The questions parents ask.
From classes and fees to safeguarding and representation. Can’t find your answer? Email info@hftdacademy.co.uk and we’ll reply within 48 hours.
Yes, for our weekly group acting classes. Book through our trial page, with no payment or card needed. If your child enjoys it, we’ll email an invitation to join.
LAMDA Club and 1-2-1 coaching are paid services with no free trial.
Minis are ages 3–6, Juniors 7–11 and Pros 12–18. Some Academies offer narrower age groups, shown in their timetables. Contact us if you’re unsure which to book.
No. Beginners and students with professional credits are equally welcome. Enthusiasm and a willingness to try are all they need.
No. Whether your child loves acting, wants to build confidence or is trying something new, they’re welcome at HFTD. Our classes develop acting skills, friendships and self-expression, with each student’s individuality at the heart of the training.
If they become interested in professional acting, guidance is there when they’re ready, without pressure to pursue it.
No. We focus on straight acting for screen and stage. HFTD is for students who want dedicated acting training, or who already enjoy singing and dance elsewhere and want to explore acting in greater depth.
Voice, physicality, imagination and listening are all part of developing their craft.
£42 a month for Minis, £56 for 90-minute Juniors and Pros classes, and £65 for 2-hour classes. Siblings receive 10% off.
Membership is paid by monthly direct debit through our booking system, spread across 12 equal payments. You avoid a large termly bill and pay the same amount each month.
Weekly training, regular camera practice, high-resolution class footage, industry workshops and ongoing advice for students and parents. The annual film project and HFTD Oscars have an additional fee.
We ask for four weeks’ written notice by email or text. Your direct debit stops after the notice period, and your child can attend until then.
Yes, subject to availability. Email us and we’ll help arrange it.
Minis need a water bottle. Juniors and Pros should also bring a snack, and Pros need a notebook and pen. Please bring any scripts provided, as these are handed out once.
Yes. Students wear an HFTD hoodie and/or T-shirt, available from us in sizes from age 3–4 to adult large.
Management sets our core curriculum, with carefully planned lessons covering acting foundations, current industry practice and HFTD projects. Students explore material from recent film and TV productions alongside stagecraft and improvisation.
Teachers record progress and lesson notes in our central system, which management reviews after every class. This helps us recognise individual strengths, identify areas to work on and keep support consistent.
Every Lead Teacher holds paediatric first aid training, Level 2 safeguarding training and an up-to-date Enhanced DBS check. Teachers and assistants are Enhanced-DBS checked and trained in safeguarding.
Any concerns are recorded in our central system, reviewed by management and acted on promptly.
Cover comes only from our approved pool. Every cover teacher completes an onboarding process including HFTD training and safeguarding checks, with a personal recommendation required.
Yes. Our Christmas showcase develops theatre craft and gives every student their own moment. We plan meaningful work for each performer, with their individual development in mind.
The same applies to our annual films. Roles differ, but every student gets proper scenes to work on, filmed on a real set with a professional crew. We celebrate the finished films at the HFTD Oscars.
No. Our youngest students don’t pay a filming fee. Rather than a single day on set, Minis film their project gradually over several weeks in class, with their own teacher, in a relaxed and familiar setting.
Their finished film still gets its moment on the big screen at the HFTD Oscars, where tickets are booked separately.
Yes. Over the years we’ve built genuine, ongoing relationships with trusted children’s agencies, and we invite agents into our Academies to run workshops that are free for members. Through some of these relationships we can recommend students throughout the year, even when an agency’s books are closed to public applications.
Signing is always the agency’s decision, so representation is never guaranteed, but we’ll guide you honestly at every step.
We’re selective, because we want our recommendations to mean something. We stay in regular contact with agents, so we know what they’re looking for, which age groups are especially competitive and whether they have space for new clients.
We only approach an agent when we believe a student is genuinely ready and a good fit for that agency at that time. If your child is looking for representation, let us know. It helps us think of them when the right opportunity comes up.
We’ve made a conscious decision to keep our academy and professional representation separate. An agent should sign a young performer because they believe they can find them work, not because the child attends a particular drama school or pays for classes.
It also keeps our advice independent. We have no financial stake in who signs, so we can recommend the agency we genuinely believe is right for each child.
Spotlight is the main casting platform UK agents and casting directors use. All the agencies we currently work with use it, so once your child is signed you’ll usually set up a Young Performer membership. It’s paid to Spotlight, not HFTD, and your agent will guide you through it.
Uploading footage to the profile is vital. Casting directors need to see your child in action to know how they come across on screen, and without clips they’re far less likely to ask them to self-tape.
Yes. We organise discounted professional headshot sessions twice a year. The photos support agency applications now and can go straight onto your child’s Spotlight profile once they’re signed.
A showreel doesn’t need TV credits. Students are filmed regularly in class and receive their footage, and our summer HFTD Oscars Project gives them quality screen material made with showreels in mind. Our affordable showreel editing service then turns their strongest moments into a polished reel, ready for Spotlight or to share with agents.
Absolutely. Our relationships with agents carry on after a student signs. With your family’s agreement, we can help prepare an important self-tape or offer extra coaching an agent recommends, always optional and booked separately.
Students keep training with us in class too, building the confidence and technique to make the most of every new opportunity.
Yes. LAMDA Club offers online 1-2-1 Acting coaching with tailored material and exam preparation. It’s open to HFTD members and new families.
Start with a £20 assessment, then discuss your child’s needs, a suitable lesson length and your budget with Eva. Tuition, exam fees and required official books are paid separately.
Yes. Sessions cover self-tapes, audition preparation, acting technique and industry advice for children, teenagers and adults. Available online or in person, starting from £35 for 30 minutes.
Yes. Wherever you are, you can train with us online: weekly 1-2-1 LAMDA Acting lessons with Eva through LAMDA Club, or 1-2-1 coaching for last-minute self-tapes, auditions and ongoing development. See all online options →
Yes. 1-2-1 self-tape sessions are available seven days a week with a coach your child already knows, in person or online. We work the scene together, film it to a professional standard and edit it, so it’s ready to send.
Thursday-night brief for Monday? Book the earliest slot and let us know the deadline when you book.
For a one-off self-tape, audition or job session, pick a time in the calendar on our 1-2-1 page and choose either Milly Zero or an HFTD coach. With an HFTD coach booking, we pair you with one of our professional actor-coaches and email to confirm who you’re working with.
For ongoing coaching, start with an intro session, then choose a block of 3, 5 or 10 sessions and we’ll match you with the right coach. Online, you can request anyone on the team. In person, sessions run across South London, or in Loughton, Essex with Joshua.
Still got a question?
Email info@hftdacademy.co.uk, or book a free trial and ask us in person.
Not near one of our Academies? Want to work with us online? Self-tapes, audition prep and ongoing coaching with our team, wherever you are. See our 1-2-1 options →