Spin City was established in 2007 with the aim of getting more women into exercise. Gyms can often be an intimidating environment for women, as can sports clubs – especially if you have been out of exercise for a while. We wanted to create exercise classes for women that provided great fitness benefits in a social, fun and friendly environment that was open to women of all ages, sizes, abilities and fitness levels. Aerial fitness was the perfect answer!

After successfully expanding to five venues, Director Kate Edwards made the decision to develop an instructor training programme. Having run a successful internal instructor training programme for 18 months, Kate spent two years researching and developing concepts for the courses, drawing inspiration from dance, yoga and pilates, sports coaching, and sports science. Based on this, we believe our courses are the most comprehensive on the market – applying both classic and cutting edge fitness techniques to the concept of aerial. Our courses have a host of unique benefits, including our online video library which supports our extensive training manuals, providing you with a learning resource throughout your instructional career, as well as access to an ongoing support network of help, advice, CPD training and tutorials. If you are still unsure, why not read our testimonials and find out what others say about our training?

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All the Spin City instructor training courses are written by Kate Edwards. Kate is the owner and director of Spin City Aerial Fitness, one of the largest aerial fitness schools in the UK. A fully qualified fitness instructor, group exercise instructor and personal trainer for over 10 years, Kate specialises in the fitness aspect of aerial training, teaching at her dedicated studios in Bristol, Exeter, Brimpton and Newbury. Kate is the World Pole Sports and Fitness 2011 doubles pole runner-up and winner of the ‘Best Entertainer’ award alongside ‘Bendy’ Kate Czepulkowski, a former student of Kate’s. She is also the 2011 British Universities Instructor Champion, an integral part of the Equity Pole Dancers Working Party which strives to increase standards in the pole industry, a regular x-pole representative and also the co-founder of the UK Professional Pole Championships – the UK’s premier professional pole fitness competition.

Kate is constantly looking to further her own education and training. She has completed aerial training with NECCA and Circomedia among others and holds over 30 fitness qualifications, including advanced anatomy and physiology, group exercise, pilates, pre- and post-natal training, shoulder stability, advanced flexibility and Injury prevention. Kate is a level 5 PDC-certified instructor and a level 3 REPs accredited instructor. She has trained some of the world’s top pole performers to win both national and international titles.

Kate now specialises in training other instructors to teach pole fitness, aerial hoop and pole fabric, applying her extensive fitness background to help educate instructors worldwide. She has written five certified aerial fitness courses which are accredited internationally with ACE, REPs, SkillsActive and the PDC. Alongside her training courses, Kate writes and produces the ‘Pole Bible’ and the ‘Aerial Hoop Bible’, two of the leading education resources available for aerial dancers worldwide.

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All courses are taught by the Spin City team of instructors. If you are taking online training with us, you will be allocated a mentor for the course of your training. Our Instructors come from a range of backgrounds, including fitness, dance, yoga and pilates. Our team has been chosen for their comprehensive skills as trainers. They have undergone extensive training through our own internal programme and have been accredited as trainers and assessors by SkillsActive. We run a vigorous internal quality assurance programme and are externally verified by PDApproval, Active IQ, ACE, AFAA, NASM and the PDC amongst others. You can be assured our trainers will support you throughout your training, they will be on hand to answer any questions, and provide the information you need to become a successful instructor.

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Spin City prides itself on the fact that every instructor will benefit from our training course. No matter if you are new to instructing or you have been teaching for many years, if your background is in pole fitness, fitness instruction, dance, pilates or yoga, we are confident our course will make you a better instructor. Our training will keep you up-to-date on latest developments within the industry and current accepted fitness/aerial hoop practice and if you are completely new to aerial instruction we will provide you with everything you need to know to get started.

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At Spin City we offer instructional courses in:

Pole Fitness

• Beginner – 2 day course (online or face to face)
• Intermediate – 2 day course (online or face to face)
• Advanced – 2 day course (online or face to face)

Aerial Hoop

• Beginner – 2 day course (online or face to face)
• Intermediate – 2 day course (online or face to face)
• Advanced – 2 day course (online or face to face)

Aerial Sling

• Beginner – 2 day course (online or face to face)

Pole Fabric

• 1 day course (online or face to face) only suitable for existing pole instructors

Complementary Courses

• Anatomy and Physiology Foundations – 6-8 hours (online only)
• Stretching and Flexibility for Pole and Aerial – 8-10 hours (online only)

From 2018 we will also be offering additional ‘add on’ courses, workshops, books and modules to supplement your teaching skills in the following areas:

• Double Point Hoop
• Grounded Hoop
• Aerial Conditioning

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If you head to the ‘Course Details’ page of our website you will be able to view more information on the modules taught in each course, the pre-requisites for the training and the assessment process. If you are unable to find the information you need, dont hesitate to contact us, we would be happy to asnwer any individual questions you might have.

