Solve, Tinker, Explore, Make
| Applies to | Pre-booked D&T and science workshops, Washed Up Crafts workshops (including Saturday morning and school-holiday sessions), after-school workshops, tutoring, group bookings and funded places. Beach School activities and workshops are coming soon and will be covered by this policy when they begin. |
| Policy date / review | In force from: 12 October 2026. Reviewed every 12 months and after any change to how sessions are run. |
| Contact to cancel or rearrange | Email: andy@stembythesea.co.uk. Text / work phone: 07512201047 |
At a glance
All sessions are pre-booked and places are limited, so a late cancellation often leaves an empty place that cannot be refilled. This policy is designed to be fair to families and to keep STEM by the Sea running. Our two-hour workshops and one-hour after-school workshops need a minimum of 6 children to run (maximum 8). If a session does not reach the minimum, you will be offered a full refund or a rebooking.
| When you cancel (before the session starts) | What you receive |
|---|---|
| 7 or more days before the session | Full refund |
| 4 to 6 days before | 50% refund, or 75% as credit towards another session |
| 2 to 3 days before (48 to 96 hours) | 25% refund, or 50% as credit |
| Less than 48 hours, or not attending | No refund or credit (Andy may offer credit if your place is refilled) |
| Serious reason: hospital, sudden serious illness, a death in the family, or an emergency | Full refund or free transfer, at any time |
| Your place is refilled from the waiting list | Full refund, whatever the notice given |
| Andy cancels or changes a session | Full refund, or a rebooking or alternative session of your choice |
| Beach School weather or safety change | Move to a D&T session in the workshop, rebook within 8 weeks, or a refund if neither is possible |
| Tutoring | No refunds. Sessions can be rearranged for a valid reason |
Notice is counted from when your email or text reaches Andy to the start time of the session. Credit and rebooked sessions must be used within 8 weeks.
1. Booking and payment
- All sessions are pre-booked. Payment is taken in advance at booking to secure your place.
- Refunds are paid back to the original payment method within 14 days of being agreed.
- Please give Andy allergy, medical and emergency contact details at booking so the session can be run safely.
2. If you need to cancel a workshop or Beach School session
The refund depends on how much notice you give, as shown in the table above. The notice periods are counted to the start time of the session.
Example: for a session on Saturday at 10:00, you receive a full refund if Andy hears from you by 10:00 the previous Saturday, a 50% refund by 10:00 on Tuesday, a 25% refund by 10:00 on Thursday, and nothing after that.
- Credit can be used for any STEM by the Sea session within 8 weeks. The 8 weeks may be extended at Andy’s discretion.
- You can send another child or family in your place at any time. Tell Andy first and provide their allergy, medical and consent details.
- Waiting list: if your place is refilled from the waiting list, you will receive a full refund, whatever the notice you gave.
3. Serious reasons
If you cannot attend because of a hospital visit, sudden serious illness, a death in the family or another genuine emergency, you will receive a full refund or free transfer at any time, including on the day. Andy will not ask for evidence. This policy relies on honesty and common sense: please tell Andy what has happened, and he will always do his best to be understanding.
4. Minor illness of a child on the day
If a child is unwell on the day, please stay at home and tell Andy as early as you can. A rebooking or credit will be offered within 8 weeks. This is not usually a cash refund. Children with infectious illness should stay at home for the recommended exclusion period.
5. Late arrival and non-attendance
- If you do not attend and have not told Andy, there is no refund or credit.
- If you arrive late, the session may already have started. For safety, Andy may not allow a late arrival to join in activities involving tools or heat, or may shorten the child’s session. There is no refund for missed time.
- Children under 8 cannot stay in a session without their parent or guardian. Children aged 8 and over may be dropped off and collected at the agreed times, with written permission given on the booking form.
6. Tutoring
- Tutoring sessions are not refunded. If you cannot attend, you can rearrange the session for a valid reason.
- Valid reasons include illness, a medical appointment, a family emergency, a school trip or school commitments. Please tell Andy as early as possible before the session. Genuine emergencies are accepted at any time.
- A rearranged session must take place within 8 weeks. Sessions missed without a valid reason, or cancelled at short notice without one, are charged in full.
