JMDA Policies & Procedures

For a meeting or a phone call with the Principal, Mr. Joel Morris, or a particular
member of staff, a request must be sent by email to:
joelmorris27@googlemail.com
Your message will be answered, and if necessary, an appointment will be made to see you, or you will  be contacted by a phone call or text message. Please confine any subject matter to point of appointment contact. It is in the best interest of the students and their families that all conversations with tutors are conducted in privacy during an agreed time and place. Any other forms of contact not specified in this policy will not be acceptable, except in obvious emergencies. Visitors to the dance studio should be mindful of the contact protocol in order to avoid distractions, for the benefit of the smooth running of classes where the focus on student needs is paramount.

JMDA requires that as a condition of joining the school, students must not take part
or represent another school or person in any competitions or festivals. If however a
student wishes to represent another school or individual an any such activity, they
will be permanently excluded from representing JMDA in any future festivals or
competitions.
 

The only exceptions will be if a student starts at JMDA, and has previously made a
commitment to another school or person, and has brought this to the attention of
the Principle Mr. Joel Morris.

Term fees will be required to be settled within two weeks of receiving the invoice. If difficulties arise and late payment is anticipated, please contact the Principal, Mr. Joel Morris to discuss the matter.

We try our very best to avoid cancelling classes where possible, but in the unfortunate event that we do (i.e. illness, unpredictable weather conditions, pandemic) we will always do our best to continue the timetables normal via the means of zoom, or reschedule, or add on to an extra term. Unfortunately, we will be unable to offer refunds for any classes cancelled.

JMDA fully recognises its responsibilities for child protection, and as a requirement
of being a teacher with the Royal Ballet School, the Principal Mr. Joel Morris
undertakes the Child Protection ‘Educare’ course with the Royal Ballet School on a yearly basis.

Our policy applies to all teachers and staff working in the school. There are three
main elements to our policy:

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1. Ensuring we practice safe recruitment in checking the suitability of staff to work
with children – this is achieved by running a DBS check against all new
employees.
2. Raising awareness of child protection issues and equipping children with the
skills needed to keep them safe.
3. Establishing a safe environment in which children can learn and develop.
 

The school will endeavour to:
• Establish and maintain an environment where children feel secure, are
encouraged to talk and are listened to.
• Ensure children know that there are adults in the school whom they can
approach if they are worried.

This policy applies to both children under 18 years and vulnerable adults.
JMDA has a duty of care to safeguard all children from harm whilst involved in
tuition, practice and performance DURING THE TIME THEY ARE IN CLASS UNDER SUPERVISION.

The JMDA Child Protection Policy is to follow good practice guidelines. These
guidelines cover physical injury, sexual abuse, emotional abuse and staff are made aware of their responsibilities which include avoiding unnecessary physical contact and/or private or unobserved situations.

Parents will be required to sign a terms and conditions form to confirm they have
understood their responsibilities set out in the policy.
Also included in the student will be a disclaimer for all parents/guardians/carers to give their permission for photographs and/or video recordings to be taken from time to time by school staff or appointed professionals for promotional material for the school and social media. If any parent/guardian/carer objects to this, it is their responsibility to ensure that the principal is made aware.

Standards of Behaviour expected. All members of the dance school community are
expected to:

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▪ be responsible for their own actions and know how to behave.
▪ Show self-discipline and support others.
▪ Arrive prepared and in good time before the commencement of class.
▪ Have good manners and be polite.
▪ Show understanding and respect towards each other and others’ property.

▪ Display positive attitudes to school and work which emphasises high
standards.

Occasionally, parents need to be more directly involved and we believe that by working closely with pupils and parents we can achieve positive results. Students are required to wear the uniform for the grade they are in, and their hair must be neat and tidy for class. JMDA staff are responsible for modelling good behaviour and having high expectations of all children with regard to their own behaviour. The studio environment gives clear messages to the children about the extent to which they and their efforts are valued. Resources should be arranged to promote independent learning and minimise disruption. Displays should help develop self-esteem through demonstrating the value of every individual’s contribution. Praise should be used to encourage good behaviour as well as good work.

