Booking terms

1. About us

These terms apply to all training courses provided by The Blue Star Academy ("we", "us", "our"), whether in person or online. The Blue Star Academy is run by Rachel Hawkins.

By booking, attending or arranging a course with us, you agree to these terms. If you are booking as a consumer (an individual acting wholly or mainly outside your trade, business, craft or profession), nothing in these terms affects your statutory rights.

The Blue Star Academy, East Midlands, UK. Email: rachel@thebluestaracademy.co.uk. Telephone: +44 7880 837337.

The Blue Star Academy is not currently registered for VAT, so no VAT is charged on our prices.

2. Course information

Before booking, please review the information on our website and in your quotation. It sets out the course, the delivery method and the fees.

We reserve the right to make reasonable changes to course content, venues, delivery methods, schedules, timings or materials where necessary. If we make a significant change and you no longer wish to go ahead, you may cancel and receive a full refund of anything you have paid for that course.

3. Bookings

All bookings are subject to availability. Bookings are made by email, by accepting a quotation, by purchase order or by any other method we agree.

A booking is confirmed only when we have issued written confirmation, and a written invoice arrangement has been agreed or payment has been received. We confirm the course, the date, how it will be delivered, the number of delegates and the price.

We reserve the right to refuse or cancel a booking where reasonably necessary, including where inaccurate, incomplete or misleading information has been supplied. If we cancel a booking for this reason, we will refund any fees paid.

The organisation making the booking is responsible for providing accurate delegate information and for making sure delegates know the course requirements.

4. Fees and payment

Prices are per session, not per person. A session can have up to 10 delegates, or up to 6 or up to 3 at the lower small-group prices. If more delegates attend than you booked for, the price for the larger group applies.

Course fees are those stated in your quotation, booking confirmation or other written communication at the time the booking is made. As we are not currently VAT registered, no VAT is added to our fees.

We invoice you through Xero. Payment must be received within 30 days of the invoice date or before the course start date, whichever is sooner, unless we agree otherwise in writing.

We reserve the right to suspend, postpone or cancel any booking where payment remains outstanding. Business customers may be charged interest on overdue accounts in accordance with the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998, together with any reasonable costs incurred in recovering outstanding sums.

Discount codes apply as described with the code. Unless we agree otherwise in writing, a discount code cannot be combined with bundle prices or the small-group prices.

5. Cancellations and refunds

More than 14 days before the course date: free of charge, or we will rearrange the date at no cost.

7 to 14 days before the course date: 50% of the course fee is payable.

Less than 7 days before the course date: the full course fee is payable.

We will always offer to rearrange the date instead, where we can. Online and in-person courses are treated in the same way. Any non-refundable costs we have already paid on your behalf may also be charged.

Cancellations must be made in writing to rachel@thebluestaracademy.co.uk. Approved refunds will be made to the original payment method within 14 days.

In exceptional circumstances we may, at our discretion, offer a transfer, a credit note, a partial refund or another reasonable arrangement.

6. Delegate substitutions

Substitute delegates may attend in place of the original delegate free of charge, provided we are given reasonable advance notice and the substitute meets any relevant course requirements.

7. Non-attendance

If a booked session does not go ahead because nobody attends and we have not been told beforehand, this is treated as a cancellation on the day and the full course fee is payable.

Where non-attendance results from illness, bereavement, emergency or other exceptional circumstances, we may, at our discretion, offer to rearrange the course.

8. Cancellation or postponement by us

We make every reasonable effort to deliver training as agreed. However, we may need to cancel, postpone or reschedule training, for example because of illness, equipment failure, severe weather, transport disruption, public health emergencies or other circumstances outside our reasonable control.

If we cancel or postpone a course, you can choose either a new date or a full refund of the fees paid for the affected course.

Except where required by law, we are not responsible for any consequential costs you incur, including accommodation, travel or loss of earnings.

9. Your responsibilities

Where training is delivered at your premises, you are responsible for providing:

• A suitable, safe room with enough space and facilities for everyone
• A working computer for each delegate, with the software and licences listed in the course checklist, and permission to install and use them
• Reasonable access to any equipment that has been agreed

For online courses, which we deliver on Microsoft Teams, you are responsible for making sure each delegate has a suitable device, a reliable internet connection, a quiet place to take part and permission from your IT team to join Teams meetings and open the course files.

