Bookings & Payments

Your local Sparks representative will then contact you to arrange a suitable date/time. Please be aware that trial classes aren't confirmed until a member of staff has been in touch to agree your visit. Please don't arrive at a class without confirming first.

Money-Back Guarantee Period:

As we see very high demand, for instance at the beginnings of school terms in September, January and April, we can't guarantee availability for trial classes.

We advise you to book as normal using the system here.

Once your place is confirmed, you are then covered by a 14 day money back guarantee period. If you find that classes aren't suitable for your child, you can cancel your membership and we'll refund your booking in full.

How Do I Re-Enrol

All filmmakers are automatically re-enrolled each term, until you give us notice to cancel your place. This way your place is secure for the next term.

I Am on the Monthly Plan

If you're enrolled on the monthly plan, then you don't need to do anything! You will just receive an email containing information about the term and confirming that your payments will continue as normal.

Please Note: If you are on the monthly plan your place is guaranteed.

I Pay in Advance Per Term

If you wish to continue paying in advance each term you need to log in to your Sparks account - please see Making a Payment.

Please Note: You have 14 days from receipt of the re-enrolment email to confirm your place by making payment in full or switching to monthly payments.

I Pay in Advance But Wish to Switch to the Monthly Plan

Your re-enrolment email will contain a link that takes you straight to the "Switch to Monthly" page in your Sparks account (you may be asked to login first). See How Do I Switch to Monthly Payments?

Please Note: You have 14 days from receipt of the re-enrolment email to confirm your place by making payment in full or switching to monthly payments.

Finding Classes

Lessons: Where, when, how much and how do I book?

This article will help you use our booking engine where you will find our prices and availability near you.

All our prices and availability can be found via our Class Finder.

From any page on the website click on the Menu button or click here
Click Find Lessons
This will take you to the Lesson Finder map:
Enter your Post Code or Location
Select the Category/Level of class you are looking for
Select the maximum Distance you are willing to travel
Press Search

Results shown on the map are the venues closest to you. The icons on the map represent:

Green = Venues with classes available
Black = Your position
Red = Venues that don't currently have classes available of the type chosen

Click on the venue icons on the map or the venues in the list below/to the left of the map. This will open up a list of the Classes available at that venue.

The information at the top is the address of the venue, plus the email address and phone number of your local Sparks office.

Results shown include classes that are currently full, but you are still able to book to the Waiting List. To filter these classes out un-tick "Show Classes with Waiting List"

Scroll through the list to find a suitable class
Click Book Now

This will take you to the booking checkout, but first:

If you haven't logged in, you will be taken to the login screen
If you don't have a Sparks account yet, scroll down the login screen and select Register

Once registered/logged in you'll be presented with the Basic Details screen:

State whether you are a member of the chosen venue.
If you are a member you will be asked to provide your member number.
If you don't have it to hand please type "Don't Know".
Select which of your Students (children) you want to add to the class.
If you haven't registered that child yet, press the "+" button
Read the Declaration and tick the box
Press Check Prices

There are 2 options:

Advanced Payment*: Pay up front every term.

Monthly*: Pay an automatic recurring card payment each month that covers your Sparks classes throughout the year.
*This is an example - prices may vary.

Pay in Advance

Add the card you wish to pay with (or select it if you already have one saved).

Click Review Order

Monthly

The Monthly Payment Summary gives you a breakdown of:

What you will pay today (the "Initial Payment")
Your ongoing payments
Your next payment date

Choose your preferred monthly payment date from the options given
Changing the payment date affects the Initial Payment amount
Add (+) or choose which card will be used for payments.
Click Review Order

Confirmation

The Confirmation page shows you the details of your booking. Before you can confirm your booking you must confirm your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions.

If you have chosen the Monthly Plan please make sure to read the key points. Click on the headers to expand.

Tick the box to confirm that you have read and understand the terms & conditions
Click Confirm

What Happens Now?

You will receive an email entitled "Sparks - Your Provisional Booking"

Please Note: At this point you're booking for this class has NOT yet been confirmed and no payment has been taken from your card.

