Bow Street Academy LA

School
policies.

Our policies exist to protect students, maintain the integrity of the training environment, and ensure that everyone who walks through our doors gets the most from their time at Bow Street.

01

Attendance & Lateness

Presence is the foundation of the work. Our attendance policy exists not as an administrative formality, but because the training is relational - when you're not in the room, your scene partners feel it.

Attendance Requirement

Students are required to attend a minimum of 90% of all scheduled sessions for any programme or course. This applies to all class types including workshops, screen sessions, scene study, and scheduled reviews.

Attendance is recorded at the start of each session. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure they are present and marked in at the beginning of class.

Lateness

Students are expected to arrive at least five minutes before the scheduled start time of each session. Lateness disrupts the work for the entire group and will not be tolerated as a pattern.

Students arriving more than 10 minutes late may be asked to observe the session rather than participate, at the discretion of the tutor. This counts as an absence for attendance purposes.

Three instances of lateness in a single term will be treated as one absence.

A note on professional expectations. On a professional set, lateness is not an option. Bow Street holds students to the same standard. Arriving late, leaving early, or being unprepared are treated as serious matters - not because of rules, but because of what they communicate about your commitment to the work and to your colleagues.

Absences & Notification

If a student is unable to attend a session, they must notify the school by email before the session begins. Retroactive notification is not accepted except in the case of genuine emergency.

Medical absences supported by documentation will be considered on a case-by-case basis and may not count toward the attendance threshold at the school’s discretion.

Consequences of Non-Attendance

written warning and be invited to meet with the programme director. Students who fail to meet the minimum attendance requirement by the end of a programme will not be eligible for course completion recognition and may not be invited to return for subsequent levels.

No refunds are issued as a result of poor attendance.

02

Refund & Cancellation

We want every student to feel confident committing to their training. Our refund policy is designed to be fair to students while allowing the school to plan and resource its programmes effectively.

Deposits

A non-refundable deposit is required to secure a place on any Bow Street LA programme or course. The deposit amount is stated on the relevant course page and confirmed in your acceptance letter.

Payment of a deposit constitutes acceptance of these terms and conditions in full.

Cancellation by the Student

Notice given before course start Refund amount
30 days or more Full tuition refund, less the deposit
14 – 29 days 50% tuition refund, less the deposit
7 – 13 days 25% tuition refund, less the deposit
Less than 7 days No refund
After course has commenced No refund

All cancellation requests must be submitted in writing to [email protected]. The date of receipt of the written request will be used to determine the applicable refund tier.

Cancellation by Bow Street LA

In the event that Bow Street LA cancels a programme prior to its commencement – for reasons including but not limited to insufficient enrolment, tutor unavailability, or force majeure – students will receive a full refund of all fees paid, including the deposit.

In the event that a programme is cancelled after commencement, a pro-rata refund will be issued for the unused portion of the course. Bow Street LA will not be liable for any additional costs incurred by the student as a result of cancellation.

Transfers & Deferrals

Students who wish to transfer to a different programme intake may request a deferral in writing, subject to availability. One deferral per enrolment is permitted at no additional charge if requested 14 days or more before the course start date. Deferrals requested after this point are at the discretion of the school and may incur an administration fee.

Scholarship students. Students enrolled on a need-based or merit-based scholarship should refer to the specific terms of their scholarship award, which may include different cancellation and deferral conditions.

03

Code of Conduct

The standard we hold in this room is the standard the industry holds on set. Bow Street is a professional environment, and every student is expected to conduct themselves accordingly - toward their peers, their tutors, and the work itself.

Core Expectations

All students at Bow Street LA are expected to:

Treat every person in the room with respect. This includes fellow students, tutors, visiting professionals, and all school staff. Bow Street is a diverse community and we do not tolerate behaviour that makes any individual feel unwelcome, unsafe, or diminished.

Come prepared. Know your material. Bring what you need. Be ready to work from the moment the session begins.

