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:
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
2.1 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.
3.1 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.
4.1 Our teachers
British Council (Singapore) Limited is an equal opportunity employer. Teachers are recruited and assigned to classes based on the following criteria:
4.2 Teacher/Trainer-Student ratio
| Courses/Workshops | Maximum ratio |
|---|---|
| Nursery 1 | 1:4 |
| 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) | 1:8 |
| Camps (Primary and Secondary | 1:18 |
4.3 Public holidays
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:
The arrangement of make-up lessons is subject to the following conditions:
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:
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 Credit Deferment
Students who wish to defer their current course credits may do so with supporting documents. Credit deferment requests are subject to approval at the discretion of British Council (Singapore) Limited.
All approved credits must be utilised within 6 months from the date of approval. Credits cannot be further deferred, transferred, or refunded once approved. If the credits are not used within the stipulated period, they will be forfeited.
5.4 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 |
5.5 Cancellation/postponement policy for in-house workshops from Corporate English Solutions (CES)
5.6 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:
Strictly no refund if contract validity date has expired.
5.7 Important Notes on refund requests
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:
The British Council (Singapore) Limited:
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:
1.2 Mobile phone, audio recording, photography and videography policy
The British Council (Singapore) Limited operates the following policies:
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.
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:
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.
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.
7.1 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 a Learning Support 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 Academic Management Team.
8.1 Behaviour policy
British Council (Singapore) Limited operates the following positive behaviour policy:
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.
9.1 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.
10.1 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 |
|
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 |
|
| Toa Payoh Centre | 480 Lorong 6 Toa Payoh, #09-01 HDB Hub, East Wing, Singapore 310480 |
|
10.3 Contact us
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:
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.