Terms of conditions of sale with the British Council

Our terms and conditions of sale are applicable to customers for the following courses, camps and workshops delivered in-person, virtually or in a blended format by the British Council:

  • English courses and camps for kids and teens
  • 1:1/Small group private lessons for adults, kids and teens
  • English courses for adults
  • Professional skills workshops
  • In-house corporate training 

1. About these conditions of sale

1.1 These Conditions of Sale apply to any contract between you and the British Council in respect of your participation on any course, placement test or consultation offered by the British Council. These placement tests, consultations and/or courses (including face to face, virtual or blended delivery methods) which includes any associated hard or soft copy materials if applicable (collectively referred to as the ‘English Language Products’) may be delivered in person, virtually, or in a blended format. 

1.2 Please read the Conditions of Sale carefully before booking or purchasing any English Language Product.

1.3 These General Terms and Conditions may be amended by applicable special terms and conditions which relate to our operations in a particular specified jurisdiction.  The General Terms and Conditions, the Terms and Conditions of Use of Digital Services, the Special Terms and Conditions, and the Additional Terms and Conditions are collectively referred to here as the ‘Conditions of Sale’). In the event of any conflict between the General Terms and Conditions, the Terms and Conditions of Use of Digital Services, the Special Terms and Conditions and the Additional Terms and Conditions the following will apply in order of priority: (i) the Additional Terms and Conditions, (ii) the Special Terms and Conditions, (iii) the Terms and Conditions of Use of Digital Services and (iv) the General Terms and Conditions.

1.4 Please note that before booking and/or paying for an English Language Product you will be asked to accept the Conditions of Sale (either online or in person).  By clicking on the ‘I Accept’ or ‘Accept and Pay’, as the case may be, check box online (if you are submitting your application online) or signing a paper copy of the Conditions of Sale (if you are submitting your application in person), you are confirming your agreement to be bound by these Conditions of Sale.  If you do not want to accept the Conditions of Sale, you will not be able to attend or otherwise access an English Language Product offered by the British Council

2. About the British Council and your contract

2.1 Unless the Special Terms and Conditions state otherwise, you are entering into a legally binding contract with BRITISH COUNCIL (SINGAPORE) LIMITED, incorporated in Singapore (UEN 201202363R) and registered as a Charity, with its principal office at 30 Napier Road, Singapore 258509

2.2 The contract you enter into on these Conditions of Sale is personal to you and so you cannot assign or transfer any or all of your rights or obligations under these Conditions of Sale without the prior written consent of the British Council.

2.3 The British Council may assign or otherwise transfer the Contract (in whole or in part), or subcontract or delegate the delivery of the English Language Product in any manner at its sole discretion to: (i) any separate entity controlled by the British Council or otherwise forms a part of the British Council group of entities; or (ii) any provider of outsourcing or third party services that is engaged under a service contract to provide services to the British Council.  

2.4 For the purposes of these Conditions of Sale, ‘you’ means the person identified as the participant associated with the English Language Product in the application to attend or otherwise access an English Language Product offered through the Portal or otherwise advertised by the British Council (the ‘Registration Application’) or, if the participant is under 18 years old, the parent or guardian submitting the Registration Application.

3. Registration and payment

3.1 Registration

All students registering for our courses are required to complete a registration form.

3.2 Payment

Payment can be made by direct bank transfer or over the counter by: Online payment, NETS, VISA/Mastercard, WeChat Pay and Alipay.

The British Council cannot accept payments made from banks (or other financial institutions) sanctioned by the UK or any other relevant jurisdiction. Where the British Council discovers evidence of payment from a sanctioned bank and/or sanctioned financial institution we will freeze all funds related to that payment and will be unable to deliver the service for which the payment was intended. Please therefore ensure that you do not make payments from an account in a sanctioned bank and/or sanctioned financial institution. British Council (Singapore) Limited considers a late payment fee of S$100 to be charged 14 days after course commencement.

3.3 Discounts

Please approach our staff to find out about our latest promotions and offers. Discounts may be subject to minimum spending or for a fixed duration only.

For Corporate English Solutions (CES) conducted workshops, corporate discounts may apply for registered companies who pre-book a guaranteed number of participants for the same workshop on the same workshop date.

