TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Introduction

Coram Shakespeare Schools Foundation places the experience of our schools* at the heart of everything we do. The following Terms and Conditions are designed to enable Coram SSF to deliver a fun, fair and professional experience to all schools participating in Shakespeare Schools Theatre Festival.

By registering for Shakespeare Schools Theatre Festival, you agree on behalf of your school to abide by these Terms and Conditions. Breach of these Terms and Conditions may prevent schools and/or students** being permitted to participate in workshops or performance events.

*For the purposes of this document the term ‘schools’ includes any organisation or group participating in Shakespeare Schools Theatre Festival.

**‘Students’ refers to any young people participating in Shakespeare Schools Theatre Festival.

Our Inclusive Ethos

Coram SSF creates a non-competitive, inclusive and supportive environment so that any student can take part in Shakespeare Schools Theatre Festival. We expect all participants to approach Shakespeare Schools Theatre Festival with a positive attitude to working with peers and staff of different ages, ethnicities, backgrounds and abilities.

Coram SSF does not tolerate discrimination of any kind and will take action if any such behaviour is reported. Failure to properly address such discrimination could result in the school in question being banned from participating.

Our Top Three Terms

1. Your school must have no more than 35 students in attendance at the In-School Workshop or Performance Day and they must be adequately chaperoned by the school, at a ratio of 1:10 for primary age pupils, 1:12 for secondary age. There is no minimum group size. If this rule is broken it will prevent the school from being able to participate in the planned activity. See ‘Chaperones’ below.
2. Your play must be no longer than 30 minutes. Coram SSF will provide you with abridged scripts. There is no minimum time limit. It is your responsibility to ensure your play is cut to time, so make sure you do a timed run through ahead of your Performance Day. Your dress rehearsal will be timed, and if your play is running over, Coram SSF staff will cut it down before the performance itself.
3. Payment of the non-refundable registration fee
   (£1,379 +VAT for state schools, £2,099 +VAT for independent schools or £1,052 +VAT for international schools) is due 30 days after receipt of the invoice. The invoice will be sent within 10 working days of completion of the registration form. If school funding has been confirmed but monies cannot yet be released, please contact your coordinator immediately. We are unable to offer refunds. See "Refunds and Deferrals" below for details. or details.

Bundle Offer

Coram SSF also offers a Theatre and Film Festival bundle for a non-refundable registration fee of £1,620.10+VAT for state schools, £2,391.90+VAT for independent schools or £1,532.55 +VAT for international schools.

The Teacher-Director and Programmes Coordinator

Coram SSF will assign each school a ‘Programmes Coordinator’, who will be your go-to contact throughout your festival journey. Each school must provide their coordinator with the name and details of a main contact who will be leading the project in school, called a ‘Teacher-Director’. All of Coram SSF’s vital communications will go to the Teacher-Director. It is the schools’ responsibility to inform us if the Teacher-Director changes.

Registration Fee

Payment of the non-refundable registration fee (£1,379+VAT for state schools, £2,099 +VAT for independent schools, or £1,052 +VAT for international schools) is due 30 days after receipt of the invoice. The invoice will be sent within 10 working days of completion of the registration form. If school funding has been confirmed but monies cannot yet be released, please contact your coordinator immediately. We are only able to offer refunds or deferrals in specific circumstances. See 'Refunds and Deferrals’ below for details.

Child Protection and Safeguarding

Coram Shakespeare Schools Foundation is committed to safeguarding the welfare of children and young people and requires all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Coram SSF works directly with children and young people and therefore takes the issues of safeguarding and child protection very seriously.

Coram SSF adheres to the Coram Group Safeguarding Policy & Procedures. To read this full policy, click here.

Coram SSF has developed safeguarding guidance for our activity that directs our work with schools and children. We aim to create an environment of safety and mutual respect, where child protection is everyone’s responsibility. For our full Safeguarding Procedures, click here.

All Coram SSF staff working on the Festival will have a current Enhanced DBS check. For more information see ‘Our Commitment to You’ later in this document.

