Terms and Conditions

JOSEPH JOHN WIGGINS

CONDITIONS FOR PIANO/THEORY/COMPOSITION/TALENT FACTORY LESSONS


  1. ATTENDANCE.

  2. Lesson Schedule: Lessons take place during term time, with a fixed number of lessons per year allocated by the teacher. On average one week per full term is left free incase of teacher absences / reschedule requirements. Regular lessons do not occur during half terms or holidays, though special courses and masterclasses may be offered separately. Lessons do not always run on every teaching week of the school term.

  3. Pupils in Year 4 and Below: These pupils will be assisted in attending their lessons on time, either by the piano teacher or fetched by the previous pupil. However, it is preferable for students to be sent by their class tutor at the correct time to avoid lost lesson time where possible. Parents are encouraged to ask their child's class teachers for support in this matter.

  4. Pupils in Year 5 and Above: It is the responsibility of both the parents and the students to ensure attendance at the correct time. The piano teacher will assist in collecting students for their first two lessons only. After this, it is the pupil’s responsibility to attend on time unless alternative arrangements are made by the school or parent.

  5. Late Arrivals / No Shows: Students who arrive late may not receive their full lesson time if another lesson follows. If a student is more than 15 minutes late or fails to attend, the lesson will be considered missed and charged for. Parents may be notified of student absences outside of school time, not during the missed lessons time.


  1. ABSENCES, MAKEUPS & RESCHEDULING

  1. No Makeup Lessons or Refunds: Makeup lessons or refunds are not offered for lessons missed by pupils, except in cases of long-term illness or hospitalisation. Written notice is required as soon as possible in such cases.

  2. Charges for Non-Attendance: All absences, including those due to extracurricular activities, holidays, school trips, exams, and short-term illness, are charged for.

  3. Rescheduling Missed Lessons: Missed lessons cannot be rescheduled outside of the teacher’s existing timetable. They can only be swapped with another pupil’s lesson time that week, if possible and at the teachers discretion.

  4. Cancellation Notice: If you need to cancel a lesson, please notify me as early as possible. Lessons missed due to pupil absence or cancellation may be swapped with another pupil’s lesson that week, given enough notice, or made up if a future cancellation occurs. Cancelled lessons are classed as missed lessons.

  5. Teacher’s Discretion: It is at the teacher’s discretion whether a missed lesson can be swapped or fulfilled with future cancellations. The teacher is not obliged to fulfil lessons missed by pupils. Missed lessons that cannot be rescheduled will not be refunded or carried over.

  6. Teacher Absence: If the teacher is absent or unable to attend a lesson, the lesson will either be made up within the school year or discounted from the final invoice of the term (August).



  1. FEES

    1. Lesson Prices and Calculation: Provided individually. Total annual fee is calculated by multiplying the lesson fee by the agreed teaching weeks for that year, then divided across the remaining months of the academic year including August. For example, if your child is having 34 lessons at the price of £19.50 per lesson starting in September :

      1. Total annual fee: £19.50 × 34 = £663

      2. Monthly fee: £663 ÷ 12 = £55.25

    2. Payment Schedule: New candidates must pay the first invoice before lessons commence. Subsequent fees are payable at a fixed monthly rate, due by the 21st of each calendar month.

    3. Late Payments and Suspension: A 10% late fee is applied if payment is not received by the due date, and a late payment notice will be issued. You will receive one warning regarding late payment in which the fee will be suspended, future late payments will automatically receive a 10% charge.

    4. Failure to pay or regular late payments: This may result in tuition being suspended until payment is made, suspended lessons are counted as missed and charged accordingly.

    5. Fee Reviews and Invoices: Fees are reviewed periodically and may increase in line with rising costs and Musicians' Union guidelines. Invoices are issued automatically by email each month.


  1. TERMINATION

    1. Cancellation Notice: To stop lessons, you must cancel before the end of the previous half term. For example, to cancel in January, notice must be given before the Christmas holidays. Lessons cancelled during term time will still be charged until the end of that half term. The teacher can cancel lessons at any time with immediate effect.

    2. Final Termination Payment: A final invoice will be issued, calculating your final payment based on the number of lessons billed versus the number of lessons paid. This fee may be higher than your regular monthly payments due to payments being spread across each month. Each monthly payment does not constitute a month's worth of lessons. You remain bound by this agreement until the termination payment is made. Failure to pay will result in escalation to the relevant schools or unions.


  1. FINALLY

The above conditions are designed to ensure that I can provide the high-quality instruction you have requested. I believe they are fair and reasonable. If you have any concerns or find these conditions inconvenient, please feel free to discuss them with me before accepting a place.

Yours Sincerely     JOSEPH WIGGINS