- If Andy has to cancel a tutoring session, it will be rearranged at no cost, or refunded if a suitable time cannot be found.
7. If Andy cancels or changes a session
Andy will cancel or change a session if he is ill, if it is unsafe, if the workshop is unavailable (for example a power or heating failure), if minimum numbers are not reached (fewer than 6 children booked on a two-hour or after-school workshop), or for weather and safety reasons on the beach. He will tell you as soon as possible by email and text. You will be offered a full refund, or a rebooking or alternative session of your choice. The decision to change or cancel a session is always Andy’s.
8. Beach School: weather and change of venue
Beach School is coming soon; this section applies once sessions begin. Beach School depends on the weather, tides and conditions on the East Yorkshire coast. Safety comes first, and the final decision on whether a session goes ahead, moves or stops is always Andy’s.
- Andy will make the decision by 5pm the day before wherever possible.
- Coastal weather can change quickly. Andy may also change or cancel on the day, up to the start of the session or at the beach if conditions change.
- You will be told by email and text, and offered a choice of: (a) a D&T session in the workshop at the same time, at no extra cost; (b) rebooking within 8 weeks; or (c) a full refund if neither option is possible and there are no further dates.
- If a session has to stop early for safety, Andy will offer a make-up session or credit for the missed time.
- If you decide not to attend because the forecast looks poor and Andy has not changed the session, the normal cancellation scale applies.
How Andy decides (traffic-light guide)
| Factor | Green: go ahead | Amber: go with changes | Red: change venue or rebook |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wind & sea | Light to moderate wind, calm sea | Breezy or choppy: move up the beach, shorten, keep away from the water | Strong or gusty wind, rough seas or a weather warning |
| Tides | Full session finishes well before the leave-by time | Tight timing: shorten or start earlier | Cannot finish safely before the leave-by time |
| Rain & cold | Dry or light showers | Persistent rain or cold wind: shelter, shorter session | Heavy rain or severe cold |
| Thunder, fog & visibility | None | Possible later: watch closely | Thunderstorms, fog or poor visibility |
| Cliffs & beach | Stable, no recent falls | Fresh falls nearby: use another site | Rockfall, closures or unsafe access |
| Water quality | No alert | Alert nearby: no paddling | Pollution alert at the site |
| Fires | Light wind, permitted site, safe conditions | Wind rising: fire not lit | Not permitted or unsafe: no fire |
9. Other changes of venue
If the workshop cannot be used, or a group venue becomes unavailable, Andy will move the session to another suitable place or time, or refund it in full if that is not possible. Andy will tell you as soon as he can.
10. Funded and subsidised places
Places funded through grants or STEM by the Sea C.I.C. are free to families but cost STEM by the Sea to provide, so they are valuable. If you cannot attend, please tell Andy at least 48 hours before so the place can be offered to someone else. If a child misses two sessions without notice, the place may be offered to another child.
11. Group bookings (schools, Scouts, Guides and community groups)
Group bookings are paid in full at booking to secure the date. Schools and organisations can pay by invoice, payable within 14 days of the invoice date and before the session. The cancellation table above applies to group bookings. A session at our Bempton workshop is for a maximum of 8 participants; larger groups can be accommodated at your venue with notice (£5 per additional child, with up to 8 additional children for every additional responsible adult present). The group’s own leaders remain responsible for the children in their care.
12. Safety and behaviour
The final decision on safety, weather, behaviour and whether a session goes ahead always rests with Andy. He may refuse a place, or end a session, without a refund if a child or adult puts anyone at risk, if safety instructions are not followed, if a parent is not present for a child under 8, or if allergy or medical information has not been provided.
13. How to cancel or rearrange
Please email andy@stembythesea.co.uk and send a text to 07512201047. The time your message is received counts as the notice time. Andy will confirm receipt. If you do not hear back, please send it again.
14. Your rights and complaints
This policy does not affect your legal rights, including any statutory rights to cancel that apply to online bookings. Sessions are reserved for a specific date and time, and places are limited. If you are unhappy with how a booking has been handled, please email Andy and he will reply within 7 days.
