Terms and Conditions

Booking and running a Bright Sparks Science after school club!

Before the free assembly, the school will need to:

1. Complete the booking form
2. Confirm the dates and times of both assembly and after school club.
3. Read through this sheet carefully!

Booking Arrangements:

1. Bright Sparks Science welcome schools to book our assemblies, workshops and after school clubs early. We are limited on resources and we know every school has their own preferences for times and weekdays.
2. A FREE Show (assembly) will be booked in for your school when booking the after school club. This is a 30minute interactive show, that fits best into your normal school assembly. These are designed to be entertaining and informative for the whole school.
3. A conformation email will be sent to you / your school for you to check the details of the booking. Please inform us immediately if any of the booking details are incorrect via email or over the phone. If you have any questions at all, please do not hesitate to contact us.
4. Bright Sparks Science will also send you an overview of our proposed after school club, which will contain details of the sessions we propose and the dates. Please check the after school club dates against your school diary for any conflicting events that may cause disruptions; e.g. INSET days, parents’ evenings, school performances or trips.
5. Whilst our team have a record of our previous experiences with you / your school it is important that you inform us of any other science activities that you may have had previously as this will help us to bring something new to your school.
6. Bright Sparks Science do not charge schools for the FREE assembly (unless a breach of the below conditions is made). Where a breach of conditions occurs a travel charge of 60p per mile will be applied to the cost of the show. Travel will be calculated from the head office.

In Advance:

1. In order for our staff to prepare fully we will require a confirmed number of pupils on your roll. This will ensure we bring enough resources to your event.
2. Where possible Bright Sparks Science will provide you with the name and contact number for the Science Instructor prior to our arrival, for emergency contact only.
3. Our shows last for 30minutes. We recommend ensuring that your pupils are ready for the show at the specified start time to avoid over running.
4. Most of our shows require a table, and access to a power socket. For some shows we also require access to water, or even a minimum space requirement. Please advise our team if you are unable to provide any of these as it will restrict the equipment we can bring.

At the assembly:

1. You will have one of our instructors who will trained, and DBS checked by us.
2. The instructor will arrive approximately 15 minutes before the assembly is due to start so they can set up.
3. The instructor will provide a fun and engaging half hour science show!
4. School staff are welcome to stay and watch the show, this is useful as the children get very excited and the additional adult support can make crowd control easier.
5.  Under no circumstance should our instructor be left with the entire audience alone.
6. Bright Sparks Science are happy for schools to photograph or film our shows for use within your school. We would however be grateful if you could send us copies of any video or photographs that you may have as this helps us to appraise our staff.

After The Show:

1. After the show our Science Instructor will give the printed copies of the after school letters to either the organising teacher or the school office. These will (unless otherwise requested) be presented in piles of 30. Your school may prefer not to hand out physical letters, but instead email a virtual copy to parents directly. In this circumstance, we will email your school with a PDF copy of the letter, prior to the assembly.
2. Letters provided by Bright Sparks will need to be distributed by the school, to pupils on the day of the show. Failure to distribute these letters would count as a breach of contract. This is a requirement of getting the show for FREE. If the letters are not handed out, then you forfeit the right to have the show for free and will be invoiced for the full cost of the show (£150 plus mileage).
3. To reduce the admin load on the school, we simply ask that interested parents register their child online via the link provided in the letter (and where applicable make payment online). This is usually by creating an online account with ‘Active Network’ who handle the booking system on behalf of Bright Sparks Science. Unfortunately we cannot accept Childcare Vouchers as a form of payment.
4.  An information pack will be handed to or emailed to the school including policies, insurance details and risk assessments.

Up to the payment deadline date:

1. Bright Sparks Science will inform the school by email or phone call, of number of children that have registered by the agreed deadline date. Bright Sparks Science will check instructor availability and agree upon number of clubs needed and whether this is viable with the school.
2. Our clubs are designed for a group of 15 – 20 pupils. We can however take a minimum club size of 10, if we have a local instructor available. We are able to cap the registrations online at 20, to control the club size, but if more than 20 children sign up within 5 days of the assembly, it is likely that we will have enough interest to start a second club. In this circumstance, we will (where possible) allocate a second instructor to run a second club and open the registration up to take more children.
3. Where it is not possible to send a second instructor, we will look to reschedule the dates for a second club to run, or if this is not possible, keep the limit of 20 children. Parents are able to register on a wait list if the club is full and we can inform the parents if the situation changes.
4. The organising teacher or school office will be informed of the number of children registered on a regular basis. Closer to the time the club is due to start, Bright Sparks Science will create an attendance register. The school will be provided with a list of names of the attendees. The school must check their records and advise Bright Sparks Science of any relevant medical information the instructor may need to be aware of to keep the attending children safe.
5. If minimum numbers are not met, then the club will be cancelled. Bright Sparks Science and the school will both contact parents to advise them of this. Any payments made will be refunded by Bright Sparks Science.

