Families and Service Terms

These terms include the Code of Conduct for Students and Parents (section 6) and the Complaints Policy (section 9).

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1. About these terms

Audience: Everyone

These terms explain how tutoring with The National Society for Education, Mentoring and Media (NSEMM) works: how you apply, what each of us agrees to, the rules for students and parents, how we keep in touch and how to complain. NSEMM is a registered charity (no. 1209673).

"You" means the student and their parent or guardian. Where something is only for one of you, we say so.

Some things are covered in our other policies:

Questions about these terms: [email protected], or our contact page.

2. How we teach

Audience: Everyone

• We teach young people in Year 5 to Year 13 in England.
• Lessons are online and one to one, in NSEMM's online classroom, which you reach through NSEMM Learn. Schools can also book small group lessons (section 10).
• A standard lesson is 1 hour.
• Lessons are taught mainly in English (Safeguarding Policy, section A9).
• Every lesson is recorded. Who can watch a recording, and for how long, is in the Safeguarding Policy, section A10.
• At the end of each lesson, we ask the student what they found hard, what they learned and how they might use it. The tutor answers similar questions. Together these make the lesson report.

Our lessons are extra help alongside school (Safeguarding Policy, section A12). If your child is struggling or missing school, for example because of things going on at school, their health or anxiety, please tell us.

If you home school, your child can have lessons at the standard price. Help from the Fund isn't available for home education (CEF Access Policy, section 3).

3. Applying and getting a place with a tutor

Audience: Everyone

• You apply online. You can do every step in your portal: the questions, help with the cost, documents, your offer and meeting your tutor. Your next step is always shown on My application. We only call if you ask us to, or if something needs it.
• We offer your child a place with a tutor. We choose the tutor. You don't choose the tutor, or whether they are a qualified teacher or a university student.
• If the tutor isn't right for your child, you can say no and your application stays open. If you'd like a different tutor later, we'll try, but we can't promise.
• Every child has their own offer and their own place on the waiting list.
• When places are limited, we offer them first to families whose application is complete, in the order in the CEF Access Policy, section 8.
• You accept your offer in the portal. Accepting it means you agree to section 5.
• Young people applying for themselves: you can, in the cases in the CEF Access Policy, section 2.5. Then section 5.8 applies to you.

4. The price

Audience: Everyone

• Our standard price is £18 an hour. This covers the tutor's time, plus our online classroom and running costs. You can choose to pay more, which helps other families.
• Help with the cost. The Community Education Fund can help with part or all of the cost for children in Year 7 and above. Who can get help, how the amount is worked out and how long it lasts are in the CEF Access Policy.
• "Can you pay this?" Once our team has made the Fund decision, you see your amount on your offer and we ask you this. If you can't, you can ask to pay less (CEF Access Policy, section 4).
• Fund help is only for your child's lessons with NSEMM. It can't be passed to anyone else, used with another tutor or provider, or swapped for money.
• Honesty. If information we were given turns out to be untrue, help from the Fund may end. An honest mistake isn't dishonesty, so if something is wrong, just tell us.
• Your tutor never sees what you pay. Every family gets the same lessons, whatever they pay.
• When you are charged, failed payments, cancellations and refunds are in the Money Policy, sections A3 and A4.

5. Our tutoring agreement

Audience: Everyone

5.1 What this agreement is

This agreement is between your child, you as their parent or guardian, and NSEMM. It covers your child's lessons from the date of your offer. Think of it like the rules at school: when you accept the offer, we all agree to keep to it. It isn't a legal contract, and it doesn't take away any legal rights you already have.

5.2 What each of us agrees

We agree to:

• give your child a trained tutor who has an enhanced DBS check;
• make sure the tutor joins every lesson on time and prepared, with a working device and connection;
• tell you straight away if a tutor can't make a lesson, and help you rebook it;
• hold every lesson online in our online classroom, and record it to keep everyone safe;
• tell you before anything about the lessons changes;
• keep your information safe;
• listen when something goes wrong, and put it right.

If you're the parent or guardian, you agree to:

• keep your contact and card details up to date;
• cancel as early as you can if your child can't make a lesson (section 5.4);
• tell us about anything that affects your child's safety or learning;
• give us honest information;
• follow the Code of Conduct for Students and Parents (section 6).

