Terms and Conditions

These Terms and Conditions set out the terms on which Form & Fire provides Pottery Classes/Courses. Please ensure that you have read and understood these Terms and Conditions before making any bookings. When you make a Class/Course booking you are deemed to have read, understood and accepted them. Form & Fire reserves the right to terminate, without refund, Classes/Courses of any customer who does not abide by these Terms and Conditions.

Health and safety

Form & Fire takes the health and safety of all their staff, Class/Course attendees very seriously. By agreeing to these terms and Conditions, you are agreeing to abide by our health and safety rules and to follow the instructions of our technicians and teachers with regards to these. 

All Class/Course attendees must observe the following:

  • At any first Class, the teacher will give all attendees a health and safety briefing and attendees are expected to request clarification if they are unsure about any aspects covered in the briefing.

  • Class/Course attendees use Form & Fire facilities and equipment at their own risk and, following their initial health and safety briefing, should ensure they are familiar with potential hazards of working with clay. These include, but are not limited to, use of sharp tools and sharp edges, exposure to toxic materials, the dangers of using materials and equipment at high temperatures, and the risks associated with breathing silica dust.

  • Form & Fire cannot be held responsible for any injuries caused through the misuse of the facilities or equipment.

  • Class/Course attendees are required to stop working at least 15 minutes before the end of the Class/Course/Studio session in order to clean thoroughly all areas including the floor around the area(s) where they have been working. 

  • Smoking is forbidden in all areas of the building. Entering the building intoxicated on drugs or alcohol is forbidden and, at the discretion of Form & Fire management, may result in a termination of Classes/Courses.

  • With the exception of guide dogs, no pets are permitted in the building. 

  • Classes/Courses and Studio Membership are for over 14s only

  • Form & Fire cannot guarantee that customers’ work will not be damaged 

  • Form & Fire cannot be responsible for the loss, damage to, or theft of personal belongings (including money).

  • Class/Course attendees should talk to a technician, teacher or the management of Form & Fire if they are unsure about any aspects of Form & Fire’s health and safety rules.

Fire and evacuation procedures

All Class/Course attendees must:

  • Familiarise themselves with evacuation procedures, signage, fire exits, and first aid points.

  • Enter the building by the main entrance on Cottage Lane.

  • Ensure that the fire exits, which are clearly marked, are not obstructed. 

  • Ensure that fire doors are not held open.

  • Ensure that accessible routes to fire exits are kept clear at all times.

Form & Fire reserves the right to suspend or terminate any Class/Course attendance if any of the health and safety rules outlined above are not respected.

Payments

All payments for Classes/Courses are made via our website, using the 3D secure authentication platform, Stripe. Payments for fired work (where applicable) are made by card. All prices on our website include VAT and any booking fees.

Processing of work

We make every effort to handle customers’ work with care, but we cannot guarantee that work will not be broken or damaged during processing, and we regret that we are not able to provide any compensation for this eventuality.

Waiting lists

Classes/Courses sessions are booked on a first-come first-served basis. When a preferred Class is showing as full there will be an option to join the waiting list and be notified should a space become available. 

Accessibility

The Studio is on the first floor which is accessed by stairs with a handrail, but there is no lift. We would always be happy to discuss any concerns about the accessibility of the building, as well as any other specific requirements for taking part in Classes/Courses.

Vouchers

Vouchers are valid for 12 months from the date of purchase and can only be used for Classes/Courses. On redemption of a voucher, the Class/Course booking will be subject to these Terms and Conditions. A voucher can be used either to book the course stated on the voucher or as payment towards any pottery course at Form & Fire up to the value stated on the voucher. Bookings must be made before the expiry date. If the cost of the course selected exceeds the value of this voucher, the remaining balance must be paid by another method. If the cost of the course selected is lower than the value of this voucher, credit for the unused part of the voucher cannot be issued. Vouchers are non-refundable, cannot be exchanged for cash, and no refunds will be given in the event of a no-show. No replacements will be issued for vouchers that are lost, stolen, destroyed or used without permission. 

Privacy Policy

For information about the information we hold about you and how we use this, please see our Privacy Policy.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS SPECIFIC TO CLASSES/COURSES

These terms and conditions apply to classes and courses for adults and for under 18s.

Content of Classes/Courses

The class/course descriptions given on the website outline the typical content of the particular class/course and as such may be subject to some variation. Where deemed necessary Form & Fire reserves the right to alter course content without prior notice to participants..

