Terms and Conditions

for online tutoring

 

By booking and paying for the services Kara Cook of Just 2 Imagine Tutors provides:

• I confirm I have read, accepted, and will comply with these terms and conditions in full.

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By booking online tuition:

• I confirm I have a reliable internet connection.

• I confirm that I have the necessary hardware required in full working order and that all software required is the most up-to-date version and is installed and working.

• I confirm my child has the basic computer skills necessary to take part in the tuition sessions.

 

The hardware required is: a working personal computer, laptop, or iPad

The software required is Zoom

Other materials required are: a whiteboard and a pen, a pencil/pen and paper

Additional Resources may be required for 1:1 support and you will be notified if necessary.

 

Online Individual Tutoring Sessions

• Flexible scheduling available.

• Waiting list applies if no suitable slots are open.

• Offered to children aged 4 to 11, based on individual needs. 

• Priority given to children with learning differences, such as dyslexia, or those requiring specialist support.

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Online Mini Group Tutoring Sessions

• For children aged 4 to 7 (Early Years to Year 2)

• Children join individually after a trial lesson if a group is not available.

• Group placement is based on age, similar needs, and compatible personalities.

• Groups consist of 3 to 4 children.

• Referrals are welcome!

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Additional 1:1 Support for Group Students

• Group students can be prioritised for extra 1:1 lessons if available. For example, a package can include one mini-group lesson per week plus one or two 1:1 sessions over a four-week period

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Payment Plans​

Payments are taken in advance through Tutorbird’s secure auto-pay system. Families may choose:

• Weekly Plan – payment is taken each Monday for that week’s lessons.

• 4-Weekly Plan – payment is taken on the 1st of the month, covering the next 4 weeks of lessons.

Payments must always be received in advance to confirm your child’s place. Lessons cannot take place without payment.

The plan you choose will continue unless you request a change in writing at least 7 days before the next payment is due.

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Late or Problem Payments​

• If there is a problem with a scheduled payment, you will be notified. Please arrange payment within 3 days to secure your child’s place.

• If payment is not made within 3 days, lessons will be placed on hold until the account is settled.

• After 7 days, your child’s place may be offered to another family.

 

Cancellation policy

For individual tutoring sessions

• My cancellation policy is strict but wherever possible, at my discretion, I will offer alternative sessions to make up for any sessions that are missed (for whatever reason) although I cannot guarantee to do this.

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To cancel tuition sessions, please email the cancellation to kara@just2imaginetutors.com. You don’t need to give a reason, although please do so if you wish. The date and time stamp of the email will be the time the session is officially cancelled.

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Cancellation must be made by written email. This is to ensure that I receive your cancellation. I do not always get a chance to check my phone or text messages prior to lessons but do check emails on a regular basis.

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Phone calls or text messages or any other form of communication cannot be accepted as formal cancellation of the session.  If you message me this way, I will ask you to send me an email for confirmation.

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Any internet, power, hardware, or software failures outside of anyone’s control cannot be accepted as reasons to give credits or refunds for tuition in addition to the policy below.  

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Please be aware: children will not be admitted into unpaid sessions. It is the responsibility of the booking adult to make sure sessions are paid for in advance.  

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For group tutoring sessions

If your child misses a group tuition session, and you have given me notice, you will receive a lesson summary, and homework sent via Seesaw. As makeups are usually not available for groups, you may request a recorded lesson video (no children).

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A minimum of 24-hour Notice is required.  To cancel tuition sessions, please email the cancellation to kara@just2imaginetutors.com. You don’t need to give a reason, although please do so if you wish. The date and time stamp of the email will be the time the session is officially cancelled.

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Cancellation by email is the only accepted way to cancel. This is to ensure that I receive your cancellation. I do not always get a chance to check my phone or text messages prior to lessons but do check emails on a regular basis.

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Phone calls or text messages or any other form of communication cannot be accepted as formal cancellation of the session.  If you message me this way, I will ask you to send me an email for confirmation.

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Any internet, power, hardware, or software failures outside of anyone’s control cannot be accepted as reasons to give credits or refunds for tuition in addition to the policy below.  

 

Please be aware: children will not be admitted into unpaid sessions. It is the responsibility of the booking adult to make sure sessions are paid for in advance, with no excuses.  If your autopayment has not cleared, I will notify you and expect it to be paid prior to the next session.

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If the responsible adult/parent/carer has to cancel a tutoring session

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If the responsible adult/parent/carer gives less than 24 hours’ notice or no notice at all including failure to join the session (a “no-show”) for whatever reason, the tutoring session will be charged at full price and no lesson credit or refund will be given. If you send me an email on the morning of the day of the tutoring session, I may offer lesson credit.

