FAQs
FAQs
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About our Academies
What age does my child have to be?
Ages vary from one Academy to another so best to check each individual academy page, this is due to some Academies having a more technical or physical nature. In each Academy, children are grouped by age to ensure they get the appropriate level of coaching, and helps make new friends. Please check the Academy pages on our website for full details of ages.
How fit does my child have to be?
We aim to be as inclusive as possible with an ‘open to all children’ policy. Children should be reasonably fit and healthy, and not suffer from any physical or medical condition which may be aggravated by attending an Academy, cause injury to themselves or other children. If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s fitness or physical abilities, or if they think they need extra support, then please call our Customer Services Team to discuss prior to booking.
How able does my child have to be?
To gain the most from an Academy, children should have some experience of participating in their chosen sport. Complete beginners may find it hard to keep up with the programme and all the new knowledge. However, for 7 and 8 year olds, a small amount of prior understanding is an advantage but not essential and some Academies have specific junior programmes for younger children. All coaching is age appropriate and delivered to the abilities of the participants.
How many children are there on an Academy?
This depends on the sport and facilities, but are usually between 25 and 80 children.
Who are your coaches?
Please go to our 'Coaches' page for more about coaching structure. All coaches we employ or associate with are highly qualified and experienced with their sport. We conduct enhanced CRB checks and references on all our coaches so you can be confident in their abilities and credentials.
What are your child-to-coach ratios?
The child-to-coach ratio vary according to the needs of each sport and are set at a level that ensures children receive an appropriate level of coaching to develop in their chosen sport.
Will my child be grouped with children of a similar age?
All children on an Academy are divided into groups of children of a similar age and/or ability to ensure they get the appropriate level of coaching and care, and ensuring they make new friends.
Can my child go in the same group as their friend?
Yes, as long as they are about the same age and/or ability as each other – usually within 18 months. Friend requests can be made at the time of booking, but due to the complex nature of Academy groupings, we cannot always guarantee requests, but we will do our best!
What if my child is nervous about attending an Academy?
We know the first day at an Academy can seem daunting to a child, but usually within a short time they are settled, making new friends and raring to go! Our experienced coaches know how to welcome children and make them feel comfortable and confident within their group. Parents are welcome to call the Lead Coach during the day to check on how your child is settling in.
What if my child has difficulty settling on Academy?
Our coaches are experienced at welcoming newcomers onto Academy, and most children will be coming on their own and looking to quickly make friends! You can contact the Lead Coach at any point during the day to check on how your child is doing.
What happens if it rains?
Rain should not put off most budding sportsmen and women so we do carry on with the coaching programme, but we’ll always ensure child safety is our priority, so we may stop coaching for heavy rain and thunderstorms.
What time should I drop off and collect my child?
Our standard drop off time is from 8.30 to 9.30, and collection until 4.30pm
What if I want my child to arrive and leave on their own?
We are happy for children aged 11yrs and over to arrive and leave the academy on their own. If you would like you child to do this you will need to complete a consent form which will be emailed to you with other important information in the week prior to camp.
What if I am late dropping off or collecting?
If you’re running late to collect your child, please call us on 0330 111 9077 (charged at local rate) as soon as possible so we can inform the Lead Coach. If you are later than 4.30pm, we reserve the right to charge £5 for an Extended Day Pass.
What if my child is ill or injured on Academy?
At Ultimate Sports Academies we do everything possible to minimise bumps and scrapes, and we have fully trained First Aiders on all Academies. In the event of a minor accident, a coach will attend to your child as necessary. For anything beyond that, you will be immediately informed and in the unlikely event of a serious accident we will inform emergency services. If your child becomes ill on Academy, we will do everything we can to make them comfortable, however it may be in their best interest to be collected from Academy early as we do not have the capacity or facilities to care for ill children for an extended period of time. We do require that any child who becomes ill on Academy be kept away from Academy for the full duration of their illness and 24 hours after the end of their symptoms.
Booking and Paying
How can I book?
Online: visit the individual Academy or Location pages to start the booking process.
Phone: 0330 111 9077 (local rate) please leave a message outside normal office hours.
Email: contact us at info@ultimatesportsacademies.co.uk
Academies are booked as 2, 3 or 4 day courses (depending on the holiday period) and cannot be booked by the day. Use the gold 'book now' button, select the Academy you want to book and follow the online booking process. Alternatively, you call our customer services team on 0330 111 9077 (charged at local rate).
How and when do I pay?
We accept credit/debit cards and childcare vouchers. Please be aware that we do not American Express. If paying by card, you will need to pay the full amount at the time of booking.
Can I use childcare vouchers to pay for my booking?