4. Course delivery (Part 1 of 2)

4.1 Our teachers

British Council (Singapore) Limited is an equal opportunity employer. Teachers are recruited and assigned to classes based on the following criteria:

  • their teaching skills
  • English language proficiency
  • teaching qualifications

4.2 Teacher/Trainer-Student ratio

Courses/Workshops Maximum ratio
Nursery 1 and Nursery 2 1:6
Kindergarten 1:8
Primary 1 Reading Development 1:8
Primary and Secondary 1:18
Part-time English Adults 1:16
CES Corporate workshops (Public/In-house) 1:20
CES Corporate workshops (Presentation and Training Skills) 1:12
CES Corporate workshops (Online) 1:20
Camps (Early Years) 1:16
Camps (Primary and Secondary 1:18

4. Course delivery (Part 2 of 2)

4.3 Public holidays

  • Our centres are closed on official public holidays. A list of our closure dates is available on our website and upon request from our Sales and Customer Management staff.
  • We will contact our students via SMS prior to public holidays or in times of emergencies to inform them of school closures. Please ensure that your mobile contact details are up-to-date in our system.
  • For Young Learner courses, lessons missed due to public holidays will not be replaced. Fees will be pro-rated if 10% or more of the registered course is affected by public holidays during a semester. 
  • For Adult courses, lessons missed due to public holidays will not be replaced. Fees will be pro-rated if 10% or more of the registered course is affected by public holidays. 
  • The British Council reserve the rights to change the class timing if the date of a lesson falls on the eve of the Lunar New Year.

4.4 Parent-Teacher meetings (for early years, primary and secondary enrichment)

Twice a year, British Council (Singapore) Limited will organise Parent-Teacher meetings for our enrichment classes.  Parents have an opportunity to meet with their child’s teacher and receive valuable feedback on their child’s progress in class and for us to highlight any exemplary observations or to provide guidance and advice on how to better support the student.

4.5 Attendance policy

All students are required to attend all classes scheduled for the duration of the course registered. Attendance will be taken in class at the start of all lessons. Should the student arrive late to class, the student will be marked as late. Please inform the teacher immediately so that attendance can be recorded.

4.6 Mode of classes

Classes are conducted face to face unless specified. Face to face classes may be converted to online classes following advice from the Government Agencies.

4.7 Make-up lessons (for early years, primary and secondary enrichment)

The arrangement for make-up lessons will be as follows:

  • if the child is unwell, a medical certificate for the day of absence is required
  • If there is a scheduled school event in the child’s school – the letter from the school specifying the date and time of the event is required
  • If there is a scheduled assessment with an external examination board – an examination appointment notice specifying the date and time of the event is required.

The arrangement of make-up lessons is subject to the following conditions:

  • only one make-up lesson can be arranged in each term (ten weeks)
  • make-up lessons will only be arranged upon receipt of documentary support
  • content covered in the make-up lesson may be slightly different to the lesson missed as the progress of each class may differ slightly
  • in the event a make-up lesson is not possible, the lesson overview and suggested activities will be sought from the teacher and given to the student to minimise the impact of having missed a lesson.

No refund, make-up class or alternative compensation will be given under any other circumstances for absences from the class by the student. This includes but not limited to truancy, other personal/school/ work commitments or due to circumstances beyond the control of the British Council. This includes but not limited to outbreak of riot, civil commotion, epidemic, natural disaster, unanticipated class disruption such as necessary building evacuation due to fire.

Class cancellations due to teacher sickness will be made up. If you are unable to attend the make-up class, no refund will be offered.

4.8 Make-up lessons (for adult courses)

No refund, make-up class or alternative compensation will be given under any other circumstances for absences from the class by the student. This includes but not limited to truancy, other personal/school/ work commitments or due to circumstances beyond the control of the British Council. This includes but not limited to outbreak of riot, civil commotion, epidemic, natural disaster, unanticipated class disruption such as necessary building evacuation due to fire.

Class cancellations due to teacher sickness will be made up. If you are unable to attend the make-up class, no refund will be offered.