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At present, our courses are endorsed by:

• EMD – The Exercise Music and Dance Partnership
• PD Approval
• REPs – Register of Exercise Professionals
• ACE – American Council On Exercise
• AFAA – Aerobics and Fitness Association of America
• NASM – National Academy of Sports Medicine
• PDC – Pole Dance Community

We are also currently seeking endorsement from:

• REPs South Africa
• REPs New Zealand
• Canfitpro – Canadian Fitness Professionals
• Fitness Australia

We hope to have these endorsements up and running by 2018.

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To help support you through your training, Spin City will provide you with a comprehensive Instructor Manual to download which will yours to keep for the duration of your teaching career. A professionally printed copy can be purchased for a nominal fee of £20 plus postage. This manual contains a number of other resources including a sample warm-up, cool-down, lesson plan and par-q, venue assessment forms and photographs of all the moves. Alongside this resource, all students are entitled to access our extensive online video library, featuring videos of each individual move that we cover on the course along with examples of combinations, choreography and conditioning exercises. To request video access please email us at spincityaerialfitness@gmail.com; this resource is yours to utilise throughout your teaching career.

As a Spin City Learner other resources are also available to purchase, including the Spin City Aerial Hoop Bible, which features the entire Spin City Aerial Hoop Syllabus in photo form along with move families, showing similar variations in an easy to access format. At Spin City we guarantee we will keep all of our course materials up to date, with an annual update of all documents. For a minimal administration charge, you will have the option to access additional resources as they are developed/ edited such as new manuals and video footage.

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If you would like a comprehensive list of all the moves covered on this course, please don’t hesitate to email us, we would be happy to email one over.

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We recommend that you have the following levels of experience before attending instructor training:

• Beginners Level – minimum of 1 year experience in that discipline
• Intermediate Level – minimum of 2 years experience in that discipline
• Advanced Level – minimum of 3 years experience in that discipline

Although all the moves will be covered in-depth on our Instructor Training Courses (both online and face to face) you should already have a good general knowledge of the majority of the positions covered, as the focus on our courses is to teach you how to teach the moves, rather than teach you how to do the moves. We will break down each skill into its teaching points, safety points, regressions, progressions and variations – and look at a range of effective spotting techniques for each position so that you are able to really understand what makes the skill work, and pass this knowledge along to your students.

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For full information on the prices of each of the training courses, along with course package offers, visit the ‘Pricing Page’ of our website.

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You can find full details on all of our face-to-face course dates and venues by clicking here. We are happy to consider a range of venues as host schools for our instructor training course. Please contact us and we will send you our requirements and also let you know what benefits you will be entitled to as a host school.

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Yes – we are happy to offer a range of instalment plans on both our online and face to face training courses to make them more affordable. Instalment plans are completely individual to you allow your to pay your chosen amount at regular intervals, be it weekly, or monthly. Please contact us for further information. Please note – all face to face training courses will need to be paid off in full prior to the start date and access to online training will only be granted once the course has been paid off in full.

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Yes, we offer a 10% discount to all PDC Members off individual courses. This discount is not applicable on previously discounted course packages. All you need to do is email us with your PDC Membership Number to claim your 10%. We also run ‘Pole Society Sponsorship’ and a Studio Affiliate Scheme’ to offer your Society or your Studio the chance to benefit from discounted training.

We also offer discounts if you purchase one or more courses together:

• Beginner and Intermediate Course Package (face-to-face) £625

• Beginner and Intermediate Course Package (online training) £525

• Intermediate and Advanced Course Package (face-to-face) £625

• Intermediate and Advanced Course Package (online training) £525

• Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced Course Package (face-to-face) £875

• Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced Course Package (online training) £750

Course Manuals are also available to purchase alongside your course at a cost of £20 per course plus postage, please contact us for more information.

