Terms and Conditions

The Woodturning School Last updated: 1st June 2026

Supplier Identification

www.thewoodturning.school is a site operated by Woodturning Online Ltd.

We are registered in England and Wales under company number 15709505. Registered office: Garthowen Garden Centre, Alton Lane, Four Marks, Hampshire, GU34 5AJ.

We are not VAT registered.

Contract Execution

Your personal data will be used to provide the information, goods and services offered through our website to you, and for billing and order fulfilment.

In-Person Tuition Bookings

Booking Process

1. Use the calendar to select the next available date of your chosen class.

2. Select the number of people you wish to book. If there are not enough spaces on the date selected, the site will tell you.

3. Click on the start time below the calendar, then choose 'Select and Continue'.

4. Add your name, mobile number and email address.

5. Indicate the name or names of the people coming, and their level of experience.

A deposit of 30% is required to secure your booking. This deposit is non-refundable in the event of cancellation by the client, as it covers our time and costs in reserving your space, buying materials and advertising your space in the event of cancellation.

Your card details will be securely stored with our payment gateway, Stripe.

After the deposit payment has been made, a confirmation email will be sent to you. Fourteen days before the course, we will remind you that we are about to take your balance. We will then take the outstanding balance using the stored card details between 10 and 14 days before the class. You will receive your final joining instructions five days before the day. If you booked for someone else, please make sure you forward these details to them.

Bookings may be made up to nine months in advance. Online bookings close 15 days before the course date.

We do not operate a waiting list for fully booked courses. Cancellations and late availability are announced to our mailing list, usually 24 hours before they appear on social media.

If the balance payment is declined or cannot be taken, we will contact you using the details given at booking. The balance must then be paid within five days of that notice. If it is not, the booking will be treated as a cancellation by the client and our standard cancellation terms will apply.

Minimum Age

Students must be a minimum of 18 years of age on the date of the course. There are two exceptions:

1. Organised Youth Training Workshops run through the Association of Woodturners of Great Britain (AWGB), where the AWGB's own scheme rules and supervision arrangements apply.

2. One-to-one lessons for students aged 14 or over yet under 18, where a responsible adult must accompany the student and remain present in the workshop for the whole session. That adult takes responsibility for the student's conduct and for their compliance with our workshop safety rules.

Students aged under 18 cannot be booked onto group courses. Group classes are made up of adult students of mixed ages and experience, and a one-to-one session is a better setting for a younger turner in any case.

If a booking is made for a student under 18 outside these exceptions, we will offer a transfer to a suitable one-to-one session where possible. If that is not possible, the booking will be treated as a cancellation by the client and our standard cancellation terms will apply.

Group Course Numbers

Bookings for group courses are subject to a minimum of THREE student bookings to run, although we may at our discretion choose to run a course with fewer. You are welcome to book a single place on any group course and join others already booked.

We reserve the right to move your booking to another suitable date if the minimum number is not reached 14 days before the date booked. Should this happen, we will contact you with alternative dates. If a convenient date cannot be agreed, we will be happy to refund your deposit or offer you credit to use on an alternative course.

Courses run by visiting tutors may carry different minimum and maximum numbers. Where they do, this will be stated in the class description.

Intermediate and Advanced Classes

Courses unsuitable for beginners, or for those with limited knowledge and skills in woodturning, are marked in the class description. To join an intermediate or advanced class you must confirm that you have a reasonable understanding of woodturning. You will not be able to complete the booking process without this confirmation.

We determine an intermediate turner as a person who can mount a piece of wood to the lathe in spindle and faceplate orientation, safely use a bowl gouge, spindle roughing gouge and spindle gouge, and who has a reasonable knowledge of the basic cuts required to safely turn wood in a variety of projects, such as a bowl and a lidded box, without supervision.

Booking onto a class that is beyond your skill level may result in you being asked to leave without a refund.

Workshop Safety and Dress

The workshop is a working environment with machinery in use. Students must follow all safety instructions given by the tutor at all times.

Sturdy footwear is essential. Leather boots or solid shoes are required. Open-toed shoes and sandals are not permitted, and shorts are not advisable at any time of year.

Gloves must not be worn while turning. Gloves and lathes are a serious injury risk, and no student will be permitted to wear them at the lathe.

Long hair must be tied back. Watches, bracelets and rings must be removed before turning.

Face and eye protection is provided and must be worn as instructed.