At the After School Club session:

1. The after school clubs will take place on the predetermined dates, as agreed prior to the assembly.
2. The instructor will arrive before the club start time. They will provide the school with enhanced DBS certificate, safeguarding certificate and photo ID. The instructor will be fully trained on the science club content. Bright Sparks Science will endeavour to make sure you have the same instructor(s) at every session during the course of the club.
3. The school must inform the instructors of specific procedures in the school’s safeguarding and fire or emergency evacuation policies. This includes contact details for designated safeguarding officer, the on duty first aider and fire marshal.
4. It is the responsibility of the school to provide first aid to the children. There MUST be school staff on site for the entirety of the club running time.
5. The school will be required to provide the instructor(s) with a free to use room(s) suitable for up to 20 children (per club running) that has electric sockets and access to drinking water. Classrooms are a more suitable space than sports halls, as the immediate and ready access to table and chairs, significantly supports the style of the club.
6. The school is responsible for the children until the instructor arrives at the arranged classroom.
7. The instructor will take a register at the start of the club to report any absences. The school will be informed of absences in person or via a slip sent to the school reception. The school will need to locate the absentee and escort them to the club or ascertain where the absent child is by contacting their parent.
8. The instructor(s) do not require a teacher to remain in the club with them. We are however happy for teachers to stay if they want to. (We do kindly request that if teachers do stay, they avoid having conversations, as this disrupts the flow of learning).
9. Bright Sparks Science will be responsible for the safeguarding and protection of the children from the start to the finish of each session, until the responsibility has been handed over to the designated responsible adult.
10. We appreciate the support of teachers when sending the children home. However it is very important that our instructor confirms that each child goes home with their detailed collector (as per our registers).
11. The instructor will wait until all children have been handed into the care of the agreed responsible adult (including after school care).
12. In the circumstance where a child may require medical attention, including first aid, Bright Sparks will transfer responsibility to your designated first aid trained member of staff.
13. Bright Sparks Science instructors have the right to work in a safe environment without fear or threat of violence. Our instructors can reasonably request that any child that is causing a disturbance, a danger, or disruption is controlled or removed. If this does not happen the instructor may cease the club until the situation is resolved or if the situation calls for it, may terminate the club.
14. The instructor will clean-up their own mess and will leave your space in the condition they found it in.
15. The instructor will return visitor badge and sign out before leaving school.
16. In the event Bright Sparks Science has to cancel one of the sessions, we will give the school as much notice as possible. We will also contact the parents of the participants to inform them. Bright Sparks Science will work with your school to reschedule the session as quickly and as conveniently as possible.
17. Where the after school club is cancelled by the school for whatever reason (e.g. emergency works at the school or adverse weather conditions) it is at the discretion of Bright Sparks Science office to reschedule the session. In these cases it may be that we have to reschedule during the school day or during the lunch hour as it is dependent on the availability of instructors.

Booking and running a Bright Sparks Science Workshop!

Before the workshop, the school will need to:

1. Complete the booking form
2. Confirm the dates and times of all workshops.
3. Read through this sheet carefully!

Booking Arrangements:

1. Bright Sparks Science welcome schools to book our assemblies, workshops and after school clubs together. We are limited on resources and we know every school has their own preferences for times and weekdays.
2. A conformation email will be sent to you or your school office for you to check the details of the booking. Please inform us immediately if any of the booking details are incorrect via email or over the phone. If you have any questions at all, please do not hesitate to contact us.
3. Bright Sparks Science will also send you an overview of our proposed workshops, which will contain details of the sessions we propose.
4. Whilst our team have a record of our previous experiences with you and your school it is important that you inform us of any other science activities that you may have had previously as this will help us to bring something new to your school.

In Advance:

1. In order for our staff to prepare fully, we will require a confirmed number of pupils expected to attend the workshops. This will ensure we bring enough resources.
2. Where possible Bright Sparks Science will provide you with the name and contact number for the Science Instructor prior to our arrival, for emergency contact only.
3. Our workshops normally last for 1 hour. We recommend ensuring that your pupils are ready for the workshops at the specified start time and allowing 15 minutes between groups to avoid over running.
4. Most of our workshops require a tables and access to a power socket. For some activities we also require access to water, a sink to wash up in, or even a minimum space requirement. Please advise our team if you are unable to provide any of these as it will restrict the equipment we can bring.

