Verbaviva Language School

Terms & Conditions

1. General Overview & Services

  • We provide online Polish heritage language instruction for children in small group live classes (50 minutes per session) over a 10-week trimester.
  • All classes are delivered remotely via live video conferencing (Google Meet) through the Masteriyo LMS platform.

2. Enrolment, Minimum Group Sizes, Placement & Transfers

  • Enrolment: Space in each group is limited to ensure personalised attention. Placement is secured only upon receipt of full payment prior to the start of the trimester.
  • Minimum Group Size: Courses require a minimum number of enrolled students to proceed. If a scheduled group does not meet the minimum enrolment requirement 7 days before the start date, we reserve the right to:
    • Merge cohorts of similar age/level;
    • Reschedule the class to an alternative available time slot; or
    • Provide a full refund for the affected course.
  • Placement & Level Switches: Level recommendations made by our diagnostic quiz are guidelines. During Week 1, our instructors assess each student live. If a child would benefit from moving to a different level or age group, we will facilitate the switch subject to space availability.
  • Transfers Between Cohorts: A request to transfer a student to a different group, level, or time zone will be considered on a case-by-case basis in discussion with the parent/guardian, with the best outcome for the child as the guiding factor. Transfers are subject to space availability in the receiving group.

3. Fees, Multi-Currency Payments & Gateway

  • Upfront Payment: Tuition fees for the entire 10-week trimester must be paid in full at the time of enrolment. We do not offer direct in-house instalment plans.
  • Supported Currencies: Course fees are billed in the currency displayed at checkout, including Australian Dollars (AUD), British Pounds (GBP), US Dollars (USD), Euros (EUR), or Polish Złoty (PLN).
  • Payment Gateway & Third-Party Financing: Payments are processed securely via our primary payment gateway provider, Stripe. Currency conversion between markets may be handled via Wise.
    • If you choose to use third-party buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) or instalment services (such as Klarna) offered through the payment checkout, the financing agreement is strictly between you and the respective third-party provider.
    • We receive tuition in full upon checkout and bear no responsibility or liability for third-party credit agreements, repayment schedules, interest, or associated fees.

4. Attendance, Cancellations, Refunds & Force Majeure

  • Cooling-Off Period / Withdrawals: You may cancel your enrolment for a full refund up to 14 days before the first scheduled lesson of the trimester. Cancellations within 14 days of the start date are subject to an administrative fee of 15%.
  • Refunds After Term Starts: Once the trimester has commenced, tuition fees are non-refundable. Exceptions may be considered solely at our discretion in cases of documented medical emergencies.
  • Student Absences & Missed Classes: Because live group sessions depend on group dynamics, no make-up classes, credits, or individual refunds are provided for classes missed by a student due to personal reasons, holidays, illness, or local scheduling conflicts. Where possible, lesson slides or written summaries will be accessible on the platform.
  • Teacher Absence / Substitution: If a tutor is unable to conduct a class due to illness or technical failure, we will, at our discretion, either provide a qualified substitute tutor for that session, schedule a make-up session, or issue a pro-rata credit/refund for that specific session.
  • Force Majeure: We are not liable for any failure or delay in delivering a class caused by events beyond our reasonable control, including but not limited to: internet or power outages, failure of third-party platforms we rely on (e.g., Google Meet, Masteriyo, our payment provider), natural disasters, extreme weather, war, civil unrest, government action, or public health emergencies. Where such an event prevents a class from taking place, we will reschedule the affected session where reasonably possible; if rescheduling is not possible, a pro-rata credit or refund will be issued for that session only. A force majeure event does not entitle a student to withdraw from or receive a refund for the remainder of the trimester.

5. Time Zones & Daylight Saving Time (DST)

  • It is the parent/guardian’s responsibility to ensure correct attendance according to their local time zone.
  • Our course schedule accounts for Daylight Saving Time changes between Poland and international student locations (e.g., Australia, UK, US). Reminders will be posted on the portal, but schedules automatically follow the agreed master schedule published at enrolment.

6. Student Conduct & Online Safety

  • Code of Conduct: We aim to foster a warm, encouraging environment. Disruptive, disrespectful, or inappropriate behaviour towards teachers or fellow students will not be tolerated. We reserve the right to remove a student from a lesson or terminate their enrolment without refund if behaviour remains unresolved after a warning.
  • Parental Supervision: For safety and technical support, a parent or legal guardian should be nearby during live sessions for younger children (Ages 6–9). Parents must not actively intervene in teaching unless requested by the instructor.
  • Recording Policy: Live sessions may not be recorded, screen-captured, or distributed by parents, students, or tutors, in any form. This protects the privacy and image rights of all children in the group.

7. Technology Requirements

  • Parents are responsible for providing a stable high-speed internet connection, a working webcam, and a microphone/headset for live classes.
  • Technical issues on the student’s side (e.g., poor Wi-Fi, hardware failure) do not qualify for make-up lessons or refunds.

8. Intellectual Property

  • All curriculum materials, worksheets, digital graphics, and course content made available via Masteriyo remain the exclusive intellectual property of the business. Materials are for personal educational use by the enrolled student only and may not be copied, resold, or redistributed.

9. Limitation of Liability

  • To the extent permitted by law, our liability for any claims arising out of the services provided is limited to the total amount of tuition fees paid by you for the specific trimester in question.

10. Governing Law & Jurisdiction

  • These Terms & Conditions are governed by the laws of Poland. Any dispute arising out of or in connection with these terms shall be subject to the jurisdiction of the courts of Poland, without prejudice to any mandatory consumer-protection rights you may have under the law of your own country of residence.

11. Amendments

  • We may update these Terms & Conditions from time to time to reflect changes in our services or legal requirements. The current version will always be published on this page. Changes will not apply retroactively to a trimester you have already enrolled in and paid for, unless required by law or unless the change is necessary for safety, legal compliance, or platform availability.

12. Entire Agreement & Severability

  • Entire Agreement: These Terms & Conditions, together with our Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and us regarding your enrolment, and supersede any prior understanding or agreement, whether oral or written.
  • Severability: If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable by a court or authority, that provision will be limited or removed to the minimum extent necessary, and the remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect.