Terms and Conditions

These Terms and Conditions set out the terms on which Zed Alley Clayhouse Ltd provides Pottery Classes/Courses and permits a person to become a Member of the Studio. Please ensure that you have read and understood these Terms and Conditions before making any bookings or applying to be a Member of the Studio. When you make a Class/Course booking, or apply to become a Member of the Studio, you are deemed to have read, understood and accepted them. Zed Alley Clayhouse Ltd reserves the right to terminate, without refund, Classes/Courses and/or Studio Membership of any customer who does not abide by these Terms and Conditions.

At Zed Alley Clayhouse, course students and studio members are expected to behave towards each other and the management, teachers and technicians with mutual respect. Zed Alley Clayhouse Ltd. reserves the right to terminate a student’s course or a studio membership if an individual’s behaviour is not in keeping with this.

Health and safety

Zed Alley Clayhouse Ltd takes the health and safety of all their staff, Class/Course attendees and Studio Members 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 and Studio Members 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.
• Before new Studio Members can start using the Studio, they must attend an induction session with a technician which will include a health and safety briefing.
• Class/Course attendees and Studio Members use Zed Alley Clayhouse Ltd 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.
• Zed Alley Clayhouse Ltd cannot be held responsible for any injuries caused through the misuse of the facilities or equipment.
• Class/Course attendees and Studio Members 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. 
• Drinking alcohol and smoking are forbidden in all areas of the building. Entering the building intoxicated on drugs or alcohol is forbidden and, at the discretion of Zed Alley Clayhouse Ltd management, may result in a termination of Classes/Courses and/or Studio Membership.
• In the interests of safety and hygiene, no food is permitted in the building.
• With the exception of guide dogs, no pets are permitted in the building. 
• Classes/Courses and Studio Membership are for over 18s only
• Zed Alley Clayhouse Ltd cannot guarantee that customers’ work will not be damaged 
• Zed Alley Clayhouse Ltd and cannot be responsible for the loss, damage to, or theft of personal belongings (including money).
• Class/Course attendees and Studio Members should talk to a technician, teacher or the management of Zed Alley Clayhouse Ltd if they are unsure about any aspects of Zed Alley Clayhouse Ltd’s health and safety rules.

Fire and evacuation procedures

All Class/Course attendees and Studio Members must:

• Familiarise themselves with evacuation procedures, signage, fire exits, and first aid points. These will be pointed out to all new customers before they start Classes/Courses or Studio Membership. 
• Enter the building by the main entrance on Host Street.
• 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.

Zed Alley Clayhouse Ltd reserves the right to suspend or terminate any Class/Course attendance or Studio Membership 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 Studio Membership are made by monthly recurring payment. Payments for fired work (where applicable) are made by card. We cannot take cash. 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 and Studio sessions are booked on a first-come first-served basis. When a preferred Class or Studio session is showing as full, there will be an option to join the waiting list and be notified should a space become available. 

Accessibility

Zed Alley Clayhouse Ltd is in a listed building which has two steps from the pavement up to the front door, then two further steps up to the ground floor wheel-throwing classroom (the toilet is also on this floor). The Studio and hand-building classroom are 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. They cannot be used in lieu of Studio Membership fees. 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 Zed Alley Clayhouse 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, Zed Alley Clahouhouse Ltd. reserves the right to alter course content without prior notice to particpants..

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 20 days before the start of the Class/Course (see ‘Cancellation of classes’ below for details of terms). 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 Zed Alley Clayhouse Ltd 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:

• 20 days or more before the start date of a Class/Course – full refund of the total paid (minus a £5 administration fee) or a transfer to a different Class/Course. 
• 19 to 10 (inclusive) days before the start date of a Class/Course – a refund of 50% of the total paid (minus a £5 administration fee) or a transfer to a different Class/Course. 
• 9 days or fewer before the start date of a Class/Course – no refunds. A transfer to a different Class/Course may be offered at the discretion of the management of Zed Alley Clayhouse Ltd.

For cancellations of Classes/Courses by Zed Alley Clayhouse Ltd 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. Zed Alley Clayhouse Ltd will not be liable for any losses or expenses arising from amendments or cancellations to the Class/Course.

Zed Alley Clayhouse Ltd 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 Zed Alley Clayhouse Ltd.

Collection of finished work

Finished work will be available to collect during normal opening hours by 6 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 21 days to collect their work and after this time, Zed Alley Clayhouse Ltd 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 Zed Alley Clayhouse Ltd. 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. Zed Alley Clayhouse Ltd 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 Zed Alley Clayhouse’s courses for young people should be at least 12, 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 Zed Alley Clayhouse Ltd. 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. Our safeguarding policy can be viewed here.

Pottery sessions are 2 hours long with no break. There are no refreshment facilities on site. 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 Zed Alley Clayhouse no more than ten minutes before the start of the class. All children aged 11 and under must be accompanied by a parent/guardian at all times during their pottery class. For children aged 12 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. Zed Alley Clayhouse Ltd. 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

Zed Alley Clayhouse Ltd. 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 Zed Alley Clayhouse Ltd. 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 Zed Alley Clayhouse Ltd.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS SPECIFIC TO STUDIO MEMBERSHIP

General terms of Membership 

Applications for Membership should be made through the website. Studio Members must be over 18 years of age and confident enough with making ceramics to work independently without a teacher. As a guide, new Members should have completed at least one of Zed Alley Clayhouse Ltd’s foundation courses or equivalent course with another provider. Zed Alley Clayhouse Ltd reserves the right to cancel a Membership if the Member proves to be unable to work independently or safely.

Studio sessions are bookable through an online calendar accessed via the Members’ portal. Every calendar month, Studio Members will be allocated four new credits. Each credit can be used to book one Studio session, and Members are requested to use their credits to book one session each week to ensure that Studio space is available to all Members each week. New sessions will be released on a rolling basis three months ahead. A session bookings must be made at least 24 hours ahead of the session.

All credits issued to Members must be used to book and attend Studio sessions within three months of issue (the expiry dates will be shown in the Members’ area on the ‘Your prepaid credits’ page). Any credits unused after the expiry date will be automatically deleted from the Member’s credit allocation.

Studio Members are able to book additional sessions by buying more credits via the website. These are shown on the ‘Your prepaid credits’ page separately from the credits allocated monthly for regular weekly sessions. These additional credits also expire after three months, and the expiry date is stated. When a Member has used all their monthly credits and tries to book a session through the calendar, the system will request payment in order to secure the session booking. Please note that payments for sessions booked through the calendar are non-refundable. It is therefore recommended that Members wishing to attend additional sessions purchase additional credits and use these to make session bookings as these credits can be refunded to the Member’s allocation.

Where two consecutive sessions are booked in any one day, the Member may continue to use the Studio during the hour between the end of the first session and the start of the second.

The Studio is generally open for 15 sessions a week. It is closed for the period between Christmas and New Year and on all bank holidays. Zed Alley Clayhouse Ltd reserves the right to close the Studio to Members in order to use it for other business purposes on other occasional days, and whenever possible these will be shown in the online calendar at least three months ahead. Zed Alley Clayhouse Ltd may at any time without notice withdraw all or part of its facilities for any period or periods in connection with any urgent cleaning, repair, alteration or maintenance work or for any other exceptional reasons.

Studio Members are requested to limit their work in progress to approximately 0.25m2 shelf space at any one time, and if this is exceeded Zed Alley Clayhouse Ltd reserves the right to request that the overspill of work is removed. Subject to availability, Members are able to rent additional personal storage space from Zed Alley Clayhouse Ltd. (see below).

If Members wish to bring in their own materials, glazes or any equipment into the Studio, this must first be approved by a member of staff. Members may only leave any such materials or equipment in the building between sessions in personal storage space which they have rented from Zed Alley Clayhouse Ltd.

Memberships are non-transferable and cannot be shared with another person. Members cannot bring guests into the Studio without the express permission of Zed Alley Clayhouse Ltd. Where Zed Alley Clayhouse Ltd does permit a Member to bring a guest the Member agrees to do so under any conditions given by Zed Alley Clayhouse, which will include that the guest is not permitted to use any of the Studio facilities.

Payment for Studio Membership

Payment for Studio Membership is by monthly recurring payment. Membership fees must be paid in accordance with these Terms and Conditions irrespective of whether or not the Member uses the Studio facilities.

Subject to any right of Zed Alley Clayhouse Ltd to cancel or suspend the Membership, the Membership will continue indefinitely unless and until a Member cancels their Membership.