4.9 Awarding of certificate

Upon achieving 75% of attendance, certificates of attendance will be given to participants of the following courses:

  • Adult courses
  • Corporate workshops by Corporate English Solutions (CES) 

5. Cancellations and withdrawals (Part 1 of 2)

5.1 Withdrawals and refunds

Students who wish to withdraw from their course may do so with supporting documents. The refund of course fees is subject to British Council (Singapore) Limited’s Withdrawal/Refund Policy.

All refund requests must be done in writing and accompanied by the student’s or parent’s latest bank statement header (not more than three months old), showing the name of the bank, bank account number and bank/branch codes. Refunds will only be processed on receipt of full documents, completed within 6 months from the date of request. After which, refund request and amount will be forfeited. The British Council cannot make payments to banks (or other financial institutions) sanctioned by the UK or any other relevant jurisdiction. If you request a refund to be sent to an account at a sanctioned bank and/or sanctioned financial institution, you will be asked to nominate an alternative method of payment that does not breach sanctions. Failure to provide an alternative method of payment will result in non-payment of the relevant funds.

5.2 Refund policy for Young Learner Enrichment Courses, Camps and Adult Courses

  Condition Refund amount
Withdrawal due to non-delivery of course The British Council (Singapore) Limited will give all customers a minimum of three working days’ notice if a course is cancelled before the Course Commencement Date  100% refund of course fees
Before course commencement   For Camps students who have made payment and are refused entry into Singapore 100% refund of course fees
Request is made before the Course Commencement Date 75% refund of course fees
After course commencement Request is made after the Course Commencement Date No refund

5.3 Cancellation/postponement policy for public workshops

  Condition Admin/Penalty charges
Before workshop commencement More than 14 days before the Workshop Commencement Date No charge
Between one day and 14 days before the Workshop Commencement Date 20% charge
On or after workshop commencement Less than 24 hours before the Workshop Commencement Date 50% charge
Request is made on or after the Workshop Commencement Date Full charge

5. Cancellations and withdrawals (Part 2 of 2)

5.4 Cancellation/postponement policy for in-house workshops from Corporate English Solutions (CES) 

  • Cancellation or postponement between ten and seven working days before a course, there will be a charge of 20% of the course fee.
  • Cancellation or postponement between six and three working days before a course, there will be a charge of 50% of the course fee.
  • Cancellation or postponement between two working days or less before a course, there will be a charge of 100% of the course fee.
  • In addition, if the course involves a profiling tool or customisation which has been completed before cancellation, these items will be charged 100% as stated in the proposal.

5.5 Cancellation policy for Private Courses

More than 48 hours’ notice Lessons can be rescheduled
Less than 48 hours’ notice Lesson will be forfeited if notification is made less than 48 hours before the lesson, unless a valid medical certificate is presented that covers the day of the lesson.

Any notice to cancel or re-arrange a Private Courses class must be submitted in writing to privatecourses@britishcouncil.org.sg, at least 48 hours before the arranged class.

Package validity:

  • 10 hours – Three months from first lesson
  • 20 hours – Six months from first lesson
  • 30 hours – Nine months from first lesson
  • 40 hours – 12 months from first lesson

Strictly no refund if contract validity date has expired.

5.6 Important Notes on refund requests

  • Young Learner Enrichment courses, Camps, Adult courses, Professional Skills full-day workshops, and private courses are neither transferable nor refundable except when a course is cancelled. 
  • Course books are non-refundable.
  • All required information and documents have to be completed within 6 months from the date of request. After which, the refund request and amount will be forfeited. The refund approval process will take no more than seven working days (Mondays to Fridays).  Once approved, the refund will be made by direct-bank-transfer, within seven working days. 
  • In some instances, the British Council (Singapore) Limited may remove a student from the course for academic or SEND reasons. In these situations, 100% of unconsumed fees will be refunded to the customer.