Body of Persons Approval (BOPA)

A BOPA allows a group of children to take part in a performance event, without the need to obtain a license for each individual child. In line with Department for Education and specific local authority guidance, we may need to gather information about the students participating in the project, and the adults who will be chaperoning them, in order for them to issue a BOPA. Your coordinator will get in touch about any information required by your local authority with as much notice as possible. Without this information, your performance night will not be able to take place.

Health and Safety

The health and safety of all staff and students is of paramount importance to us. Therefore, we insist that all schools operate under the Department for Education (DfE) advice on health and safety for schools. All participating schools will be expected to have read the DfE’s guidance, and to act under its aegis (see https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-and-safety-advice-for-schools).

Coram SSF accepts no responsibility for injury to persons during the In-School Workshops and Shakespeare Schools Theatre Festival Performance Days, other than that which is covered by the Coram Shakespeare Schools Foundation’s Public Liability Insurance. Schools will be expected to have provided all appropriate and adequate insurance arrangements for their students and their staff.

Coram SSF carries out its own risk assessments in line with our Health and Safety Policy but participating schools must also do their own. We can provide a template if required.

Schools must appoint a Group Leader (usually the Teacher-Director) who should make themselves known to the Coram SSF staff at the beginning of the In-School Workshop.

Group Leaders must be teachers who therefore act as employees of the LA/LEA/ELB or of the school governing body, and as such must do their best to ensure the health and safety of everyone in the school group.

The Group Leader will be expected to provide:

• A register of their students in case of an emergency
• Any information about special needs or medical conditions that may affect participation in activities
• A list of students who do not have permission from a legal guardian to be photographed

Privacy Policy

At Coram Shakespeare Schools Foundation, we have always been and continue to be committed to protecting and respecting your privacy.

We are a charity and a company limited by guarantee and we hold personal data for schools, staff, donors, supporters, Festival and workshop participants and suppliers. We will only use the information that we collect about you in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulations 2018 and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003.

Teacher-Director Workshops

Participation in Teacher-Director Workshops is restricted to those teachers whose schools have paid the registration fee. Each school is permitted one space at the Teacher-Director Workshop. If you would like to book an additional place, please contact your Programmes Coordinator. Teacher-Directors may bring a Student-Director for free, but the student must be 15 or over, and it must be confirmed with your coordinator beforehand.

Student numbers

Each school group should consist of no more than 35 students. This 35 may include actors, musicians, marketing students, student directors, technicians, designers and stage managers, and any other students who will be at the In-School Workshop or Performance Day. Please be aware that no more than two technical students will be permitted into the sound or lighting box on the Performance Day for health and safety reasons, and these students must be accompanied by a separate chaperone in addition to those for the group working onstage.

This is a non-negotiable rule. It is written into our contracts with the theatres and workshop venues and is in place for the safety of your students in the backstage and onstage areas. If more than 35 students are in attendance at the In-School Workshop, Coram SSF will ask the Teacher-Director to redistribute roles for your Performance Day, which could lead to some students not being permitted to participate.

In-School Workshop

Your school must have no more than 35 students in attendance at the In-School Workshop and they must be adequately supervised by the school. This 35 may include actors, musicians, student technicians, marketing students, and any other students who will be participating in Shakespeare Schools Theatre Festival. There is no minimum group size.

There must always be at least one teacher or member of school staff present at the In-School Workshop at any time. If this rule is broken it will prevent the workshop from beginning or from continuing.

The school will provide a working space for the workshop that is suitable for all access requirements of its students, i.e.: a hall, studio or gym. This should be large enough for participants to move around comfortably and clear of tables and chairs.

Timings and dates will be displayed on the school’s Backstage account on the Coram SSF website (https://www.shakespeareschools.org/admin/login). A link will be sent to the Teacher-Director by email when these are released and confirmed.

Should Coram SSF be forced to cancel the workshop we will make best efforts to re-arrange the event for the next available and acceptable date, in consultation with the school.

Once an In-School Workshop date has been set, it means we have booked one of our freelance facilitators to attend. If you cancel your workshop fewer than 5 working days before it is scheduled to take place, you will be subject to a £150+VAT fee.

If you need to rearrange your ISW please contact your coordinator as soon as possible.

