Frequently Asked Questions

What are the hygiene routines now that the pandemic is over?

• Please find the closest branch here and click on the risk assessment for that studio to find out the best bits of what we carried forward into our every day routines.

What ages do you teach?

• We teach children from ages 6-18. We follow a set programme that has been created for our students to learn to use different art media (acrylics, clay, inks, papier-mache, etc) and develop specific skills, all with child development in mind. 
• Most projects have room for the kids to personalise what they’re doing, and in addition to the main projects they have starter activities to help develop drawing and visual perceptual skills. 
• Please note, we will only take trials for children younger than 6 if they are turning 6 in that month. If we receive a booking for a younger student, we will email and refund you the cost. 
• There are separate classes that teach art skills and support GCSE and A level aged students.

You have 6-16 year olds all in the same class? Does everyone work on the same project at the same time?

• The classes are all mixed ages 6-16, but as each student is doing their own project specific to their age/ability, there is no conflict with the variety of ages. It’s actually fun as the younger kids get inspired about what they will be doing later on and the older children are like royalty in their eyes. 
• Our art programme has been curated for 20 years by our creative director; the projects alternate between 2D and 3D and all tackle different mediums and introduce the children to new artists and styles. 
• We have a 7:1 teacher : student ratio so we always walk around the class giving individual tutoring to each child within a session. 
• There are separate classes that support GCSE and A level aged students where tuition becomes more options and alternatives with all the resources of the art studio to hand.

Do we need to bring anything? Are materials provided?

• All art materials are included in our art sessions!  
• Please note we cannot guarantee paint will not get on cloths.

• We do not provide or store aprons.  

What should they wear?

• We encourage students to bring their own bottles of water and to wear clothes they don’t mind getting paint on. Students will frequently be working with acrylic paint, which doesn’t wash out, so please provide clothing you feel is appropriate!  
• When acrylic dries, it binds tightly to clothing fibres. You can loosen this binding with a cheap alcohol-based hairspray. If acrylic paint does get on your child’s clothing you can try the following:
  • Spray the clothing with the hairspray. 
  • Scrub the stain with a brush. 
  • Wash the clothes with detergent as normal.

What happens in a trial?  

• art-K’s trials sessions are an opportunity for your child to meet the art leader and get a feel for how we run our classes! Trial sessions are best booked in the weekly lesson you would intend your child to join long-term. 
• For primary age students, your child will be given an age-appropriate starter activity, usually drawing-based, before moving onto a clay-based main project. For secondary school children, they will begin on a drawing/tonal activity before moving onto a painting study.
• The other students will be following the same lesson structure, so your child will feel like part of the studio class from the very beginning. If your child is in primary school they will also have the option to join in an arty break-time game two-thirds of the way through the lesson.

Why do you charge for trials?

• By paying for you or your child’s seat in a class we can be sure of numbers and be best prepared for each lesson! The price of a trial session covers the cost of the staff, equipment and materials used during your child’s lesson. 

How often will children take home their work?

• Projects take anywhere from 2 weeks to 6 weeks (or longer for older students if they are really engrossed in their project!) Starters typically are shorter and may take 2-3 weeks to complete. Working on longer term projects allows for skill development and artistic growth.
• After a trial, there will be both a starter and project in progress; this work will stay in the studio to be finished at a later date.

Will my spot be reserved for the term if I book a trial in case I want to join?

• When booking a children’s art class trial with art-K, the space is held for you in that session for the term, giving you time to take the trial and decide afterwards. When you’d like to continue, just log into your account and book the rest of term. We’ll respond quickly to any questions you may have but when there is a delay or we don’t hear, we’ll be freeing up that slot for another trial 72 hours after your trial.

What happens if I miss a class? 