Your local Sparks office may get in touch, before confirming your place. Certain classes may be confirmed without prior contact.

It is very important that we ensure that you have been placed in the right class, so please do not attend until your place has been confirmed.

Card Payments

How do I add, change or delete a payment card?

Log in to your Sparks account
On the dashboard select Manage Account
Select Manage Your Cards

Add a New Card

Click Add New Card
Enter the Name on Card
Enter the long Card Number
Enter the card Expiry Date
Enter the CVC number
Enter the Billing Postcode

Please Note: This is the post code of the address that the card is registered to. If the card is rejected it may mean that it is different to your home address

NOTE: If you already have active monthly plans with Sparks, you will get an option asking whether you would like to set this new card as the payment source for ALL of these plans.

To delete a card, click Delete.

Making a Card Payment

Please Note: Unfortunately we are not able to accept payments via American Express

How do I make a payment and view previous transactions?

Log in to your Sparks account
On your account dashboard, select My Payments

This brings up a page which shows you you're current balance, a history of Sparks transactions and a button to Make a Payment

Click Make a Payment

Please Note: If your account balance is £0.00 or in credit the Make a Payment option is not available.

There are 3 options here:

Franchise: Occasionally, you may have two students that take part in classes at different venues, which might belong to different Sparks film schools. This allows you to select which one you are paying.
Payment Card: Select which of your stored payment cards you wish to pay with
Payment Amount: This is set to your current owed balance by default
Fill in/confirm the details and click Make Payment

Card Storage & Data Protection

Your card is stored on your Sparks account to make it easier for you to make payments. However, your full card details are not stored by Sparks. They are encrypted by our payment provider, Stripe, who then send back an encrypted token to our system. All we see is the last 4 digits which help us identify the correct card if you wish to pay over the phone.

I don't want my card to be stored after I've paid (Deleting a Card)

If this is the case, once payment is made:

Head back to the dashboard by clicking My Account
Select Manage Account
Select Manage My Cards
Click Delete

I don't have a payment card stored

In this case you a message will show up with a link to the Add Card page:

On the Manage Cards page, select Add Card

Enter the Name on Card
Enter the long Card Number
Enter the card Expiry Date
Enter the CVC number
Enter the Billing Postcode

Please Note: This is the post code of the address that the card is registered to. If the card is rejected it may mean that it is different to your home address.

Click Add Card

You can now go back to My Payments to make a payment

Please Note: Unfortunately we are not able to accept payments via American Express

Card Storage & Date Protection

Your card is stored on your Sparks account to make it easier for you to make payments. However, your full card details are not stored by Sparks. They are encrypted by our payment provider, Stripe, who then send back an encrypted token to our system. All we see is the last 4 digits which help us identify the correct card if you wish to pay over the phone.

I Can't Add a Payment Card to My Account

When I try to add a payment card to my account a general error comes up.

The most common cause of this is the extra layer of security required that involves confirming the cardholder postcode when adding a card to your account.

Please Note: This is not always your home postcode, it is the postcode that the card is registered to. If you have moved house since you were last issued a card by your provider your card may still be registered to the old address, or it may have been entered incorrectly when you gave them your new address.

I've checked the cardholder address with my card provider and it is all correct.

In this case please Contact Us and our technical team will take a closer look. Be sure to select Technical Support as your reason for enquiry and provide as much detail as possible (but not your card details). Please also provide the best times we can reach you by phone.

Childcare Vouchers & Childcare Choices

We welcome payments by Childcare Vouchers or through the government's Childcare Choices scheme.

You can use any Ofsted registered voucher provider, including Eden Red, Sodexo, ComputerShare and more.

To make a booking using Childcare Vouchers or the Childcare Choices scheme, you'll need to contact us to set up an account. Please get in touch with your local Sparks Office. You can find the relevant contact details here >>>

We'll provide you with instructions for your voucher provider setup and then apply the vouchers to your Sparks account.

We recommend booking early to ensure there is time to complete the setup process prior to the course start date. Unfortunately we aren't able to reserve any spaces or guarantee availability until your account is registered.

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