PLAIN ENGLISH VERSION OF TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR ONLINE ENGLISH PROGRAMS
(as of October 10, 2024)

It's important that you read and understand the information below.

1. WORDS WE USE IN THIS DOCUMENT
   1. Meridian School of English is also known as Tellus Education Group Ltd (the Company or Meridian).
   2. Student means the person who's studying with Meridian.
   3. Promoter or agent is a person or organization that helps students arrange their study program.
   4. Guardian is someone legally responsible for taking care of others, especially children and minors.
   5. ELT stands for English Language Teaching.
2. IMPORTANT PRINCIPLES FOR STUDENTS
   1. You should agree to our Three Key Principles:
   1. Respect other people's privacy.
   2. Try to speak English as much as you can.
   3. Help us improve by giving feedback and contacting Meridian staff if you have problems.
3. GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR ALL STUDENTS
   1. These terms and conditions, along with registration forms, make a legal agreement between the school and the guardian.
   2. Meridian can change these terms and conditions anytime. Any changes affect all bookings. We'll post the changes on our website and may also send you an email.
   3. Once your registration is accepted by Meridian, these terms and conditions apply to you.
4. APPLYING
   1. A guardian must sign up for a course by filling out the application forms and paying the full amount.
5. SERVICES
   1. Meridian can make changes to its services, like courses, facilities, and dates, when needed or if there aren't enough students to run a program. We will inform you about relevant changes.
6. CONTRACT
   1. When you sign up as a guardian or agent, you agree to Meridian's terms, unless you have a different written agreement with the company.
7. BOOKINGS AND REGISTRATION
   1. We don't have restrictions based on nationality, race, or gender.
   2. Students need to be physically and mentally able to participate in groups and use the necessary devices.
   3. After registering and making a payment, you'll receive an invoice with all the booking details.
   4. Meridian can refuse anyone who doesn't meet the requirements for a course and will refund your payment as explained in clause 12.
   5. The information you provide in the application must be accurate. If it's not, your child might not be able to attend the course, and clause 12 applies.
8. PAYMENTS
   1. All fees and charges are agreed upon in writing during the booking process and are confirmed at checkout.
   2. After booking and payment, you can access an invoice.
   3. Fees must be paid 100% in advance.
   4. It's your responsibility to ensure all fees are paid in full and on time.
   5. You must cover any transaction charges from your chosen payment method.
   6. Subscriptions are automatically taken monthly, see 12 for cancellations.
9. PROMOTIONS, VOUCHERS, AND COUPONS
   1. For new bookings, you can use only one discount or coupon at a time.
   2. They must be redeemed against course fees and there is no cash alternative.
   3. Promotions and discounts aren't guaranteed and can be cancelled by Meridian without notice.
   4. Fee waivers are decided by Meridian.
10. REFERRALS
    1. Existing customers can refer any person.
    2. The referred person can't have been a customer within 12 weeks of the referral date.
    3. Referral credits accumulate and will be automatically applied at the next payment renewal date.
    4. Referral credits can only be used for your course fees and cannot be transferred.
    5. Referral credits expire when your course ends.
11. TRIALS
    1. Trials are for new customers or new product releases.
    2. Trials are offered at Meridian's discretion.
12. CANCELLATIONS AND REFUNDS
    1. Packaged and Subscription Courses before start date:
       1. There is no refund if you cancel a booking within 7 days of the start date.
       2. Cancellations must be made in writing to Meridian at support@meridianenglish.com
       3. Refunds go to the same account used for payment.
       4. If you miss your course or are absent, there's no refund, and absent days aren't added to the end of the program.
    2. Subscription courses after start date:
       1. To cancel after starting, do so 7 days before the upcoming payment date.
       2. If a class is missed, you're refunded for the missed sessions.
       3. If a class is deferred for more than 15 days, you're entitled to a full refund.
    3. Packaged courses after start date:
       1. If we cancel a class, it's added to the end of the program.
       2. If a class start date is deferred by more than 15 days, you're entitled to a full refund.
       3. You may cancel after four weeks of the start date and receive a full refund of the remaining fees, minus the finance charge outlined in section 12.11.
    4. Finance Charges:
       1. A 5% finance charge will be applied to cover the costs associated with processing the refund.
