Terms & Conditions - WE Bridge Academy

WE Bridge Academy is a trading name of WE Bridge International Ltd., Company registration No. 07104100. Our Terms and Conditions (T&Cs) will be reviewed annually and we reserve the right to make changes/updates to these T&Cs at any time. When you apply to study with us, you agree to accept our Terms and Conditions as part of the application process.

These Terms and Conditions apply to our online, blended and courses taken in person at WE Bridge Academy at Floor 10 Southgate House, Wood Street, Cardiff, CF10 1EW, United Kingdom.

// Introduction

These Terms and Conditions (“the Terms”) must be read carefully and fully understood before signing an acceptance of a place at WE Bridge Academy (“the Academy”).

These Terms when taken together with the:
1. Offer letter (if applicable)
2. Conditions of offer (if applicable)
3. Acceptance letter
4. Schedule of fees

This constitutes the entire agreement between the parties and shall supersede any and all promises, representations, warranties or other statements whether written or oral, made by or on behalf of one party to the other of any nature whatsoever or contained in any prospectus, leaflet, brochure or other document given by the Academy or any party representing the Academy.

These Terms apply to all admissions for all courses commencing in or after 1st January 2022 and supersedes all previously published terms and conditions.

The Academy’s brochures and website: The Academy’s brochures, leaflets, marketing materials and website describe the broad principles on which the Academy is presently run and gives an indication of programmes of study. While accurate at the time of publication, the details contained in these brochures and the website may be reviewed or amended at any later date and therefore neither the Academy brochure or website are part of a formal agreement between students, or parents/guardians and the Academy.

The Academy’s organisational policies: The Academy has policies, not limited to: admissions, bullying, safeguarding, child protection, radicalisation, health and safety, promotion of good behaviour, sanctions in cases of bad behaviour and complaints and exclusions. The Student must abide by the Academy’s policies, which are available to view here.

// Offer Letter Expiry

From 1st January 2022, any course which is confirmed by the Academy with an ‘offer letter’ will include an ‘acceptance date’, allowing a 3-month period for the offer to be accepted or 1 month prior to the course commencement date, whichever is shorter. If the offer letter is not accepted within the acceptance period, it will be cancelled and, in line with our GDPR policy, relevant data removed from our systems.

Students who later decide they wish to study the course they have applied for will need to submit a new application if this falls outside of the acceptance period.

Offers can be accepted by the student named on the offer letter, a parent or guardian, agents and official government sponsors.

// Duplicate Applications

On occasions, situations arise where an application for a student is received from more than one representative.

Applications are processed strictly in the order they are received
Should more than one application be received for the same student, it will be processed and allocated to the agent/representative that sent the application first
It must be made clear to students at the application stage that once they complete their application and nominate their agent, we will assume the agent will remain the same for the entire duration of the course
If a student wishes to change their agent once a course has finished and before they commence a new course with the Academy, they must nominate their new agent as part of the new application

Students applying to study with us without registering an agent or a representative during the application stage will not be able to register an agent or a representative at a later date.

// Course Fees

Course fees do not include course materials; however, if you have paid a registration fee, this will cover the cost of your first-course book or access to the WE Learn application, depending on your course content.

Where a registration fee has not been paid, the cost of each book for English language courses will be approx. £45 each.

If there are any changes in the UK VAT terms, the Academy reserves the right to pass on those changes to the client.

All course fees are to be paid at least 4 weeks prior to the start date of your course. Students will not be allowed to start their course until full fees have been paid. If you are making a booking less than 4 weeks in advance, you must pay all fees immediately.

All applicants:

There is a non-refundable administration booking fee of £150 per course booked (except for International Foundation Programme and Level 4 Diploma students) to be paid before you receive the acceptance letter
Registration fees on all courses are non-refundable
If there is financial hardship recognised by the Academy, the student may seek to arrange alternative payment methods at the discretion of the Chief Operating Officer
The Academy reserves the right to cancel or terminate any course that has not been paid for and students will not be allowed to start their courses until payment has been received. The Academy reserves the right to add a monthly late fee of 2.5% of the unpaid balance. Please ensure you pay for all bank charges (sending and receiving) so that the Academy receives the full amount. Shortfalls in payment will be requested and interest fees maybe charged.
Please ensure that when making your payment that you clearly indicate who the payment is for and write the full name of the student under the payment information on your transfer document. There will be no refunds given after a course has started, unless the Academy is responsible for cancelling the course
The Academy reserves the right to exclude any student found to have given any false information during their application process and no refund of course fees will be made
The Academy reserves the right to exclude any student due to late arrival, poor/irregular attendance, or for unacceptable behaviour and no refund of the course fees will be made

Paying for an English Language Course

When you study an English language course, either online or in person at WE Bridge Academy, full payment is required (including the one-off registration fee) prior to the start date of the course.

