Policies, Terms and Conditions

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Terms & Conditions for English Courses in Bristol

Standard Terms and Conditions

Please read and accept our full terms and conditions. By agreeing to these terms and conditions you are formally entering into a contract with International House Bristol and agreeing to our processing of your data. If you need host family accommodation, please also read and accept the terms and conditions for staying with a host family

  • You must pay the full course fees at least four weeks before your course begins unless special arrangements have been agreed. If you book less than four weeks before you start, you must send the full payment immediately unless special arrangements have been agreed. When we receive your full payment including accommodation fees, we will send the details of your accommodation and airport transfer, if applicable. Please note: accomodation details will be sent approximately two to three weeks before the course start date and transfer confirmation by the Wednesday before arrival/departure.
  • If you are booking host family accommodation for longer than 1 month, we request a minimum of 4 weeks' accommodation payment before you arrive. Each additional month must be paid at least 1 month in advance. There are no discounts on accommodation fees.
  • You will receive one of the following documents alongside the invoice: a Certificate of Acceptance (if you do not require a visa), a visa letter if you require a visa. Note: we will send you a visa letter and Certificate of Acceptance only after we have received a deposit of £250.
  • All medical conditions must be disclosed in full before we accept your booking
  • If you do not know your flight and arrival details at the time of booking, please inform us and your host family (where applicable) as soon as you know these details.

Insurance: we strongly advise you to take out personal insurance to cover you for loss of possessions, including laptops and mobile phones, medical expenses and the loss of tuition and other fees if you have to cancel your course or return home earlier than planned. IH Bristol is working in partnership with guard.me, to provide our students with a policy which has been specifically designed to meet your requirements whilst you are studying in the UK - you can find more information about insurance here

Distance bookings: if you want to cancel your application within 14 days of entering the contract with the school, see separate box below. Please note: accommodation is exempt from the 14 day cancellation policy.

  1. If you cancel your booking, the registration fee and accommodation finding fee are non-refundable in any event.
  2. If you send us written cancellation at least four weeks before the start of your course, we will refund the course fees minus your deposit of £250 (which may include the administration and / or accommodation finding fee where applicable). If you cancel less than four weeks before the start of your course, we will refund 50% of your course fees, minus the deposit.
  3. Refunds can only be paid to you by the same method as your original payment.
  4. Individual one-to-one lessons can be postponed and rebooked with 24 hours notice. 1:1 courses of any length are subject to the Terms and Conditions for all other English courses.
  5. If your visa application is refused, we will refund your payment minus the administration fee and the accommodation finding fee (if applicable) and the insurance premium (if applicable) if you send us written cancellation at least two weeks before your course begins. You must also provide written evidence from the visa office that your visa has been rejected, and return all original letters of acceptance to us. If your visa is refused with less than two weeks’ notice, the normal cancellation charges apply [see Note 2, above].
  6. We cannot give refunds for late arrival, early departure, absence during a course (including illness) or change of programme.
  7. Fees are for consecutive weeks of study.
  8. IH Bristol reserves the right to charge an administration fee of £51 each time the course, accommodation or dates are changed or postponed after IH Bristol has confirmed the initial enrolment. This includes requests for changes whilst the student is at school.
  9. We cannot give refunds for days when the school is closed during bank holidays.
  10. If you want to take a holiday during your course, you must tell us at the time of application. The holiday period will be added to your course. If you have a visa, for each 10 consecutive weeks of study you are allowed one week of holiday. If you are already attending a course and wish to have a holiday, you must tell us two weeks in advance. In this case, the number of weeks you take as a holiday can be added to the end of your course, depending on availability. Note: additional charges may apply.
  11. You may occasionally be included in promotional material – photos for brochures, social media, DVDs or other such advertising material. By agreeing to these Terms and Conditions, you are opting in to your image being used by IH Bristol for marketing purposes. If you prefer not to have your image used, please contact us via email: info@ihbristol.com, subject line: Image use. (U18s we will ask parents and the student for permissions in writing, prior to course start).
  12. Students agree to follow all internal regulations of the school. If a student behaves in a disruptive manner, does not follow the school rules, is persistently absent from class, or engages in illegal activity, he/she will immediately be sent home at his/her own, or his/her parents’ expense.
  13. For students requiring host family accommodation, there is an additional set of terms & conditions (below). Please read all the clauses and remember that we expect our students to arrive at their host family accommodation on a Sunday and depart on a Saturday.
  14. Airport transfers: flight details including airport arrival time, flight numbers, airline and point of origin must be sent to IH Bristol at least seven days prior to arrival in order for IH Bristol to provide airport transfers. No refunds will be granted on transfers if flight details are not sent at least seven days prior to arrival. Airport transfer fees include a maximum of one hour waiting time. In the event of delays exceeding one hour, students will be charged an additional fee.  Airport transfer services are not defined as part of the package provided with courses, are priced separately and travel times cannot be guaranteed. Furthermore compensation due to delays is limited to the transfer price paid.
  15. Force Majeure: in the event of the school having to close and/or students having to return home early for reasons of natural disaster such as fire/flooding/infectious diseases or war/terrorism, etc, which are beyond the reasonable control of the school, no refunds will be made. In this event, students may be able to claim compensation under their own personal insurance policy. We will make all efforts to keep the school open and running but this may necessitate making some classes larger, or online, or changing the timetable to allow staff to cover all scheduled lessons.
  16. We will not refund or compensate for any disruption to course components (e.g. tuition, flights, accommodation, taxi transfers, exams) which is routinely insurable.
  17. You should understand that any information you have provided to us at the school, or will provide in the future, will be processed by the school, in compliance with the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998. Under data protection legislation you can ask for a copy of certain personal records held about you.

