Useful information for your sewing course

Our sewing courses are held at Redborne Upper School, Flitwick Road, Ampthill, MK45 2NU. The school is a large site, with two entrances off of Flitwick Road. You must enter through the North entrance. If you are travelling from the north of Ampthill down Flitwick Road, after driving over the zebra crossing, you will come to the North entrance on your left, 45 yards (40 metres) after the zebra crossing. If you are travelling from the south of Ampthill, you will go around a roundabout which is next to a BP petrol station. You will see an entrance on your right, 45 yards (40 metres) after the roundabout. This is the South entrance, so do not enter here. Continue up Flitwick road, past Neville Funeral Directors, and on your right you will see the North entrance to enter through. Follow the road round to the left, and you will see the Technology Block and space to park, to drop your child. The block has a main entrance with automatic doors. Your tutors will meet you here 10 minutes before the start of each session. All courses are “drop and go”. On session 1, you are welcome to come down to the studio for the first 10 minutes to see where your child will learn.

Please complete this form before session 1

Parent's name (completing this form)

First Name

Last Name

Name of child

First Name

Last Name

Age of child

Emergency contact name

First Name

Last Name

Emergency contact telephone number

(###)

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I have spoken to my child about the risks associated with the equipment and machines (read below), and they understand that it is their reponsibility to listen and apply the teacher's instructions to keep themselves safe in the sewing workshop.

Yes

Health

Please provide information about any health conditions your child has, which you think is relevant for the tutors to be aware of, in order to safeguard them during the course. This should include details of any medication they may need to take during the sessions.

Reasonable adjustments

If there is any information about any reasonable adjustments you would like the tutors to make, to meet any health needs of your child, please give details here. Please note that the tutors will aim to meet these if they can. Anneka (Owner of Crafty Birds) may call to discuss.

Photograph consent

Please specify if you consent to photographs being taken of your child during the course, to be used for marketing purposes.

Departure information

Will you collect your child at the end of each session, or will they make their own way home?

PLEASE READ THROUGH THE FOLLOWING HEALTH AND SAFETY GUIDELINES WITH YOUR CHILD BEFORE THE START OF THE COURSE.

The purpose of this is purely to introduce your child to the importance of health of safety in a sewing workshop, and to indicate to me that you are aware of the risks involved in using sewing equipment and machines. Rest assured that comprehensive demonstrations and guidance on how to stay safe while using the equipment and machines will be given throughout the course. There will be two members of staff present during the course who will supervise the group of children, however it is the child’s responsibility to listen and apply the correct methods of using the equipment and machines as instructed to them. if your child is not following the teacher’s instructions and is unable to maintain safe practise of the equipment and machines, then their emergency contact will be called to collect them, and no refund will be able to be given.

Sewing machine:

Take care not to trip when moving around the machine.
Apply a little amount of pressure on the pedal, as shown by your teacher, so that you do not sew too fast.
Keep hands free of the needle
Keep hands on the sewing plate rather than moving up towards the casing, where skin could reach contact with the bulb which will be very hot and could cause burns.
Stay sitting up straight rather than leaning towards the machine, to avoid the take up lever striking your head.
If your child’s hair length is below their chin, please ensure they are able to tie it back out of their face during the workshop.
Your child should avoid wearing clothing which has loose dangling parts, such as hoody drawstrings or long necklaces. If they do, they must tuck them inside their clothing while working.

Scissors, pins, needles

Hold the scissors correctly and keep hands clear of the blades when cutting.
Hold scissors by the blade when moving around the room.
Keep fingers clear when pinning fabric to avoid piercing your skin.
Do not hold pins in the mouth while working.
Only use the scissors, pins, and needles for their intended use as instructed by the teacher.

In the event of injuries

In the rare case that your child does injure themselves while working, basic first aid will be given by one of the teachers present. For example, if the surface of their skin is slightly pierced with the tip of a pin. If the injury is more serious and cannot be treated with first aid, then their emergency contact will be contacted for the child to be collected. If necessary, a member of staff will contact 999 for an ambulance first, then the child’s emergency contact. Please rest assured that serious injury in a sewing workshop is extremely rare.