General Regulations

• Performance students of the Academy are not allowed to attend  outside classes, or to take part in any amateur of professional stage, film or television production without the prior consent of the Academy.

• Permission for absence from classes other than through illness must first be obtained from the appropriate member of staff.

• Notification of absence must reach the appropriate authority either by letter or by telephone at least an hour before the class or rehearsal is due to start. A doctor’s certificate may be required.

• Hours: The working day may stretch from 9am to 7pm, five days a week, although on occasion the day may finish later, representing a minimum of thirty hours a week. Some rehearsal sessions are held in the evenings and at weekends. Students also need to devote much of their free time to personal study. The working day becomes longer as students progress through their course. Final year students will usually work from 9am to 10.30pm while their show is in production.

• Closure: If for any reason, including epidemic or national crisis, the Academy is compelled to close in term time, no fees can be returned or compensation made for any period of tuition or performance that may have been lost through the Academy’s inability to carry out its work.

• All students are required to have reached the necessary standard at the end of each academic year and a satisfactory standard of work and attendance throughout each term. Students who do not reach the standard, in some cases, will not be permitted to continue their training. In other cases, they may be dropped back one or more terms if it is thought this would be beneficial to them.

• Any infringement of the regulations or any discreditable or improper conduct shall subject a student, at the discretion of the Principal, to suspension or dismissal from the Academy. Such students shall not be entitled to claim the refund of any fees.

Payment of Fees

Full-time courses

Fees for the first and final terms of the course must reach the Academy eleven weeks prior to the commencement of the first term. Subsequent fees are invoiced termly. Fee, including the deposit term, are not refundable in the case of a student leaving the course for any reason (including illness), nor transferable to any other term. Students withdrawing from a course must give one full term’s notice to the Director of Acting Programme, the Director of Musical Theatre Programme, or the Director of Technical Theatre Programme (Technical course), i.e by the last day of term prior to notice commencing and fees are due up to the end of that notice period. Failure to give notice will entail payment of the full fee due. A registration fee is payable on the return of signed contracts.