We reserve the right to refuse a student access to the lathe, or to ask a student to leave, where they are not properly dressed for the workshop or where their conduct puts themselves or others at risk. No refund will be given in these circumstances.

Bringing Your Own Tools

Students are welcome to bring their own tools, and learning on your own tools is beneficial. Tools must be properly sharpened before the course. Where a tool is unsuitable for the work, or is not sharp enough to be used safely, we will ask you to use school-supplied tools instead.

Course Times and Refreshments

Full-day courses start at 9:00am with coffee at the Tree House Coffee Shop, and turning from 9:30am. We usually finish around 4:00pm, though we will run over where it benefits the class. Sunday courses and pen turning courses start at 10:00am. All times are approximate.

Morning coffee and lunch at the Tree House Coffee Shop are included on most full-day courses. Pen turning courses and Sunday courses do not include lunch, and students should bring their own.

Dietary requirements must be given in the notes at the time of booking so that they can be passed to the kitchen. We cannot guarantee that requirements raised on the day can be met.

Your Work

Students keep everything they make on a course. Materials are provided and are included in the course fee.

Courses follow a structured format using shared materials and processes. If you would like to bring a piece of your own to work on, please mention it when booking and we will tell you whether time is likely to allow it. We cannot guarantee that it will.

Finishes and Food Contact

Danish Oil as used on our courses is tested to EN71-3 and is suitable for items intended for food contact, such as salad bowls. Cellulose sanding sealer, lacquers and Intrinsic Colour dyes are not tested for food contact and should be used on decorative work only. Students are responsible for the finishes they apply to their own work after leaving the workshop.

Booking Amendments

If you need to reschedule your booking more than 14 days before your course date because you can no longer attend on the original date, we will do our best to accommodate you on the next available date for the course booked. If no suitable date can be agreed, or the amendment falls within 14 days of the course date, the booking shall be deemed cancelled and the cancellation terms below will apply.

Rescheduling your course date is subject to a £10.00 fee to cover administration and advertising the vacant space on the original course. This fee will be added to your final balance invoice.

Swapping from one course to another constitutes a cancellation of the original booking.

If You Cancel

More than two weeks before the course: if you cancel your booking two weeks or more before the start date of your course, your deposit will be forfeited. If you paid in full at the time of booking, we will refund the amount you paid less the 30% deposit.

Within 14 days of the course: if you cancel two weeks or less before the booked date, all monies paid will be forfeited. However, if we are able to book a new student or students onto the course for the date you cancelled, we will refund you the amount you paid less the 30% deposit, after the course has taken place.

If We Cancel

We reserve the right to cancel courses at any time up to the course date. In the unlikely event that we have to cancel your lesson, you will be offered an alternative date or a full refund.

Travel Arrangements

Please do not make travel arrangements or overnight accommodation bookings until at least 7 days before the course date. We cannot reimburse you for any expenses incurred in the event of cancellation, other than those for the course itself. Please make sure you have adequate travel insurance if you are travelling and staying overnight.

Gift Vouchers and Coupon Codes

Purchased gift vouchers, and issued discount or coupon codes, are valid for use against all classes at thewoodturning.school unless otherwise stated, for a maximum of 12 months from purchase. After this time they are not redeemable.

Gift vouchers and discount or coupon codes can be redeemed within their expiry time on this website only. They cannot be exchanged for cash, nor can change be given. A difference in cost between the voucher value and the course cost can be paid by card at the time of booking.

If you are booking a course as a gift for someone else, please add their details in the booking notes so that we can send them the right information.

Spaces on classes are subject to availability. We advise booking early to secure the most convenient date for you.

Visiting the Workshop

We have a very active social media presence and post many photographs and videos of day-to-day life in and around the workshop. If you are visiting the workshop as a customer, a student, socially or otherwise, your image or voice may be captured by a smartphone, video or stills camera, CCTV, or other recording device.

You will be asked for your permission for your image to be posted on our social media sites, including but not limited to Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X and YouTube, and in any marketing material. Any image or recording used will be used to promote the workshop in a positive way, and will not in any way be defamatory to you.

Where a student is under 18 and attending under one of the exceptions in our Minimum Age clause, the accompanying responsible adult, parent or guardian must give written consent before we photograph or film that student, and before any image is published.

In all cases of photography or capture of your voice or image, you must complete and sign a model release form.

