Make-up class policy: template and examples

A make-up class policy sets out when a student who misses a class can attend another one instead, and on what terms. A good one answers six questions: which absences qualify, how much notice families must give, how many make-ups they can bank, when credits expire, which classes they can book, and what happens when you cancel.

It’s 4.45pm on a wet Tuesday and your phone buzzes. A parent wants to know if her son, who missed three classes last month with a cold, can come to Thursday’s class instead, and Saturday’s too. You can’t remember what you told the last family who asked, so you say yes. Thursday’s class now has 14 kids in it.

Key takeaways

• A written policy stops you making a new decision every time a parent asks, and treats every family the same way.
• Decide six things up front: eligible reasons, notice, credit limits, expiry, which classes count, and cancellations on your side.
• Classes you cancel (coach sick, wet weather) should never count against a family’s limit.
• Choose strict, balanced or flexible based on your class sizes and how full your timetable is.
• Share the policy at enrolment, not after the first missed class.

Why does a coaching business need a make-up class policy?

Because without one, every missed class becomes a negotiation. Most academies start with “just let me know and we’ll sort something out”. That works with 30 students. With 200, you’re fielding make-up requests on your days off, classes go over capacity, and families who ask loudest get more than families who don’t ask at all.

A clear policy protects three things:

• Class quality: capacity limits stay real, and make-up students join a class at their level.
• Your income: term fees pay for a spot in a class, not a guaranteed number of attended sessions. A policy makes that clear without sounding stingy.
• Fairness: every family gets the same rules, which avoids awkward conversations at the gate.

Make-ups are also a retention tool. A family that misses two classes and has no way to catch up starts to feel they’re paying for nothing. Our guide on what to do when a student misses two classes covers the follow-up side of that.

What decisions go into a make-up class policy?

Work through these one at a time. Write down your answer to each, and the policy almost writes itself.

Which absences are eligible?

Common choices are illness, injury, school commitments (camps, exams) and family emergencies. Some academies accept any reason as long as notice is given. Others exclude holidays taken during term. Whatever you choose, list the reasons, so a parent can see straight away whether their absence counts.

How much notice do families need to give?

Notice lets you offer the spot to someone else. A common rule is notice by a set time before class, such as 12 or 24 hours for group classes and 24 or 48 hours for private lessons. Many academies make illness an exception, because nobody knows they’ll be sick the night before.

How many make-up credits per term?

Cap the number of make-ups a student can hold. One or two per term is typical for weekly group classes. Without a cap, credits pile up and you end up owing a family five classes in Week 10.

When do credits expire?

Most academies say make-ups must be used within the same term, or within a few weeks of the next term starting. Expiry stops credits building up for years, and it encourages families to rebook quickly while the child still has momentum.

Which classes can a make-up be booked into?

Decide whether make-ups must be at the same level, with the same coach, or at the same venue. Level matching matters most: a beginner in an advanced class is unsafe in some sports and frustrating for everyone. Same coach or same venue is more of a preference. Loosening it gives families more options.

What happens when you cancel?

If you cancel because a coach is sick, the pool is closed or the weather washes out an outdoor session, the family hasn’t chosen to miss. Those classes should be made up, credited or refunded, and shouldn’t count towards the family’s make-up limit. Say this in your policy so families know you’ll hold up your end too.

Your policy also sits alongside the Australian Consumer Law. The ACCC’s page on consumer rights and guarantees says services must be provided with an acceptable level of care and skill, and that businesses can’t take away those rights by saying refunds aren’t available. A make-up policy can set fair rules for absences the family chooses. It can’t be used to avoid a remedy when you don’t deliver what was paid for. If you’re unsure where that line sits for your business, get advice.

Private lessons vs group classes

Treat them separately. In a group class, one absence leaves a spot you might fill with a make-up student. In a private lesson, a no-show leaves the coach paid and idle. Privates usually need longer notice and a stricter limit, and the make-up depends on coach availability rather than a spare spot.

Three example make-up class policies

Here’s how strict, balanced and flexible policies compare for weekly group classes. These are examples to adapt, not industry rules.

A worked example: what each policy costs in spots

Example numbers: you run 20 weekly group classes of 10 students over a 10-week term, so 200 students. Say 30% of students miss one class in the term and 10% miss two.

