HOW TO HIRE · LESSONS & TUTORING

How to hire a ballet teacher in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

No register lists ballet teachers. Here is the vetting to ask for, what to ask about training, and the terms for a term of classes.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a ballet teacher in five steps

  1. Say what the ballet is forBaby ballet for fun, weekly graded classes, adult beginners or pointe preparation. A ballet teacher plans each differently.
  2. See the check before the first ballet classEnhanced DBS, PVG or AccessNI depending on where you live. A parent cannot apply for it; a ballet teacher can show it in a minute.
  3. Ask about recent studentsHow many learners at your level a ballet teacher teaches this year, and what changed for them.
  4. Try one class before a blockA first ballet class should end with a clear idea of where you are and what comes next. If it does not, try another ballet teacher.
  5. Get the terms in a messageBefore you pay for a term's fees: the term fee, uniform, show and exam costs, and the notice to leave. A message on Locufy is enough.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

No licence or register applies to ballet teachers in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, and no qualification is needed to teach ballet at a ballet school's studio. Their own work and how long they have taught are the evidence; there is nothing official to search.

Ask the ballet teacher what they hold, where they trained, and for two people they teach now.

Criminal record check for under-18s

For a ballet teacher teaching your child at a weekly class of thirty minutes to an hour, the England and Wales rule is simple: more than three days of teaching in any 30, or one overnight, makes it regulated activity, and the right check is an enhanced DBS with the children's barred list. From 1 September 2026, supervision no longer removes a role from regulated activity, so a ballet teacher working under another teacher still counts. Living in Scotland, ask for PVG scheme membership: mygov.scot includes tutors and instructors a parent engages for their child. In Northern Ireland, ask for an enhanced AccessNI check, which a ballet teacher working alone obtains via an Umbrella Body.

Before the first ballet class, see the certificate itself (a parent cannot apply for one on a self-employed ballet teacher's behalf) and check the date; in Scotland, PVG proof; in Northern Ireland, the AccessNI certificate shared online. gov.uk →

Training, portfolio and insurance

Teaching ballet needs no licence in any UK nation. A dance teaching qualification and membership of a dance teaching society are common; ask which, and how long they have taught the age group. Ask about public liability insurance — not a legal requirement for a sole trader, though HSE says anyone employing staff will probably need employers' liability insurance.

Ask a ballet teacher how long they have taught and who their insurer is. hse.gov.uk →

Your rights when paying for a term's fees

The Consumer Rights Act 2015 requires a ballet teacher who trades to provide the teaching with reasonable care and skill. For a leisure booking with a fixed date or period, regulation 28 of the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 usually removes the 14-day cancellation right, so agree with a ballet teacher in writing what happens if you have to drop out. Most arguments with ballet teachers are about show and costume charges that were never in the term fee.

Before paying for a term's fees, ask a ballet teacher to set out the term fee, uniform, show and exam costs, and the notice to leave in a message. legislation.gov.uk →

VAT

Ballet classes are standard-rated at 20%: the private tuition exemption does not cover them, whoever teaches. Once its taxable turnover passes £90,000 a year it must register, charge VAT and print it as its own line.

Ask the ballet school for its VAT number if it is registered, and whether the term fee already includes the 20%. gov.uk →

“What vetting do you have for teaching children?”

A good answer: A specific answer naming the check for your nation, offered before you ask twice — a ballet teacher who teaches at a weekly class of thirty minutes to an hour hears this question often.

“Which grades and syllabus do you teach to?”

A good answer: A named syllabus and when pupils usually take each ballet exam — not every term by default.

“When do pupils start pointe work?”

A good answer: Only when strength and age allow, after an assessment — a ballet teacher who rushes pointe risks injury.

“Can parents watch?”

A good answer: Watching weeks or an open class each term are common; a ballet school should not refuse all viewing.

“What does the term fee include?”

A good answer: Number of classes, exam fees, show costs and costume charges set out.

“What is your notice period, both ways?”

A good answer: A rule you can live with, in writing — and fairness both ways: if a ballet teacher cancels, the ballet class is rescheduled or refunded.