Chaperones at the Performance Day

Students must always be under the supervision of a school-appointed adult in the theatre, including in the backstage areas, the wings, and the auditorium.

Coram SSF’s chaperone ratios (in accordance with the DfE Guidelines and best practice) are:

• For primary age pupils, 10:1 students to adults
• For secondary age pupils, 12:1 students to adults

The school must provide at least 2 chaperones per group, even if you have fewer than 10 students. This is so students can be chaperoned in both wings at the theatre, as well as in changing rooms and for bathroom breaks.

Additional chaperones are required for any students separated from the group at any time (e.g. technical students in the sound or lighting box).

The Coram SSF staff cannot and will not act as chaperones for students at any time.

Chaperones cannot be other students from the school, even if they are over 18.

Chaperones in the audience are not considered to be chaperoning students in the wings or on stage. This is in case a student falls ill or has an accident during the performance, and for safeguarding, as the wings and backstage areas are not visible from the audience.

If at the In-School Workshop or Performance Day a school does not have the correct number of chaperones they will not be permitted to take part in the activity. This is for the safety of the students which is our top priority at all times.

We may ask you to provide information about who will be chaperoning your students including their names and DBS numbers, and to keep us updated if there is any change to who you plan to bring on the day.

Professional Conduct in the Theatre

On the Performance Day the school groups will be working in a professional theatre or performance space, and it will be the school’s responsibility to ensure their students conduct themselves in an appropriate manner.

Schools must arrive promptly for their rehearsal and performance at their allocated time. Timings and dates will be displayed on the school’s Backstage account on the Coram SSF website – a link will be sent to the Teacher-Director by email when these are released.

Schools who are allocated a morning rehearsal slot must leave the theatre between 12.30pm and 5.45pm unless agreed otherwise with the relevant Programmes Coordinator. This is to allow adequate, uninterrupted rehearsal time for the schools taking part in the afternoon sessions.

Props, Costume and Personal Belongings

Coram SSF accepts no responsibility for loss or damage to property during the In-School Workshop or Festival Performance Day, other than that which is covered by the Coram Shakespeare Schools Foundation’s Public Liability Insurance.

Coram SSF prohibits schools from allowing anything that is dangerous or messy onstage for their Shakespeare Schools Theatre Festival performance. This includes glass, liquids, hazardous materials of any kind, explosives or combustible materials, metal blades, real or replica guns of any kind, and live animals. If you are unsure, just check with your coordinator or Coram SSF.

Props and costumes must be made of fire-resistant material or treated with flame retardant. If costumes are deemed by Coram SSF to be offensive, revealing, culturally inappropriate or too scary for young audiences, they will be forbidden on the Performance Day.

You may bring handheld props and small items of set to your Performance Day. Anything larger may not fit into the wing space at the theatre or be set up in the turnaround times. A good guide is whether you can fit all your props into the boot of a car.

Chewing gum, cigarettes and alcohol may not be consumed in any part of the theatre or workshop venue. Mobile phones are not to be carried by students in the stage, wings and auditorium areas.

Your performers must wear shoes. For health and safety reasons, they cannot perform either in bare feet or socks.

Light and Sound

Schools may use a maximum of 20 lighting cues and 10 sound cues. There is no minimum number of cues. This is to enable the theatre’s technical team to run smooth rehearsals and help to deliver the creative vision of every school. If too many lighting or sound cues are included they will be cut during the technical rehearsal. See the Teacher-Director resources on your Backstage account for more information on how to add light and sound to a show.

It is the Teacher-Director’s responsibility to submit your technical requirements to the theatre technician on time in the form of a ‘tech book’. Depending on the venue, the deadline will be at some point between your In-School Workshop and the Performance Day; your coordinator will let you know. If the tech book is not submitted on time, we cannot guarantee that the theatre will be able to fulfil all of your requirements.

Music

If you are using recorded music, you will require a PPL licence for rehearsals. Your use of music in the performance is covered by the theatre’s license. Many LAs/LEAs/ELBs will have a PPL licence but schools should check the specific authorisation relating to them, and what is covered by their licence. All licences are specific to previously declared requirements.