  1. Recipients of scholarship or government grants should expect to pay a deposit (£600) to the school on enrolment. This will be refunded only when full fees have been received from the sponsoring organisation for the full duration of the course.
  2. If you wish to postpone your course for any reason, (for example, if you are still waiting for the visa to be issued) you must let us know at least two weeks before you are due to arrive, otherwise you will lose your deposit and will have to pay another deposit before we can confirm a new starting date.

 

Terms & Conditions for Accommodation 

 
  1. An accommodation placement fee is normally charged, along with the accommodation cost. 

  2. IHB will start to look for accommodation once your deposit and parental agreement/medical information forms, if applicable, have been received.

  3. The period for which we will arrange accommodation is restricted to the period of study with us.
  4. You are not allowed to make arrangements directly with your host. 
  5. Extending your stay: students wishing to extend their stay with a host must give us at least a week's notice. Extending your stay may be subject to an administration fee. You do not need to pay this fee if you can stay with the same host and extend your stay by at least several weeks and extend your course at the same time.
  6. You must pay for your accommodation at least 4 weeks before arrival. If you book less than 4 weeks in advance, you must pay immediately.

  7. You cannot attend classes until your accommodation invoice is paid.

  8. You must give the school and the host one week's notice if you intend to leave earlier than planned.
  9. You must disclose complete and accurate information regarding medical conditions, allergies, dietary requirements, smoking status or any other information that a host will want to know or may impact an accommodation provider’s ability to host. IHB will not be held responsible if you need to move out of your accommodation as a result of not providing this information, and you will still need to pay for a notice period. You may need to find and pay for alternative accommodation.
  10. If you book a transfer through IH Bristol, you must tell us your arrival and departure details as soon as possible and no later than 7 days before arrival.
  11. If you have your own travel arrangements, you must tell your host your departure and arrival details.
  12. IHB needs advance notice to postpone, cancel, extend or change accommodation bookings. For cancellations or postponements minimum 1 week; for extending or changing host minimum 3 weeks. 

Student Conduct

You must follow school rules in your homestay or you may be asked to leave.

1.  You must follow IHB procedures for payment plans, moving homestay, complaints and holidays. Please see our FAQs for details.

2.  You must tell your host if you break or damage something. You must offer to pay the host before you leave. International House Bristol accepts no responsibility or liability for any loss or damage directly or indirectly caused by any student or host.

3.  You must behave reasonably. See our FAQs for a list of examples of unreasonable behaviour. 

4.  You must not download unsuitable material from the internet while staying with a host. See our FAQs for examples of unsuitable material.

5.  You must return to your homestay by curfew time (if appropriate). Curfew times: 11-15-year-olds by 9.30pm, and 16-17-year-olds by 10.30pm, or by the time requested by your host - whichever is earliest.

Terms & Conditions for Cambridge Exams

If you cancel your registration before the deadline, the registration fee of £40 will not be refundable in any event.

  • For cancellations after the application deadline has passed, refunds will only be given in extreme circumstances (such as due to severe illness) with evidence provided, and at the discretion of University of Cambridge. A written request for refund must be received by our office within seven days of the exam.
  • Your application will not be confirmed until the full payment is received
  • If you don't receive your certificate, you must inform IH Bristol within six months after the date of the exam

Exam numbers: IH Bristol will run all sessions numbers permitting. Candidates/preparation centres are informed by  the closing entry date should IH Bristol not be able to run a session.

Candidates with learning or physical disabilities Candidates with learning or physical disabilities need to contact IH Bristol  by the closing entry date with a medical report in English (not older than 2 years) giving detailed information about their condition so that appropriate arrangements can be made. IH Bristol cannot guarantee that a special arrangement can be accommodated so please contact us for more information.

Complaints procedure: If you wish to make a complaint about anything related to your Cambridge exam, you must do so in writing within 48 hours of your test day.  All complaints must be sent to exams@ihbristol.com and we must receive the complaint no later than 48 hours after your test day. Alternatively, you can fill in a Candidate Comment Form on the day of your test and hand it to a staff member. No complaint can be processed after your results have been released.