If you would like to purchase the Course Manuals without completing the training, assessment or accreditation they are available at a cost of £150 per course. Please contact us to purchase.

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The face to face training course and online training differ in their mode of delivery.

For our face to face training, you will attend one of our pre-arranged Instructor Training weekends. You will be asked to ‘pre-read’ the course theory and watch the associated videos, prior to attending. You will also need to complete a range of learning tasks and prepare your assessment paperwork. We estimate this will take most learners 12-16 hours. The first day of the course itself, will be spent going over the practical skills in depth, answering any questions you may have with the second day spent completing your teaching assessment.

For our online training, we understand that sometimes it can be logistically difficult to make a face-to-face training, whether you are limited on time, have other commitments such as work or childcare or there are no training courses in your area – Should this be the case then you can complete the online version of the course. Both courses are identical in terms of content and structure, all the practical elements of the face-to face course have been filmed and are available via our secure online training website where you can work through the course – unit by unit – at your own pace. You will be supported throughout by your online mentor who can help confirm you are on the right track, answer any questions you may have and give you feedback on your learning tasks. You will then submit your assessment in video form, on completion of the course. We estimate each level will take on average 20-30 hours to complete, with 4-6 hours allocated for learning tasks and assessment preparation. To view an example video from one of our online courses, visit our YouTube Channel.

For both the face to face and online training options, we recommend 50-100 practice hours. this can be made up of you practising the individual skills or moves taught on the course to perfect your own technique, attending classes, workshops or CPD in that discipline, practising your teaching and spotting technique in a 1-2-1 or group environment, co-teaching or assisting in existing classes, working with your mentor and observing other instructors lessons.

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If your course is online, then you have a year from the date of purchase to complete your course and submit your assessment. If you have purchased a ‘Course Package’ containing 2 or more courses, then you will have a consecutive year for each course in the package. If your course is face to face then you will have a year from the date of the face to face training should you need to resubmit any assessment material, or if you have deferred your assessment from your training date.

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For each of the courses, you will be asked to complete a two part assessment. For the Beginners Level, this consists of an Instructor Workbook (theory test) and a Practical Assessment (teaching an hour long beginners class). For the Intermediate and Advanced Levels we need to see you performing 80% of the course moves with safe and correct technique (technical assessment) and also see you teaching an hour long class at that level (practical assessment).

If you take our face to face training, your assessment will be completed over the course of the weekend. You will need to come ready to take your course assessment by preparing any learning tasks/theory work or assessment paperwork in advance, full details of which can be found in the back of your Instructor Training Manual. If you do not feel ready to take your assessment at that point, then you will be offered the opportunity to attend an alternative face to face training date to complete your assessment where available – or you can submit your assessment via video.

For all online learners, any theory assessments will be completed online, with practical assessments submitted via video to your online mentor.

At every level, our accredited assessors will provide you with extensive feedback on the assessments submitted, and if you are unsuccessful a full action plan to help you resubmit and complete the course. What this means for you is that you can be guaranteed that every Instructor certified by us, has gone through this rigorous assessment process to allow them to carry a ‘Spin City Certified Instructor Badge’ and therefore represents our high standards of teaching and training.

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If you are unable to film a practical assessment then there are a range of options open to you. Where available, we will provide you with the option of attending one of our assessment days, where you will be able to complete your assessment in person, at one of our three assessment venues; Bristol (UK), Stockport (UK) and Newbury (UK). This may be because you have deferred your face to face course assessment, or because you have taken an online training and are struggling to find participants, or are having technical problems recording an assessment video.

If you are unable to complete your assessment within the allocated year time frame, we will aim to provide you with an alternative assessment opportunity. This may be due to a medical condition, accident or personal crisis. In some cases, you may be asked to provide evidence, such as a doctor’s certificate. All deferrals will be dealt with on a case by case basis and an admin fee of £40 may be charged if an extension is granted. Course extensions range from 12 weeks to 24 months, depending on the individual circumstances.

If you are unable to find a suitable venue, cannot attend one of our face to face assessment days or do not have the equipment to film a practical assessment, then please contact us as we may be able to help. We are able to offer individual face to face assessment at our Newbury Assessment Centre. There will be a standard charge for this of £60 to cover venue hire, administration and the costs of the assessor. Bookings must be made a minimum of 1 month in advance and you will be expected to provide your own students for the assessment unless pre-arranged with the assessor.