 

If the responsible adult/parent/carer gives more than 24 hours' notice

for whatever reason, up to 1 tuition session per month may be cancelled, and a lesson credit will be given so the cost of one tuition session will be deducted from the following month’s bill.

If tuition does not continue until the next month, no refund will be given.

For more than 1 tuition session that is cancelled per month, no credits or refunds can be given.

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If the tutor has to cancel a tutoring session

I will try to let you know with as much notice as possible, but if something happens at very short notice resulting in me having to cancel, I cannot guarantee the cancellation notice period.  If I must cancel, I will offer you an alternative, make-up tutoring session. If your child cannot join the make-up session, an extra lesson credit will be given for the following month’s tutoring.

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School and public holidays: I work during the school holidays and take a week or two off in the summer for my holiday. I will keep you posted on the days I am available. I follow the Hampshire County Schools terms and holidays calendar. If your county is different from mine, please give me as much notice as you can of days your child is not available.

 

Ending Tutoring Contract

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Cancelling the Tutoring Contract and Withdrawing Your Child from Tutoring

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If you decide to end tutoring, please provide written notice by email to kara@just2imaginetutors.com. 

A 4-week notice period begins on the date your email is received.

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• Lessons will continue during the notice period.

• Payment is still due for the notice period, even if your child is unable to attend the remaining lessons.

• No refunds, credits, or make-up sessions will be provided.

• I will confirm your child’s final lesson date once notice has been received.

• If I am able to fill your child’s place with another student sooner, I may agree to shorten the notice period by mutual agreement.

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This notice period helps us bring lessons to a positive close, celebrate your child’s progress, and support a smooth transition.

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Please note: phone calls, text messages, or other forms of communication are not accepted as formal notice.

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Example:

• You give written notice via email on the 15th of the month.

• There are 2 weeks of lessons remaining in your current 4-week paid period.

• You will need to pay for an additional 2 weeks to complete the 4-week notice period.

• Tutoring will continue for those remaining 2 weeks plus the additional 2 weeks. Lessons will end after the notice period is complete.

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When Lessons Come to a Natural End
If your child finishes their time with me at the end of a term or primary education, the contract will simply come to a natural end on that date. I’ll send you a confirmation email to let you know, and I’ll check in to see if you’d like to continue with tutoring.

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Tutoring Beyond Primary Years

If it’s clear we’re still a great fit and your child would benefit from continued support, some families choose to carry on with English tutoring beyond primary school. I’m happy to offer 1:1 sessions for secondary students, depending on availability.

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Immediate Termination by the Tutor
In rare or unforeseen circumstances, I may need to end the tutoring contract with immediate effect. While I will always aim to handle this with care and fairness, I may not be able to offer a refund for any remaining sessions. Please know that I will only take this step if absolutely necessary and will communicate with you clearly should this situation ever arise.

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Lateness policy

If the student is late to the tutoring session  

For Group Sessions: I will admit the student up to 5 minutes after the start time of the tutoring session, unless I have been notified. Students who arrive after 5 minutes will not be admitted in order to avoid disruption to other students. If the student is late, the tutoring session will be charged in full, and no make-up lesson will be offered and no (partial) lesson credit given. If the student arrives late, the lesson will not extend beyond the regular finish time.

For individual 1:1 sessions: I will wait for 10 minutes total before cancelling the lesson. First, I will send a reminder 5 minutes after the start time of the lesson, with a link to join the session. I will then wait another 5 minutes and cancel the session if the student does not arrive.  If the student arrives late, the lesson will not extend beyond the regular finish time to make up for the student’s lateness - it will be a shortened lesson. If the student is late, the tutoring session will be charged in full, and no make-up lesson will be offered and no (partial) lesson credit given. 

 

If the tutor is late to the tutoring session

In the unlikely event that I am late, I will do my best to inform you as soon as possible and I will arrange with you to either extend the session, offer a make-up session or a lesson credit, whichever option you prefer.

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Obligations of the responsible adult during tutoring sessions

For safeguarding reasons, a responsible adult must be always within sight and sound of the tutoring session. The tutoring session may not be privately recorded or photographed. The responsible adult who books tuition or oversees the child during online tutoring sessions confirms that before each online tutoring session:

 

• the child will be able to work in a quiet place without interruptions for the duration of the tutoring session

• the child comes rested, settled and not hungry or thirsty to the tutoring session

• the child has the required equipment (pens, paper, etc) requested by the tutor

• people other than the child will only join the tutoring session with the prior agreement of the tutor

• equipment (computer, microphone, etc.) will be prepared and working before the session starts

• the internet connection and power supply will be checked and working before the session starts

• all software will be available in its most up-to-date form

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Progress updates

As part of my tutoring, your child will have a Learning Journal on the virtual platform Seesaw. This is regularly updated with lesson feedback and optional homework to support their progress. It’s also where I share our “two stars and a wish” what’s going well and what to work on next. Your child will be encouraged to share photos and work they engage in to support their learning.