// Methods of Payment

We offer a wide range of payment methods to pay for course fees. Full details can be found here.

// Unforseen expenses

Students who become unwell during their studies at WE Bridge Academy will be responsible for any unforeseen costs, which include, but are not limited to:

Medical expenses
Any additional homestay charges for students staying in WE Bridge Academy homestay accommodation
Travel costs
Repatriation costs

We do recommend that students take out medical insurance/repatriation insurance before travelling to the UK.

// Sponsored Students

For students who are sponsored by their embassy (or other organisation), a Financial Guarantee Letter (FGL) must be received prior to the commencement of the course. Should the dates in the FGL differ from the actual course dates, the student or person responsible for the course fees will be required to pay the difference prior to the start of the course.

If a student would like to study at the Academy on dates not covered by a FGL, they will be fully responsible for paying their own course fees prior to the course starting. In the event that a FGL is delayed, the student will be responsible for all courses fees until a valid FGL is provided. Should a FGL cover a period for which a student has already paid, they will be issued a refund, providing the full cost of the course, including the registration fee, is covered.

// Refund Policy

Visa Refusals and refunds

If a visa is rejected, the Academy must be informed immediately and a copy of the refusal must be sent to the Academy within 5 working days of the refusal notice. The Academy reserves the right to insist that in certain cases – where a visa has been rejected – the case is taken to Administrative Review (Student Route Visas).

If the Academy does not believe an Administrative Review or further visa application is appropriate, the student must request to cancel the course in writing by email. All fees paid to us will be refunded (minus our bank charges, £150 administration fee and any out-of-pocket expenses).

⚠️ If deception or fraudulent documents/information is listed on a visa refusal notice, full fees paid to date will be retained and no refund will be given. The onus is on the student to prove they are genuine through appeal, Administrative Review or by submitting a new visa application.

Cancellation of courses prior to arrival

If you wish to cancel your course, this must be done in writing by email and the following charges will apply:

Notice period (before course official start date)	Refund
8+ weeks	Full refund of fees less an admin fee of £150 and any out of pocket expenses such as bank transfer charges
4 – 7 weeks	Full refund less an admin fee of £150, 25% of the course fees and any out of pocket expenses such as bank transfer charges
Less than 4 weeks	Admin Fee of £150, 50% of course fees and any out of pocket expenses such as bank transfer charges

Withdrawals

Once enrolled and your course has started, fees are non-refundable.

If you have a special arrangement in place for payment of fees (such as an instalment plan), you will still be liable for paying the full fees of your course.

Please arrange private, adequate insurance to cover your course fees should you need to cancel for health or other personal reasons.

Suspension and Expulsion

Students are admitted to WE Bridge Academy on the understanding that they obey the Rules and Regulations governing student behaviour and attendance. In cases where a student refuses to obey these rules, WE Bridge Academy reserves the right to remove a student from class or suspend or expel the student. In such cases, no refund of fees will be made. Any damage to the school and its property will be charged to the student.

Group Bookings

There is a separate Cancellation Policy for Group bookings which will be issued to the group organiser when the initial quote is given.

Cancellation of a Course by WE Bridge Academy

In the unlikely event that WE Bridge Academy has to completely cancel a course, every measure will be taken to provide an alternative course or a new course start date where appropriate. When this is not possible a full refund of fees will be given.

Pandemics

If WE Bridge Academy is unable to provide the course offered due to the impact of COVID-19 or any other pandemic, we will offer:

A similar course with a different itinerary. This could include online learning for part of the course
To defer the course to a later date

If individuals wish to cancel offers prematurely, our usual terms and conditions above apply.

If WE Bridge Academy cancels a course completely due to COVID-19 or any other pandemic before you arrive to the UK, a full refund will be given.

