Parents' Guide

Online There is a booking form on each individual Masterclass page.

Telephone 015392 79927 (local rate). Please leave a message outside normal office hours.

You will need to pay the full amount at the time of booking by credit card or debit card. For online bookings, payments are processed by Stripe. There are no charges for this. We can accept credit and debit card payments over the phone for telephone bookings. Please do not email your credit or debit card details.

No, as we run sports courses for children, Ofsted does not recognise us as a provider of 'childcare' and as such we are unable to accept payment by childcare vouchers.

Coaching Matters masterclasses are usually for children aged 11 to 18. Relevant details are included on the specific masterclass pages on this website.

We aim to be as inclusive as possible with an ‘open to all children’ policy. Children should be reasonably fit and healthy, and not suffer from any physical or medical condition which may be aggravated by attending a Coaching Matters Masterclass, cause injury to themselves or other children. If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s fitness or physical abilities, or if you think they need extra support, then please telephone 015392 79927 to discuss prior to booking.

To gain the most from the Masterclass Programme, children should have some experience of participating in their chosen sport. Complete beginners may find it hard to keep up with the programme and all the new knowledge. All coaching is age appropriate and delivered to the abilities of the participants.

This depends on the sport and facilities, but there are usually between 30 and 80 children per masterclass.

The child-to-coach ratio vary according to the needs of each sport and are set at a level that ensures children receive an appropriate level of coaching to develop in their chosen sport – usually 13–15.

Our Head Coaches don’t just put their names to the programmes they create; they work with Coaching Matters to coach every child on the course and take a close personal interest in the quality of the Masterclass experience. Head Coaches are joined in delivering their programmes by a team of highly qualified and experienced assistant coaches. All our assistant coaches are qualified and experienced at the sport they are coaching. We conduct Enhanced DBS checks and references on all our coaches so you can be confident that your child is in the best possible hands.

All children on a Coaching Matters Masterclass are divided into groups of children of a similar age and/or ability to ensure they get the appropriate level of coaching and care, and ensuring they make new friends.

Yes, as long as they are about the same age and/or ability as each other – usually within 18 months. Friend requests can be made at the time of booking, but due to the complex nature of Coaching Matters groupings, we cannot always guarantee requests, but we will do our best!

We know that attending a masterclass can seem daunting to a child, but usually within a short time they are settled, making new friends and raring to go! Our experienced coaches know how to welcome children and make them feel comfortable and confident within their group. Parents are welcome to call the Coaching Programme Manager during the day to check on how your child is settling in.

Rain should not put off most budding sportsmen and women so we do carry on with the coaching programme, but we’ll always ensure child safety is our priority, so we may stop coaching during heavy rain and thunderstorms.

Our standard drop off time is from 9.00am for a 9.30am start, and collection at 3.15pm for a 3.30pm finish. Times may vary, so please check individual Masterclass information.

If you’re running late to collect your child, please call us on  01539 279927 as soon as possible so we can inform the Coaching Programme Manager.

At Coaching Matters Masterclasses we do everything possible to minimise bumps and scrapes, and we have fully trained First Aiders on all Masterclasses. In the event of a minor accident, a coach will attend to your child as necessary. For anything beyond that, you will be immediately informed and in the unlikely event of a serious accident we will inform emergency services. If your child becomes ill, we will do everything we can to make them comfortable, however it may be in their best interest to be collected early as we do not have the capacity or facilities to care for ill children for an extended period of time. We do require that any child who becomes ill be kept away from the Masterclass for the full duration of their illness and 24 hours after the end of their symptoms.

Our coaches are experienced at welcoming newcomers onto the Masterclass, and most children will be coming on their own and looking to quickly make friends! You can contact the Coaching Programme Manager at any point during the day to check on how your child is doing.

If your child is ill or injured before the Masterclass starts please do not attend until they are well and have been symptom-free for at least 24 hours. Please note if a child does come to the Masterclass unwell, we reserve the right to refuse entry as we have a duty of care to the other children on the course not to expose them to potential illness or infection. We are unable to refund any monies due to illness/injury, but we can offer a credit note for any remaining days upon receipt of a doctor's note. Credit notes must be used by the end of the following season.

As the clothing and footwear requirements for each Masterclass vary. We will email you a clothing and gear list when you make a booking. We recommend appropriate sportswear (i.e. shorts, tracksuit bottoms, tee shirt and sports footwear). A sweatshirt/jacket for breaks or cooler weather should also be brought. We cannot be responsible for damage to any clothes, so please do not send children in their best gear.

A refillable water bottle that the children can take out with them throughout the day (we supply drinking water for them to fill their bottles). 

Please also pack sun cream for your child, preferably applying it before they arrive. We cannot apply sun cream directly to your child, but will remind them throughout the day to re-apply. We also recommend bringing a cap or sunhat during hot weather.

In order to help us return lost property please ensure everything is named where possible.

Money is not required on Camp.

Please do not bring portable electronic devices (e.g. Mobile phones, IPods, Nintendo DS, etc.). They will not be needed on the Masterclass and we cannot be held responsible for anything going missing or being damaged.

We aim to be as inclusive as possible with an ‘open to all children’ policy. If your child requires extra support, please email or call us to discuss your child’s specific needs so we can ensure they are able to fully participate and enjoy the Coaching Matters programme and whether any special arrangements need to be made.

At the time of booking, please give us as much information regarding medical conditions and medication in order for us to provide appropriate care for your child. We may require you to fill out additional information prior to the start of the Masterclass, but we will send these out with your confirmation email. All information you provide at the time of booking will be with our coach by the time you arrive for your first day. Please note we will only administer medication that is prescribed for your child by a health professional.

If you require your child to have an EpiPen on Camp, please tell us about this at the time of booking including as much information about their allergy. Although we have qualified first aiders at Masterclasses, we require a medical professional (or you if a medical professional is unavailable) to demonstrate the Epipen to our Coaching Programme Manager so we are prepared to care for your child.

For our full policies and procedures documents please contact us.

At Coaching Matters we focus on coaching and participation through an atmosphere of mutual respect between children and coaches. We have a code of behaviour and expect all children and coaches to abide by it. We encourage positive behaviour at our Sports Masterclasses, and our coaches are experienced in dealing with behavioural issues. However, on the rare occasion that a child has a prolonged negative impact on the experience of other children, we do reserve the right to exclude children from the Masterclass. No refund for any subsequent days will be offered, and any additional costs associated with the exclusion, including transport home if necessary are the responsibility of the parent.

Coaching Matters are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all coaches to share this commitment. We recognise our moral and statutory responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of all children. We endeavour to provide a safe and welcoming environment where children are respected and valued. We are alerted to the signs of abuse and neglect and follow our procedures to ensure that children receive effective support, protection and justice.

We are committed to equal opportunities in all aspects of our work. We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome all children regardless of gender, religion or race. Every child on our Masterclasses has access to the same opportunities. We take a zero tolerance stance on discrimination or bullying of any description.

We respect your privacy and we will never pass on, sell or share any of your personal information to organisations outside of Coaching Matters. Your personal information will be stored securely at all times and is only accessible by a small number of authorised staff.