Terms & Conditions
Next Step Assessments Ltd
This Service Level Agreement (“the Agreement”) sets out the terms and conditions under which Next Step Assessments Ltd (“the Assessor”) provides services including Baseline Assessments and Full investigative Specific Learning Difficulty (SpLD) Assessments to parents, carers, and schools (“the Client”).
Next Step Assessments Ltd reserves the right to amend these Terms and Conditions. Where changes are made, clients will be notified accordingly. These Terms and Conditions shall apply unless otherwise agreed in writing.
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1. Booking and Payment
1.1 For private parent or carer bookings, the full assessment fee must be paid no later than forty-eight (48) hours prior to the scheduled assessment date.
1.2 An assessment date will not be confirmed until payment has been received in full.
1.3 Schools will be invoiced following completion of the assessment. Payment is due within thirty (30) days of the invoice date.
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2. Cancellation and Refunds
2.1 Where cancellation is made more than seven (7) calendar days prior to the assessment date, a full refund of the assessment fee will be issued.
2.2 Where cancellation is made seven (7) calendar days or fewer before the assessment date, fifty percent (50%) of the assessment fee will be refunded.
2.3 Any administration fees already incurred are non-refundable.
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3. Amendments to Assessment Date
3.1 An assessment date may be amended on a maximum of three (3) occasions.
3.2 A £20 administration fee will apply to each amendment.
3.3 All administration fees must be paid in full prior to the assessment taking place.
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4. Pre-Assessment Requirements
4.1 A non-refundable payment of £50 is required for background information gathering and the provision of pre-assessment questionnaires.
4.2 Following payment of the £50 background information fee, fifty percent (50%) of the remaining assessment fee must be paid in order to secure and confirm the assessment date.
4.3 All required questionnaires must be fully completed before an assessment date can be confirmed.
4.4 Written consent must be provided by all individuals holding parental responsibility.
4.5 Evidence of a recent eye test dated within the previous twelve (12) months must be provided prior to assessment.
4.6 Confirmation letters for any formal diagnoses (including ASD and ADHD) must be provided and reviewed prior to the assessment taking place.
4.7 The remaining balance of the assessment fee must be paid in full 48hours before the assessment takes place.
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5. Assessment Conditions
5.1 The student must be in good health on the day of the assessment.
5.2 Parents and carers are not permitted to be present in the assessment room during testing.
5.3 This requirement ensures test security, standardisation, and compliance with confidentiality requirements.
5.4 A quiet, distraction free room is required for the testing to take place in.
5.5 Testing may need to be carried out on separate sessions/days if deemed necessary by the assessor.
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6. Report Completion and Use
6.1 Assessment reports will be completed and issued within three (3) weeks of the assessment date.
6.2 In exceptional circumstances beyond the Assessor’s reasonable control, this timeframe may be extended.
6.3 Reports will be provided in PDF format only.
6.4 Assessment reports must not be amended or altered by any individual other than the report author. Any unauthorised changes will invalidate the diagnostic decision.
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7. Data Protection and Confidentiality
7.1 All personal data will be processed in accordance with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.
7.2 Information will be used solely for the purposes of assessment, reporting, and related professional activities.
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8. Governing Law
8.1 This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales.
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9. Acceptance of Terms
9.1 Booking an assessment constitutes acceptance of this Agreement and its Terms and Conditions.
9.2 Signed copies of this Agreement may be retained for record-keeping purposes.
9.3 The purpose of a full literacy and/or numeracy assessment is to investigate potential specific learning difficulties; however, a diagnosis is only made where the assessment findings are consistent with the relevant working definitions.
9.4 Even where no formal diagnosis is made, the assessment will include a thorough exploration of the learner’s strengths and areas of difficulty, and comprehensive, practical recommendations will still be provided.
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Section 10 – Expenses (parking)
10.1 All expenses are included within the agreed fee unless otherwise specified in writing.
10.2 Mileage will be charged at £0.45 per mile unless otherwise stated.
10.3 Where an assessment is conducted on school premises, the school agrees to ensure that a suitable parking space is reserved for the Assessor for the duration of the visit. Where parking is not available on site, any reasonable parking costs incurred may be charged to the Client unless otherwise agreed in advance.
11. Intellectual Property
11.1 All training materials, reports, and resources provided remain the intellectual property of Next Step Assessments Ltd unless otherwise agreed in writing.
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12. Code of Ethics
12.1 Sallyanne McNamara is a member of PATOSS (Professional Association of Teachers of Students with Specific Learning Difficulties) and adheres to the PATOSS Code of Ethics.
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13. Complaints Procedure
13.1 Any concerns relating to services provided by Next Step Assessments Ltd should first be raised with Sallyanne McNamara for informal resolution.
13.2 If concerns remain unresolved, the PATOSS formal complaints procedure may be accessed.