If the school is licensed through the LA/LEA/ELB and not currently covered, they should contact the council and ask them to declare Amateur Dramatics Use to the PPL. If the council has devolved funding and/or the school is responsible for its own licence, the Teacher-Director should contact the PPL offices directly to ensure the school is covered.

PPL Contact Details: www.ppluk.com,
info@ppluk.com, 020 7534 1000

PRS charges for use of music during performances will be covered by Coram SSF through our agreement with the theatre. See www.prsformusic.com for more details.

Coram SSF Scripts and Repeat Performances

Copyright of the abridged scripts rests with the Coram Shakespeare Schools Foundation. The registration fee only allows a school to perform the abridgement as part of Shakespeare Schools Theatre Festival 2024-25.

The script may not be shared outside school, used in subsequent years, or downloaded for use outside Shakespeare Schools Theatre Festival.

A public performance of the Coram SSF abridged script must be premiered on the Performance Day. Any subsequent non-Coram SSF public performance must take not take place until at least four weeks after the Coram SSF Performance Day.

Refunds and Deferrals

Coram SSF is unable to offer refunds on the registration fee.

As a charity, we heavily subsidise each school’s registration fee through fundraising, events, and other activity throughout the year. When a school signs up to Shakespeare Schools Theatre Festival, both they and Coram SSF are committed to the costs of their participation, including staff, practitioners, resources, website maintenance etc. This means that if a school drops out of the project the charity loses all the money invested, making it harder for us to continue to run Shakespeare Schools Theatre Festival in following years. Therefore, in order to protect our future work with schools and theatres, we are unable to offer refunds.

In exceptional circumstances* we may be able to defer a registration fee to the following year’s programme.

*Staffing changes, changes to budgets, changes to school commitments or priorities do not qualify as ‘exceptional circumstances’.

Exceptional circumstances include:

• closure of the entire school due to pandemic
• bereavement or serious illness
• change of dates by Coram SSF after schedules are confirmed

Deferrals will be subject to deductions as follows:

For all deferrals – minus 15% of the registration fee
From one calendar month before the Teacher-Director Workshop – minus 40% of the registration fee
From one calendar month before the In-School Workshop – minus 70% of the registration fee
No deferrals are possible after this stage.

The deferred fee will be credited against participation in the following year and the school will need to pay the remaining balance of any price difference. If there is any chance that you might need to defer your place, please contact your Programmes Coordinator immediately.

If circumstances change within your school within the 30-day window for payment so that participation is no longer possible, the following charges will apply to cover costs already incurred by Coram SSF:

In all cases - 15% of the registration fee
From one calendar month before the Teacher-Director Workshop - 40% of the registration fee
From one calendar month before the In-School Workshop - 70% of the registration fee

After this point, the full fee will apply.

If there is any problem with your registration within this 30-day period, please contact your Programmes Coordinator immediately.

In the case of a union strike Coram SSF events carry on as normal and we ask that you try to attend planned events. Seek advice from your union.

Evaluation

Each year Coram SSF evaluates our work in great detail. This is so that we can continue to improve our products and creative offer to schools, as well as demonstrate impact and provide demographic data to the partners, trusts and foundations that support us.

To this end, Coram SSF will be sending you various evaluation forms throughout the year to survey your experience and that of your students. Please complete each stage in the evaluation thoroughly.

Our Commitment to You

Coram SSF will ensure that appropriate Public Liability Insurance is in place. All Coram Shakespeare Schools Foundation employees are covered by Public Liability and Employer’s Liability Insurance.

We guarantee that all Coram SSF Staff (office staff and freelance staff) working with your students and employed directly by Coram SSF will have been deemed suitable to work with children following a Disclosure Check from the Disclosure and Barring Service and will have received Safeguarding and Child Protection training.

Your coordinator will do everything in their power to accommodate requirements or needs of the school, while maintaining a fair experience for all other schools involved.

Coram SSF is committed to making the Shakespeare Schools Theatre Festival experience fun, fair and professional for all involved, and we greatly appreciate your cooperation in helping us achieve this aim. Thank you.

Coram Shakespeare Schools Foundation is a registered charity, number 1164676, and a limited company (England and Wales), number 9883201.

Registered Office: Gregory House, Coram Campus, 41 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AZ