Complaints Policy

Our Commitment

At The Woodturning School we care about your experience. From the moment you book a course to the day you head home with wood shavings in your pockets and a bowl in your hands, we want you to feel supported, respected and inspired.

We are not perfect. Sometimes things do not go as planned, and when that happens we want to know about it. Your feedback helps us grow, and your concerns deserve to be heard properly.

How to Raise a Concern

Step 1: Talk to us first

In the first instance, please direct any complaint to The Woodturning School. Most concerns can be resolved with a straightforward conversation, and we would always prefer to sort things out directly with you.

Contact us: email Martin HERE, or reply to any email from the school about your booking.

Address: The Woodturning School, Garthowen Garden Centre, Four Marks, Hampshire, GU34 5AJ.

When you get in touch, please include as much detail as you can about what happened and when. This helps us understand the situation accurately and respond properly.

What happens next

We will acknowledge your complaint within 48 hours and aim to provide a full response within 14 days. If we need more time to look into things properly, we will let you know. We will listen, we will investigate, and we will be honest with you about what we find.

Step 2: The Register of Professional Turners

If we are unable to resolve your complaint to your satisfaction, you have the right to escalate the matter to the Register of Professional Turners (RPT).

The RPT is a professional body that maintains standards of quality and conduct among its members. As a member, I am bound by their Code of Practice, and they have a formal complaints procedure for members of the public.

Website: www.rpturners.co.uk Email: secretary@rpturners.co.uk Address: The Secretary, The Register of Professional Turners, c/o The Worshipful Company of Turners, Saddlers' House, 44 Gutter Lane, London, EC2V 6BR

Our Promise

We treat every complaint seriously and confidentially. We will not dismiss your concerns, and we will not be defensive about our shortcomings. If we have got something wrong, we will acknowledge it and do our best to put it right. Teaching is a privilege, and the trust you place in us when you walk through our workshop door is deeply valued. If that trust has been shaken, we want the chance to rebuild it.

Online Tuition Videos

Content. The service is limited by the currently available content and any further content that is added or amended in the future. The techniques shown in the lessons are our recommended application methods for each of the products in the lessons. Other techniques may be possible and may be added in the future. To the best of our knowledge, the information and techniques provided and demonstrated are accurate.

Learning support. As our online courses are remotely accessed, support is limited. An 'Ask the Teacher' button is provided on each lesson page to enable you to contact the lesson provider directly. It is there for course and subject queries only. Where a question asked through this button is answered in the lesson, providers reserve the right not to respond to it. Please watch and read all the lesson content before contacting the teacher.

Translations. Where possible, video and site translations are provided by automated services. We cannot guarantee a perfect translation of the content into any language other than English.

Technical support and access. Woodturning Online Ltd will provide technical support to individuals who have purchased an online course, under the provisions set out below.

If you report a fault to us, we will use reasonable endeavours to provide a solution, but we do not guarantee that the technical support provided will resolve your technical problems. Woodturning Online Ltd does not give any warranties as to the technical advice given, and we will not accept responsibility for any problem arising from it.

We are not obliged to offer you technical support regarding your use of any of the lessons available on the website, though we may elect to do so. The extent of any such technical support is entirely at our discretion.

You accept and acknowledge that downtime may be required in respect of the infrastructure connected to the website, and that technical support may not be available during such periods of downtime. You further accept that you will not have a claim for breach of contract or otherwise in respect of any such period of unavailability.

We will use reasonable endeavours to make the online lessons available, but cannot guarantee uninterrupted, timely or error-free availability, or that defects will be corrected. We reserve the right to suspend access to the website for scheduled or emergency maintenance, repairs or upgrades to improve the website's performance or functionality.

You also accept and acknowledge that Woodturning Online Ltd cannot be held responsible for any delay or disruption to your access to the online lessons as a result of such suspension, or as a result of any of the following:

• the operation of the internet and the world wide web, including but not limited to viruses;

• any firewall restrictions placed on your network or on the computer you are using to access the online course;

• failures of telecommunications links and equipment, or browser issues.

System requirements. Our online lessons feature high-definition video, images and text. To fully enjoy the videos and images on the site you need a good-quality internet connection. We are not able to provide technical support on the quality of your internet connection.

Intellectual property. At all times, Woodturning Online Ltd remains the owner of the intellectual property in our own online lessons and any downloaded course materials. For courses provided by external tutors, the provider remains at all times the owner of the intellectual property in their online lessons and any downloadable course materials.

