Terms & Conditions
Contract of Sale
Completion of our booking process and making a deposit or full payment constitutes your understanding and acceptance of our terms and conditions and thus forms your contract with The Clay Studio.
Payment
Classes are paid for termly and we do require you to commit to a whole term of classes. Payment of the full class, workshop or course fees is made in advance and should be made at the time of placing a booking. It is not normally possible to attend unless full payment has been received.
However, we are flexible and are happy to make concessions. Please discuss with Eunice Locher if you will struggle to pay for the term in advance and to agree a special arrangement.
We accept payment by Cash, Card, BACS, PayPal or Cheque. For BACS payments, please pay into this account:
Sort Code: 55-70-13
Account Number: 82661251
Weekly class fees includes tuition and refreshments but does not include materials and firing costs. This is subject to an extra charge, which covers the cost of electricity, clay and glazes. Weekend workshops do often include materials and firing costs.
Missing Weekly Classes
Sometimes serious unavoidable illnesses, accidents, health-related appointments, parent’s evenings, funerals and emergencies are difficult to foresee or avoid and can mean missing your class. In these situations, please firstly try to swap with another student via our Facebook community group https://www.facebook.com/groups/theclaystudiocommunity. If this fails, we will endeavour to help you make up the missed time under any of these circumstances. Please email info@theclay.studio asking to make up your missed class stating the reason.
However, making up time due to absences because of anything else such as social events, holidays, child-related activities, lunches, isolating, etc. is limited to one swap per student per term, again using the Facebook community group.
This limitation is because we have found that excessive swapping causes disruption to both teachers, our admin team and other students, and we want to discourage it as much as possible.
If you arrange a swap please email info@theclay.studio so that we can keep track and notify relevant teachers.
Unfortunately, missed classes cannot be carried over to the next term.
Cancellation
Cancellations for all classes, workshops and courses must be made in writing, by post or email. Cancellations will be subject to the following fees:
- Cancellations within 7 days of the start date will be charged the full fee.
- Cancellations within 8-14 days of the start date will be charged 50% of the fee.
- Cancellations more than 15 days before the start date will be charged 20% of the fee.
If the participant fails to attend any class, workshop or course the full course fee is payable.
Substitution
A substitute attendee may be named by the booking party at any time before a workshop. This is not possible for weekly classes or courses.
Transfers
Requests to transfer to an alternative class, workshop or course or date must be made in writing by post or email. Transfers may be made, if places are available, up to 7 days before the class, workshop or course start date and will incur no additional fee.
However, transfers are subject to availability and The Clay Studio is not obliged to ensure suitable alternatives are available. A booking can only be transferred on one occasion. Requests for subsequent transfers will be treated as cancellations.
Mobile Phones
We ask that mobile phones are either switched off or switched to vibrate-mode during classes. If you do have to have to make or receive a call, please kindly walk outside or into the entrance hall before you speak. This helps up maintain a creative, focused atmosphere, uninterrupted by the outside world for a few hours.
Studio Closure
If the studio is forced to close due to factors outside of our control such as severe weather conditions, force majeure, or an infectious disease such as Covid-19 we’re afraid we are not able to offer any refunds.
Content
The Clay Studio reserves the right to change the content, timing, date, venue or teacher of any class, workshop or course in order to provide a high-quality service or where it is necessary for reasons beyond our control.
The Clay Studio reserves the right to cancel a class, workshop or course up to and including the date of the class, workshop or course if insufficient bookings have been received, and will strive to give as much notice of this as possible.
Individuals booked onto a cancelled class, workshop or course will be given the option of a full refund or of rescheduling to a future class, workshop or course date. The Clay Studio will not be liable for any losses or expenses arising from amendments to the class, workshop or course or cancellations.
Late Attendance
It is to the discretion of the Teacher to not accept a late arrival on a class, workshop or course if it is potentially detrimental to fellow students. This will be treated as a late cancellation.
Prolific Makers
Occasionally we will have a student who is a prolific maker, especially on the wheel, when wasted clay can be high. We do not want to cap people’s creativity, but this is a teaching studio and not a production studio so prolific making is discouraged. If this happens, we will ask you to pay an additional contribution at cost for any excessively wasted clay. We also try to ensure fairness whilst firing students’ work, therefore large volume makers may experience a longer delay in firing periods.
