For the purposes of these Policies and Procedures, Charlesworth Ballet School will hereinafter be referred to as “CBS“.
Our Commitment
CBS teachers and staff hereby commit to:
- strive to foster a love of dance in our students;
- continue to earn our reputation, established over more than 60 years, as providers of the best ballet tuition in WA following the Russian Vaganova method of training;
- set good examples in our respectful and inclusive attitude to each other and our students, our punctuality, reliability and care of our students, thus encouraging the same approach in each student;
- encourage self-discipline, good focus and perseverance in our students;
- encourage and support each student in classes and performances;
- develop each student’s individual potential and offer specific guidance on achieving it;
- treat all persons fairly without bias or discrimination of any kind;
- adhere to safe dance practices;
- seek ongoing training to ensure our knowledge of our craft is up to date;
- support our colleagues in their teaching and other roles and in their professional development.
Please note: For ease of use, the following Policies and Procedures are listed in alphabetical order.
Absence – Illness & Injury
Students who feel unwell or exhibit symptoms of sickness are asked not to attend their usual class/es until they are well. CBS reserves the right to request that a child who exhibits symptoms of sickness on arrival to class or during classsits out at the front to watch. Students are encouraged to attend class even if they are injured, in order to watch to ensure that they continue to learn technique and steps by observing. If an injury occurs during class, immediate first aid will be administered by our staff. In an emergency, the student’s parent will be contacted immediately. Otherwise, staff will speak to the student’s parent after class.
Absence – Planned
Parents/carers must notify CBS Admin by email of any planned absences. CBS Admin will inform parents/carers and students of any impact on participation in Assessments or Performances that the planned absence/s may have. Where make up classes are possible, these may be offered.
Attendance
It is expected that all students will attend every class in which they are enrolled throughout each term, including all additional scheduled classes and rehearsals. Regular non-attendance will impact on a student’s development and may result in a student being withdrawn from an Assessment or Performance.
Class Examination (Grade 2)
Class Examinations are designed to assess all students from Grade 2 to Seniors. It is expected that all students enrolled in Grade 2 will participate in a Class Examination towards the end of Term 3. Students who are absent for a significant number of classes during preparation for the Class Examination may be withdrawn therefrom at CBS’s discretion. Students will be awarded a percentage mark and achievement grade, along with a certificate of comments. Students who achieve a grade of Pass or above will be permitted to progress to Grade 3. Parents are not able to watch the Class Examination. Students who are unable to participate in the Class Examination due to sickness or injury may be asked to provide a medical certificate. In such circumstances, where the student has attended an adequate number of classes, he/she may be permitted to progress to Grade 3. Parents/carers are requested to inform CBS Admin as soon as possible if their child/ren will not be able to participate in the Class Examination. Students who do not participate in the Class Examination due to holidays or other reasons may not receive a certificate or comments but may be permitted to progress to Grade 3 if they have achieved the required standard. No substitute dates can be arranged for the Class Examination.
Class Examination (Grade 3 and above)
It is expected that all students enrolled in Level 1 and Level 2 of Grade 3 and above will participate in an Exam towards the end of Term 3. Students who are absent for a significant number of classes during the year may be withdrawn from the Exam at CBS’s discretion. Students will be awarded a percentage mark and achievement grade, along with a certificate of comments. Students who achieve a grade of Pass or above will be permitted to progress to the next grade. Parents are not able to watch the Exam. Students who are unable to participate in the Exam due to sickness or injury may be asked to provide a medical certificate. In such circumstances, where the student has attended an adequate number of classes and has achieved the required standard, he/she may be permitted to progress to the next grade. Parents/carers are requested to inform CBS Admin as soon as possible if their child/ren will not be able to participate in the Examination. Students who do not participate in the Examination due to holidays or other reasons may not receive a certificate or comments but may be permitted to progress to the next grade if they have achieved the required standard. No substitute dates can be arranged for the Examination.
