Terms and conditions
1. About these terms
1.1 These parent terms and conditions (the “Terms”) govern the provision of educational services by Lotus Academy, LDA (“Lotus Academy”, “the Academy”, “we”, “us”) to the student identified in the enrolment agreement.
1.2 The person who accepts the enrolment agreement on behalf of a student under 18 is the “Parent” for these Terms and is responsible for payment and compliance with the family obligations. An adult student may contract in their own name where accepted by the Academy.
1.3 The contract consists of these Terms, the enrolment agreement, the current fee schedule, the academic calendar, the privacy notice and any policies expressly incorporated into the enrolment agreement. If there is a conflict, the enrolment agreement prevails for student-specific commercial details, subject always to mandatory law.
1.4 A place is confirmed only when Lotus Academy has accepted the application, the enrolment agreement has been accepted, and all amounts stated as payable to secure the place have been received.
2. Academic year, terms and enrolment
2.1 Lotus Academy’s 2027 academic session begins in January 2027. For billing and administration, the year is divided into four three-month terms: January to March, April to June, July to September and October to December.
2.2 Teaching dates, holidays, Academy closure days and any non-teaching periods are set out in the academic calendar published by Lotus Academy. A three-month billing term does not necessarily mean that teaching takes place on every weekday or every calendar week within that period.
2.3 Students may be admitted at the beginning of a term or, where the Academy agrees, during a term. Any pro-rated fee for a mid-term start must be confirmed in writing before enrolment.
3. Programmes, lessons and timetable
3.1 The student’s programme, subjects, expected weekly teaching hours and fees will be stated in the enrolment agreement or accompanying programme schedule. Indicative programme options may include approximately 10 or 15 scheduled teaching hours per week, or a bespoke programme.
3.2 All official timetable times are stated in Lisbon, Portugal time (Europe/Lisbon) unless expressly stated otherwise. Families outside Portugal are responsible for checking local time conversions, including daylight-saving differences.
3.3 Lotus Academy may make reasonable changes to tutors, lesson sequencing, class groupings, platforms or timetables where necessary for educational, staffing, safeguarding or operational reasons. We will seek to minimise disruption and will notify families of material changes.
3.4 The Academy does not guarantee a particular tutor for the whole academic year.
4. Registration fee and tuition fees
4.1 A registration fee of 350 € is payable for each new student unless the enrolment agreement states otherwise.
4.2 The registration fee covers admissions administration, onboarding, initial academic assessment where applicable, timetable preparation and account setup. It is ordinarily non-refundable once paid, except where a refund is required by applicable law or where Lotus Academy expressly agrees otherwise in writing.
4.3 Tuition fees and programme-specific charges are set out in the applicable fee schedule and enrolment agreement. Lotus Academy may revise fees for a future academic year or future enrolment period by giving reasonable advance notice. A fee change will not retrospectively alter a term already paid for, unless required by law or agreed with the family.
4.4 Families may pay either the full academic-year tuition in advance or termly, with each term covering three months. Where the current fee schedule offers a full-year payment discount, the discount and any conditions attached to it will be stated there.
5. Payment dates, late payment and suspension
5.1 Payment is due by the date shown on the invoice. Unless an invoice states otherwise, termly tuition must be paid before the relevant term begins.
5.2 A grace period of seven calendar days applies after the stated due date.
5.3 If payment remains outstanding after the seven-day grace period, Lotus Academy may apply a late charge of 5% of the overdue amount, to the extent permitted by applicable law.
5.4 If payment remains outstanding for 21 calendar days after the original due date, Lotus Academy may suspend the student’s classes and access to Academy services until all overdue amounts and any lawful charges are paid. During a suspension for non-payment, the Academy is not obliged to preserve a particular tutor, timetable or class place.
5.5 Suspension does not cancel amounts already due. Lotus Academy will communicate with the family before or at the time of suspension and may agree a written payment arrangement at its discretion.
6. IVA and invoicing
6.1 Fees communicated to consumer families will be presented as the total amount payable. Where Portuguese IVA is legally applicable to a charge, it will be identified and treated in accordance with the invoice and applicable tax law.