Students are requested not to bring creations made outside of The Clay Studio for completion and firing at The Clay Studio. Such action would cause delays for students receiving their work made within classes.
Health and Safety
Users of the studio do so at their own risk with awareness of the inherent hazards of a pottery studio environment. E.g. The presence of Oxides.
The Clay Studio takes a serious approach towards health and safety for the sake of all staff and students. Students use the studio at their own risk, with awareness of the inherent hazards of a Studio environment, which include, but are not limited to, use of sharp tools and sharp edges, exposure to toxic materials, the dangers of using materials and equipment at high temperatures, and the risks associate with breathing dust.
Most ceramic materials (clay and glazes) are made from finely ground minerals and if not handled correctly can pose a general respiratory risk. Hence, students are asked to refrain from using spray or “bubble” methods for all application of slips, oxides and glazes.
Clays other than those provided by The Clay Studio shall not be used in the studio to avoid contamination of surfaces and equipment.
Students must comply with all health and safety instructions given by staff at all times.
Students are required to keep all surfaces clean of clay and glaze and to clean all areas including the floor around their work area thoroughly before completing their class. This also minimises the risks to students caused by breathing in clay and dusts.
In the interests of safety and hygiene, no crockery, glass or food are permitted in the Studio working areas. Other than with the exception of guide dogs, no pets are permitted in the Studio buildings.
Students must use the main entrance to the Studio when entering or leaving the Studio. Fire exits, which are clearly marked, are there in the interests of safety and students must not interfere with these exits for any reason. In the event of a fire, students are asked to make their way to the nearest available exit.
Smoking and vaping is forbidden in the Studio.
Technical issues and breakages
The Clay Studio will try to ensure that experienced and trained staff are the only people who will handle and fire your ceramic work. However, by the very nature of ceramics, especially within a teaching studio, there is always a risk of technical failure, occasional technical errors and breakages for which we cannot be held in any way responsible.
Collection of Works
We recommend you collect your finished work as soon as possible after your class, workshop or course to help keep our storage area clear therefore avoiding damage. If finished ceramic work is not collected within 3 months of the end of the class, workshop or course we will sadly have to dispose of it.
If you attend a class, workshop or course from further afield we can package and post to you for a basic postage and package cost, but we cannot accept any responsibility for damage in transit.
Arriving at the studio
We generally open the doors a few minutes before each class is due to start. Please do not turn up too early as you may have to wait while we finish cleaning or preparing the studio for your class to start. We may also be having a meeting, between classes, so please do not enter if you arrive early.
Studio Clean-up
All working areas and tools must be cleaned after use. The last 15 minutes of all studio classes is dedicated to gathering tools and cleaning work tables, floors, tools, and other equipment for each individual student’s work area. This is a communal studio and its cleanliness depends on everyone doing their part.
A good rule of thumb: When you are done it should be cleaner then when you started. No Exceptions please. If you don’t have time to clean up, then you don’t have time to do it!
Environment and Recycling
We try to run as a zero waste studio. All materials are reused or recycled wherever possible. Clay, glaze and sedimentary materials are never to be poured down sinks in the studio.
Please ensure that the correct bins are used when disposing of any materials.
Conduct and Exclusion
Disruptive or abusive behaviour will not be tolerated. Users of the Clay Studio and facilities must be respectful and courteous at all times. Inappropriate behaviour will not be tolerated, and we reserve the right to exclude any offending parties from the studio at any time if behaviour in our opinion is deemed dangerous, inappropriate or causes (or has the potential to cause) offence, harm or injury.
Data Protection
Any personal information you give to us will be processed in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998. We will use the information to process your booking, to provide the class, workshop or course and to inform you about similar classes, workshops or courses which we provide, unless you tell us that you do not want to receive this information. Any personal data you provide will be held in computer storage.
Applicable Law and Jurisdiction
These terms and conditions are governed by and construed in accordance with English law and any dispute arising out of or in connection with them shall be settled by the English courts.
Images for promotional purposes
The Clay Studio has the right to take and use images of you as an attendee, of any class or event, for the purposes of promotion via web site, Instagram or other medium for the benefit solely of the said business. Please inform us if you do not wish to use any images of you.
Please ensure you have read and understood these Terms and Conditions before the end of your 7-day cooling off period. By passing this period you are deemed to have read, understood and accepted them.