If you do not find your answer to your question below, please contact us by clicking on the ‘contact’ button.
Yes. At Breakout, we offer a Two Week Trial to all new students who are thinking of joining the school. These two weeks allow your child to experience the classes, giving them a flavour of what we do at Breakout. It also gives you, the parent, a better idea as to whether the location or time of the classes is suitable. Booking and payment for the Two Week Trial is all completed on the website. If you would like your child to continue after the Two Week Trial, you simply pay the next instalment after their second class. If you do not wish for your child to continue, no further payment is required.
Yes, usually. Please phone up the school for up-to-date fees that cover the rest of the term. If we are fully booked or we are too far into the term, we may kindly ask that you sign up for the following term.
Our weekly classes do not continue during the Christmas, Easter or summer holidays but we do run an exciting 5 day workshop during the summer holidays. For more information on this, please visit our ‘Classes’ page and select ‘Summer Holiday Workshop’.
Our weekly classes don’t usually continue during half term either but if you select the class you wish to sign up for on this website, you will see our current term dates, including whether we are running in half term or not. This information will also be emailed to all parents who sign their child up.
It is important that your child attends all classes as we are usually working towards something (most often, a show). However, we realise that this isn’t always possible. If your child is unable to make one of the classes, please let us know – we may be able to offer a solution (e.g. your child using Zoom as a one-off, if it’s a transport problem). If your child cannot make a session or sessions, unfortunately we are unable to refund or transfer the class fees for these missed sessions. Our costs remain the same whether everyone is present or not.
It is extremely rare for us to cancel a class. If we do cancel a class (e.g. due to extreme weather or a pandemic), all parents will be notified before the day and will receive a credit note or a full refund (whatever they choose).
The Breakout uniform consists of a Breakout t-shirt (£12), plain black leggings/joggers/shorts and plain black dance shoes/plimsolls. You can purchase a Breakout t-shirt when signing your child up to the school but you are welcome to wait until your child has had their Two Week Trial before doing so. Personalised Breakout hoodies (£20) and dance bags/rucksacks (£20) are also available to purchase at the school.
For our weekly classes, please provide your child with a drink and a snack to have during break time. Packets of biscuits are available to purchase at the school (30p) but not during COVID.
For our Summer Holiday Workshop, please provide your child with a packed lunch, snacks and plenty to drink each day. Again, packets of biscuits are available to purchase at the school (30p) but not during COVID.
We don’t encourage parents to watch the classes as we have found this distracts the children in the class. However, parents are welcome to wait on the chairs in our reception area during class time but not during COVID. Tea, coffee and biscuits are available to purchase but not during COVID.
Parents can also go away and come back to collect their child when the class finishes.
All Breakout students perform in front of their family and friends regularly. At the end of our spring term (January – March), your child will perform in a variety show called Breakout’s Got Talent, performing a number of songs, dances and dramas. At the end of our summer term (April – July), your child will perform in a big, full-costume show (all children receive a good speaking part; no child is left in the background – this is really important to us).
If your child joins us for our 5-day Summer Holiday Workshop, they will also perform in a mini-production of a famous tale, on the last day of the workshop.
Our autumn terms (September – December), are different every year, as we like to give our students the opportunity to do something different within the performing arts. This may include: workshops with industry professionals, filming and appearing on screen, a unique end-of-term performance event, a talent show, recording at a recording studio, etc. (these are all things we have done previously). We will always try to have a performance at the end of our autumn terms as well (we always have so far).
Family and friends are welcome at all end-of-term shows and holiday workshop shows. Tickets usually need to be purchased for our end-of-term shows/events but these are normally £6 or less and cover all the costumes and props that we source for your child, as well as the set design, light & sound production, etc.
Every year, the students at Breakout also have the exciting opportunity to take part in filming, starring on-screen in their own productions, music videos or short films! The filming usually takes place during our autumn term (though during COVID we’ve been doing it every term!). This is a highlight for many Breakout students, as it is something most of their peers will never experience.
There will likely be opportunities to see your child perform in the community as well: at fairs, fetes, melas, etc.
The Children’s University (CU) is an international, critically-acclaimed charity which encourages children to participate in exciting and innovative learning activities outside of the school day. These activities take place at Learning Destinations.
Breakout Performing Arts is an accredited learning destination with Children’s University. This means that your child can attend our Breakout classes and/or private tuition and can have their hours recorded in their ‘Passport to Learning’, providing your child’s school is registered with Children’s University.
Apart from the range of skills which benefit from such activities, you and your child can celebrate their achievements through special certificates and annual awards ceremonies.
If your child’s school is not registered with the CU, we recommend you talk to your school or your local CU.
We deliver fun, exciting classes that teach children valuable skills in the arts. We are Ofsted registered (EY499192) and are an accredited learning destination with Children’s University.
Parents are able to see their child perform: in exciting shows at the end of our spring and summer terms; on-screen during a filming term; and in other events, fairs and melas that we host, or participate in, from time to time.
Class fees and tickets cover all the costumes and props used in our shows. Each child receives a speaking role and parts are distributed as fairly and evenly as possible – every child on stage is the star of the show! Our class fees are competitive, offering great value for money. Furthermore, our class fees have not risen since the school opened in 2012 – in fact, they’ve actually gone down!
The Principals and owners of Breakout, Rachel and David Hardway, are trained to Masters level in Drama and Music respectively and love working for the benefit of our students. Also, all of our teachers are highly skilled in their field and are experienced (and enthusiastic!) in working with children.
To sign your child up for a Two Week Trial, please select the class you would like your child to trial. Select ‘Book a Two Week Trial’, fill out the required details and make your Two Week Trial deposit. Once we have received your booking form and deposit, we will contact you to confirm your child’s place at the school.