Terms & Conditions for IELTS Exams

Payment: After you book your exam on the IELTS website, you will be given a link to International House Bristol’s payment page, which will ask you to enter your card details. Please note that if you do not pay for your exam within 72 hours of booking, your entry will automatically be cancelled.

Cancellations:

To cancel your IELTS (Academic and General Training) test, please log in to the Test Taker Portal and submit a cancellation request, along with an upload of supporting documentation/evidence.

If a medical certificate confirming illness on the date of the test is provided via email to ielts@ihbristol.com within five calendar days of the test date, together with the submitted cancellation request on the Test Taker Portal, the fee is refundable, minus a 25% administration fee. All refunds will be made against the original payment method.

Transfers: If you would like to transfer your exam to a later date, you will need to contact the centre at ielts@ihbristol.com. If medical evidence is provided within 5 days of the test date, you can request a transfer to a later exam, which must be within 3 months of the original test date. If the transfer request is made within 14 days of payment, we can grant a free transfer to a later date (within 3 months of the original test date) without a transfer fee.

Exam numbers: IH Bristol will run all sessions numbers permitting. Candidates/preparation centres are informed within one week of the date should IH Bristol not be able to run a session.

Candidates with learning or physical disabilities Candidates with learning or physical disabilities need to contact IH Bristol  by the closing entry date with a medical report in English (not older than 2 years) giving detailed information about their condition so that appropriate arrangements can be made. IH Bristol cannot guarantee that a special arrangement can be accommodated so please contact us for more information.

Complaints procedure: If you wish to make a complaint about anything related to your IELTS exam, you must do so on the same day. You can ask a staff member for a Complaint Form on the day of your test and return it before you leave.

Terms & Conditions for Teacher training

If you cancel your registration after accepting a place on the course, the registration fee of £100 is non-refundable in any event.

  • If you cancel your place in writing four working weeks before the first Monday of the course (eg, cancel a place starting August 1st by Friday June 30th), we will refund the course fees and the deposit minus the registration fee
  • For cancellation less than four weeks and more than two weeks before the start date, we will refund 50% of the fees
  • There are no refunds for cancellations less than two weeks before the start date. There are no refunds if you leave the course after starting.
  • Note that the CELTA course is one package.

Cancellation within 14 days of entering a distance contract with IH Bristol

You have a legal right under the Consumer Contract (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 to cancel the Contract within 14 days (the "Cancellation Period") without giving any reason. The Cancellation Period will expire 14 days from the date of your application. To cancel you must inform us by a clear statement. You may send your notice of cancellation in writing to International House Bristol, 27 Oakfield Road, Bristol, BS8 2AT or info@ihbristol.com but it is not obligatory for you to use this method. You can use our cancellation form which you can find below on the link: "Cancelling your contract within 14 days of application". Please open, save, complete and return to us. Please note that a cancellation is only valid when it has been acknowledged by email receipt from IH Bristol

We will not start providing the Services to you during the Cancellation Period unless you have expressly requested us to do so on your application form.

If you cancel in accordance with the first paragraph above in this box, we will refund the Fees you have paid within 14 days of the date on which you inform us that you wish to cancel. However, if you have expressly requested on your application form that we start providing the Services within the Cancellation Period then we will be entitled to charge you a reasonable sum for the Services based on the proportion of the Course/Exam you have undertaken and the overall cost of the Course/Exam and we can deduct this sum from any refund payable to you.

Please note that:

  • tuition is charged by the week for English as a foreign language and by course for Teacher training and per exam
  • any coursebooks received will be charged at full price
  • administration and / or accommodation finding fees are non-refundable
  • accommodation is exempt from the 14 day cancellation policy.

Cancelling your contract within 14 days of application: please click here to download a cancellation form (Ms Word format)

Policies

Health and safety

Your safety is a priority for us and the school maintains high standards in this area. We compiy with all relevant legislation relating to health and safety, and conduct regular fire drills and careful risk assessments to ensure our buildings are safe.

Physical disability

The Oakfield Road site is accessible for wheelchair users. The Queens Avenue site is not suitable for clients in wheelchairs.

Please click here to access our physical disability policy

Prevent

The safety and welfare of our students is very important to us, especially for U18s and vulnerable adults. As part of this context, IH Bristol also understands its responsibilities under the Counter Terrorism & Security Act 2015 to help prevent people of all ages being radicalised or 
drawn into terrorism. We have measures in place to mitigate this, and to promote respect for others and to promote British values. 

Please click here to access our Prevent policy

Visual and audial impairment, dyslexia, etc

We can usually help clients with some difficulties with their sight or their hearing but our courses are probably not suitable for the totally blind or the very deaf. Please contact us if you think you may need special arrangements.

