Updates
to Terms and Conditions
1.
Lesson schedules will be issued
in advance for each half term, usually in the last week of the current half term. Students are expected to attend for a lesson
each full week of the Buckinghamshire
LEA school term, unless I am advised of any absences in advance of the schedule
issue date. All scheduled lessons must
be paid for. In the case of accompanist
services, a schedule of rehearsal times will be agreed at the first rehearsal
lesson. All scheduled rehearsals must be
paid for.
2.
Workshops, Master classes
and extra lessons during the summer and other school holiday periods are also
available, and students are encouraged to attend such of these as are
appropriate to their level, and to perform at pupils’ concerts.
3.
Fees are payable half termly
in advance and will be invoiced at the time of agreeing the lesson
schedule. Payment is due on the second
Friday of each half term; fees unsettled at this date incur a 10% late payment
charge added to the next invoice.
4.
Rates stand at £15.00 per
half hour for individual lessons, rehearsals and accompanist services for
exams, and £5.00 per half hour for group lessons, irrespective of grade. Four weeks written notice will be given of an
increase in rates, and rates will not increase more than once in an 18 month
period.
5.
A sibling discount scheme is in operation; a 30-minute individual
lesson for the second child will be charged at £10.00. No reductions apply to group lessons attended
by more than one sibling.
6.
If you need to cancel a planned individual lesson,
please give as much notice as possible.
Where more than 48 hours notice
is given, up to two alternative slots will be offered within a ten day period
to make up the lesson. If a
re-scheduling is not possible then at the teacher’s discretion the lesson may be carried over to the next term. Except in special circumstances, only one
lesson per student per half term will be re-scheduled in this way. Additional
rules, available on request, apply to cancellations due to extreme weather
conditions.
7.
Late cancellations/ no shows
will be charged at the full normal rate and no alternative times will be
offered. A late cancellation is one for
which you give me less than 48 hours notice.
Naturally if it is I who needs to reschedule or cancel, your lesson fee
will be refunded or carried over if
no alternative time can be agreed. If
you cannot attend a group lesson,
the fee will not be refunded.
8.
In the case of lessons
in Ley Hill School,
the student is responsible for remembering their lesson time and bringing their
music into school on that day. Please
try to inform me if your child is away from school by 10am on the day of their
lesson; the school office do not undertake to inform me of absences.
9.
In the case of
infectious illness, please keep your child away from lessons for the same
period that they are excluded from school according to guidelines here: http://www.patient.co.uk/health/School-Exclusion-Times.htm
10.
I reserve the right to
terminate this agreement without notice in the case of unreasonable behaviour from a student or those associated with
them.
11.
In the case of long term
absences I reserve the right to request a retainer
fee to keep the place.
12.
Recommended Tutor books or repertoire pieces will be purchased for you, and the cost added to
the next invoice. You are welcome to
borrow material from me, but please respect copyright law and return promptly.
13.
Students will only be
entered for examinations, competitions
and festivals after discussion with them and, in the case of children,
their parents; pupils or their parents should not enter themselves for piano
performances without the teacher’s consent.
This includes the posting of recordings of performances on internet
sites.
14.
Examination fees will be invoiced
separately at time of entry (usually around 6 weeks in advance of the
examination) and except in special circumstances are non refundable. Specific weeks or days for examinations will
be requested in consultation with you.
15.
It is important to note
that whilst I will make every effort to ensure the student makes satisfactory
progress, this cannot be guaranteed. In particular, careful regular practice as advised during lessons and
as noted in workbooks is a prerequisite of success on a musical instrument.
16.
As a member of EPTA UK (European Piano Teachers
Association) I am insured in respect of legal
liability that may arise following injury or damage to members of the
public.
17.
If you decide to
discontinue lessons, or need to change your lesson times, please give four weeks notice in writing. In the event that a student discontinues
lessons with insufficient notice, the student/parent/guardian will be liable to
pay fees for those lessons not taken during the notice period.
Snow days
I
thought it worthwhile to remind you of my cancellation policy in the event of
adverse weather conditions. In general, any lesson cancelled by you with fewer
than 48 hours notice must be paid for except in exceptional circumstances. In
past years I have considered serious snowfall to constitute ‘exceptional
circumstances’ but I thought it would be helpful to provide a little more
clarity as to how this might apply in practice.
- If schools local to the teacher or to the student are closed, the
lesson will be cancelled and a replacement lesson time will be offered to
take place during the current term.
- If schools local to both parties remain open, and the student
cancels, the lesson will be charged for and no replacement time will be
offered.
- In the case of Saturday lessons the above will take account of
whether Amersham Music Centre is open or closed.
- If students live within reasonable walking distance then they should
make every effort to get to the scheduled lesson; if students cancel in
these conditions then an offer to make up the lesson will be at the
teacher’s discretion.
- In all cases you also have the option of taking your lesson at the normal
time via skype if you prefer.
Illness and infection
Sharing
a piano keyboard is an excellent means of passing round germs! In general, thorough hand washing before and
after each lesson is enough protection for us all. But in the case of some infectious illness,
such as those for which the schools issue exclusion guidelines, I would ask
that you please keep your child away from piano lessons for the same time period. These include gastric ailments, certain skin
and eye infections, and chickenpox. There
are some helpful guidelines here: http://www.patient.co.uk/health/School-Exclusion-Times.htm