At the workshop:

1. The workshops will take place on the predetermined dates, as agreed in the booking form.
2. The instructor will arrive approximately 30 minutes before the workshop is due to start so they can set up. They will provide the school with enhanced DBS certificate, safeguarding certificate and photo ID. The instructor will be fully trained on the science workshop content.
3. The school must inform the instructors of specific procedures in the school’s safeguarding and fire or emergency evacuation policies. This includes contact details for designated safeguarding officer, the on duty first aider and fire marshal.
4. It is the responsibility of the school to provide first aid to the children. There MUST be first aid trained school staff on site for the entirety of the workshop running time. In the circumstance where a child may require medical attention, including first aid, Bright Sparks Science will transfer responsibility to your designated first aid trained member of staff.
5. The school will be required to provide the instructor(s) with a free to use room(s) suitable for up to 30 children. Classrooms are a more suitable space than sports halls, as the immediate and ready access to table and chairs, significantly supports the learning.
6. The instructor will provide a fun and engaging science session!
7. School staff are required to stay and advised to participate in the workshop activities as the additional adult support can make crowd control easier.
8. Under no circumstance should our instructor be left alone with the entire workshop group.
9. Bright Sparks Science are happy for schools to photograph or film our workshops for use within your school. We would however be grateful if you could send us copies of any video or photographs that you may have as this helps us to appraise our staff.
10. Bright Sparks Science instructors have the right to work in a safe environment without fear or threat of violence. Our instructors can reasonably request that any child that is causing a disturbance, a danger, or disruption is controlled or removed. If this does not happen the instructor may cease the workshop until the situation is resolved or if the situation calls for it, may terminate the workshop.
11. The instructor will clean-up their own mess and will leave your space in the condition they found it in.
12. The instructor will return visitor badge and sign out before leaving school.
13. In the event Bright Sparks Science has to cancel a workshop, we will give the school as much notice as possible. Bright Sparks Science will work with your school to reschedule the session as quickly and as conveniently as possible.
14. Where the workshop is cancelled by the school for whatever reason (e.g. emergency works at the school or adverse weather conditions) it is at the discretion of Bright Sparks Science office to reschedule and is dependent on the availability of instructors.

BRIGHT SPARKS EVENTS – HOLIDAY CAMPS – CANCELLATION POLICY

• Bright Sparks Events Limited reserves the right to cancel the Holiday Camp if the minimum required registrations is not reached five days before the Camp is due to start.
• Customer refunds will only be given for written cancellations made seven days prior to course commencing for which there will be a £5.00 administration fee per registrant.
• Bright Sparks Event Limited shall inform the customer as soon as possible of any changes to the Holiday Camp description.

BRIGHT SPARKS EVENTS – HOLIDAY CAMPS – BEHAVIOUR POLICY

• The Holiday Camp use effective behaviour management strategies to promote the welfare and enjoyment of children attending the camp days. Working in partnership with parents, we aim to manage behaviour using clear, consistent and positive strategies.
• No refunds will be given for any child asked to leave the course due to bad behaviour.

BRIGHT SPARKS EVENTS – HOLIDAY CAMPS – ILLNESS & ABSENCES POLICY

• A child suffering from any contagious disease is not permitted to attend the Holiday Camp. This includes, but is not limited to, sickness, diarrhoea or impetigo.

• If a child is absent from the Holiday Camp for any reason, no refund will be issued, unless you opted to take out the Illness & Absence Protection Scheme.

BRIGHT SPARKS EVENTS – HOLIDAY CAMPS – ILLNESS & ABSENCE PROTECTION SCHEME

• For a worry-free purchase, you may opt into the Illness & Absence Protection Scheme to obtain a refund should your child be unable to make it to the Holiday Camp. Which means we will credit your account with any day(s) missed through your child’s absence, illness or injury.
• We cannot offer refunds for missed days unless you have opted into the Illness & Absence Protection Scheme and this cover should be taken at the time you make your booking. You can add it to your booking later on but no less than 14 days before your child’s first day of camp.
• You must opt into the scheme for the whole booking i.e. 5 camp days booked requires 5 days of cover, per child. Payment of any claims is made in the form of credit on your Active Network account and not as cash or credit or debit card refunds.
• Please email our customer services team at enquiries@brightsparksscience.co.uk for a claims form.