• We aim to offer a make-up class once a term when we are notified in advance. Please refer to our Parent Guide to Make-ups for full instructions of how to cancel your session, and how to book a make-up class.
• Being notified allows us to offer your slot you are missing to another student waiting for a make-up.
• Our capacity to offer make-ups is subject to class availability, so even if you cancel your class in time, you may not see an option to book a make-up if a class is full and/or at our busiest times (e.g. the start of term). We can’t make guarantees of make-up availability, so please take offers for make-ups quickly where you can!
• A missed session cannot be deducted from the overall term fee. This is because a seat in a class is reserved on a termly basis. We use this system as it ensures we can hire teachers, provide all necessary materials and plan the classes and keep the costs low for everyone.

Can my child pick their own projects/do their own drawings?

• Our programme of projects have been developed over the past 20 years by our creative director to be fun, engaging and teach art skills. Each is designed to help develop your child’s artistic, perceptual, motor and visual skills which can feed back into the art that your child creates at home.
• We believe that it is fundamental that a structure is in place for children’s artistic growth. We see the classes as a chance for children to create artworks that they might not achieve without our guidance, materials and studio space. 
• Every student can contribute to the positive learning experience that art-K offers, and while this may not suit all learning styles, our teachers and our programme are what we offer.

Whats are the differences between weekly term-time classes and holiday workshops?  

• Where our term-time programme of weekly classes takes students through a manual of projects designed to develop a student’s artistic techniques over a period of time; our holiday workshops take a slightly different approach. Our workshops are designed for students to complete their project over the two hours rather than over the course of a few classes as with our weekly term-time classes. We also seek to create a more fun and sociable environment in the holiday workshops whereas our weekly classes cultivate a more relaxed atmosphere with a focus on continually experimenting on a technique to further their mastery of it.

Can I pay weekly/monthly?

• The projects are long-term and we reserve your seat for the term, so to offer the lowest cost to everyone, and for continuity, children have to be signed up for the entire term. Under exceptional circumstances, please contact the art leader to discuss a payment plan option. In most clubs, we are accepting child care vouchers.

Can you help with art scholarships and GCSE portfolios?

• Yes, we would be very happy to support your child in creating their portfolio for either a scholarship or GCSE. If you have any information from the school or exam board about the portfolio requirements, our art teachers would be happy to discuss them with you and your child and subsequently tailor their programme to support that objective. Depending on the depth of support required, we may discuss additional charges for working outside our programme. Full details on requirements for art scholarships can be found here.

Can my child with SEN come? My child has a SEN helper; can they come along to help?

• We treat everyone equally at art-K. When your child feels comfortable, wants to learn our programme of projects, and is focused in a group environment, we are happy to offer them a trial. Our art leaders are available to discuss your children’s individual needs and how we can best accommodate for them. Behaviour policies apply to all students equally.

Can I stay with my child?

• Parents are not allowed into the studios for reasons of managing the child friendly environment and for security (DBS check) reasons. We will discuss with you after the trial what your child has created in the session and be available to chat before the class next week if you have any questions. All teaching staff are DBS checked and trained in health and safety and child safeguarding.

• For a trial you may suggest arriving 5 minutes early and staying for a few minutes until you are certain your child is safe (maybe not quite settled). After around 5 minutes the art leader will ask you to leave to allow the session to continue in the normal safe manner for all students.

Can I pay by bank transfer?

• Payments can be made online through our booking system, due to accounting reasons we can’t accept bank transfers. 

Can I pay by Child Care Voucher? 

• Yes! Check the class booking page on the website for details of all the schemes accepted.

Can I have a discount?

• Places for a 3rd sibling are discounted by one third (two full paying places and one discounted place).
• Pupils receiving DPP can request a 75% discount. Conditions apply.

o Their school will be required to confirm receipt of DPP.

o Applicants will be met and assessed on merit to ensure the discount has the greatest impact.

o DPP discounts are not combinable with other discounted payment methods such as Child Care or Local Authority funded.

o Places are limited and subject to specific clubs.

What happens in the event of another lockdown?

• In another lockdown, childcare and education establishments are permitted to continue to operate. This is in support of children’s education and providing stability in an otherwise fluctuating society. art-K is committed to providing a safe and secure environment to continue to teach art to children, however will probably cease in-studio teaching of adults.
• If the government decides to close all educational establishments, we will smoothly be transitioning to online learning!