6.2 The tax treatment of tuition, registration, materials and ancillary services may differ. Lotus Academy will apply the tax treatment required for the service concerned and may update invoicing practice if tax rules or official guidance change.
7. What tuition includes and what is charged separately
7.1 Unless the enrolment agreement says otherwise, tuition includes scheduled live online lessons, normal lesson preparation, routine homework and marking, ordinary digital learning resources, progress monitoring, term reporting, standard academic meetings and access to the Academy’s normal learning platform during enrolment.
7.2 The following are not included unless expressly stated otherwise:
- external examination entry and registration fees
- examination-centre charges and invigilation fees
- late-entry, amendment, resit or withdrawal charges imposed by examination bodies or centres
- third-party textbooks, licences or specialist materials
- specialist equipment
- postage, courier or international delivery costs
- additional one-to-one or supplementary tuition outside the agreed programme
- other third-party charges incurred specifically for the student
7.3 Where Lotus Academy makes an external examination entry on a student’s behalf, the relevant fees must normally be paid before the Academy submits the entry. Examination-board deadlines and rules are outside Lotus Academy’s control.
8. Family withdrawal and notice
8.1 A family wishing to withdraw a student must give written notice to Lotus Academy at least 30 calendar days before the start of the next term. Notice should be sent to the official administrative email address specified by the Academy.
8.2 If the required notice is not given, the next term’s tuition may remain payable because teaching capacity, tutor commitments and timetable space may already have been reserved, subject to applicable consumer law and the circumstances of the case.
8.3 Once a term has begun, tuition for that term is ordinarily non-refundable. Lotus Academy may consider a discretionary partial refund or credit in exceptional circumstances such as serious illness or compassionate circumstances. Any such decision does not create a precedent.
8.4 If a family has paid for future terms in advance and validly withdraws with the required notice, fees paid for complete future terms that have not begun will normally be refunded, less any non-refundable or already-incurred charges and subject to any full-year discount adjustment stated in the fee schedule.
9. Statutory cancellation rights
9.1 Where a Parent or adult student enters the contract as a consumer at a distance or away from business premises, statutory cancellation and withdrawal rights may apply, including a 14-day withdrawal period where required by law.
9.2 If the family expressly asks Lotus Academy to begin providing services during an applicable statutory withdrawal period, the family may be required to pay for services properly supplied up to the date of withdrawal, to the extent permitted by law.
9.3 Nothing in these Terms limits a statutory right that cannot lawfully be excluded or restricted. Where these Terms conflict with a mandatory consumer right, the mandatory right prevails.
10. Cancellation by Lotus Academy and tutor unavailability
10.1 If Lotus Academy or the assigned tutor cannot deliver a scheduled lesson, the Academy will normally seek, in this order, to provide a suitable substitute tutor, to reschedule the affected lesson, or to provide an appropriate lesson credit where neither substitution nor reasonable rescheduling is practicable.
10.2 No automatic refund or credit is due where the student misses a scheduled lesson, arrives late, experiences a problem with their own equipment or internet connection, or chooses not to attend, unless the Academy has expressly agreed otherwise or exceptional circumstances justify a discretionary arrangement.
10.3 Where a widespread technical failure within Lotus Academy’s systems materially prevents a lesson from being delivered, the Academy will treat the lesson as an Academy cancellation under clause 10.1.
11. Attendance and family responsibilities
11.1 The Parent and student must support regular, punctual attendance and notify Lotus Academy promptly of absence or circumstances affecting participation.
11.2 The family is responsible for providing an appropriate learning environment, a suitable computer or laptop, working camera and microphone, reliable internet connection, required software and any notified books or materials.
11.3 For younger students, Lotus Academy may require a responsible adult to be present in the home or otherwise immediately available during lessons. The adult need not normally sit beside the student unless specifically required for safeguarding, learning support or another agreed reason.
11.4 The Parent must keep emergency, contact and relevant safeguarding information supplied to the Academy accurate and up to date.
12. Student conduct and online safety
12.1 Students must behave respectfully and safely in all Academy lessons, platforms, messages and activities. Students must follow reasonable instructions from tutors and staff.