BRIGHT SPARKS EVENTS – HOLIDAY CAMPS – LATE COLLECTIONS POLICY

• All children MUST be collected at 3.30pm (unless timings are otherwise specified at time of booking). If for any reason you are unable to collect at 3.30pm, we ask that you call the office as soon as possible. Two members of staff will wait with your child until they are collected. You will be charged a late collection fee of £10 for every 15 minutes after 3.45pm to cover the additional staffing cost.
• If we have no contact from a parent/guardian by 4.15pm, we will contact Social Services to advise them we have an uncollected child. We reserve the right to refuse future bookings from parents who continually pick up late.

BRIGHT SPARKS EVENTS – HOLIDAY CAMPS – LOSS OR DAMAGES

• Children are advised not to bring in any of their own possessions, including but not limited to toys, mobile phones, game consoles and music players, to the Holiday Camp.
• In the event that such items are brought in by a child the Bright Sparks Events Limited accepts no liability for any loss or damage that may occur.

BRIGHT SPARKS EVENTS – HOLIDAY CAMPS – EMERGENCY MEDICAL TREATMENT CONSENT

When registering your child to attend the holiday camp you will be asked to giev your consent that if an emergency medical situation arises, Bright Sparks Events Limited may administer first aid and/or medical treatment which in the opinion of a qualified medical practitioner may be necessary.

Qualified First Aid trained staff will be present on site at all times

Childcare Vouchers
As we are an activity provider offering specific tuition to help children improve their scientific skills, we are exempt from being Ofsted registered and are therefore unfortunately unable to accept childcare vouchers.

BRIGHT SPARKS EVENTS – SCIENCE PARTY – CANCELLATION POLICY

A non-refundable deposit of £100.00 is payable at the time the booking is made. The balance is payable at the time of the party. If you cancel the services:-

1. more than 30 days before the date the services are to be delivered, Bright Sparks will waive the remaining invoice amount.
2. with less than 30 days notice, the full amount of the invoice will become due.

If you change your mind, you have 14 days after the day your party is booked to cancel with no consequences. However, if the services are to be delivered in less than 30 days from the day you secured the booking, you cannot change your mind, even if the period is still running.

Customer refunds will only be given with written cancellations and payments will be made by the method you used for payment.

We are not responsible for delays outside our control.

If our supply of the services is delayed by an event outside our control then we will contact you as soon as possible to let you know and we will take steps to minimise the effect of the delay. Provided we do this, we will not be liable for delays caused by the event, but if there is a risk of substantial delay you may contact us to end the contract and receive a refund for any services and products you have paid for but not received.

BRIGHT SPARKS EVENTS – SCIENCE PARTY – LOSS OR DAMAGES

• If we are providing services in your property, we will make good any damage to your property caused by us while doing so. However, we are not responsible for the cost of repairing any pre-existing faults or damage to your property that we discover while providing the services.
• We are not liable for business losses. We only supply the products for domestic and private use. If you use the products for any commercial, business or re-sale purpose we will have no liability to you for any loss of profit, loss of business, business interruption, or loss of business opportunity.

Your guest’s safety is important to the Bright Sparks team. All our hands-on science experiments are fully supervised and safe for the children in the specified age range (5+ years) to participate in.

BRIGHT SPARKS EVENTS – SCIENCE PARTY – SAFETY POLICY

Bright Sparks Events Limited holds public liability insurance and takes health and safety standards seriously. Bright Sparks have risk assessment procedures that cover children who attend the party and have developed official guidelines which all instructors must adhere to. All equipment is tested on a regular basis, labelled clearly and sealed in the appropriate containers.

However, we cannot accept responsibility for:

1. Injuries caused by children below the age range (under 5s) using equipment without adequate parent supervision.
2. Injuries caused by children touching equipment on the presentation table without being invited to do so.
3. Injuries caused by children who disregard safety advice and warnings given by the instructor.
4. Reactions caused by allergies that have not been specified at the time of booking or at the beginning of the party.
5. Adverse effects in epileptic guests or participants with electronic implants, caused by the use of a strobe light, plasma ball or Van de Graaff generator, where existing conditions have not been disclosed at the time of booking or at the beginning of the party.

All Bright Sparks instructor’s hold an enhanced DBS certificate and have been fully trained by Bright Sparks. They are experienced in delivering science experiments and fun information to KS1 and KS2 children. However instructors cannot help with the catering of food or escorting children to the toilet. We request that a minimum of two adults should be present at all times during the presentation.

Family and friends are welcome to stay but please ask them to respect our instructor and remain quiet during the presentation, for safety reasons.

The party bags, and safe use of their contents, will become your responsibility from the moment we hand them to you. Party take homes, such as slime, putty and sherbet, will be made under instructor supervision and their ingredients written on the labelled container. On taking this home from the party, supervised use is required and will be your responsibility at the end of the party.

By agreeing to this wavier you accept these terms and conditions in their entirety.