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We know that your children are the most precious beings in the world to you, and understand that sending them to a new club can bring up feelings of uncertainty.

We’ve attempted to cover recurring themes in the Frequently Asked Questions below, but if you can’t find the answers you need or just want to connect, email or call us.

Got questions? We love to chat.
Email:
hiya@huzzahperformingarts.com
Or call / WhatsApp Huzzah HQ:

Katie: 07979 249381 Wendy: 07349 159928

FAQ

Safety

  • For us, safety is so much more than ensuring that all our staff are trained in safeguarding, it’s baked into every decision about our day.

    We keep our child:teacher ratio lower than the recommendations so that we can be sure your children are given the attention they deserve. We have a “talk about it” culture at Huzzah and encourage our teachers to share anything they see or hear that makes them feel uneasy, first of all, with you, the parent.

    Our venues are chosen not just because they are local to you, but because we can keep the children out of sight from the street when they are with us. We don’t advertise the fact that there is a camp happening at the venue, preferring it to only be known to those who have enrolled.

    Our venues are schools: already set up for security with staff on site helping us to keep the children secure. The only people on site are teachers from that school who are known to us or happy to show their ID if they need to come into the hall.

    We don’t allow parents/ carers into the venue. It's against our security protocol to give an adult who isn’t vetted by us access to the children. If your child is fretful, we will allow you to come just inside the door with them to calm them, under the supervision of Huzzah teachers. 

    The doors are locked. And they stay locked all day. We have clear sight of anyone approaching the building and will only open the door to parents and carers who have a booking with us.

    Private playground. Not only is the hall where we teach not visible from the door, the playground is in a hidden courtyard in the centre of the building.

    Door policy. Of course, our door policy is always in force. If someone comes to collect a child and their name is not on the safe list, they can’t take the child. It gets a little uncomfortable when we have to tell a parent they can’t take their own child home, but that’s what we do. Be sure to add all your trusted adults (and family) to the authorised pick up list!

  • We are proud of our teachers who are all professionally trained Performing Artists. They have come through a rigorous set of auditions where we screen for the right attitude and energy. Then we run the highest possible security checks on each individual. Finally, once we are happy to welcome them as part of the team, they complete training in how to teach with special sparkle, how to get children into the learning zone and how to deliver mindfulness training to children. We have a small team and get to know our teachers very well.

    Get to know them more yourself HERE

Daily running

  • No, we find children’s diets are so diverse that it’s better for you to oversee what they eat. 

    We have two snack breaks and a lunch during the day. Suggested list:

    • Full water bottle (we can refill it during the day)

    • Nutritious packed lunch (sandwiches/ thermos of pasta/ rice with juice box and side veggies)

    • Morning snack (fruit, veggies)

    • Afternoon snack (nut-free cereal bar, small treat)

    Bear in mind we do not have the facilities to reheat food, nor are able to provide crockery and cutlery. Keep biscuits, crisps, sweets and chocolate to a bare minimum as our days are intense and your child will need nourishing fuel to get through the day.

    Keep lunch boxes nut-free as we do have many children with severe allergies.

  • Yes! Our Early-Late club is very popular with the children as a time to hang out, make friends, enjoy raiding the art supplies and getting a head start on the day.

    This extra time is available from 9am till 4.30pm (instead of 10am - 4pm).

    You can book as late as on your way (or ask your Lead teacher at the door for the QR code to make a payment) our teachers are always on site by 9am. If you know you want this service in advance, BOOK HERE The fee is £12 per day, per family.

  • Studies are finally showing what has been acknowledged wisdom for years, meditation changes brains for the better. Katie and Wendy have a meditation practice to keep them centred and have experienced the calm and clarity that a short meditation session brings to children too. Even children who are new to meditation start to ask for their “quiet time” every day at Huzzah.

    The meditations we teach are either guided meditations (taking the children on an imagination journey) or Integrative Body-Mind Training (which you might know as mindfulness) and are designed to allow children to rest in themselves, processing their emotions, thoughts and life situations. The mediations are completely secular and designed not to clash with any belief or nonbelief that you encourage in your household. Want to try some? Wendy has recorded some short meditations to tackle common anxieties in children (and adults) and they are our gift to you HERE (LINK TO SIGN UP FORM)

  • Absolutely!