12.2 Prohibited conduct includes bullying, harassment, discrimination, threats, abusive or sexually inappropriate behaviour, deliberate disruption, sharing offensive or unlawful content, impersonation, unauthorised access to accounts, sharing login credentials, and misuse of Academy systems.
12.3 Students must not record, photograph, screenshot, copy or distribute lessons, other students, tutors, private messages or Academy content without permission.
12.4 Academic dishonesty, including cheating, plagiarism, unauthorised assistance or misrepresentation of work, may result in academic or disciplinary action appropriate to the circumstances.
12.5 Serious safeguarding or conduct concerns may result in immediate temporary suspension while the matter is investigated.
13. Lesson recordings and privacy
13.1 Lotus Academy does not intend to record every lesson automatically. Where a lesson or activity is recorded, the Academy will provide appropriate notice and will process the recording in accordance with applicable data-protection law and its privacy notice.
13.2 Recordings may be used where appropriate for safeguarding, quality assurance, training, investigation, or student learning and review. Access will be restricted to persons who reasonably require it for the relevant purpose.
13.3 As a general operational standard, routine lesson recordings should be retained for no longer than 30 days unless a longer retention period is necessary for a safeguarding matter, complaint, legal obligation, dispute, investigation or another documented lawful purpose.
13.4 Families and students must not make their own recordings unless Lotus Academy has given prior written permission.
14. Materials and intellectual property
14.1 Physical workbooks, journals and similar consumable materials supplied outright to the student, including the It’s All About Me journal where provided, may be kept by the student after leaving Lotus Academy.
14.2 Ownership of a physical copy does not transfer copyright or other intellectual-property rights. Lotus Academy materials are for the student’s personal educational use and may not be reproduced, scanned, uploaded, sold, licensed, commercially distributed or used to create competing materials without written permission, except where law permits otherwise.
14.3 Access to Academy platforms, subscriptions, digital resources and licensed third-party materials ends when the relevant licence or enrolment ends. Third-party materials remain subject to the third party’s terms.
15. Reports, assessment and examinations
15.1 Lotus Academy will provide academic monitoring and reporting appropriate to the enrolled programme. Predicted grades, internal assessments and academic opinions are professional judgments and do not guarantee external examination results, admission to another institution or any particular outcome.
15.2 External examination bodies and examination centres set their own rules, deadlines, access arrangements and fees. Families must provide requested information and documents by Academy deadlines so that Lotus Academy can assist with entries where that service is offered.
16. Scholarships and bursaries
16.1 Lotus Academy may introduce scholarships, bursaries or fee-remission awards. An award may be governed by a separate written award letter setting out its amount, duration, review date and eligibility or continuation conditions.
16.2 Scholarship and bursary students remain subject to the same safeguarding, conduct, attendance and academic policies unless the award letter expressly states otherwise.
16.3 Any decision to reduce, renew or end a future award will be made in accordance with the award terms and applicable law. The Academy will not retrospectively convert a genuine scholarship into ordinary tuition debt merely because a student’s later academic performance changes, unless the award was obtained through fraud or material misrepresentation.
17. Suspension and termination by Lotus Academy
17.1 Lotus Academy may suspend or terminate a student’s place where there is a serious or repeated breach of these Terms or Academy policy, including persistent non-payment, serious misconduct, safeguarding concerns, repeated unexplained non-attendance, serious academic dishonesty, deliberate misuse of systems, or material false information supplied during enrolment.
17.2 Except where immediate action is reasonably necessary, Lotus Academy will normally notify the family of the concern and provide a reasonable opportunity to respond or remedy the breach before permanent termination.
17.3 If Lotus Academy permanently ends a student’s place for operational reasons unrelated to breach by the family or student, prepaid tuition attributable to teaching that will not be provided will be refunded on a reasonable pro-rata basis.
17.4 If termination follows non-payment, serious misconduct or another material breach by the family or student, amounts already due remain payable and any refund will be determined in accordance with applicable law and the circumstances.
