These terms apply to all tuition booked with Making the Grade Ltd. Please read them before your first session. Where we say "we", "us" or "Making the Grade", we mean Making the Grade Ltd. Making the Grade Ltd is registered in England and Wales, company number 12720124.

1. Our company

Making the Grade Ltd is an education company. We arrange and manage one to one tutoring services, for and on behalf of students and their families, delivered by tutors registered with us.

2. Tutor match

We will match your child with a tutor for the subjects stated on your booking within a reasonable time.

3. Tutors

Tutor availability varies depending on the season, the subject and the type of tutor requested. All of our tutors are qualified in their subject of expertise. Every tutor must hold an enhanced DBS check and provide us with a copy of their DBS certificate before they teach.

4. Session cancellation

We value our tutors' time and commitment, and we ask all students and parents to respect the lesson slots that have been reserved. These slots are the tutor's income and livelihood, and late cancellations can significantly affect both the tutor and your child's progress. The following policy applies to all sessions.

4.1 Cancellation with notice

In each school term (Autumn, Spring and Summer), one cancellation is permitted free of charge, provided we receive at least 24 hours' notice. We will try to reschedule this session within 7 days, subject to tutor availability.

4.2 Further cancellations

Any cancellation after the one free cancellation in a term will be charged at the full lesson rate, whether or not the session is rescheduled.

4.3 Cancellations within 24 hours

Any session cancelled within 24 hours of its scheduled start time will be charged in full, whether or not it is rescheduled, unless extenuating circumstances apply (see 4.5).

4.4 Rescheduling We will make every effort to reschedule cancelled sessions, but this depends entirely on tutor availability. If suitable alternative times are offered and declined, the session will be treated as forfeited and charged at the usual rate.

4.5 Extenuating circumstances

We understand that unexpected and serious situations can arise. If you believe extenuating circumstances apply, please contact the office directly to discuss them. We consider each case individually. By booking a session, you are committing to that time slot and accepting responsibility for the session fee in line with this policy. Thank you for helping us support our tutors and keep a professional, respectful learning environment for everyone.

5. Cancelling this agreement

This agreement can be cancelled by the family, parent or student (if over 18) by giving notice in writing to [email protected]. A minimum of 14 days' notice is required. Tuition is provided on a termly basis. If you start tuition part way through a term, you are committing to your allocated time for the remainder of that term. Other than your legal right to cancel described in section 16, you cannot cancel this agreement during the first 5 lessons, unless we have been unable to supply a tutor. If you cancel before the first 5 lessons are complete, you will be responsible for payment for the lessons remaining up to and including the fifth lesson. If you have paid in advance, your final invoice will be calculated at the full price per session, and we will refund any balance within 7 working days.

6. No-show policy for online tuition

We are committed to delivering high quality, punctual online tuition. To protect the time and income of our tutors, the following applies to all online sessions.

6.1 What counts as a no-show

A student is a no-show if they do not join the scheduled online lesson within 15 minutes of the agreed start time and we have not been given prior notice. The session will be charged at the full rate and will not be rescheduled.

6.2 Internet and technical responsibilities

The student and/or parent is responsible for making sure there is: • a stable internet connection • access to the correct platform or login link • a suitable device (for example a laptop or tablet) that supports video and audio • a student who is ready and prepared to start on time Technical issues on the student's side, including connectivity problems, forgotten login details or uncharged devices, do not exempt the session from being charged.

6.3 Prior notice of issues

If you expect difficulty attending a session because of technical issues, please tell the tutor or the office at least 24 hours in advance. Where possible we will try to reschedule, but this is not guaranteed and depends on tutor availability.

6.4 Repeated technical failures or absences

Persistent no-shows or repeated technical difficulties may lead to a review of the tuition arrangement. Continued disruption may result in lessons being discontinued at our discretion.

6.5 Tutor technical issues

If a session is interrupted or missed because of a problem on the tutor's side, it will be rescheduled at no extra cost to you.

7. Parent or guardian presence and safeguarding

A chaperone must be present during every tutoring session with a minor. A chaperone is a parent or legal guardian aged at least 18. A minor is anyone under 18. For online sessions, please make sure your child works in a shared or open part of the home, not alone behind a closed door, and that you are available if they need you. You are responsible for your child's welfare and for the safety of the space where the session takes place. Our tutors must treat every student fairly and respectfully, keep all contact to the subject being taught, and use only the agreed platform for lessons and messages about lessons. Tutors must not arrange private contact with students, including through personal social media or messaging accounts. If you have any concern about a tutor's behaviour, or about your child's welfare, please contact us straight away at [email protected]. Our designated safeguarding lead is Estelle Cartlidge. A tutor who is the subject of a concern may be suspended while we look into it, and serious matters will be referred to the appropriate authorities. A tutor may end or cancel a session if no chaperone is available for a minor, or if they or the student feel uncomfortable. Where this happens because of the family's arrangements, the session may be charged.