    We are a bit old school like that and know that children need plenty of fresh air and freedom to play and grow. We have three breaks during the day where the children have a supervised playtime outside for over an hour a day. A bit of drizzle doesn’t put us off, so please make sure your child has appropriate clothing.

  • No, because magic happens in a mixed group! We’ve had many happy years of watching new friendships get forged across the age range. Younger children are inspired by the talents and commitment of the older children and they, in turn, enjoy the adoration of the young ones and the responsibility of looking out for them.

    We like to think of Huzzah as a village school where siblings aren’t separated (although we can be sure that they get space from each other if that’s what they need). We make sure that every child is given a challenge appropriate to their level, wish isn’t always the same as their age. There are so many rewards to be had when children get to learn and play in a mixed age group.

Special care

  • All Huzzah classes have a teacher who is First Aid and Epipen trained and we check lunches to make sure they are nut-free. We are more than happy to keep your medications on site - bear in mind we often don’t have access to a fridge.

    If your child is on medication or needs extra vigilance, please contact us before the start of the class - NOT AT 10am ON THE FIRST DAY - to discuss your child’s needs and appropriate care.

    If your child needs an inhaler, please provide us with a spacer too.

  • We would love to have them come!

    Please contact us so we can check access and facilities at your chosen venue and discuss how to best help your child to join in.

  • This isn’t a short answer. Contact us to tell us more about your individual child so we can make an individual assessment. If you decide to make a booking without talking to us first, use the space in the booking form to tell us about your child and what their needs are. 

    Please do not just hope for the best. Our teachers are incredibly well trained and compassionate beings who want every child in their care to thrive. This means we have to create an appropriate balance in every camp. We can do this most effectively when we know about your child’s needs and can anticipate and plan ahead.

Everything else

  • There are a wealth of studies that show children who engage in Drama Classes (with teachers who know how to keep them in a learning state) learn how to be more socially, morally and spiritually aware, they are inspired to write about and explore their world more, they have higher self esteem and feel more connected. There are so many changes you can expect to see in your child if you commit to letting them come to regular drama classes. At Huzzah, children have the added benefit of meditation which is proven to increase self confidence, grow grey matter, allow children to make better decisions and feel more secure.

    However, we are talking about a human being here! Every child is different. Some children seem to undergo a miraculous transformation in the space of a week with us, for others, changes are accumulative and can be seen by looking back over the years.

    Drama class can play an important role in a child’s development, but must be seen as part of a whole and not a quick fix. If you have any specific concerns about your child that you’d like to discuss we are always happy to hear from you.

  • No. Huzzah is best left until your little one is already in Reception/ Prep 1 and out of Nursery.

  • We have close ties with several of the local schools and understand the high standards in education and care that you expect.. Huzzah children go to school at: Notting Hill Prep, Chepstow House, Norland Place, Pembridge Hall, Wetherby, Thomas’s, Bassett House, Southbank International, La Petit École Francais, The American School in London, and many more!

    We are an inclusive camp and always happy to welcome new children no matter what school they attend in term time.

  • Ah, this is an interesting one… Often when children are being stretched out of their comfort zone, their first response is to resist the activity that is causing them discomfort. Usually this comes in the form of a protest that it’s “boring” or they “don’t like it.” It’s a well documented psychological response and good teachers can help your child work past these negative feelings and stay the course.

    Often, if a child is encouraged to stick around, they break through to the other side of this block and have a huge growth spurt and end up feeling really proud of themselves that they continued to come along and face their fears. It takes team effort from the teachers and the parents to accomplish this without putting the child off trying new things and Huzzah Teachers are trained in how to deal with these sorts of learning blocks.

    Of course, this isn’t always the case. Sometimes the cause can lie elsewhere and just take a little gentle prodding to discover. It could be that they are worried about something that another child said to them, or that they didn’t get a part they wanted or even that they feel they are not being challenged enough. Huzzah teachers will take the time to sit with your child and discover the underlying cause of the resistance so they can help the child work through it. This helps the child to realise that problems can be solved by tactics and teamwork, not by quitting, and is a fast track to growing resilience and self confidence in the child.

    If we have all tried everything we can and the child has given it their best shot but still decides that Huzzah is not for them, then we can assess any suitable refund on an individual basis. Please see the Refund Policy for more information.

  • Not at the moment.

  • In general, we don’t give full refunds. Please check your dates before you book.

    In the event of your plans changing, we can usually, given the required notice, accommodate a partial refund. Please see the full Ts&Cs HERE.