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Every 12 weeks, I’ll send you a phonics progress report by email based on the British National Curriculum objectives. If I feel it’s important to discuss your child’s progress in more detail, I will let you know and suggest a meeting.

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If you’d like to arrange a meeting, please email me at least 24 hours in advance at kara@just2imaginetutors.com. Due to other commitments, I’m usually not available for spontaneous chats before or after sessions.​

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Safeguarding Policy

Kara Cook, Just 2 Imagine Tutors makes safeguarding children and young people a top priority.

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This policy confirms that:

• I am committed to protecting all children and young people who receive my services from harm.

• I will respond promptly to any allegations or concerns about the welfare of a child or young person I tutor.

• I hold a current enhanced DBS check, renewed annually through the update service. Copies or validation can be provided on request.

• I will never contact a child or young person directly outside of scheduled tutoring sessions. All communication will be via the parent or carer, using their email address and phone number.

• I complete certified safeguarding training every two years through a reputable provider (currently NSPCC: https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/) to stay up to date with best practices and protocols.

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Sharing Safeguarding Concerns
Please note that before sharing any safeguarding concerns directly with parents or carers, I will first seek advice from the relevant local safeguarding authorities. This ensures the situation is handled appropriately and your child’s safety and wellbeing are protected.

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If a student discloses abuse or harm to me, I will:

• Listen carefully and take their concerns seriously, showing that I am hearing them without prompting or leading questions.

• Encourage the child to talk freely without interruption, avoiding making them repeat their story.

• Reassure the child that they can tell me anything worrying them but explain that I may need to share some information to keep them safe.

• Explain clearly what actions I must take, in a way that suits the child’s age and understanding.

• Record the disclosure as soon as possible, using the child's exact words where possible.

• Note the date, time, place, and anyone else present during the disclosure.

• Report concerns to the relevant local safeguarding authorities.

• Contact the police immediately if I believe the child is in immediate danger.

• Understand that it is not my role to investigate but to pass concerns on to the appropriate professionals.

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General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Policy

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Kara Cook, Just 2 Imagine Tutors  takes data protection very seriously and makes it a top priority with reference to:  

• The EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which went into effect on May 25, 2018 and

• The UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) which went into effect on January 1, 2021.

For data protection purposes, I classify myself, Kara Cook, as a Data Processor.

 

The information I hold will be:

• the name and address of parents/carers

• the name and date of birth of the child

• email address of parents/carers

• phone number of parents/carers

• SMS messages, direct messages, emails messages or messages on other apps or platforms we choose to use

• assessment information from the introductory session

• payment and billing information

• documentation, for example, school reports, assessments, tests, other school communication or communication from relevant professionals connected to the child that parents/carers choose to give me

For safeguarding reasons, I do not hold the contact details (phone number, email address, etc) of the child or young person I tutor, as all communication must be via the legally responsible adult (parent/carer).
 

I can confirm that the data you provide me with is held securely. The platform I use to store data is GDPR-compliant and their security policy and certifications of compliance are here: https://support.wix.com/en/article/wix-security-measures-overview.  Any paper documentation is stored in a lockable cabinet.  Your data will not be used for anything other than the functioning of the services we provide. We will never give or sell your data to any third parties for any reason whatsoever. The only times we will share your information are:
(1) to disclose information in the case of a safeguarding issue, or
(2) because you ask us and give us permission to share information with someone else, such as your child’s school.
We hold your data until the tutoring contract finishes- when we will delete all electronic records and return any paper documentation to you. There are exceptions to this:

1. Any data related to safeguarding, accidents or incidents must be held until the child turns 21 years and 3 months of age.

2. Contracts, consent forms, information sheets, invoices and payments must be held for 7 years.
    

I may ask you if you would like to opt-in to receive communication from me once the tutoring contract is finished so we can keep in touch.  

 

Kara Cook, Just 2 Imagine Tutors, UK is registered with the Information Commissioner's Office, ico.org.uk, the UK’s independent authority set up to uphold information rights in the public interest and to promote data privacy for individuals.

I, Kara Cook, am the registered Data Protection Officer.

 

For all data protection matters, please contact Kara Cook, Just 2 Imagine Tutors, at kara@just2imaginetutors.com.

 

Disclaimer:

I will work to the best of my abilities with your child to ensure their progress, but I cannot guarantee that they will pass any tests, exams, or checks, formal or informal, or reach any levels of achievement that have been set, either formally or informally. Be assured that if in my professional opinion, another kind of help alongside or in place of tutoring is in the best interests of your child, I will ask for a meeting with you to advise you.    

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