These Terms & Conditions apply to piano and music lessons provided in pupils’ homes and in nursery or early-years settings. They are intended to make arrangements clear and fair for parents, carers, nurseries and teacher.

 

By booking or continuing with lessons or sessions, you agree to these Terms & Conditions.

 

1. Lesson Fees and Payment

 

Lessons and sessions are normally booked on a weekly basis during the agreed teaching weeks.

 

Fees are invoiced half-termly and payment is due within 28 days of receipt of the invoice, unless otherwise agreed in writing.

 

Fees may be reviewed from time to time. Reasonable notice will be given before any change in fees takes effect.

 

If an invoice remains unpaid after the due date, I reserve the right to pause future lessons or sessions until the outstanding balance has been paid. Any fees already due remain payable.

 

2. At-Home Lessons

 

For lessons taking place in the pupil’s home, a suitable, safe and reasonably quiet space should be provided for the lesson.

 

The pupil should have access to an appropriate piano or keyboard unless alternative arrangements have been agreed in advance.

 

For children under 18, a parent, guardian or other responsible adult must remain at the property for the duration of the lesson unless an alternative arrangement has been specifically agreed.

 

The parent or guardian remains responsible for the child’s welfare outside the scheduled lesson and for providing a safe environment in which the lesson can take place.

 

3. Access and Travel for Home Lessons

 

Please ensure that I can access the property at the agreed lesson time.

 

If I am unable to gain access, nobody is available to receive me, or the lesson cannot take place because of circumstances at the pupil’s home, the lesson will normally be treated as a pupil cancellation and charged in full.

 

If there are any access, parking or other practical arrangements that I need to know about, please let me know in advance.

 

I will make reasonable efforts to arrive punctually. Occasionally, circumstances outside my control, including traffic or travel disruption, may cause a delay. Where possible, I will notify you and make up significant teaching time where reasonably practicable.

 

4. Nursery and Early-Years Sessions

 

Sessions delivered within nurseries or other early-years settings will take place at the dates and times agreed with the setting.

 

The nursery or setting remains responsible for the care, supervision, safeguarding and behaviour of the children before, during and after the session.

 

An appropriate member of nursery staff should remain available and, where required by the setting’s safeguarding arrangements, present throughout the session.

 

My role during these sessions is to provide music teaching and activities. It does not replace the nursery’s usual staffing, supervision or safeguarding responsibilities.

 

The nursery should make me aware of any relevant policies, procedures, access arrangements or safety information that I need to follow while on the premises.

 

5. Additional Needs, Allergies and Relevant Information

 

Parents, guardians and nursery settings should make me aware of any information that is reasonably necessary for a child to participate safely and appropriately in a lesson or session.

 

For nursery sessions, responsibility for maintaining children’s medical, allergy and emergency information remains with the nursery or early-years setting.

 

6. Cancellations – At-Home Lessons

 

Your regular lesson time is reserved specifically for you.

 

If you need to cancel, please give as much notice as possible.

 

Where at least 48 hours’ notice is provided, I will make reasonable efforts to offer an alternative lesson within the same half term, subject to availability. A replacement lesson cannot be guaranteed.

 

Where less than 48 hours’ notice is provided, or the pupil is unavailable when I arrive, the lesson will normally be charged in full and no replacement lesson will be due.

 

Genuine emergencies and exceptional circumstances will be considered reasonably on a case-by-case basis.

 

7. Cancellations – Nursery Sessions

 

Nurseries should provide as much notice as possible if an agreed session cannot take place.

 

Where at least 48 hours’ notice is given, I will make reasonable efforts to rearrange the session, subject to availability.

 

Where less than 48 hours’ notice is given, the session will normally remain chargeable.

 

If the nursery is unexpectedly unable to open or circumstances outside its reasonable control prevent a session from taking place, I will work with the setting to find a fair alternative where reasonably possible.

 

8. Teacher Cancellations

 

If I need to cancel a lesson or nursery session, I will give as much notice as reasonably possible.

 

I will offer a replacement session where practicable. If I am unable to rearrange a session that has already been paid for, the appropriate amount will be credited against a future invoice or refunded.