Support your colleagues. The training is relational. Your scene partner’s work depends on you being fully present and genuinely engaged. Undermining, dismissing, or disengaging from a colleague’s work is taken seriously.

Receive feedback professionally. Feedback from tutors and peers is a fundamental part of the training. Students are expected to receive notes with openness and without defensiveness.

Harassment & Discrimination

Bow Street LA has a zero-tolerance policy toward harassment, bullying, and discrimination in any form – including on the basis of race, gender, sexual orientation, nationality, religion, disability, age, or any other protected characteristic.

Any student who experiences or witnesses behaviour of this kind is encouraged to report it directly to the programme director or by email to [email protected]. All reports will be treated confidentially and investigated promptly.

Substantiated breaches of this policy will result in immediate removal from the programme without refund.

Mobile Phones & Recording

Mobile phones must be switched to silent and put away for the duration of all sessions. Use of a mobile phone during class – including for reading, messaging, or recording – is not permitted without explicit tutor consent.

Recording of any kind – audio, video, or photography – of tutors, fellow students, or sessions is strictly prohibited without the express written consent of all individuals involved and the school. Violation of this policy will result in immediate removal from the programme.

Alcohol & Substances Students must not attend any Bow Street LA session under the influence of alcohol or any controlled substance. Any student found to be in breach of this policy will be asked to leave immediately and the incident will be recorded. Repeated breaches will result in removal from the programme without refund.

Disciplinary Process

Where a breach of the code of conduct is identified, the school will follow a fair and proportionate process: an initial conversation, a formal written warning where appropriate, and – in cases of serious or repeated breach – removal from the programme. The school reserves the right to remove a student immediately and without prior warning where the safety or wellbeing of others is at risk.

A note from the school. We have never needed an extensive disciplinary process at Bow Street, because the students who come here are serious about the work and respectful of each other. These policies exist as a statement of values, not an expectation of problems.

04

Privacy Policy

Bow Street Academy LA is committed to protecting your personal information. This policy explains what we collect, why we collect it, and how we use it.

Who We Are

Bow Street Academy LA operates at The Lot at Formosa, West Hollywood, California. References to “we”, “us”, or “the school” in this policy refer to Bow Street Academy LA. For queries relating to this policy, contact [email protected].

Information We Collect

We collect personal information in the following circumstances:

Enquiries and applications. When you contact us or submit an application, we collect your name, email address, phone number, and any information you choose to share about your background and experience.

Enrolment. When you enrol on a programme, we collect additional information necessary to administer your place, including payment details (processed securely through our payment provider), emergency contact information, and any relevant access or support requirements.

Website use. We use standard analytics tools to understand how visitors use our website. This data is aggregated and anonymised and does not identify individuals.

Newsletter and communications. If you sign up to our mailing list, we collect your email address for that purpose only.

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to administer your application and enrolment, communicate with you about your programme, send you updates and newsletters if you have opted in, improve our courses and website, and comply with our legal obligations.

We do not sell, rent, or share your personal information with third parties for marketing purposes.

Photography & Video

Bow Street LA occasionally photographs and films activity at the school for use in marketing materials, social media, and press. By enrolling at the school, you give consent for your image to be used in this way unless you notify us in writing that you do not wish to be included. Notification can be sent to [email protected] at any time.

Data Retention We retain student records for a period of seven years following the end of enrolment, in line with standard educational and financial record-keeping requirements. Enquiry and application data for unsuccessful or withdrawn applications is retained for 12 months and then securely deleted. Newsletter subscribers may unsubscribe at any time.

Your Rights

You have the right to access the personal information we hold about you, request correction of inaccurate data, request deletion of your data where we have no legal basis to retain it, and withdraw consent for communications at any time.

To exercise any of these rights, contact [email protected]. We will respond within 30 days.

California residents If you are a California resident, you may have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). Please contact us at [email protected] for more information.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. The current version will always be available at bowstreetla.com/policies. Material changes will be communicated to enrolled students by email.

Questions about our policies?

We're here
to help.

If you have questions about any of our policies, please reach out to the admissions team and we'll be happy to help.