Payment for Classes/Courses

Payment for Classes/Courses should be made in full in advance and it is not possible to attend any Class/Course until payment has been received.

Transfer of Classes/Courses

Classes/Courses are transferable before the start date, but Classes/Courses must be attended by the person who is named in the booking. It is not possible to share a Class/Course with another person.

Transfer to an alternative date

Requests to transfer Classes/Courses to alternative date(s) must be made in writing by email at least 21 days before the start of the Class/Course (see ‘Cancellation Policy’ for more information). Transfers are subject to availability and there is no guarantee that a suitable alternative will be available. Class/Course bookings have a validity of one year from the date of purchase and alternative dates can be arranged within the year’s contract of sale. Class/Course bookings not used within this time will expire and no longer be transferable.

Transfer to another person

Requests to transfer Classes/Courses to another person can be arranged provided Form & Fire is notified by email of the change, and the name and contact details of the new attendee is supplied. This must be done a minimum of 7 days ahead of the start of the Class/Course. Note that by agreeing to these Terms and Conditions, any nominated replacement attendee is also deemed to have agreed to these Terms and Conditions and it is the responsibility of the person transferring the Class/Course to ensure that the nominated replacement attendee is aware of this.

Classes/Courses booked on behalf of someone else

If a class/course is purchased on behalf of someone else, this person is deemed to have agreed to these Terms and Conditions, and it is the responsibility of the person purchasing the Class/Course to ensure that the person attending the Class/Course is aware of this.

Cancellation of Classes/Courses

Subject to any statutory right of cancellation, payments for Classes/Courses are non-refundable unless otherwise stated in these Terms and Conditions.

For cancellations of Classes/Courses by the attendee, Zed Alley Clayhouse Ltd will administer refunds on the following basis:

  • 21 days or more before the start date of a Class/Course – full refund of the total paid (minus a 10% administration fee) or a transfer to a different Class/Course. 

  • 20 days or fewer before the start date of a Class/Course – no refunds. Credit can be given for the value of the class/course if another student can be found to fill the place on the course.

For cancellations of Classes/Courses by Form & Fire a full refund, or a transfer to a different Class/Course will be offered. While they will endeavour to give as much notice as possible of any cancellations, they reserve the right to cancel a Class/Course up to and including the date of the start of the Class/Course. If insufficient bookings have been received we aim to give 7 days notice and transfer students to a different course. Form & Fire Ltd will not be liable for any losses or expenses arising from amendments or cancellations to the Class/Course.

Form & Fire reserves the right to change the timings, or teachers of Classes/Courses in order to provide a high quality service or where it is necessary for reasons beyond their control.

Late or non-attendance for Classes/Courses

It is the responsibility of the participant to arrive in time for their booked Class/Course. If a late arrival is potentially detrimental to fellow students, it is at the discretion of the teacher whether to accept a late arrival. If not accepted, it will be treated as a late cancellation, for which the full course fee will be payable.

Once the Class/Course has started, there will be no refunds for non-attendance at all or any part of the Class/Course and it will not be possible to transfer to another Class/Course.

Materials and finished work

All Classes/Courses include the use of all facilities and materials and any firing of work will be carried out by a technician. At the end of a short Class/Course attendees will be able to select a given number of preferred pieces for firing (and where relevant, glazing) and keeping. Details of how many pieces attendees can select are given in the relevant Class/Course information on the website. Any pieces in excess of this can be fired and kept, but an additional charge will be made per item. For Foundation Courses (6 and 12 week) an additional charge is made per item fired. All other items will be recycled by Form & Fire.

Collection of finished work

Finished work will be available to collect during normal opening hours around 3+ weeks after the end of the Class/Course and attendees will be notified by email when their work is ready. Suitable containers and protective materials should be brought when collecting items. From the date of the email, attendees will have 6 weeks to collect their work and after this time, Form & Fire reserves the right to dispose of all uncollected items. In special circumstances work can be held for longer and requests for this should be made by email to Form & Fire. On request, items can be posted to Class/Course attendees. This will incur an additional charge to cover postage and packing, payable in advance with payment clearing before the items are dispatched. Form & Fire regrets that we cannot be held liable for any damage in transit to items sent by post.

Occasionally in hot weather we may need to stagger kiln firings to ensure that the building does not overheat. This may result in finished work being ready for collection later than normal.

ADDITIONAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS SPECIFIC TO CLASSES/COURSES FOR 12-18 YEAR OLDS

Attendees at any of Form & Fire’s courses for young people should be at least 14, and under 19, on the start date of the course. After booking a course for a child, the parent/guardian will be sent a form and must complete the information requested in full before the child can start their course. It is the parent/guardian’s responsibility to ensure the details given are accurate and that Form & Fire is made aware of any changes to these that occur during the duration of the course being undertaken by the child. For any repeat bookings, the information should be re-entered in a new form following making the new booking.

Pottery sessions are at least 1.5 hours long with no break. Drinking water is available and children should bring a water bottle, and arrive having eaten a suitable amount to last them for the whole session.

We request that parents keep their child at home if the child seems unwell, has a temperature or other sign of infectious disease, or has had, in the preceding 48 hours, any episode of vomiting and/or diarrhoea.

Arrival and departure

Children should arrive at Form & Fire no more than ten minutes before the start of the class. All children aged 12 and under must be accompanied by a parent/guardian at all times during their pottery class. For children aged 13 and over, the child’s parent/guardian is responsible for the child’s arrangements after the end of the class. Where a parent/guardian chooses to collect their child in person, they must arrive promptly at the end of the session time. Form & Fire cannot be held responsible for a child once they leave the premises at the end of the session, or for a child who is still on the premises after the end of the session time.

We reserve the right to refuse future bookings from parents/guardians whose children are continually late to the class, or are late leaving the premises.

Behaviour

Form & Fire reserves the right to remove any child from a pottery class where standards of conduct fall below those reasonably expected of children of that age group. On the rare occasion where a parent/guardian is asked to remove their child, no refund will be issued.

Whilst all reasonable care will be taken, neither Form & Fire or any person authorised by us, will be held responsible for any loss, damage or injury suffered by, or to, the child, except where such loss, damage or injury is caused by the wilful neglect of Form & Fire.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS SPECIFIC TO GROUP BOOKINGS

Any person making a group booking is deemed to have agreed to these terms and conditions on behalf of all the attendees in the group.

Payment for Group Bookings

Group Bookings must be secured with a non-refundable 20% deposit with the balance due at least 28 days in advance of the event.

Cancellation of Group Bookings

Subject to any statutory right of cancellation, payments for Group Bookings are non-refundable unless otherwise stated in these Terms and Conditions.

For cancellations of Group Bookings by the attendee, Form & Fire will administer refunds on the following basis:

  • 28 days or more before the date of the Group Booking – if the balance has already been paid, the balance will be refunded in full (minus a 10% administration fee)

  • 27 to 14 (inclusive) days before the date of the Group Booking – a refund of 50% of the balance paid (minus a 10% administration fee)

  • 13 days or fewer before the date of a Group Booking – no refunds.

  • Note that the deposit will not be refunded in any circumstances where the attendee has cancelled the Group Booking.

For cancellations of Group Bookings by Form & Fire a full refund will be offered, including the deposit. While they will endeavour to give as much notice as possible of any cancellations, where it is necessary for reasons beyond their control, Form & Fire reserves the right to alter timings, change the teacher, or cancel a Group Booking up to and including the date of the Group Booking. Form & Fire will not be liable for any losses or expenses arising from amendments or cancellations to the Class/Course.

Late arrivals or non-attendance of any member of a Group Booking

There will be no refunds given for any member of a Group Booking who does not attend the event, or is late to the event.

Materials and finished work

All Group Bookings include the use of all facilities and materials and any firing of work will be carried out by a technician. At the end of a Group Booking event attendees will be able to select a given number of preferred pieces for firing (and where relevant, glazing) and keeping. Details of how many pieces attendees can select will be agreed at the time of the event booking. Attendees wishing to keep any pieces in excess of this will have the option to pay an additional charge per item. All other items will be recycled by Form & Fire.

Collection of finished work

Finished work will be available to collect during normal opening hours around 3+ weeks after the end of the Class/Course and attendees will be notified by email when their work is ready. Suitable containers and protective materials should be brought when collecting items. From the date of the email, attendees will have 6 weeks to collect their work and after this time, Form & Fire reserves the right to dispose of all uncollected items. In special circumstances work can be held for longer and requests for this should be made by email to Form & Fire. On request, items can be posted to Class/Course attendees. This will incur an additional charge to cover postage and packing, payable in advance with payment clearing before the items are dispatched. Form & Fire regrets that we cannot be held liable for any damage in transit to items sent by post.

Occasionally in hot weather we may need to stagger kiln firings to ensure that the building does not overheat. This may result in finished work being ready for collection later than normal.