Here at the Joel Morris Dance Academy, we do not tolerate bullying of any kind and it is expected that parents will support JMDA in encouraging their children to show respect and support JMDA authority when disciplining its pupils. Any incident of apparent bullying is investigated. DfE guidance defines bullying as “actions that are meant to be hurtful and which happen on a regular basis. Bullying can be direct or indirect.”
 

At JMDA we are committed to working with staff, pupils, parents and carers to create and maintain a happy, family friendly atmosphere where all forms of bullying will not be tolerated, including when bullying is motivated by prejudice or negative attitudes towards a person’s race, religion, nationality, ethnicity, disability, gender, gender identity and sexual orientation (LGBT).
 

JMDA’s anti-bullying policy has been developed with due regard for our duties and obligations under existing legislation for the safeguarding and wellbeing of all our pupils and we will take all steps to ensure their safety. JMDA aims to build a feeling of confidence in children and parents so that they
know that all reports or suspicions of bullying will be investigated. JMDA aims to equip children with the skills, attitudes and values that will prepare them for adult life. Children who exhibit bullying behaviour may carry it into adult life. In order to avoid bullying JMDA aims to establish a positive approach to
behaviour.

JMDA actively promotes diversity and equal opportunity in all aspects of its work
and seeks to prevent discrimination against any individual or group within JMDA, on
the grounds of racial/ethnic heritages, religious or political belief, socio-economic
and marital status, physical attributes, disablement, gender, sexual orientation and
age.

JMDA recognises that it has clear obligations towards all its students to ensure that they are all afforded the opportunity to realise their full potential. JMDA tries to anticipate the needs of all students who join with a disability or special need, or who become impaired during their course of study. The aim is that
no one should be disadvantaged in any way.
 

If students have impairment, or have special requirements, they are encouraged to inform us as soon as possible (usually on the application form). We rely on the parent/student to tell us what is needed. This will give us time to check that we can meet particular needs if possible. This policy embraces the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.

JMDA aims to keep the working environment clean, tidy and free from hazards. Our teachers endeavour to conduct dance classes in a safe and proper manner, encouraging good warm-up and cool-down practices and supplementing the syllabus exercises by keeping abreast of the most up to date thinking in dance/ sport medicine.

Joel Morris Dance Academy will comply with the requirements of the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981.
 

First aid boxes at JMDA are checked on a monthly basis, and where necessary the contents replenished. The minimum legal provision of a suitably stocked first aid box will always be met.

Fire Risk Assessments have been completed for the premises which gives details of the controls in place in order to minimise risk to life in the event of fire. All employees are instructed on the action to be taken in the event of a fire or other emergency. All employees will be fully conversant with procedures for fire
prevention, detection and evacuation.

JMDA keeps records of pupils on a computer database with password protection for the purpose of efficiency and consistency of administration. They can be viewed by you at any time. We will not share any of your personal details without your permission, aside from where the law allows. This complies with the Data Protection Act 1998.

By simply browsing our site, we do not collect any personally-identifiable
information about you.

If you email JMDA, you will share with us certain information. This will include your email address and could also include your name, your child’s name, their date of birth and any other details you tell us within the message. Only key members of our staff can read these messages and we will only use the details you provide to enable us to fulfil your request (for example, giving you details about a suitable
class).

If you register your child for our classes, we will collect personal information about you and your child. This will include your name, your address, your email address and phone number as well as your child’s name, their date of birth, gender and the date they started classes. You may also tell us about any previous dance experience your child has had, any exams they have taken and if they have any needs or conditions we should be aware of (for example allergies, disabilities or any medication they might need to take whilst dancing). With these details we will also store a record of exams your child takes with us, invoices we issue (including when and how they were paid). We store this information securely within the UK and only key members of staff have access to it. We use the information to provide our
services to you, keep you informed, and help us tailor our services better to the needs of our customers. We DO NOT share your details with any third party companies.

Royal Academy of Dance

The RAD is our examining body. If you enter your child for exams, we will disclose certain details about your child. These include their name and previous exams (including scores) they have taken. If your child needs additional support during their exam (for example because they have a disability), the additional support they need will also be disclosed. You can prevent RAD collecting information about your child by not entering them for exams. This will not affect your child’s ability to progress through our classes in any way. We do not disclose any of your child’s details to RAD unless you enter them for an exam. Your personal details are your property. Apart from the instances listed above, we do not disclose your details to anyone.