Class Examination Fee
An Examination Fee is levied in the Term 3 invoice to parents/carers. Only students whose Examination Fee has been paid may participate in the Exam.
YBWA – Pre-Professional Course Auditions
Students in Grade 3 and above enrolled in both Level 1 and Level 2 classes may be invited to participate in the annual Auditions to join YBWA Elite Part-Time or FullTime Ballet Programme for career-oriented students. Invitations are sent in writing ahead of the Auditions, which take place at the end of Term 3. Parents/carers are requested to address any queries related to the Auditions to CBS Admin.
https://www.youthballetwa.org.au
Complaints & Feedback
Any complaints or feedback should be made in writing to: [email protected].
Conduct Around Studios
No smoking is permitted within 20m of the entrance to the premises where CBS classes are held. No alcohol is to be brought onto or consumed on or around the premises where CBS class are held. No drugs or illicit substances are to be brought onto or consumed on or around the premises where CBS class are held.
Contemporary, Spanish Dance & Musical Theatre
All students in Grade 3 and above who are enrolled in one Level 1 class may also be enrolled in one Contemporary Dance class per week. All students in Grade 4-6 who are enrolled in one Level 1 class may also be enrolled in one Spanish Dance class per week. Children in Kindy – Year 4 may be enrolled in the CBS Musical Theatre programme as a standalone class, without also being enrolled in a Classical Ballet class. Parents/carers are requested to address enrolment queries in relation to these classes to CBS Admin.
Enquiries
All enquiries should be directed by email or phone to CBS Admin. Teachers are unable to answer queries during class time.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 9475 0320
Enrolment
All enrolment applications must be made through the CBS website, charlesworthballet.com.au/enrol. Enrolments are processed and confirmed online. Students are enrolled with CBS in accordance with their age, school year and ability. Parents are to contact CBS Admin before enrolling, if their child has no previous Classical Ballet experience. Students enrolled in Preparatory-Grade 2 are enrolled in one Classical Ballet class per week. Students enrolled in Grade 3 and above are expected to enrol in two Classical Ballet classes per week, one Level 1 and one Level 2. Students in Grade 3 and above enrolled in one Level 1 class and one Level 2 class from Term 1 are eligible to participate in the annual Class Assessment, YBWA Auditions and EOYP (see below). Students in Grade 3 and above enrolled in one Level 1 class only will not be eligible to participate in those events. Full and mid-term enrolments are possible. Mid-term enrolments are only possible for the second half of each term. All enrolment queries should be addressed to CBS Admin.
Fees
Term Fees are required to be paid in full upon enrolment via the Charlesworth Ballet website, and enrolment will not be processed without an upfront payment. Students who are attending class unregistered, may be excluded from class until fees are paid in full and enrolment has been received. An administration fee may be charged if fees are not paid, necessitating a reminder invoice to be sent. Payment of fees can be made through internet banking transfer (Poli Pay), credit card or PayPal, the latter two forms incurring a merchant surcharge. Parents/carers are requested not to discuss fee payment with teachers but to direct all enquiries regarding fees in writing to: [email protected]. Please note that fees are non-refundable, and no credits will be given for missed classes.
Extension Class
Students enrolled in Grade 2 and above may also be enrolled in the non-compulsory Extension programme for their specific grade level. In order to enrol in an Extension class, Grade 2 students must also be enrolled in the standard Grade 2 Classical Ballet programme, while students in Grade 3 and above must be enrolled in both a Level 1 and a Level 2 class. Parents/carers are requested to address enrolment queries in relation to this class to CBS Admin.
Make Up Classes
A request to attend a make up class may be made by email to: [email protected]. CBS Admin will advise if the make up class/es requested can be attended by the student. Where this is not possible, for example, because the class in question is full, an alternative may be offered where available. No make up classes can be offered to students in Pre-Primary and above in Term 4.