Homestay Accommodation

All accommodation is payable monthly in advance and is non-refundable
If you need to cancel your accommodation, please give us at least two weeks (14 days) notice before leaving. If you provide less than 14 days’ notice, you will be charged the fee totalling 2-weeks accommodation costs
You will also be liable to pay for any damage that you cause at your accommodation, or payment may be kept to cover any costs incurred. WE Bridge Academy reserves the right to refuse to provide you with further homestay accommodation and you may be asked to leave the Academy following a disciplinary procedure

// Course Changes

We endeavour to run all courses and levels as advertised; however, we reserve the right to cancel courses where this is unavoidable. In this case, the Academy will offer an alternative
The Academy will try to accommodate any request to change course start dates. However, the Academy reserves the right to refuse any requests
If you wish to change your course to one of a lower value, you must give us at least ten days’ notice. If you make a request with less than 10 days’ notice, you will not be entitled to any refund
If you have received a visa letter from WE Bridge Academy, changes to your course are not permitted. However, you can extend your course if you still have time before your visa expires
You may extend your course at the Academy if you would like to stay longer. The extension will be treated as a new booking, and the fees you pay will be based on the length of your original booking, and will also depend on whether you are a private or sponsored student. If you change courses, you will be charged the rate for the new course

// Reducing the Length of Your Course/Study Hours

If you are on any Visa not including the Student Route, you can reduce the length of your course or your study hours after you have started; however, you will not receive a refund for any weeks or hours lost
If you have been issued a Student Route Visa, you cannot reduce the course length or study hours. You must study the full number of hours and weeks as stated on your CAS statement
If you are not on a Student Route Visa, you can increase the number of hours you study. You must pay the difference between the hours you are currently studying and the hours they will increase to
If you are a sponsored student, you must study the number of hours as stated on your sponsor letter. You must gain written permission from your sponsor if you wish to increase and decrease your study hours or length of course

// Conditions of Enrolment

All of our courses require that students are aged 16 or over on the commencement date of their course
Students aged 16 or 17 will not receive a junior course level of care. Students and their parents/guardians should consider this before any under 18 years old registers for a course

Students must provide all documents requested on our admission policy, which include, but are not limited to:

A fully completed application form
Copy of passport
IELTS results for students coming under the Student Route Visa
Copy of visa if already in the UK
Copy of husband’s/wife’s visa if they hold a Dependant visa
Proof of previous study/certificate of secondary education for students coming under the Student Route Visa

// Classes and Your Level of English

For all students, except for IFP students, you will be asked to complete a placement test on arrival at WE Bridge Academy. The results of this placement test will determine your level of English and which English class you will join. At WE Bridge Academy, we offer the following levels: Elementary, Pre-Intermediate, Intermediate, Upper Intermediate and Advanced
If your placement test results are below the entry requirements for your chosen course, WE Bridge Academy reserves the right to place you in a different class until you are ready to join the course that you originally applied for
Regarding Examination Preparation classes: if your level is too low to join your chosen course, you will be placed in a suitable General English class until your English is of a sufficient level to join your chosen course
WE Bridge Academy reserves the right to change teachers, class times, combine classes if necessary or transfer a student from one class to another
If you wish to change classes during your course for any reason, then any changes must be approved by the Academic Centre Manager. You can only change classes if your level is deemed suitable and is subject to availability
Students are not allowed to attend any classes that they have not booked and paid for
All class materials will be presented to students electronically, therefore students must have a working laptop or tablet device for every class. Devices must be fully charged at the start of the day as there are limited charging facilities in the school. Please note that a mobile phone will not be allowed to be used in class and are not suitable for classwork.

// Holidays and Absences

Students wishing to take holidays during their course will not be refunded any course fees.

All students:

If you need to take time off from the Academy, then it must be authorised first by the Academic Centre Manager
WE Bridge Academy is closed on bank holidays and for two weeks at Christmas. Please see our current holiday dates on this website for details
If you book a course for a week that includes a bank holiday, you will not receive a refund or extra study hours to compensate for the closure of the Academy

// Student Route Visa Requirements

If a student fails to enrol at WE Bridge Academy by the latest confirmed start date, we will report their details to the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) no more than 10 working days after the confirmed start date
If a student stops attending WE Bridge Academy, either because the Academy has withdrawn them from the course or because they have told the Academy that they are leaving, we will report this to the UKVI no more than 10 working days after this is confirmed
If a student decides to defer their studies after they have arrived in the UK, their visa will no longer be valid because they will not be studying. WE Bridge Academy will inform UKVI of the deferral and advise the student to leave the UK. When the student is ready to continue their studies, they will need to make a new visa application
Unauthorised student absences without our reasonably granted permission will be reported to UKVI. If a student has missed 10 consecutive days without contact and/or authorisation from the academy, WE Bridge Academy will notify UKVI within 10 working days of the tenth absence