If you're the student, you agree to:

• come to your lessons on time and ready to learn;
• do the work your tutor sets, and your own revision between lessons;
• be respectful to your tutor, and expect the same back;
• tell your parent or guardian, or us, if anything feels uncomfortable. You won't be in trouble for speaking up;
• follow the Code of Conduct for Students and Parents (section 6).

5.3 What you need for lessons

What your device, browser and connection need is on our page "What you need for online lessons". How we keep lessons safe is on our page "Staying safe in your lessons".

5.4 Coming to lessons, cancelling and missed lessons

• Please come to every lesson, on time. If your child can't make one, cancel in the portal as early as you can.
• What is charged when a lesson is cancelled or missed, your right to cancel the agreement in the first days after you accept it, and how refunds work, are in the Money Policy, section A4.
• If lessons are missed without a reason, we get in touch to check your child is all right (Safeguarding Policy, section A11).
• If the Fund helps with your lessons, what happens when lessons are often missed, stop for a long time, or we can't reach you is in the CEF Access Policy, section 10. We always talk to you first.

5.5 Changes

If anything about your offer changes, we send you an updated offer. Nothing changes until you accept it. If you don't accept it, we may not be able to carry on tutoring.

5.6 Stopping lessons

You can stop at any time. Please give us two weeks' notice if you can. What happens to lessons already booked, and to any credit on your account, is in the Money Policy. If the Fund was helping and you'd like help again later, you apply again (CEF Access Policy, section 10.5).

5.7 When we might stop lessons

We may pause or end lessons if:

• this agreement or the Code of Conduct isn't kept, for example contacting the tutor outside our system, or being unkind or disrespectful in lessons;
• there is a safeguarding concern that means lessons can't safely go on;
• payments don't go through and aren't sorted out after we've asked.

We'll tell you why, unless the law or someone's safety means we can't. Where we can, we'll talk to you first and give you the chance to put things right. For serious things, such as someone's safety, abuse towards staff or contact outside our system, we may have to act straight away.

Our Designated Safeguarding Lead reviews these decisions. You can ask us to look again under section 9.

5.8 If you're a student applying for yourself

This agreement is between you and NSEMM. Everything above applies to you, with these changes:

• there is no separate parent's list. You agree to everything on the parent's list that applies to you, and to the student's list;
• tell us, or an adult you trust, if anything feels uncomfortable, including about your own safety;
• you pay for your own lessons, and "your child" in the Money Policy means you.

6. Code of Conduct for Students and Parents

Audience: Everyone

When you take part in NSEMM tutoring or mentoring, you agree to this code.

6.1 Respect

• Use language that isn't offensive, discriminatory or hurtful.
• Listen, take part, and follow your tutor's instructions first time.
• Never bully, threaten or be mean to anyone. That includes name-calling, making fun of others, or anything that makes someone feel unsafe or upset. We act on it straight away.

6.2 Getting ready for a lesson

• Join on time, with your device set up and tested, and the things you need.
• Use a quiet, private room at home, with good light and sound and a tidy background. Avoid a virtual background if you can.
• Dress as you would for school or meeting a teacher. No pyjamas, nightwear or dressing gowns.
• A parent or guardian must be nearby and easy to reach for the whole lesson. Older students don't always need an adult in the room.
• Other family members, including brothers and sisters, shouldn't be in the room.
• Keep pets out if you can, turn off notifications, and don't eat meals during the lesson. Water is fine.

6.3 Phones, devices and your account

• Use your device only for the lesson: no games, other websites or apps, and no talking to people outside the lesson.
• Don't use your phone during lessons. In a school's lessons, we tell the school. In other lessons, we talk to your parent or guardian if it gets in the way.
• Never share your login. We may close an account that is shared.
• Don't try to hack, damage or get round our systems, upload anything harmful, use someone else's account, use automated tools, pretend to be someone else or create fake accounts. If you do, we close the account and may report it.

6.4 Recording and sharing

• Never record a lesson in any way, including video, audio or screenshots. This applies to students, parents and anyone else in the family. If it happens, the tutor may stop the lesson, and we may suspend or close the account.
• Don't post screenshots, recordings, names or details of our staff or other students, or our lesson materials, on social media or anywhere else without our written permission.