• Strict (1 credit): up to 80 make-ups (60 students with one absence, plus 20 with two who can only claim one). With fewer eligible reasons, often far less.
• Balanced (2 credits): up to 100 make-ups.
• Flexible (unlimited): also 100 here, but in practice more, because holidays, late notice and every other reason now count too.

Across 200 class sessions in the term, 100 make-ups is an average of one extra student every second class. If your classes run at 8 out of 10, that fits easily. If they’re full with a waitlist, you need the strict version, or you need to open the absent student’s spot so make-ups fill it.

Make-up class policy template

Copy this into your terms and conditions and change the bracketed parts. It’s written in the balanced style.

[Academy name] make-up class policy

We know kids get sick and life gets busy. This policy explains how make-up classes work, so every family is treated the same way.

Eligible absences. You can request a make-up if your child misses a class because of illness, injury, a school commitment or a family emergency. Holidays taken during term are not eligible.

Notice. Please tell us about an absence at least [12] hours before the class through [the app / email / phone]. For illness, please let us know any time before the class starts.

Limit. Each student can have up to [2] make-up credits per term.

Expiry. Make-up credits must be used by the end of Week [3] of the following term. Unused credits after that date expire and are not refundable.

Booking a make-up. Make-ups can be booked into any class at your child’s level that has a free spot, at any of our venues. Make-up spots can’t be guaranteed in a particular class or time.

Private lessons. Private lessons need [24] hours’ notice to be rescheduled. Lessons cancelled with less notice, or missed without notice, are charged in full. Each student can reschedule up to [1] private lesson per term.

Classes we cancel. If we cancel a class because of coach illness, venue closure or weather, we will offer a make-up class or a credit. These do not count towards your make-up limit.

No-shows. Classes missed without notice are not eligible for a make-up, unless the reason was illness or an emergency.

Questions. If something unusual comes up, contact [name] on [email / phone]. We’ll always try to help.

This policy does not affect your rights under the Australian Consumer Law.

How should you communicate your make-up policy?

Show it at the point of enrolment and repeat it when it matters. A policy families first read after they’ve missed a class always feels like a rejection.

1. Put the policy on your enrolment page and require families to accept it when they book.
2. Include a three-line summary in your welcome email: how to report an absence, the limit, and the expiry date.
3. Remind families of their remaining credits around Week 7, so they can book before credits expire.
4. Brief your coaches so they give the same answer at the gate. “Report it in the app and book from there” beats “I’ll ask the office”.
5. Review the policy once a year. If make-ups are flooding certain classes, tighten it. If families complain they can’t find spots, loosen the venue or coach rule first.

How does Outcoach handle make-up classes?

Every decision above maps to a setting on the Outcoach makeup classes page, set per event type so privates and groups can have different rules:

• Credit limits: a maximum number of active credits per student.
• Notice: a minimum notice period, in hours, for each class type.
• Eligible reasons: you choose which absence reasons earn a credit. Parents report absences in the app, and admins and coaches get an email.
• Classes you cancel: “statuses that can bypass the credit limit” include Coach Cancelled and Weather Cancelled, as well as Cancelled, Late Cancelled and No Show, so you choose which ones skip the limit.
• Same coach or venue: toggles for “Same coach only” and “Same venue only”. A separate toggle makes the absent student’s spot available to others.
• Level matching: for group make-ups, Outcoach works out each student’s level from the classes they’re enrolled in, and only shows classes at that level with space.
• Self-serve booking: parents enter their email, verify their details, and see each child’s remaining credit on your booking page.
• Privates: private make-ups are booked against coach availability, with slot length and buffer times.

Credits are held as a dollar balance on a Makeup tab in each student’s profile, and every change is logged. The page doesn’t list an expiry setting, but you can add or reset credits for selected members in bulk, which is how you’d apply an end-of-term expiry. Make-up students are also flagged on the roll so coaches know who’s visiting. Makeup class management is listed on the Standard and Performance plans on the pricing page.

Good make-up rules also help you fill gaps. Our guide to filling empty class spots shows how released spots and make-ups work together.

Frequently asked questions