18. Complaints
18.1 Lotus Academy aims to resolve concerns promptly and fairly. Families should first raise routine academic or operational concerns with the relevant tutor or academic coordinator where appropriate.
18.2 A formal complaint should be made in writing to discover@lotus-academy-pt.com. Lotus Academy will normally acknowledge a formal complaint within three working days and aim to provide a substantive response within ten working days, although complex matters may require longer. If more time is required, the family will be informed.
18.3 If the complainant remains dissatisfied, they may request a final internal review by the Director or another senior person who was not materially responsible for the original decision where practicable.
18.4 Nothing in the internal complaints procedure removes any right to use applicable statutory consumer complaint or dispute-resolution mechanisms, including the Portuguese Livro de Reclamações where applicable.
19. Data protection and communications
19.1 Lotus Academy will process personal data in accordance with applicable data-protection law, including the GDPR where applicable, and its privacy notice.
19.2 The Parent must provide accurate contact information and promptly notify the Academy of changes. Notices and routine contractual communications may be sent electronically to the email address supplied by the family.
19.3 The family is responsible for checking Academy communications, invoices, timetable notices and policy updates sent to the registered contact details.
20. Liability and circumstances beyond reasonable control
20.1 Lotus Academy will provide its educational services with reasonable care and skill. Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability where such exclusion or limitation would be unlawful.
20.2 Lotus Academy is not responsible for failure or delay caused by circumstances beyond its reasonable control, such as widespread internet or power outages, platform failures outside its control, natural disasters, governmental action, civil emergency or other comparable events. The Academy will take reasonable steps to reduce disruption and, where appropriate, reschedule affected teaching.
20.3 Lotus Academy does not guarantee particular grades, examination results, university or school admission decisions, or other outcomes dependent on the student, third parties or external institutions.
21. Changes to these terms and Academy policies
21.1 Lotus Academy may update these Terms or related policies where reasonably necessary because of legal, regulatory, safeguarding, educational or operational changes.
21.2 Material changes affecting an existing family will be communicated with reasonable notice. Changes will not remove accrued statutory rights or retrospectively impose a new financial obligation for a period already paid for unless required by law or expressly agreed.
22. Governing law, language and general provisions
22.1 The contracting entity is Lotus Academy, LDA. These Terms and the enrolment agreement are governed by Portuguese law, without depriving a consumer of mandatory protections that apply under the law of their habitual residence where such protections cannot lawfully be excluded.
22.2 The Academy may provide these Terms in English and Portuguese. Where more than one language version is supplied, the versions should be read consistently. Any precedence clause stated in the enrolment agreement is subject to mandatory consumer-law requirements.
22.3 If any provision of these Terms is found invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions continue in effect to the extent permitted by law.
22.4 A failure or delay by Lotus Academy in enforcing a contractual right does not by itself waive that right.
22.5 No person other than the parties to the enrolment agreement has a contractual right to enforce these Terms, except where applicable law provides otherwise.
23. Acceptance
23.1 These Terms are accepted when the Parent or adult student signs or electronically accepts the enrolment agreement. By doing so they confirm that they have received or had access to these Terms, have had an opportunity to read them, and agree to be bound by them subject to applicable law.
23.2 This page is published so that families can read the Terms in full before enrolling. If you have a question about anything here, contact us at discover@lotus-academy-pt.com before accepting.
Summary for 2027
This summary is provided for convenience. The clauses above set out the full position.
| Item | 2027 position |
|---|---|
| Academic session | Begins January 2027 |
| Billing terms | Four terms, each covering three months |
| Registration fee | 350 € per new student, ordinarily non-refundable, subject to mandatory law |
| Payment options | Full academic year in advance or termly |
| Payment due | By invoice due date. Termly fees normally before the term begins |
| Grace period | 7 calendar days |
| Late charge | 5% of overdue amount after the grace period, to the extent permitted by law |
| Class suspension | May occur 21 calendar days after the original due date if payment remains outstanding |
| Withdrawal notice | At least 30 calendar days before the next term begins |
| Routine recording retention | Normally no more than 30 days where lessons are recorded, subject to lawful exceptions |
| Official timetable zone | Europe/Lisbon |