Please contact us on spincityaerialfitness@gmail.com for more information.

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If your course requires that you submit a video assessment, then we will provide you with an assessment pack for your course. This will need to be completed and returned in full, either electronically or via post.

If submitting by post, videos can be sent to us on USB, SD card or DVD. If you are submitting electronically, we are happy to accept videos via email, through a file sharing service such as Google Drive, One Drive, Dropbox, We Transfer or similar alternatives. We are happy to accept videos via YouTube however please ensure the video is ‘unlisted’ rather than ‘private’ and no copyright materials are used.

If you are posting an assessment to us – we ask that you send all parts together with the covering assessment form. Please ensure you keep copies of all elements of your assessment, that the envelope is secure (we would recommend a jiffy bag) and sent via a tracked postal service.

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If you do not achieve some or all of the assessment criteria and receive a ‘referral’ assessment decision, you will be given feedback and an action plan to enable you to prepare to re-take the assessment. You may be asked to re-film a full practical or technical assessment, or you may simply be asked to re-film a specific section. Your assessor will provide you with support, guidance and a full action plan before being re-assessed in the areas required to achieve a certificate. You have up to 6 months to complete your re-assessment and there will be a nominal fee of £25 to cover administrative costs.

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If you have not managed to complete your training and assessment in the original one year deadline, then we are able to offer a standard 12 week extension for a nominal charge of £40. Each learner is able to opt to extend twice per course. This fee may be waived if extenuating circumstance are present, and evidence can be provided. If you do not submit your assessment within this timeframe, you will be asked to re-enrol on the training either online or face-to-face at half the advertised price before submitting your assessment.

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On completion of your course you will need to successfully complete all parts of your assessment prior to commencing teaching. We would also recommend that you have all the relevant health and safety policy in place including but not limited to public liability insurance, a first aid certificate and health and safety policy/relevant risk assessments prior to starting your classes. All the relevant information you will need to get these elements in place will be covered in great detail in your course.

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No. However completion of this course may help you to get insurance, or may reduce your insurance premiums as the certificate from your course will demonstrate proof of training. During your course, we will discuss in depth the recommended insurance requirements and give you information on a range of potential insurance companies.

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You can book your place on a training course (face-to-face or online training) via our website www.spincityinstructortraining.com. Alternatively, give our team a call on 07866 490876 or email us on spincityaerialfitness@gmail.com and we will be happy to make a booking for you.

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ONLINE COURSES

All of our online courses carry a 14 day cancellation policy. Please ensure you DO NOT login to your course as this will invalidate your right to cancel. If you have not logged into your online profile then Spin City will offer a full refund, give you the option to transfer to another course of equal value or in some instances allow you to transfer the course to another learner. For all online courses, once the 14 day period has expired, or once you have logged into your account your course is deemed active and therefore nonrefundable and non-transferable between courses or participants.

FACE TO FACE TRAINING

You may cancel any face to face training course at any point up to 30 days before the start date of the course. We will request that you return your face to face learner pack. If the pack is returned unused then a full refund will be given. If you do not return your learner pack then an admin fee of £150 will be deducted from your refund. If the pack is returned but is found to be incomplete or in a used condition, an admin fee of £150 will also be charged. If you decide to cancel within 30 days of the date of your course – you will not be entitled to any refund however Spin City may offer the opportunity to transfer the course over to another learner or to transfer onto the online equivalent of the same course. This will be at the discretion of Spin City.

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At Spin City we are happy to support you throughout your instructional career. Whether you have questions regarding moves, need business support or just another instructor to bounce ideas off, at Spin City we aim to keep all of our certified instructors up-to-date and inspired! You will also have ongoing access to our video library – featuring videos of all the moves covered in your course and the option to purchase additional resources such as our USB Combination sticks or our Pole and Aerial Hoop Bibles. Every two years we aim to complete a course update for each of our courses. All previous learners will be given the option to purchase any new course material for a nominal fee. Please email us to find out more or check for any updates on your course.

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If you still have any questions regarding any of the courses, please don’t hesitate to contact us – we would be more than happy to answer your questions. Why not drop us an email at spincityaerialfitness@gmail.com or call us on 07866 490876.

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