Technical difficulties outside our reasonable control will not normally entitle you to a refund. If a session cannot run as planned because computers, software or access are not ready, we may need to shorten or reshape it, and the price still applies.

10. Attendance and behaviour

Delegates are expected to arrive on time, attend for the full course, take part appropriately, follow instructions and behave respectfully towards us and each other. We may remove any delegate without refund where their behaviour is abusive, threatening, discriminatory, unlawful or inappropriate, or seriously disrupts the course.

We are committed to delivering accessible and inclusive training. If you need reasonable adjustments, please contact us as early as possible before the course and we will discuss suitable arrangements.

11. Course materials and intellectual property

All course materials, presentations, workbooks, handouts, practice files, templates, images and other resources remain the intellectual property of Rachel Hawkins or the relevant rights holder.

Materials are provided solely for personal learning or for the internal business purposes of the booking organisation. Without our prior written permission, materials must not be copied, reproduced, shared outside your organisation, distributed, published, modified, used to create derivative works, used to deliver training, sold, licensed, commercially exploited, or uploaded into generative AI systems, large language models, machine learning platforms or automated content generation tools.

Attending a course does not transfer any intellectual property rights. Course files will be zipped and emailed to delegates, or shared through SharePoint.

12. Privacy and data protection

We process personal information in accordance with the UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018 and our Privacy Policy, which explains what information we collect, why we use it, who we share it with, how long we keep it and your rights.

13. Recording and photography

We do not record our courses. Please do not photograph, record, livestream, film or reproduce any part of a course without our prior written consent, and do not publish images or recordings of other attendees without their consent.

If we ever want to record or photograph a session, we will tell participants beforehand. We will only use photographs or recordings in which you can be identified for promotional purposes, such as on our website or social media, with your written consent.

14. Complaints

We are committed to providing high-quality training. If you are unhappy with any part of our service, please email rachel@thebluestaracademy.co.uk as soon as possible, explaining what happened.

We will acknowledge your complaint within 5 working days and aim to give you a full response within 28 days. If we need longer, we will let you know why and keep you updated.

15. Limitation of liability

Nothing in these terms excludes or limits our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or any other liability that cannot legally be excluded or limited.

If you are a consumer, we provide our services with reasonable care and skill, and nothing in these terms affects your rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

If you are a business customer, then subject to the above and to the fullest extent permitted by law, we are not liable for any indirect or consequential loss, loss of profit, revenue, business opportunity, contracts, goodwill, reputation or anticipated savings, and our total liability arising from any booking or course will not exceed the total fees paid for it.

Training outcomes depend on individual circumstances, participation and how learning is applied. We do not guarantee any specific personal or commercial result.

16. Events outside our control

We are not responsible for any delay or failure to perform our obligations caused by circumstances outside our reasonable control, such as flood, fire, severe weather, natural disaster, epidemic or pandemic, industrial disputes, government restrictions, transport disruption, utility, telecommunications or supplier failures, cyber incidents, venue unavailability or illness. Where this happens, we will tell affected customers as soon as reasonably practicable and offer to reschedule, or a full refund for any training we cannot deliver.

17. Other important terms

If a court finds any part of these terms unlawful, the rest will continue in full force. Only you and we have rights under these terms, and no other person may enforce them. If we delay in enforcing any of our rights, we can still enforce them later. Sections that by their nature are meant to continue after a course ends, including fees and payment, course materials, privacy, complaints and limitation of liability, will continue to apply.

18. Changes to these terms

We may amend these terms from time to time. The version that applies to your booking is the version in force on the date your booking is confirmed, unless a change is required by law. The latest version will always be available on our website.

19. Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales. The courts of England and Wales have exclusive jurisdiction over any dispute arising in connection with them, except that if you are a consumer living in Scotland or Northern Ireland, you may also bring proceedings in your local courts.

20. Contact us

If you have any questions about these terms, please contact us: The Blue Star Academy, East Midlands, UK. Email: rachel@thebluestaracademy.co.uk. Telephone: +44 7880 837337.