// Homestay Accommodation

You must complete an application for homestay two weeks in advance of your arrival to the UK
If you become unwell during your studies and cannot attend your course, you will be responsible for any additional charges, such as an extension to your stay. Students will also be required to pay homestay on a full-board basis for the duration of your illness.
You will be allocated a homestay based on the information you provide in the application form
You will be provided with details of your homestay and travel arrangements in advance of your arrival
Homestay availability may be limited, particularly during the summer months
In our commitment to safeguarding, all under 18s must stay with a homestay allocated by WE Bridge Academy, or a responsible family member aged 18 or over, with prior written consent
Homestay accommodation is provided on a half board or full board basis. Students aged under 18 will be provided with full board as standard
All accommodation is payable monthly in advance and is non-refundable
Accommodation will be secured when payment for the first 4 weeks is paid in advance.
Students must be prepared to travel up to 45 minutes from the Academy to their homestay accommodation using public transport
If you need to cancel your accommodation, you must give us at least two weeks (14 days) notice in advance before leaving. If you provide less than 14 days’ notice, you will be charged the fee totalling 2-weeks accommodation costs
In the unlikely event your homestay asks you to leave the accommodation, WE Bridge Academy will endevour to organise a new homestay for you
A weekly retention fee of £75 is payable if you wish to keep your homestay accommodation whilst you are away. Your homestay provider must agree to keep a room for you
You are expected to abide by the code of conduct as stated in the Student Homestay Handbook
You will also be liable to pay for any damage that you cause at your accommodation, or payment may be kept to cover any costs incurred. WE Bridge Academy reserves the right to refuse to provide you with further homestay accommodation and you may be asked to leave the academy following a disciplinary procedure
If you are not happy with your homestay accommodation, then please inform the Student Accommodation and Welfare Officer – please allow 14 days for a change of homestay

// Parents/Guardians of Students Aged Under 18

The Children Act 1989 states the legal definition of a child as “a person under the age of 18”. In signing the enrolment form of a child, the parent/guardian agrees/understands that:

Students must be 16 years old or over for adult courses
Students aged 16 or 17 will not receive a junior course level of care. Students and their parents/guardians should consider this before any under 18 year old registers for a course
Parents / guardians must make their child aware of all the conditions agreed to on the under 18 consent form. WE Bridge Academy cannot be responsible for any child who does not purposefully adhere to these conditions
WE Bridge Academy is not responsible for administering any medication to their child. You must ensure that your child is fully aware of all requirements for self-administration of any medication they may take
Any mental, physical or learning disability not disclosed by the parents / guardians before the students’ arrival at WE Bridge Academy may result in the student’s course being cancelled
Parents / guardians must keep WE Bridge Academy up to date with emergency contact information
Parents / guardians are responsible for the insurance of their child
Parents / guardians must be aware of the requirements for homestay and accommodation – please see the Safeguarding policy and procedures

// Emergency Procedures

In the event of an emergency or situation arising that could prevent the usual day-to-day running of classes at the Academy, we have a number of procedures in place to ensure tuition can continue with the least amount of disruption to our students and staff.

// Course Certificates

On completion of a course or programme, we will provide the student with a Certificate of Achievement on their last day. This will detail the course title, dates and level achieved. It is the responsibility of the student to collect their certificate when returning their lanyard. If for any reason a certificate is not collected, we will post or email the certificate on one occasion. You must ensure the email or postal address supplied is correct, as we cannot be held responsible for certificates that are not received.

A £40 administration fee will be charged for the reissuance of certificates and transcripts. This fee applies whether a student requests one or both.

// General

Students are expected to attend all classes. Please refer to the Student attendance and homework policy
Morning classes start between 09:00 and 09:30. Students who arrive after this time will not be permitted to join the class and will be marked absent. Students will be able to join the next session at 11:15.
Afternoon classes start at 13:45. Students who arrive after this time will not be permitted to join the class and will be marked absent. Students will be able to join the next session at 15:15 (subject to hours of study)
If you have applied for one of our courses via a representative, their terms of contract may apply to you, but reserve the right to apply our own terms and conditions as stated.
If a situation arises that has not been covered by these terms and conditions, WE Bridge Academy reserves the right to take any fair and reasonable action that we think appropriate

Our Terms and Conditions were last reviewed/updated on 30/08/2023