received, the responsibility rests firmly with the customer to ensure all payments are valid at the time of booking.
9. Half Terms, School Holidays and Bank Holidays
Occasionally lessons occasionally run in half-term breaks, school holidays and bank holidays. If lessons are run over a holiday period we will be unable to offer refunds or credits for any missed lessons.
10. Time Change Due to Circumstance Beyond Our Control
We reserve the right to change your existing class time due to reasons beyond our control.
11. Late collection fee for Holiday Activities Scheme
O'Tooles reserves the right to charge additional fees for late collection of children during holiday activities at a rate of £3.00 per child for every period of 15 minutes that elapses after the appointed collection time.
12. Arrival for Holiday Activity Scheme
Parents/guardians should ensure children arrive no earlier than 15 minutes before the designated start time for the day/session. We are unable to take responsibility for children who arrive earlier.
13. Departure for Holiday Activity Scheme
Parents/guardians should arrive at least five minutes before the designated end time for the day/session. No child will be able to leave the premises without a parent/guardian unless written notification is received before the start of course detailing suitable alternative arrangements.
14. Behavioural Standards and Exclusion
O'Tooles expects all children to behave at all times in a manner that is acceptable to both fellow children and O'Tooles staff. O'Tooles reserves the right to exclude a child from the course where he/she fails to maintain the required standard. Such failure shall include, but not be limited to, racial, sexual, verbal or physical bullying of a fellow child or member of staff. Transportation of the child home will be the responsibility of the parent/guardian, and no refund or credit will be issued.
15. Course Structure
In order to maintain a consistent service delivery all O'Tooles employees undertake a comprehensive induction and training programme.
O'Tooles recognise that course progression is improved with consistent instruction. In order to obtain this O'Tooles have developed a ‘Key Standards Framework' that all instructors and staff work towards.
O'Tooles will endeavour to try and keep pupils with the same instructors. Unfortunately O'Tooles cannot guarantee that pupils attending course will have the same instructor each term.
16. Medical information
EpiPen guidelines
O'Tooles staff are not qualified to administer EpiPens. However, they are permitted to do so if we receive written permission from the parent/guardian. The parent/guardian must state in the letter that permission is given to administer the EpiPen but that they fully understand that staff may not be qualified to do so and that they (the parent/guardian) accept full responsibility.
Medical conditions and allergies
The parent/guardian must state on the booking form any medical condition or allergies their child has, or any relevant background information that O'Tooles staff need to be aware of while their child is attending an O'Tooles course.
Medication
The parent/guardian must give written consent for the administration by O'Tooles staff of prescribed medication.
17. Child protection
O'Tooles staff have a duty to act if they suspect a child in their care may be suffering from abuse or if a child makes a disclosure about abuse. In such an event, the member of staff will follow the Child Protection Policy as detailed in our policies and procedures.
18. Lost Property
Please ensure children do not bring valuable toys or belongings when attending O'Tooles courses. O'Tooles cannot accept liability for lost, stolen or damaged items. Please ensure clothing and other belongings are clearly labelled with the child's name to help us return unclaimed items. Lost property will be kept at the office or at the pool for a period of three weeks after the end of the course. If items are still unclaimed after this period, O'Tooles will distribute them to local charities.
19. Photography (No photographs are to be taken during swimming lessons)
From time to time we take photographs at our courses that may be used for marketing and promotional purposes. If you would rather your child was not included in any photographs, we must be informed either at the time of booking or in writing before the start of the course.
20. Liability
O'Tooles does not accept liability for sickness, personal injury or death of any participants unless directly caused by the proven negligence of the company or its servants. Organisers providing the facility and their servants are under no liability whatsoever in respect of personal injuries, loss or damage to property whilst attending any
O'Tooles course.
21. Insurance
Participants are covered by our Public Liability Insurance.
22. Policies and procedures
O'Tooles course policies and procedures will be available to view at each venue.
23. Complaints
O'Tooles is fully committed to delivering the highest standards of teaching, coaching and childcare to the community. We aim to ensure every child has a fantastic experience of any O'Tooles course and they cannot wait to come back. If you or your child are not entirely satisfied with the service we provide, we would like to hear about it. If we are aware of any problem while your child is still attending a course, we can aim to resolve this at an early stage. You can be assured that any complaint will be taken very seriously.
In the first instance, the complaint should be made to the duty manager or course tutor, who will look into the matter. If you feel the response to the complaint is not acceptable or you would like to take the grievance further, the complaint should be made in writing and addressed to:
The Director,
O'Tooles
Heathfield School
London Road
Ascot
Berkshire
SL5 8BQ
24. Changes of Terms and Conditions
Terms and Conditions are correct at the time of publication/issue and are subject to change without prior notice.