Membership fees may be increased at the discretion of Zed Alley Clayhouse Ltd. Members will be given at least three months’ notice of any increase in Membership fees.

Membership does not enable attendance at any Classes or Courses offered by Zed Alley Clayhouse Ltd. If a Member wishes to attend any Classes/Courses, these should be booked and paid for separately. Occasionally, Zed Alley Clayhouse Ltd may host special events or Classes that will be offered to Members. These may or may not incur an additional charge.

Cancellation of Studio Membership

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

Studio Membership can be cancelled at any time via the Members’ area. Zed Alley Clayhouse Ltd cannot be held liable for any payments processed due to the failure of a Member to cancel a Membership.

Once a membership is cancelled, the Member can continue to use any remaining credits to book and attend Studio sessions before the date when their membership expires. No refunds will be given to any Member in respect of any Membership fees that have already been paid, or credits that have been issued. When a Membership has been cancelled, for any remaining Studio sessions subsequently attended before the membership expires, these Terms and Conditions of Membership will continue to apply.

Following cancellation of Membership, Members must clear any work in progress from communal shelving, and from any additional shelf space that has been rented, before the date when their membership expires. If a Member’s shelf is not cleared in this timeframe, Zed Alley Clayhouse Ltd reserves the right to dispose of all uncollected items. Work left on the drying for bisque shelf or work that has been sent for glazing will be processed and the member is liable to pay the firing charge for this and for any other work that has already been bisque fired.

Late or non-attendance for booked Studio sessions

There will be no refunds for late arrivals or non-attendance at any booked Studio sessions, and apart from in exceptional circumstances and at the discretion of the management of Zed Alley Clayhouse Ltd, alternative Studio time cannot be provided.

Changing booked Studio sessions

If a Member is unable to attend a booked session, they can cancel the session through the online calendar. Cancellation of a session that has been booked using credits will automatically refund the credit provided this is done at least 7 days in advance. If a session is cancelled 7 days or fewer beforehand, credits will not be refunded unless there are special circumstances. The Member should contact the management of Zed Alley Clayhouse Ltd on [email protected] to explain the circumstances. Whether or not a credit is refunded is entirely at the discretion of Zed Alley Clayhouse Ltd.

Materials and finished work

Membership includes use of all facilities and materials. There is no limit on how much white stoneware clay Members can use. Zed Alley Clayhouse Ltd encourages Members to experiment freely and recycle less successful work. All finished pottery will be fired by Zed Alley Clayhouse Ltd technicians, and all other items will be recycled by the Studio. Any fired work will incur an additional charge per kg of finished pottery.

Collection of finished work

We endeavour to ensure that Members’ work ready for firing is fired within 3 weeks. Finished work will be available to collect during normal opening hours. Members should ensure that they have requested their finished work from a technician so that it can be weighed and paid for. Payments can only be made by card and work will not be released until payment is made. Suitable containers and protective materials should be brought when collecting finished work. Zed Alley Clayhouse Ltd reserves the right to dispose of any Members’ work that has not been collected and paid within one month of it being ready. In special circumstances work can be held for longer and requests for this should be made by email to Zed Alley Clayhouse Ltd.

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.

Personal storage space for Studio Members

Members wishing to keep any materials or equipment in the building are able to rent additional personal shelf space of 450mm x 300mm. Each shelf space comes with a storage box and everything the Member wishes to store must be contained with in this, and the box labelled with the Member’s name. Rent is paid monthly through a recurring invoice. To enquire about renting personal space, Members should contact the management through [email protected].

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, Zed Alley Clayhouse Ltd 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 £20 administration fee)
• 27 to 14 (inclusive) days before the date of the Group Booking – a refund of 50% of the balance paid (minus a £20 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 Zed Alley Clayhouse Ltd 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, Zed Alley Clayhouse Ltd reserves the right to alter timings, change the teacher, or cancel a Group Booking up to and including the date of the Group Booking. Zed Alley Clayhouse Ltd 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 Zed Alley Clayhouse Ltd.

Collection of finished work

Finished work will be available to collect during normal opening hours by 6 weeks after the end of the Group Booking event 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 21 days to collect their work and after this time, Zed Alley Clayhouse Ltd 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 Zed Alley Clayhouse Ltd. 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. Zed Alley Clayhouse Ltd regrets that we cannot be held liable for any damage in transit to items sent by post.