Getting the quote right

  • Who actually attends to teach the class — the ballet teacher named, or a cover teacher, employed or subcontracted
  • The price per class, and how long a ballet class lasts
  • Uniform, shoes and exam fees listed separately from the term fee
  • The refund rule for a term's fees
  • Travel or room costs if the ballet teacher works at a ballet school's studio
  • The VAT number if the ballet school is registered, with VAT on the term fee as its own line

Walk away if

  • They brush off the DBS, PVG or AccessNI question for ballet classes with your child
  • The ballet teacher cannot say in writing what the class includes until you arrive
  • Pointe shoes for a young child without a strength assessment
  • A full year of ballet classes paid up front, with no written refund terms

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Ballet teachers near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. Trial classMost ballet schools offer one; the teacher sees the child's age and confidence.
  2. BarreEach class starts with exercises at the barre.
  3. Centre workSteps and short combinations away from the barre.
  4. Exams and showsGraded exams and performances when the pupil is ready.
  5. ReviewA word or a report each term on progress.

Barre
The rail dancers hold for the first exercises of a class.
Pointe
Dancing on the tips of the toes in special shoes, only when ready.
Turnout
Rotation of the legs from the hip, basic to ballet.
Graded exam
An assessment at each level of a ballet syllabus.
Baby ballet
Short, playful classes for pre-school children.
Term fee
Payment for a term of weekly classes.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the paperworkKeep the term invoices and exam entry receipts, with the written terms.
Test the progressAt the end of term, watch a class or the show: posture, turnout and confidence should all be steadier.
What you are owedA place at a vocational ballet school is not something anyone can guarantee; the agreed ballet classes, well taught, is.
Leave the reviewReviews on Locufy come only from booked ballet classes. A problem goes to the ballet teacher first through the make-it-right step.

STEP 1Tell the ballet teacher, in writingSay what went wrong — for example show and costume charges that were never in the term fee — and what you want: ballet classes made up, repeated or refunded. Where ballet classes paid as a term's fees were not taught with reasonable care and skill, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 entitles you to a repeat or a fair reduction.
STEP 2Use the make-it-right step on LocufyLeave under four stars and you are asked whether to send it to the ballet teacher first; we follow it through, then the review is published.
STEP 3Get help from Trading StandardsNo regulator covers ballet teachers, so a consumer complaint goes to Trading Standards through your nation's helpline: Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133 in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060, or Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 in Northern Ireland.
STEP 4Money still in disputeSmall claims handle a dispute with a ballet teacher without a solicitor: up to £10,000 in England and Wales (small claims track), £5,000 in Scotland (simple procedure) and £5,000 in Northern Ireland. Keep the term invoices and exam entry receipts as evidence.

Hiring a ballet teacher: questions people ask

Not by default. Regular teaching of a child is regulated activity in England and Wales, though, so the enhanced DBS check with the barred list is the one to see; Scotland uses PVG membership and Northern Ireland an enhanced AccessNI check.

None is required by law in any part of the UK; anyone can teach ballet. Ask about dance teaching qualifications and how long they have taught your child's age group.

No UK publisher prices ballet classes per class, so there is no UK figure to quote. Ask two or three ballet schools for the term fee in writing. The ballet lessons price guide explains what drives it.

Yes, at 20%, if the ballet school or teacher is VAT-registered: ballet classes are standard-rated. A teacher under the £90,000 threshold is not registered and adds nothing.

Many schools take children from about three in short baby ballet classes.

No. They give structure for some children; others dance for fun.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in lessons & tutoring

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Ballet teachers near you

Ballet teachers in LondonBallet teachers in ManchesterBallet teachers in BirminghamBallet teachers in GlasgowBallet teachers in BelfastAll ballet teachers on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. gov.uk (DBS) — regulated activity with children
  2. gov.uk — change to the definition of regulated activity with children from 1 September 2026
  3. mygov.scot — who needs PVG scheme membership (personal employers)
  4. nidirect — AccessNI checks for the self-employed and personal employees
  5. gov.uk — Education and vocational training (VAT Notice 701/30)
  6. gov.uk — VAT registration thresholds
  7. HSE — get insurance for your business
  8. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 28 — contracts excluded from cancellation
  9. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  10. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 30 — cancellation period
  11. Citizens Advice — deciding whether to make a small claim (England and Wales)
  12. Scottish Courts and Tribunals — guide to simple procedure
  13. nidirect — small claims process (Northern Ireland)
  14. VAT rates — VAT rates for goods and services: standard rate 20% on most goods and services
  15. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register