Purchasing a lesson grants you a non-exclusive, non-transferable licence to use the course materials to study for that online course. You also understand that lessons may be removed at any time by Woodturning Online Ltd or by external providers.

You may not modify, copy, reproduce, republish, sub-licence, sell, upload, broadcast, post, transmit, make available, disseminate or distribute in any way any of the course materials. You may not modify, adapt, merge, translate, disassemble, decompile, recompile or reverse engineer any software forming part of the online course, course materials or online study materials, create derivative works based on the whole or any part of them, or incorporate them into any software program. Any use of the online course, course materials or online study materials not expressly permitted in these terms is strictly prohibited, and will constitute an infringement of Woodturning Online Ltd's copyright or other intellectual property rights.

Liability. Brief health and safety considerations are provided and must be watched before the main lessons of the course are taken. It is the student's responsibility to ensure the safety of themselves and their workshop when following the lessons.

Cookies and Monitoring

A cookie is a small text file that we store on your device. Our website uses cookies to distinguish you from other users of the website. Cookies also provide us with information about how this website is used, so we can keep it as up to date, relevant and error-free as possible.

• Strictly necessary cookies. These are essential to the operation of our website.

• Analytical and performance cookies. These allow us to recognise and count the number of visitors to our website.

• Functionality cookies. These are used to recognise you when you return to our website.

• Targeting cookies. These record your visit to our website, the pages you have visited and the links you have followed.

We may monitor traffic to our site and collect the following information:

• the IP address of your computer;

• the referring website you came to our website from.

The reasons for this are to make ongoing improvements to our website based on this data, and to see our most popular sources of business.

Data Protection

Woodturning Online Ltd processes your personal data in accordance with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. Here is the core information on how we process your data, and what data we hold.

What information is collected from website visitors. IP addresses, device information, access information, cookies, visit duration and tracking, email address, phone number, name, shipping and billing addresses, products purchased, and the mailing list you have signed up to.

How and where personal information is processed. If you have purchased through this website, payment data is held by our payment provider, Stripe. Your purchase information, name, addresses, email address and phone number are stored in your account on this website, and are also transferred to our accounting software, Xero, for the legal recording of financial transactions. The information is also used for internal sales reporting to support business development. Occasionally your name, email address and purchase history may be used to send you marketing messages. If you have signed up to an email newsletter on this website, we hold only your name and email address, stored with our mailing provider, Mailchimp, and used for marketing campaigns and email newsletters.

Who has access to this personal data. Martin Saban-Smith is the only person authorised to access the information on this website. Stripe provides access to financial transactions through its own website. Our accountant has access to the data for preparing company accounts and for the day-to-day running of the business.

Data protection officer. Martin Saban-Smith. Contact via email HERE, or write to Martin Saban-Smith, Garthowen Garden Centre, Alton Lane, Four Marks, Hampshire, GU34 5AJ. Telephone 01420 560077.

How to make a data subject access request. You can request your personal data by following the GDPR link in your account dashboard on this website.

How long your personal information is held. We are legally required to hold details of financial transactions for seven years from the date of the transaction, in accordance with HMRC regulations. Other, non-financial details will be held on this website until you request that they are deleted, or until you cease to interact with the website, at which point they will be deleted within 12 months of your last interaction.

Email Newsletter

If you sign up to a newsletter on our website, we will use your email address to send you information about our products, services or company news that we feel you may be interested in receiving. You can opt out at any point, and you can ask for your personal data to stop being recorded at any time.

Notices

All notices you send us must be sent to the contact details on this site. We may give notice to you at either the email address or the postal address you provide when making a purchase. Notice will be deemed received and properly served 24 hours after an email is sent, or three days after the date of posting of any letter. In proving service of any notice it will be sufficient to prove, in the case of a letter, that the letter was properly addressed, stamped and placed in the post, and, in the case of an email, that the email was sent to the specified email address of the addressee.

Governing Law

These terms are governed by English law. Any contract for the purchase of goods or services from this site, and any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with any such contract, will be governed by English law. You and we both agree that the courts of England and Wales will have non-exclusive jurisdiction. However, if you are resident in Northern Ireland you may also bring proceedings in Northern Ireland, and if you are resident in Scotland you may also bring proceedings in Scotland.