6.5 Contact

Contact NSEMM staff and volunteers only through our own channels: messages in NSEMM Learn, lessons, and nsemm.org.uk email addresses. Contact your tutor only through messages in NSEMM Learn, never by phone, text, personal email or social media. Contact outside these channels may lead to the account being closed, and we treat it as a safeguarding concern.

6.6 Doing your own work

Our tutors help you understand your work. They don't do it for you.

If a tutor thinks this is happening, they stop the lesson and tell our team. We may share evidence, including recordings, with the school or college. Repeated or serious cases can lead to a warning, a pause in lessons or the end of lessons. If you're not sure whether something is allowed, just ask.

6.7 If the connection drops

Try to reconnect within 10 minutes. If you can't, message your tutor and report the problem in NSEMM Learn. If it keeps happening, we may ask to check your device and connection.

6.8 Parents and guardians

• Make sure your child is ready, the device works and the room is suitable (section 6.2).
• Tell us about changes that affect lessons, and about any worries.
• Help your child keep to the rules on doing their own work (section 6.6).
• Verbal abuse, threats or aggressive behaviour towards our staff and volunteers leads to a safeguarding report, the end of all lessons, and legal action where appropriate.
• We may pause or end lessons if a parent or guardian doesn't supervise, is rude or abusive to staff, keeps contacting staff outside our channels, or causes a safeguarding concern.

6.9 If the rules are broken

Depending on how serious it is, we may have a quiet word, give a formal warning, pause lessons or close the account.

For the most serious things (safety risks, recording, contact outside our channels, cheating or bullying) we may end the lesson, pause the account while we look into it, report it, and put extra protection in place.

Where we can, we help the student learn from it, for example with extra guidance or by pointing them to other support.

Our Designated Safeguarding Lead reviews these decisions and takes serious or complex cases to the trustees. You can appeal under section 9. Whether lessons paused this way are refunded is in the Money Policy.

If a session is in person or in a group, this code applies, with any extra venue rules we give you beforehand (Safeguarding Policy, section B8).

If you're worried about someone's safety, see the Safeguarding Policy, section A2.

7. Extra support for your child's learning

Audience: Everyone

• You choose what to tell us. You don't need a diagnosis or a formal plan for us to support your child. Telling us never makes your wait longer.

• How you tell us. The application asks if there is anything else we should know. Once you've applied, My application has a question about extra support, which you answer yourself. Our staff never answer it for you. You can tick:

  • a support plan (Provision Plan, SEN Support Plan, Individual Support Plan or similar);
  • SEN, ALN or a specific learning difference;
  • waiting for an EHC needs assessment or decision;
  • an EHCP (England) or IDP (Wales);
  • Pupil Premium, Pupil Development Grant or similar;
  • none of these.

• Papers. If you tick EHCP or IDP, we may ask for Section F (and Section B if you'd like). Please don't send the whole plan. You can send it later, and it won't hold up your place. Any other papers are always your choice.

• Adjustments. We make reasonable adjustments so students with additional needs can take part fairly, for example for neurodivergence, physical disabilities or mental health conditions. Tell us what helps.

• Agreeing to us keeping it. We only keep this information if you tick to agree. You can say no and still apply.

  Age	Who agrees
  Under 13	A parent or guardian
  13 to 15	A parent or guardian, who confirms the child is happy for us to know
  16 and over	The young person

  You can remove your answers on My application, and documents on the Documents page, at any time.

• What we use it for. Planning lessons and adjustments; the order funded places are offered in when places are limited (it never makes your wait longer); and any request for help with the cost.

• Who sees it. Our administrators and our safeguarding lead. Your child's tutor gets a short summary written by our team.

• How long we keep it is in our Privacy Notice.

• Questions: see section 1.

8. How we keep in touch

Audience: Everyone

• How we contact you. Through your portal, messages and email. You can do everything in the portal, so you never have to wait for us to call. We call only if you ask us to, or if something needs it.
• Reminders. If something is still needed on your application, we send one reminder covering everything that's open. We send up to 3 in all (around day 0, day 4 and day 10), never more than one in 3 days. Then they stop. Once we've offered your child a place, these reminders stop.
• Quiet applications. If nothing happens on your application for 30 days, we pause it. We never close it for this. The moment you fill anything in, it's back where it was.
• Newsletters go only to people who asked for them, with an unsubscribe link in every one.
• Photos, videos and stories. We only use a student's photo, video or story with written consent from the student and their parent or guardian. We never put a full name, school or home area next to a photo. You can withdraw consent at any time, and we remove it from our channels within 48 hours.