Medical Requirements
Parents/carers of students with specific medical conditions, including but not limited to allergies, anaphylaxis, asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, hypermobility, scoliosis, deafness or any degree thereof, blindness or any degree thereof, autism, aspergers and ADHD, are requested to inform CBS Admin in writing of their child’s/children’s condition, medication taken and requirements, including but not limited to an action plan and EpiPen or inhaler. Where a student has an action plan, parents are requested to provide a copy to CBS Admin to be held on record and to be given to the student’s teacher/s for reference.
Parental/Carer Involvement – Preparatory and Pre-Primary
Students should arrive in time for the start of their class, in the full correct uniform and correctly groomed. Where a student arrives consistently late for his/her class or where a student is collected from class consistently late, parents may be contacted by CBS Admin to suggest an alternative class. Arriving after the start of class would have a detrimental effect on a student’s progress and could result in injury, if the student has thereby not been able to warm up sufficiently. Students should bring only a water bottle into class and remove all watches, Fitbits, jewellery, jackets and shoes, including slides and warm-up boots, prior to entering. Parents/carers of children enrolled in Preparatory (Kindy) and Pre-Primary classes are required to remain at the studio or hall for the duration of their child’s/children’s class. At the conclusion of the class, parents/carers must collect their child/children from the door of the studio or hall. Teachers will not release students if their parent/carer does not come to the door of the studio or hall. Students whose parent/carer is late to collect them from class will remain inside the studio or hall with the teacher until their parent/carer arrives.
Parental/Carer Involvement – Grade 1 and above & Boys
Students should arrive in time for the start of their class, in the full correct uniform and correctly groomed. Where a student arrives consistently late for his/her class or where a student is collected from class consistently late, parents may be contacted by CBS Admin to suggest an alternative class. Arriving after the start of class would have a detrimental effect on a student’s progress and could result in injury, if the student has thereby not been able to warm up sufficiently. Students should bring only a water bottle into class and remove all watches, Fitbits and jewellery, jackets and shoes, including slides and warm-up boots, prior to entering. Parents/carers of children enrolled in Grade 1 and above and the Boys’ programme are not required to remain at the studio or hall for the duration of their child’s/children’s class. Should parents/carers leave the premises, they should ensure that they return in good time to collect their child/children at the scheduled finish time of class. At the conclusion of the class, parents/carers of students enrolled in Grades 1-6 and the Boys’ programme must collect their child/children from the door of the studio or hall. Teachers will not release students if their parent/carer does not come to the door of the studio or hall. Students whose parent/carer is late to collect them from class will remain inside the studio or hall with the teacher until their parent/carer arrives. Students enrolled in Grade 7 and above may be collected from outside the studio or hall. However, students must remain inside with the teacher if their parent/carer is late.
Parents’ Days
Parents/carers of students enrolled in the Preparatory (Kindy) programme or of Kindy age enrolled in a Preparatory/Pre-Primary class are welcome to view the last class of each term. Parents/carers of students enrolled in the Pre-Primary programme are welcome to view the last class of Terms 1-3. Parents/carers of students enrolled in Grade 1 and above and the Boys’ programme are welcome to view classes in Week 4 of Term 2 and Week 9 of Term 3. Where possible, it is preferred that younger siblings not attend Parents’ Day classes, as this can cause a distraction. Where a sibling/s cause/s disruption to the class, teachers may ask parents to take the sibling/s out of the studio, to enable the class to continue. Parents/carers are reminded that no food or drink, other than a water bottle, is to be brought into classes.
Photography and Filming
Parents/carers are requested to notify CBS Admin in writing if they would prefer that photography and filming not be permitted on parents’ days of their child’s/children’s class/es. Photography and filming is not permitted at any CBS performances due to copyright and child protection reasons.
Pointe Prep
All students in Grade 5-8 who are enrolled in one Level 1 class and one Level 2 class may also be enrolled in one Pointe Prep class per week. Parents/carers are requested to address enrolment queries in relation to this class to CBS Admin.