If you are dyslexic, it is very helpful if you can tell us in advance. In particular, if you are planning to take an examination we can make special arrangements for you but we need to know in good time.

Students with Special Educational Needs (SEN)

At IH Bristol, we strive to provide the best educational experience for all of our students, and we try our best to meet all educational needs when we can.

We understand that each student has unique learning requirements, abilities, and potential challenges. To cater for these needs effectively and ensure our students' safety and well-being, we must receive advanced notice of SEN.

When enrolling a student with special educational needs, we need this information at the time of the booking or at least 8 weeks prior to their arrival, whichever is sooner.

Abusive behaviour policy

Applies in school, on school premises, in accommodation and on organised social events with International House Bristol. 

The following are not tolerated at International House Bristol:

  • Bullying of any kind (physical, written, spoken or on the internet)
  • Racism (against other nationalities, cultures or religions, written, spoken or on the internet)
  • Excessive and/or loud swearing
  • Sexual harassment of any kind (physical, written, spoken or on the internet)
  • Rude or violent actions towards staff, students or visitors (eg, shouting at other students inappropriately, kicking furniture)
  • Stealing other people’s property or International House Bristol’s property
  • Vandalism (eg, writing on or deliberately breaking school furniture, computers, etc)
  • Any illegal activity

Important: It is the school’s decision whether or not your behaviour is unacceptable. If your behaviour is unacceptable, the school will give you one written warning. If unacceptable behaviour occurs again, the school will order you to leave the school immediately, with no refund of any fees.

Please note that the school may order you to leave the school immediately with no refund of fees, with no written warning, if the behaviour is very serious, in the school’s opinion.

We will record all incidents in writing.

Important: It is the school’s decision if your behaviour is unacceptable or not. If your behaviour is unacceptable, the school will give you one written warning. If unacceptable behaviour occurs again, the school will order you to leave the school immediately, with no refund of any fees.

Please note that the school may order you to leave the school immediately with no refund of fees, with no written warning, if the behaviour is very serious in the school’s opinion.

We will record all incidents in writing.

Anti slavery policy

Our commitment to the principles of the Modern Slavery Act 2018

Organisation structure

IH Bristol is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to creating and ensuring a non-discriminatory working environment for its staff. Our recruitment processes are designed to ensure that all employees, actual and prospective, are legally entitled to work in the UK and to safeguard staff from abuse or coercion once in our employ.

All employees and prospective employees are vetted to ensure that they are working legally in the UK, that their documents are in order and that they are doing or applying to do their job of their own volition. This is done at interview where original documents are required and copies taken where appropriate. Our Anti-Slavery Policy is part of our policies bundle on our website.

We consider the risk of an employee being a victim of modern slavery to be minimal as a result of the above.

We have never had an incidence of anybody reporting or suspecting a member of staff to be a victim of modern slavery.

We update our policy annually and try to reflect all and any changes to the 2018 Act when we do so.  Staff are asked to re-read policies at regular intervals (often coinciding with inspections by our umbrella bodies).

Supply chain

IH Bristol has little in the way of supply chains. Other than incidental purchases online, it uses UK registered companies for both goods and services. The vast majority of those we work with are SMEs and so not subject to the requirement to publish a statement.

We ensure our suppliers are legal entities with the necessary accreditations for the areas in which they operate.

We have never had an incidence of a supplier being accused of modern slavery.

Complaints procedure

In case of problems or complaints, please come and speak with one of our team. We will do everything we can to help make the situation better for you. We are here to help!

You can speak to reception, or to one of your teachers. If it is a problem with accommodation, you can speak to one of the Accommodation team. If it helps you, there is a 'Change of Host Family' request form we can give you.

If this does not solve your problem, and you want to make a formal complaint, please ask to speak with the Principal. We can give you a formal complaints form to complete (see the link below). Please send this to Pete Gibson, Principal.

Complaints form

International House Bristol
27 Oakfield Road
Clifton
Bristol
BS8 2AT

+44 (0)117 909 0911

 
If you cannot find a solution with us, English language students can complain to our industry body English UK, following their instructions here: https://www.englishuk.com/complaints
 

Under 18s and Safeguarding

The safety and welfare of all our students is very important to us, but especially for students under the age of 18 and any vulnerable adults. You can see more information on our U18s policies, supervision, parental agreements, and U18 permission forms here. Our school Designated Safeguarding Lead is the Principal, Pete Gibson, who can be contacted by email pete@ihbristol.com or phone 0117 9090911. In an emergency, the Safeguarding Team can be contacted by phoning this number (if out-of-hours, please call the school Emergency Phone.)

 

Visa Requirements

We encourage our students to read the ‘Do I need a visa' page on the gov.uk website for the latest on visa regulations for your country and length of study.