8a. Communications, media and fundraising

Audience: Staff and volunteers

Speaking for NSEMM

• The CEO liaises with the Chief Communications Officer. The CEO or the Chief Communications Officer can speak to the media or issue a statement, with the board's permission.
• If the CEO isn't available, the Chief Operations Officer (COO) steps in for the CEO.
• Nobody else speaks to the media or makes a public statement for NSEMM.
• Send every press enquiry to the CEO within 1 hour.
  • Note the journalist's name, outlet, contact details and deadline, and ask for the questions in writing.
  • Don't say "no comment". Say "We will get back to you shortly."
  • Every press contact goes in the media enquiry log.
• In a crisis (for example a safeguarding incident, an allegation against staff or trustees, fraud, or a serious accident), only the people above speak for NSEMM. Nobody else posts or comments. The CEO:
  • agrees the response with one other trustee (the Lead Trustee for Safeguarding if it is about safeguarding);
  • prepares a holding statement;
  • decides who else must be told, for example parents or the Charity Commission;
  • holds a debrief afterwards.

Approvals

• Send content requests at least 5 working days before it should go out.
• Only named staff post from NSEMM accounts.
• Pass negative comments on instead of replying. Don't share rumours, take part in political debate or reply to trolls (report and block).

Photos of young people

• Keep a signed photography and media consent form for every young person photographed, from a parent or carer for anyone under 18, saying which uses are allowed.
• Tell the photographer who must not be photographed.
• Adults at events are told photography is happening and can opt out.
• Store images securely.

Our name and brand

• Every piece of branded material shows the charity number 1209673, except digital posts that link to our website.
• Logos, colours, wording and accessibility rules are in the Brand Guidelines on the Brand Hub.
• Use the full name "The National Society for Education, Mentoring and Media" on formal documents.
• Marketing emails say who they are from, give the charity number, have an unsubscribe link and go only to people who opted in. Bounced and unsubscribed addresses are cleared every quarter.
• Your own social media, gifts, tips and dress are in the People Policy.

Fundraising and leafletting

NSEMM is registered with the Fundraising Regulator and keeps to the Fundraising Promise. Follow the Fundraising Regulator's Code of Fundraising Practice and local byelaws.

• Be honest. Say clearly when you are fundraising. Never pressure, guilt-trip or startle anyone, and never say regular giving is "without commitment".
• Where. Don't approach people who are seated (unless at our stand), queuing or at work, and don't block paths.
• Leaflets.
  • Only approved leaflets, and only between 09:00 and 19:00.
  • Respect "no junk mail" signs, and don't go past the front door.
  • Never on private land or in shopping centres without written permission, and never in Old Market Square.
  • Carry your NSEMM ID and let people scan its QR code.
• Collections. Street or house-to-house collections need a council licence first. Tins are sealed and numbered, with at least two collectors at each point. Two people count donations and record them straight away, and cash is banked within two working days.
• Online donations go through our donate page. Other platforms only with the CEO's approval.
• Care. Never take a donation from someone who seems not to understand, and never take cash from a child without a parent or guardian there. Report any safeguarding worry through Protect.
• Personal data. Collect only what you need, give the privacy notice, and get consent for marketing. Never leave paper forms unattended. Enter them on our systems within five working days, then shred the paper.
• Money. Fundraising income is recorded in our finance system. Spending on fundraising follows the Money Policy, and costs must not be more than 25% of the income expected from the activity.
• Behaviour. No smoking, alcohol, drugs, swearing or asking for favours while representing NSEMM.

9. Complaints

Audience: Everyone

This is NSEMM's Complaints Policy. Use it if you are a parent, student, school, partner or member of the public and you're unhappy with something we have done, or not done, and want us to put it right.

Other routes

9.1 How to complain

Use our feedback and complaints form. You don't need an account. Tell us what happened and when, what you'd like us to do, and send anything that helps.