Yes, you can use childcare vouchers to pay for some or all of your Ultimate Sports Academies booking. If you are booking online, just enter the amount that you would like to pay for using childcare vouchers and who your provider is. See our Childcare page on our Ultimate Activity Camp website for information about the providers we currently work with, but call us if your provider is not there as we should be able to add it. You’ll need to contact your childcare voucher provider to get the payment sent to us - please ask them to put your booking ID as a reference. Please call us 0330 111 9077 (local rate) if you need help.
What if I need to change my booking dates?
We know plans change so you can change booked dates up to 14 days before the first day of your Ultimate Sports Academies booking - as long as it’s within the current season and there’s availability for alternative Academies. We can only move the booking as a full Academy, not split across multiple weeks. We will not charge you for making changes, but there may be a difference in price which will need to be paid for.
Specific Needs
What if my child needs extra help?
We aim to be as inclusive as possible with an ‘open to all children’ policy. If your child requires extra support, please email or call us to discuss your child’s specific needs so we can ensure they are able to fit into the Academy programme and whether any special arrangements need to be made.
What if my child has a medical condition?
At the time of booking, please give us as much information regarding medical conditions and medication as possible in order for us to provide appropriate care for your child during their time on Academy. We may require you to fill out additional information prior to Academy, but we will send these out with your confirmation email. All information you provide at the time of booking will be with our coach on Academy by the time you arrive for your first day. Please note we will only administer medication that is prescribed for that child by a health professional.
Please note all prescribed medication must be in date.
What if my child uses an Epi-Pen?
If you require your child to have an Epi-Pen on Academy, please tell us about this at the time of booking including as much information about their allergy. Although we have qualified first aiders on Academy, on your first morning we require a medical professional (or you if a medical professional is unavailable) to demonstrate the Epi-pen to our Academy Manager so we are prepared to care for your child.
Please note all prescribed medication must be in date.
What to Bring
What should my child wear?
As the clothing and footwear requirements for each Academy varies, we will email you a clothing and gear kit list when you make a booking. We recommend appropriate sportswear (i.e. shorts, tracksuit bottoms, tee shirt and sports footwear). A sweatshirt/jacket for breaks or cooler weather should also be brought. We cannot be responsible for damage to any clothes so please do not send children in their best gear.
What should my child bring?
- Children should bring a healthy packed lunch and plenty of snacks as children will be active all day and need calorie top-ups! If the weather is warm, we recommend including an ice block as we do not have facilities to refrigerate food.
- Refillable water bottle that the children can take out with them throughout the day (we supply drinking water for them to fill their bottles).
- Please also pack sun cream for your child, preferably applying it before they arrive on Academy, although we cannot apply sun cream directly to your child, we will remind them throughout the day to re-apply. We also recommend bringing a cap or sunhat during hot weather.
- In order to help us return lost property please ensure everything is named where possible.
What should my child not bring?
- Money is not required on Academy
- Please do not bring portable electronic devices (e.g. Mobile Phones, iPods, Nintendo DS, etc.). They will not be needed on Academy and we cannot be held responsible for anything going missing or being damaged.
Policies & Procedures
What is your health and safety policy?
For our full policies and procedures document, please email our Customer Services team – info@ultimatesportsacademies.co.uk
What is your policy on bad behaviour?
At Ultimate Sports Academies we focus on coaching and participation through an atmosphere of mutual respect between children and coaches. We have a code of behaviour on Academy and expect all children and coaches to abide by it. We encourage positive behaviour on our Academies, and our coaches are experienced in dealing with behavioural issues. However, on the rare occasion that a child has a prolonged negative impact on the experience of other children on Academy, we do reserve the right to exclude children from Academy. No refund for any subsequent days will be offered, and any additional costs associated with the exclusion, including transport home if necessary are the responsibility of the parent.
What is your Safeguarding Children policy?
Ultimate Sports Academies are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all coaches to share this commitment. We recognise our moral and statutory responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of all children. We endeavour to provide a safe and welcoming environment where children are respected and valued. We are alert to the signs of abuse and neglect and follow our procedures to ensure that children receive effective support, protection and justice.
What is your Equal Opportunities policy?
We are committed to equal opportunities in all aspects of our work. We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome all children regardless of gender, religion or race. Every child on our Academies has access to the same opportunities. We take a zero tolerance stance on discrimination or bullying of any description.
What is your privacy policy?
We respect your privacy and we will never pass on, sell or share any of your personal information to organisations outside of Ultimate Sports Academies and its holding company, Active Education Group Limited. As part of running our business, we will from time to time share some of your data with printers and/or mailing companies so we can post you information about our products, but they will not pass on this data and will delete it after they have undertaken the work for us. Your personal information will be stored securely at all times and is only accessible by a small number of authorised staff. For full details, see our Privacy Policy in the website footer.