6. Safeguarding (Part 1 of 2)

The British Council (Singapore) Limited takes safeguarding seriously, and we aim to provide a safe environment for children to study in. A child is defined by the United Nations Charter on the Rights of the Child as anyone below 18 years old. Policies in place include: 

  • Mobile Phone policy
  • Intimate Care policy
  • Age Policy

The British Council (Singapore) Limited:

  • reserves the right to contact parents when we have concerns about a child’s welfare (e.g. lack of supervision, behavioural, emotional or study issues) 
  • reserves the right to contact the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) or other agencies based upon reasonable concerns about a child’s welfare
  • reserves the right to remove students from classes where we have concerns about safety or welfare, behavioural, emotional and/or study issues
  • reserves the right to remove students who demonstrate behaviour that is detrimental to the welfare or safety or others
  • provides tablets, computers and other technology to be used for educational purposes and students will be required to follow the Learning Technologies Code of Conduct. Social media, gaming and other inappropriate uses are not permitted.

1.1 Drop off and pick up policy

While in class, British Council (Singapore) Limited has ‘Duty of Care’ for your child. For Child Protection purposes, we operate a clear policy for dropping off and picking up children from the centre. We ask that parents follow the policy laid out below:

  • Nursery 1 to Kindergarten 2 students must arrive and leave their classroom accompanied by a parent/guardian. Parents/guardian should not leave their child unsupervised in our centres.
  • Parents/guardians are expected to drop off and pick up their children on time. In the case of an emergency and parents/guardians are unable to do so, please contact the centre directly.
  • If a child has not been picked up, and the parents/guardian cannot be contacted, the British Council (Singapore) Limited is required to contact local authorities.
  • All Primary 1 to Primary 4 students should not come to or leave our centres without supervision from a person who is at least 14 years old or i.e., parent, guardian, family member, caregiver, etc.
  • British Council (Singapore) Limited is not responsible for the safety of children who leave the premises without appropriate supervision,
  • If a child has to leave his/her class early, please request for an Early Release Form from our staff. Teachers may prevent children who do not have an Early Release Form from leaving early.
  • To identify children by their age group, coloured lanyards with identification cards are used for all our Early Years, Primary and Secondary students. Please ask your child to use the issued lanyard when attending our classes. Parents/guardians may be asked to show their matching identification card to a member of staff when picking up their child. In the event the card cannot be produced, we will require additional identification for verification before the child can leave the centre.

1.2 Mobile phone, audio recording, photography and videography policy

The British Council (Singapore) Limited operates the following policies:

  • Unauthorised audio recording, videography, or photography on British Council (Singapore) Limited premises is prohibited.
  • Mobile phones may only be used in class for educational reasons and with consent from the teacher.
  • The publishing of any photographs, videos, or audio recordings, taken on the British Council (Singapore) Limited’s premises, to print or digital media without the written approval of all participants constitutes a breach of our Informed Consent and Child Protection policies and may result in prosecution.

For Safeguarding purposes, parents and children are expressly requested not to take photographs/publish photographs/audio recordings/videos to print or digital media during any of our classes or events without our written permission. We may contact you to remove said content from your media channels if we believe that they constitute a breach of our Child Protection policy.

6. Safeguarding (Part 2 of 2)

1.3 Intimate care policy

For children aged between two and five years old, the British Council (Singapore) Limited has an Intimate Care Policy which safeguards the rights and well-being of children with regards to their dignity, privacy, choice, and safety.

Intimate care involves helping children with aspects of personal care that they are not able to undertake on their own, either because of their age, maturity, or ability. These include, but are not restricted to:

  • Washing
  • Toileting
  • Dressing and undressing (including diaper changes)
  • Applying creams/medicines provided by parents/guardians (e.g., topical medication, sun cream, etc)

If your child has specific intimate care requirements, please inform our staff in writing and we will communicate this directly to their teacher. However, in certain cases, we may not be able to accommodate specific care requirements.

When required, trained staff may undertake the changing of a child’s clothing/diaper. Parents will be informed by staff as soon as possible via telephone or in person.

1.4 Age policy

All Early Years Nursery 1 and 2 students must already be attending a nursery programme and must be toilet-ready.

  • International school students will be placed according to their academic ability instead of by age.
  • We reserve the right to move children to a different level if we feel that they will benefit more from the new class.
  • Secondary Plus and Secondary 4 are considered Young Learner courses. This means that all students must be under 18 on 1 January of the year the course begins.
  • Any exceptions to the above will be made after discussion between the parents/guardian of the student and our management.