If you can't use the form, tell any member of staff, including your tutor, and they'll put it on the form for you. Or write to us at NSEMM, Suite 74, Sneinton Market, Unit 6 Gedling Street, Nottingham, NG1 1DS. Please don't visit in person: this address is for post only. Students can complain themselves, or through a parent, carer or another adult they trust. You can have someone with you or helping you at any stage.

Please complain within 3 months of the problem, or of when you found out about it. For a complaint about a lesson, please complain within 30 days. If you're later than that for a good reason, such as illness, we can still look at it.

9.2 What happens

If a complaint needs longer, we tell you why and give you a new date. Many complaints are sorted quickly. If yours is, we agree that with you and close it.

Nobody looks into a complaint about something they were involved in. If we got it wrong, we say sorry, put it right and change what we do. If a complaint leads to action against a member of staff, we tell you action was taken, but not the details.

9.3 If you're not happy with our reply

Ask for a review within 10 working days of our reply, and say why: we didn't follow this process, there is new evidence, or the outcome was unreasonable. A more senior person who wasn't involved reviews it and replies within 15 working days. The review is our final answer. A complaint about the CEO or leadership is reviewed by the trustees instead.

After that, you can go to:

• the Charity Commission, about how the charity is run;
• the Fundraising Regulator, about fundraising;
• the Information Commissioner's Office, about your information;
• independent mediation.

Please let us try to put it right first. You won't be treated worse for complaining in good faith.

9a. Handling complaints

Audience: Staff and volunteers

1. Record it. Anyone can receive a complaint. Record every complaint, including one about yourself, on the Protect form within 24 hours: the date, who it is from and their link to us, what they said in their own words, any documents, and what they want to happen.
2. Safeguarding first. If it raises a safeguarding concern, report it as the Safeguarding Policy, section B1 says, and follow that policy instead.
3. Acknowledge it. Give the reference, what we understood the complaint to be, the handler's name and contact, the timescale and a link to section 9.
4. Sort it informally if you can. Contact the person within 3 working days, in writing unless they'd prefer a call, and record the outcome.
5. Investigate formally if needed. Gather the evidence, speak to the people involved (who may bring a colleague or trade union representative), keep notes, update the person at least weekly, and keep one investigation file.

Also:

• A longer timescale needs a leadership team member's approval. Money back as part of an outcome needs leadership approval and follows the Money Policy.
• If you have a conflict of interest, hand the complaint on. A conflict at senior level goes to the trustees.
• Fundraising complaints are reported to the Fundraising Regulator where required.
• All complaints go in the complaints register. Leadership looks at trends every quarter, and the trustees get a yearly complaints report. Complaint records are kept as the Data and Privacy Policy, Annex (row O11) says.
• Staff are trained in handling complaints every year.

10. Schools and professionals

Audience: Everyone

Schools

• Schools can book tutoring for their pupils through our schools programme, using our schools enquiry form.
• The school pays £25 a pupil for each group lesson and £20 a pupil for each one-to-one lesson, for every pupil on the group's list.
• Schools can't refer pupils for Fund places. A family whose school suggested tutoring can still apply in the usual way.
• School staff can't watch lesson recordings (Safeguarding Policy, section A10). How we work with a school's safeguarding lead is in the Safeguarding Policy, section C9.

Professionals outside schools

• Professionals who don't work for a school or college, such as social workers, health professionals, youth workers and charity caseworkers, can refer a child in Year 7 or above.
• Funded places depend on the money in the Fund. Who can refer, and how many places there are, is in the CEF Access Policy, section 6.

11. Teaching quality

Audience: Staff and volunteers

• Lessons suit the student's age, ability and level, follow the national curriculum where it applies, and support their school work. Each lesson has clear aims, activities, a check of understanding and time to reflect.
• Tutors need subject knowledge and qualifications that fit what they teach. A teaching qualification is welcome but not essential.
• Progress is tracked through lesson reports, student and family feedback, check-ins (CEF Access Policy, section 10.3c), attendance and confidence. Where a student isn't making progress, plan extra help. Keep families updated and plan goals with them.
• Quality checks. Senior staff audit lessons as part of quality assurance (Safeguarding Policy, section C5) and give tutors feedback. Supervision and performance are in the People Policy. Safeguarding training is in the Safeguarding Policy, section B6.
• Records. Student records are seen only by the staff who need them and the student's family. Information is shared with schools only with consent, and as the Safeguarding Policy, section A8 says.