8. Payments

All payments are made to Making the Grade, either by card or by standing order or bank transfer. If you pay by card, you must keep a valid card on file with us so that payment can be taken securely through Stripe as each lesson is completed. If you pay by standing order or bank transfer, payments must be made in line with the schedule we agree with you. The agreed hourly fee covers the one hour session itself, plus the tutor's planning, preparation, marking, assessment, resources and travelling time (where applicable), and our administration, payment processing, supervision and any other incidental costs during the term of this agreement.

9. Non-payment

Non-payment may result in this agreement being ended. If a payment is declined through Stripe, additional administration costs may apply, so please keep your payment details up to date. If a payment is returned, or a direct debit, standing order or other agreed payment is cancelled, your service may be stopped without notice and a charge may apply to reinstate it.

10. No guarantees

Making the Grade, its agents and its registered tutors do not guarantee any grade, level or entrance to any particular school for a student we tutor.

11. Changing tutor

Parents, guardians and students over 18 may request a change of tutor. A waiting period may be needed to find a new match. We may also change a student's tutor where circumstances outside our control make that necessary.

12. Transferring tuition

Advance payment for tutoring hours can be transferred to a different subject, a different tutor, or another sibling in the student's immediate family. A parent, guardian or student can also reserve hours, put tutoring on hold for another period, or transfer hours to another family member. We need 14 days' written notice to transfer tutoring hours. Any tutoring credit we hold will expire 6 months after the student's last tutoring session.

13. Holidays and breaks

If tutoring is suspended by the parent, guardian or student, for example during holidays, payment for the suspended period is not due until tutoring restarts. A maximum of 2 weeks holiday is allowed per year which is not chargeable. If tutoring is suspended for more than 3 weeks, we cannot guarantee that the student's previous tutor will be available when it resumes.

14. Payment receipts and reports

We issue receipts for all payments received, whether by card or by bank transfer. After each session, the tutor writes a short report, which you can view in your parent portal. For parents who pay by card, payment for the session is taken once the lesson is marked as complete.

15. Notices

Any notice or communication under this agreement must be in writing and sent by email. Notices to us should be sent to [email protected], and notices to you will be sent to the email address you gave us when you booked. An email is treated as received on the next working day after it is sent.

16. Your legal right to cancel

If you book with us online, by phone or by email, you have a legal right to cancel within 14 days of agreeing to these terms, without giving a reason. If you want lessons to start within those 14 days, you must ask us to, and if you then cancel, you will pay for the lessons already delivered up to the point you tell us. To cancel, email [email protected]. This section does not affect any other legal rights you have.

17. Recording of sessions

Online sessions may be recorded for safeguarding and quality purposes and both parents and students will be made aware of this. Recordings are stored securely, kept only for as long as needed, and only reviewed in connection with a complaint, a safeguarding concern or quality checks. Students, parents and tutors must not make their own recordings of a session, either online or in person, without our written permission, and are not permitted to share any authorised recordings.

18. Keeping tutoring arrangements within Making the Grade

Tutors are introduced to you by us, and our fees support the safeguarding checks, administration and support we provide. For 6 months after a student's last session with a tutor we have introduced, please do not arrange tuition with that tutor privately or outside Making the Grade. Tutors are bound by the same rule. If you are approached about private arrangements, please let us know.

19. Data protection and privacy

We collect and use personal information about parents and students, including names, contact details, the subjects being studied, session reports and payment details, so that we can arrange tuition, take payment and keep students safe. We share only what is needed with the tutor assigned to your child and with the providers who help us run the service, such as our booking and payment platforms. We handle all personal information in line with UK data protection law and our Privacy Policy. We are registered with the Information Commissioner's Office. You can ask us for a copy of your information, or ask us to correct or delete it, by emailing [email protected].

20. Complaints

If you are unhappy with any part of our service or with a tutor, please tell us as soon as you can by emailing [email protected]. We will acknowledge your complaint within 2 working days and aim to give you a full response within 10 working days. Where a problem relates to a lesson, please contact us within 7 days of that lesson so we can look into it properly. If a lesson was not delivered as agreed, we will offer a replacement lesson or a refund for that lesson. If you remain unhappy with our response, you can ask for it to be reviewed by a director.

21. Our responsibility to you

We will provide our services with reasonable care and skill. Nothing in these terms limits our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, for fraud, or for anything else the law does not allow us to limit. Otherwise, we are responsible for losses that are a foreseeable result of us breaking these terms, but we are not responsible for losses that could not have been foreseen, or for any loss caused by a delay or failure outside our reasonable control. This section does not affect your statutory rights as a consumer.

22. Changes to these terms

We may update these terms from time to time, for example to reflect changes in the law or in how we run our service. We will give you at least 14 days' notice of any change by email, and the updated terms will apply to lessons after that date. If you do not agree to a change, you can cancel under section 5 before it takes effect.

23. General

These terms, together with your booking details, are the whole agreement between you and Making the Grade about our tuition services. If any part of these terms is found to be unenforceable, the rest will still apply. These terms are governed by the law of England and Wales, and the courts of England and Wales will have jurisdiction over any dispute, although you may also have the right to bring a claim in the courts of the part of the UK where you live.