1.5 Offsite classes

An offsite class is a lesson arranged outside of any British Council (Singapore) Limited Teaching Centres. Offsite classes can be arranged upon request for private courses, subject to the British Council (Singapore) Limited approval.

Where the British Council (Singapore) Limited has arranged an offsite class, students are obliged to take full duty of care to ensure classes are arranged in an environment that is safe and conducive for learning. A full address and any entry requirements to an offsite class will have to be communicated in writing prior to the scheduled lesson.

Offsite classes need to be conducted in appropriate spaces. Teachers cannot take classes in bedrooms, or any setting considered inappropriate by British Council (Singapore). Where an offsite class location is deemed inappropriate, the lesson will be cancelled, and a make-up class will be arranged at one of British Council (Singapore) Limited Teaching Centres.

For offsite classes with young learners, aged under 18, there needs to be an adult, other than the teacher present at all times during the lesson. If there is not a responsible adult present, the British Council (Singapore) Limited reserves the right to cancel and arrange a makeup class.

7. Inclusion and special educational needs

7.1 Special education needs (SEND) policy

British Council (Singapore) Limited is an inclusive organisation that welcomes students with learning difficulties or medical conditions. We aim to integrate students with special educational needs into our mainstream classes, where possible, so that they can follow the curriculum and achieve the course learning objectives.  These guidelines are outlined in the British Council’s Inclusion Policy for Teaching Centres: Inclusive and Special Education Provision (2021)

7.2 Voluntary medical/learning needs disclosure

British Council (Singapore) Limited recognises that each student has their own individual needs. Our aim is to ensure that, as far as possible, students are consulted and involved in decisions about how their needs might be met. This involves talking to and listening to our students, including students under the age of 18, as it is their right that their views regarding their learning are properly considered. To help us do this, we request that the student complete a ‘Student Voice’ questionnaire and, if you wish, to provide us with information on the student’s learning needs. This information will be used to formulate an Individual Education Plan for the student, enabling us to optimise our teaching methods to better suit you/your child. This information will only be shared with staff who will be working directly with the student.

Please approach our Sales and Customer Management staff for a disclosure form and for more information.

In some cases, we may not accept a student into our course because we are not able to provide consistent and sustainable support. The decision to not allow a student to register (or continue) is not made lightly and is based upon a consideration of all factors related to the individual case.

7.3 Inclusion and diversity policy

The British Council (Singapore) Limited is an inclusive organisation that attempts to offer classes to students of all backgrounds. However, we acknowledge that, at times, it is impossible to effectively support some students with specific needs in their studies. In these situations, we will not be able to offer our classes. We will then arrange a trial session to assess the potential to study with us. The outcome is then at the discretion of the management team.

Students should meet the entry requirements of the course. To best meet and support the student’s needs while on the course, we will need close dialogue between him/her (and parents, if applicable) and the teacher so that we can support their learning in the best possible way.

Participation is also monitored to determine if the required level of support is possible.

Sometimes, it is not possible to offer a place for the student because they do not meet our entry requirements (e.g. literacy skills do not correspond with what is needed for students undertaking that level of study). The decision is based on a student’s English proficiency and learning needs.

Decisions related to SEND and a centre’s ability to support the student’s learning

requirements will not be made in isolation. They will be made in consultation with multiple parties, including parents/ guardians, our Management, the Teacher and our Special Education Needs coordinator.

8. Your obligations

8.1 Behaviour policy

British Council (Singapore) Limited operates the following positive behaviour policy:

  • Be respectful
  • Be responsible
  • Be safe

We believe that these are core values which should be upheld by all students, staff and parents/caregivers. In accordance with the British Council’s Global Safeguarding policies, we may take action to ensure that a positive learning environment is upheld for the benefit of all learners, customers, and staff.

British Council (Singapore) Limited will also ensure that our staff have the right to work in a safe, non-discriminatory environment that is free from verbal or physical abuse.

9. Communication

9.1 Contact details

It is important that our student’s, parents’ or guardian’s contact details are kept up-to-date in our system. Please ensure that mobile contact and email addresses are those of the parent’s/guardian’s if the student is below 18 years of age, or that of the student’s if the student is 18 years of age or older.