Pointe
All students in Grade 7/8-Seniors who attend one Level 1 class, one Level 2 class and a Pointe/Pointe Prep class will be assessed for their readiness for pointe shoes initially by their teacher, followed by a further assessment by Kate Chown and Emma Sulley (Body Logic Physiotherapy, Shenton Park). Only after such an assessment and report from the assessor that a student is ready will the student be able to work in pointe shoes.
Respect
CBS teachers, staff and volunteers can expect to be treated with respect. Any abuse of CBS teachers, staff and volunteers will not be tolerated. Any disrespectful or abusive conduct towards CBS teachers, staff or volunteers by students or their parents or carers may result in the cancellation of a student’s enrolment. It is expected that all students will behave respectfully in class towards their teacher and all fellow students. Should a student consistently behave disrespectfully in class, their teacher may ask the student to sit out for an exercise before re-joining their peers, on the understanding that unacceptable behaviour will not be tolerated
Uniform & Grooming
All CBS students are required to attend every class in the full, correct uniform. We recommend that all uniform items are clearly named. Uniform requirements and recommended stockists are listed on the CBS website, https://charlesworthballet.com.au/school/uniforms. CBS takes no responsibility for any lost items. Any items left on CBS premises will be placed in lost property. All girls must wear pink leather ballet shoes with ballet ribbons tied correctly, secured in a knot on the inside of the ankle and the ends tucked in. Teachers are not expected to tie ribbons for students, taking up valuable class time. Teachers may require a student to remain with their parent or carer outside class until they are correctly groomed before entering. All students must attend class with neat hair. Boys’ hair can be held in a ponytail, if long, while short hair must be brushed or combed and may be gelled to hold it off the face. Girls’ hair must be secured in a bun on the crown of the head using a bun net and pins, as well as hair spray or gel to secure. Short hair must be held neatly off the face with a soft fabric Alice band matching the uniform leotard colour. No bows, decorative clips or hairbands may be worn by students. No jewellery, watches or Fitbits may be worn in class, with the exception of Medicalert jewellery. All uniform and grooming queries should be addressed to CBS Admin.
End Of Year Performance (EOYP)
Charlesworth Ballet Institute stages one performance per year, normally at the end of Term 4, in which all in Pre-Primary and above students enrolled in CBS are expected to participate (see below for exceptions).
Compulsory additional rehearsals
All students participating in the EOYP must attend one additional compulsory studio based rehearsal and one compulsory theatre-based dress rehearsal. The theatre-based dress rehearsal may be held during school hours before the end of the public school term. All students are expected to attend all such rehearsals. Any student not attending both of these rehearsals will not be permitted to perform in the EOYP. Parents are not able to attend theses rehearsals.
Eligibility to perform – Preparatory
Students of Kindy age enrolled in the Preparatory programme or a Preparatory/PrePrimary class are not eligible to participate in the EOYP. Preparatory-age students will instead perform a special class for parents/carers at the end of Term 4.
Eligibility to perform – Students in Grade 3 and above
Students enrolled in one Level 1 class only in Grade 3 and above may not participate in the EOYP with their peers. Parents/carers of students enrolled in one Level 1 class only in Grade 3 and above are requested to address queries relating to the EOYP to CBS Admin.
EOYP Levy
An EOYP levy will be automatically added to Term 4 invoices, unless CBS Admin has received email notification that a student will not be participating. The EOYP levy covers all costuming requirements provided by CBS, additional rehearsals in studios and theatre, and the performance itself. Students whose EOYP levy has not been paid will not be permitted to participate in the EOYP.
Requests to change cast
Parents/carers may request a change of class to enable their child/ren to perform on a different date. CBS will endeavour to honour such requests, where possible.
Siblings
Where possible, siblings will be cast in the same performance. However, CBS makes no guarantees thereof. Parents/carers may request a change of class to enable siblings to participate in the same performance. CBS will endeavour to honour such requests, where possible. Withdrawal from performance Parents/carers are requested to inform CBS Admin as soon as possible, at the latest by Week 1 of Term 4, if their child/ren will not be participating in the EOYP.