13. CHANGES TO CONFIRMED BOOKINGS
    1. To change your start date, apply in writing and include a copy of your invoice.
    2. Changes are at Meridian's discretion.
    3. An administration fee of £50 is charged at our discretion, each time your course details change, except if you change your course start date more than 7 days before it starts.
    4. In exceptional circumstances like sickness, we'll use our discretion.
14. AGE REQUIREMENTS
    1. Minimum and maximum ages for different courses are explained during the booking process.
15. PUBLIC HOLIDAYS
    1. There are no classes on national holidays.
16. MERIDIAN SCHOOL OF ENGLISH HOLIDAYS
    1. School holidays are shown on the school website. There are no classes on these days.
17. STUDENT REQUESTED HOLIDAYS
    1. If you plan a holiday during your program, please let us know so we're aware of the child's absence.
    2. If you're under 18, holidays must be arranged through a guardian.
    3. These holidays can't be added to the end of your program (your child can watch recordings).
18. STUDENT LEAVE, ABSENT DAYS, AND SICKNESS
    1. If your child will be absent or taking leave, please inform us so we're aware of the absence.
    2. These absent days can't be refunded.
    3. For long-term sickness, of more than two weeks, provide a doctor's letter, and missed days may be credited at our discretion.
19. ACCESS TO CLASS RECORDINGS
    1. We record all classes for review and practice. There are no recordings if no child attended the class.
    2. If your child misses a class due to an unnotified holiday or absence, they can catch up by watching the recording.
    3. Access to video recordings ends within thirty days of finishing the course.
20. DOCUMENTATION
    1. Complete all required documentation after payment to ensure your child can attend class.
21. DISCIPLINE
    1. We can exclude a child from the program for serious misconduct, abusive behaviour, or causing offense to staff or other students. In such cases, you won't get a refund, and we won't provide alternatives.
22. INFORMATION FOR BOOKING
    1. We provide information about the school and courses on our website.
23. CHANGES TO PROGRAMS
    1. We may have to make changes to services from time to time, and we'll let you know about major changes.
    2. We may cancel courses, and you'll be compensated for lost days. We may combine classes or reduce tuition hours if necessary.
24. LIABILITY
    1. We aren't responsible for economic losses caused by you.
    2. We can't be held liable for accidents or damage to you or your property, except when English law explicitly requires it.
    3. We're not liable for damages related to certain events beyond our control.
    4. We aren't responsible for refunds or damages if we can't provide services due to labour disputes, low demand, natural disasters, pandemics, or other reasons beyond our control.
    5. If you're unsatisfied, let us know, but we won't provide refunds.
25. COMPLAINTS
    1. You will not be eligible for a refund or other recourse without first following the complaints policy and procedure available on our website.
    2. Send any complaints in writing to info@meridianenglish.com
    3. If your complaint is received within 10 days of the origin of the complaint, it will be investigated. If unresolved, you can complain to the CEO, and further steps involve contacting the British Council who serve as the ultimate arbitrators.
26. PRIVACY POLICY
    1. When you complete the Registration Form, you agree that Meridian can use your information only for its purposes.
    2. We won't share your details with other organizations unless required by law or accreditation purposes.
    3. Read our policies on our website.
    4. We may use images and videos for training and quality control but won't use them externally without permission.
27. PUBLICITY AND DISSEMINATION
    1. We may use images and videos for promotional purposes, with your written permission.
    2. If you didn't opt out of publicity, we may use your experiences in media.
    3. We won't reveal your full name or address without written permission.
28. CONSUMER RIGHTS
    1. We've tried to make these terms and conditions clear and fair. If any part violates consumer rights or other laws, we'll replace it with something fair.
29. INTERPRETATION
    1. These terms and conditions replace any previous ones. Headings are for clarity and don't change the terms.
    2. The English version is authoritative, even if there are translations in other languages.
30. JURISDICTION
    1. These Terms & Conditions are governed by UK laws, excluding conflict of law principles.

We know that understanding terms and conditions can be hard, especially if English is your second language. If you need help, email us at info@meridianenglish.com and specify the term you're unsure about. Thank you for reading these terms and conditions.