Please contact our Sales and Customer Management staff if there are any updates to your contact details. Should we need to contact you urgently, we will do so by phone, email or SMS.

9.2 Do not Call (DNC) provisions

The DNC Provisions, which became effective on 2 January 2014, introduce certain changes to the way in which we may send you promotional and marketing messages and call you via your Singapore telephone number(s). Marketing messages are those sent to individuals with the intention of advertising, promoting, or offering to provide goods or services.

These changes will not affect sending other types of messages via your Singapore telephone number(s), such as informational and service- related messages, messages that are for business-to-business marketing, market survey or research or which promote charitable or religious causes, and personal messages sent by individuals.

9.3 Contacting you

The British Council (Singapore) Limited aims to comply with the requirements of the PDPA and respects your choices.

If you have registered your telephone number with the Do Not Call (DNC) Registry, we will not send you promotional or marketing messages. However, if you have previously given consent allowing us to send you such messages via your telephone number, we will continue to do so until you withdraw your consent.

If you currently have an existing, ongoing relationship with us, depending on the nature of that relationship, we may continue to send you promotional or marketing messages via SMS or fax about products and services which are related to that ongoing relationship notwithstanding your registration with the DNC Registry, unless you opt-out of receiving these messages.

The British Council (Singapore) Limited will use the information that you provide for the administration of your English course in Singapore. We may use your information to send you details of our activities, services and events (including social events) which you might find of interest and for feedback on our services and market analysis. If you do not wish to be contacted for these services, please contact us at +65 6807 1588 or speak to a member of our Sales and Customer Management team.

10. Feedback and contacting us

10.1 Feedback

We always welcome your feedback. If you would like to make a suggestion or compliment us on one of our products, services, or members of staff, please send us your feedback using the ‘Contact us’ online form on our website. We will get back to you within three working days.

We will also ask for formal feedback from our students through our customer satisfaction surveys and focus groups.

If you have a concern about a specific aspect of our service, the first person to talk to would be your teacher. If you prefer to speak to one of our managers, please approach our Sales and Customer Management staff or write into us and we will provide a final resolution within 21 working days.

The British Council (Singapore) Limited follows a global complaints resolution policy. The policy is a three-tiered system:

 
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 (Final Stage)
Handled and resolved by Branch Managers Academic Management team Global Complaints Manager
Standards
  • To acknowledge within 3 working days or immediately for verbal complaints received
  • To resolve within 10 working days

Within 21 working days

Within 30 working days

10.2 Our centres

Centre Address Courses/Workshops offered
Napier Road Centre  30 Napier Road, Singapore 258509
  • English courses and camps for kids and teens
  • English courses for adults
  • 1:1/Small group private lessons for adults, kids and teens
  • Off-site courses
Toa Payoh Centre   480 Lorong 6 Toa Payoh, #09-01 HDB Hub, East Wing, Singapore 310480
  • English courses and camps for kids and teens
  • English courses for adults
  • 1:1/Small group private lessons for adults, kids and teens
  • Professional skills full-day workshops

10.3 Contact us

11. Data protection

11.1 Protecting your data

Under the terms of the United Kingdom’s Data Protection Act 2018 and the Singapore Data Protection Act 2012, British Council (Singapore) Limited is required by law to manage any personal data given to us securely and only for the purposes we have specified.

These are to:

  • maintain integral academic and educational records of our students
  • keep accurate financial records
  • cater for any special needs our students may have
  • protect the safety and well-being of the individual
  • provide academic records to students’ sponsors, where applicable
  • contact students to update them on our services or events
  • contact students for their feedback on our services and for market analysis
  • register students into our British Council (Singapore) Limited community
  • inform our students about UK events and activities in Singapore
  • comply with any legal or regulatory requirements.

11.2 Data protection, obligation, and privacy notice

The British Council complies with data protection law in the UK and laws in other countries that meet internationally accepted standards. You have the right to ask for a copy of the information we hold on you, and the right to ask us to correct any inaccuracies in that information. If you have concerns about how we have used your personal information, you also have the right to complain to a privacy regulator.

For detailed information, please refer to the privacy section of our website, www.britishcouncil.org/privacy or contact your local British Council office. We will keep your information for seven years from the time of collection.