CLASSES

Are we allowed to come along and watch a class first so that my child can see what’s involved?
Yes you may so long as you arrange it with us beforehand.

Can my child just drop in to tryout a class to see if they like it?
No. You would need to book your child in for a tryout. Most of our venues have waiting lists. We also need to plan our lesson accordingly and bring enough equipment with us.

Can my child start earlier than age six?
No. Before age six they haven’t yet built up enough stamina, concentration and physical development to be able to cope with an hour-long class.

Are parents allowed to stay and watch?
Yes so long as they watch quietly and do not interfere with the running of the class.

If my child misses a class can I claim a refund?
No. The classes are run as a half-term block of lessons and not as individual sessions. However your child may attend a class at one of our other venues by prior arrangement to make up a class missed.

Am I allowed to take photographs of my child during class?
Not during class no as this would be distracting. You may take a photograph of your child afterwards fencing one of the coaches if you wish. N.B. Due to the current child protection laws you are not allowed to take photographs of any other child, a group shot of the children or general shots of the fencing class without first gaining the permission of all the parents concerned and us!

How many achievement levels are there?
12 so far…..

Where can my child fence after they’ve outgrown Mini Musketeers?
There are quite a number of senior fencing clubs in the area, which the children can move on to once they are of the right age for the particular club. Some will take from age 8, others from age 10 or 11. Most have waiting lists so it would be a good idea to visit the clubs ahead of time to ascertain which one feels right for your child and get their name down. We have a list of all the clubs in the areas we teach.

PARTIES

Can the children come in fancy dress?
Yes. We’ve had umpteen knights of olde and star wars characters. It adds to the fun. Obviously the costume should not restrict movement! If a child should be wearing anything that we feel might be unsafe during the games and fencing then we would ask that they remove the item during our session. E.g., wooden swords etc.

Do I need to provide anything?
A jug of water and some cups for a drinks break part way through. But only water please as juices and fizzy drinks etc can make the hall floor sticky if spilt. There’s nothing worse than sticky feet when you’re fencing! The children also tend to spend longer drinking juice than they do a cup of water.

Do you need a lot of set up time?
No. The equipment we use can be set out in just a couple of minutes and tidied away just as quickly.

Why don’t you do parties for sixth birthdays?
The parties we run are very energetic and require a lot of stamina and concentration, which is why they are suitable for those celebrating their 7th birthday upwards.

But my soon to be six year old and his friends are very active and could easily cope, would you not make an exception?
No. We have found from past experience that younger children do not have the energy levels and they fade part way through. The one thing you want at a birthday party is for every child to enjoy the experience – especially your own child.

Do you do party bags?
At the moment no but we do have some merchandise which might be suitable.

Can we buy foam swords from you to give to the children as going home presents?
Our big rule in classes and at parties is that the children are not allowed to fence without a mask on. Therefore if we were to sell the foam swords to you without masks we would be breaking our own number one safety rule! Of course you may buy a sword if you buy a mask to go with it but this might prove a tad expensive. Please see our merchandise page for details.

My child would love a Mini Musketeers party but we don’t live in your catchment area. Would you travel further afield?
Yes we are prepared to travel out of area depending on distance. There would be an out of area charge on top of the cost of the party, which at present is £50. Counties we are prepared to travel further afield to are: Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, West Sussex, East Sussex, Kent, Hampshire, and London- Central, North, North West, North East, East, South East.

Are your parties suitable for girls as well as boys?
Yes they are without a doubt. One girl enjoyed the party we did for her so much she insisted on having us back again the following year!

Your recommended minimum number for a party is 12 but we only wish to invite 6 or 8 children would you consider doing a party for this number?
To make the games fun you really do need around a dozen children otherwise they tend to fall a bit flat. However if you wish to have a smaller more tailored session we could accommodate this but we only recommend it for children celebrating their 11th birthday and above. This would be a more intensive fencing session without the games, using plastic foils, which mimic the real fencing foils as opposed to foam swords. The price would still be the same as for a full party. The children would need to wear sweatshirts and tracksuit bottoms or equivalent (no jeans) and trainers.