Safeguarding at NFAD – How We Keep Our Dancers Safe
At the New Forest Academy of Dance, the safety and wellbeing of our students is always our top priority. Our classes take place within the Lymington Centre — a community venue open to the public. This means safeguarding is a shared responsibility within the Lymington Centre, a community venue open to the public, safeguarding is very much a shared responsibility between our team, our students and their families.
The Lymington Centre is a warm and welcoming place used by many local organisations. However, as a public building, anyone can enter during opening hours and there are often a variety of groups and events running at the same time as our classes. This means we have no control over who may be in the corridors or communal spaces. For this reason, it’s essential that all students and families follow the guidelines below to help us maintain a safe and secure environment for everyone.
Drop-Off and Pick-Up
It is essential that for students of junior school age and younger, parents or carers must accompany their child into the building and to the classroom door. Please wait until the teacher has welcomed your child into the studio before leaving. We are only responsible for students once they are with their teacher in class.
At pick-up time, please collect your child promptly from the classroom door and let the teacher know at drop-off if someone else will be collecting them.
For senior school age students, a little more independence is appropriate, but the same principles apply. We can only take responsibility for students while they are in class. If your child walks independently to or from the Lymington Centre, please ensure they know how to contact you in case of a last-minute timetable change. These instances are rare, and we always do our best to provide advance notice of any changes endeavour to give you adequate warning if there is any change to class times/locations. If a student leaves class and cannot find their parent/carer, they should always return to the studio and wait with their teacher.
Please note that, whilst teachers will of course allow children to wait in the studio if their parent/carer is delayed in collecting them, their priority is teaching the lessons timetabled at that time.
Parking and Access
Please do not park or drop off in the spaces directly outside the main doors of the Lymington Centre — these are reserved and disabled bays. There is free street parking nearby on New Street, and public car parks on Emsworth Road and Cannon Street (parking clock required).The Lymington Centre also has its own car park, with permits available from reception.
Appropriate Clothing and Changing
All students should be dressed appropriately for class and for public spaces before and after lessons. We ask that students bring something to wear over their dance clothes — particularly leotards — when coming to or leaving the studio.
If students need to change in the centre before or after class, they should do so in the toilets only — never in the café or corridors.
Shared Responsibility for Safety
Keeping our students safe is a team effort. While our teachers are responsible for students during class time, we rely on parents and carers to support our procedures before and after lessons. Please help by:
Dropping off and collecting your child from the studio door for class if they are Junior School age or below.
Ensuring older students who arrive and leave the centre independently know how to contact you in case of a last minute change to the timetable.
Ensuring students of all ages are dressed appropriately when entering and leaving the studio.
Parking safely and considerately.
Together, we can make sure the Lymington Centre remains both a welcoming community hub and a secure space for our dancers to learn and grow.
Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.
The Lymington Centre remains both a welcoming community hub and a secure space for our dancers to learn and grow.
If you ever have any questions or concerns about safeguarding or safety at the Lymington Centre, please don’t hesitate to contact.