 

You will not be charged for a lesson or session that I cancel and cannot rearrange.

 

9. Illness

 

Children should not take part in an at-home lesson if they are unwell with an illness that could reasonably be passed to others.

 

For nursery sessions, the nursery’s own illness and infection-control policies will apply to children attending the setting.

 

If there is a significant outbreak of infectious illness within a nursery, I would appreciate being informed before attending so that appropriate arrangements can be considered.

 

If I am unwell and unable to teach safely, I will cancel the lesson or session and the provisions under Teacher Cancellations above will apply.

 

10. Late Starts

 

For at-home lessons, if a pupil is not ready at the agreed start time, the lesson will normally still finish at its scheduled time.

 

For nursery sessions, the setting should make reasonable efforts to ensure that the agreed space and children are ready at the scheduled start time.

 

Where a session starts late for reasons outside my control, it may still need to finish at the originally agreed time because of subsequent teaching and travel commitments.

 

11. Holidays and Teaching Calendar

 

Teaching dates will be agreed in advance and may broadly follow local school or nursery terms, but my teaching calendar may not correspond exactly with individual school or nursery dates.

 

No fee will be charged for dates that I have identified in advance as non-teaching dates.

 

12. Ending Regular Lessons or Sessions

 

For regular at-home lessons, please provide four weeks’ written notice if you wish to discontinue lessons. Lessons falling within the notice period remain payable whether or not the pupil attends.

 

For nursery arrangements, either party should provide four weeks’ written notice to end an ongoing regular booking unless a different notice period has been agreed in writing.

 

I reserve the right to discontinue lessons or sessions where necessary, including in cases of persistent non-payment, repeated cancellations, inappropriate behaviour, unsafe working conditions, safeguarding concerns, or where the teaching arrangement is no longer reasonably workable.

 

Where appropriate and reasonably possible, notice will be provided.

 

13. Safeguarding

 

The safety and wellbeing of children are of primary importance.

 

Any safeguarding concern that arises during teaching will be dealt with appropriately and, where relevant, in accordance with the safeguarding procedures of the nursery or early-years setting.

 

For at-home lessons, parents and guardians remain responsible for providing appropriate supervision and a safe environment.

 

Nothing in these Terms prevents me from taking appropriate action where I have a safeguarding concern about a child.

 

14. Instruments, Equipment and Property

 

Pupils and settings should treat any instruments, teaching materials or equipment I provide with reasonable care.

 

Similarly, I will take reasonable care when using instruments or equipment belonging to a pupil, family or nursery.

 

Each party remains responsible for its own property, except where loss or damage results from another party’s negligence or where liability cannot legally be excluded.

 

15. Photography and Video

 

Photographs, audio recordings or videos of children will not be used for promotional purposes without appropriate permission.

 

For children attending a nursery or early-years setting, any photography or recording must also comply with the setting’s own policies and consent procedures.

 

Separate consent may be requested where photographs or recordings are intended for a website, social media, promotional materials or other public use.

 

16. Music, Resources and Additional Costs

 

Unless otherwise stated, lesson or session fees do not include music books, sheet music, examination fees or other third-party costs.

 

Any significant additional costs will be discussed and agreed before they are incurred.

 

17. Progress and Participation

 

I aim to provide enjoyable, engaging and age-appropriate music education tailored to the pupil or group.

 

Children develop at different rates, and no particular level of progress, examination result or outcome can be guaranteed.

 

18. Privacy and Personal Information

 

Personal information will only be used as reasonably necessary to administer lessons and sessions, communicate with parents, carers or settings, issue invoices, maintain appropriate records and fulfil relevant legal or safeguarding responsibilities.

 

19. Changes to These Terms

 

These Terms & Conditions may occasionally be updated. Reasonable notice will be given of any material changes affecting existing bookings.

 

20. Acceptance of Terms

 

Booking or continuing with lessons or sessions after receiving these Terms & Conditions constitutes acceptance of them.

 

Nothing in these Terms & Conditions is intended to limit any statutory rights or exclude any liability that cannot legally be excluded.