Terms of Tuition
These terms apply to tuition provided by Debbie Caines, trading as Howe Education ("I", "me"), to the parent or guardian engaging my services ("you"). By booking a session you accept these terms. Where I am commissioned through a Local Authority or specialist provider, that organisation's contract governs and these terms apply only so far as they are consistent with it.
01The service
I provide one-to-one specialist SEN tuition for children and young people aged 4 to 18. Sessions take place at your home, in an agreed community setting, or online as arranged. Each engagement begins with an initial assessment, from which I prepare an individualised learning plan. I will always use my professional skill and judgement, but tuition supports a child's development and no specific academic outcome or grade can be guaranteed.
02Bookings, fees and payment
Session times, frequency, and fees are agreed in writing before tuition begins. Fees are reviewed annually with reasonable notice of any change. Invoices are payable within seven days of the date of the invoice unless we agree otherwise. If payment falls persistently overdue I may pause tuition until the account is settled.
03Cancellations and missed sessions
- Please give at least 24 hours' notice to cancel or rearrange a session. Sessions cancelled with less notice may be charged in full, though I will always use discretion where a child is unwell.
- If I need to cancel, I will give you as much notice as possible and offer a replacement session. No fee is charged for sessions I cancel.
- If your child is not available at the agreed time and place and no notice has been given, the session is treated as delivered.
Where you book at a distance (for example by email or phone), you have a statutory 14-day cooling-off period under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013. If you ask for tuition to start within that period, you may still cancel but will be charged for sessions already delivered.
04Safeguarding
Your child's safety comes before everything else in these terms. I hold an Enhanced DBS certificate, which is available for inspection, and I follow a safeguarding code of practice. For sessions in your home, a parent or another responsible adult must remain on the premises throughout, and tuition takes place in a shared living space rather than a bedroom. Online sessions require an adult present in the home and take place with cameras on. If your child tells me something, or I observe something, that raises a safeguarding concern, I have a duty to pass it to the appropriate authorities; where it is safe and appropriate to do so, I will discuss it with you first.
05Working together
Please provide a quiet, suitable space for sessions and let me know in advance of anything likely to affect your child that day. I will share progress with you openly and regularly. Copies of relevant reports, EHCPs, or assessments help me plan well and are treated in line with my Privacy Policy.
06Materials
Learning plans, worksheets, and other materials I prepare remain my property. You and your child may use them freely for your child's own learning, but they may not be reproduced or shared for any other purpose without my agreement.
07Liability
Nothing in these terms limits my liability for death or personal injury caused by my negligence, or for anything else that cannot lawfully be limited. Otherwise, my total liability in connection with tuition is limited to the fees you have paid to me in the twelve months before the matter arose.
08Ending the engagement
Either of us may end ongoing tuition with two weeks' written notice. Any sessions delivered up to the end date remain payable, and any fees paid in advance for undelivered sessions will be refunded.
09General
I may update these terms from time to time, with reasonable notice of any material change to current families. These terms are governed by the law of England and Wales, and any dispute is subject to the courts of England and Wales. Questions about these terms are always welcome at debbie@howe.education.