FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
HOW DO I REGISTER?
Simply complete the application form on this website click here.
DO WE NEED TO TAKE OUR OWN INSTRUMENTS INTO SCHOOL FOR TUITION?
Unless you are made aware that there are instruments in school for your child to use for tuition then
you will need to take your instrument in for the classes. Your child will need to take their instrument
and the relevant learning material into school on the day of the lesson so that they can get the most
of their time with their teacher and the equipment is to be taken home the same day.
The only exception to this is drum tuition (in the schools where this has been made available).
Students will only need to take their drum sticks in for these classes.
Please see the Instruments section on this website for more details
HOW LONG SHOULD THE LESSON LAST FOR?
Our lessons generally last for 30 minutes for a group of 3 or 4.
If there is a situation where there are more than 4 children who are of the same standard and they
are working well as a group, the teacher may keep them together but extend the length of the lesson
appropriately. If it is the case that our teacher believes that your child would benefit from a one to
one lesson or if there are less than 3 children grouped together the teacher will reduce the lesson
length accordingly.
WHAT HAPPENS IF A LESSON DOES NOT GO AHEAD?
There will be occasions during the academic year when it is not possible for our teachers to attend
and there may also be times when a school asks our teachers not to schedule a lesson.
For students commencing tuition at the first lesson of the Autumn term they will receive 30 sessions
across the 39-week academic year. This enables us to work around the lesson free weeks as they occur
while fulfilling our commitment to provide all the tuition that you are paying for.
It is very rare that a teacher is not able to complete their full quota of sessions. However should this
happen we will always make a refund for any shortfall.
If we have advanced notice of a lesson free week we will always let you know to prevent you from
taking your instrument and learning material into school unnecessarily. If it is the case that we are
not able to let you know in advance of a lesson free week we will contact you to let you know what
occurred, to let you know when the next lesson will be, or if an alternative arrangement has been
made.
HOW CAN I WITHDRAW MY CHILD FROM CLASSES?
We suggest that you sign up for a year’s tuition as this is a suitable length of time to see if your child
will take to the classes and to give them time to develop their musical skills.
If it is the case that your child has genuinely not taken to the instrument and you would like to bring
things to a close, please contact us by phone or email as soon as possible and we will administrate this for you.
Please do not notify anyone at your child’s school of cancellation or ask your child to pass this
information to the instrumental teacher.
Please ensure that you contact us directly in order that we can advise you on how to close your
account. Non-payment of account will not be accepted as notice of cancellation.
HOW CAN I OBTAIN FEEDBACK ABOUT MY CHILD'S PROGRESS?
We will provide a practice book to each student to record their homework for the week.
Children will be provided with an Annual Assessment towards the end of the summer term to give
you a written report on your child’s progress, the standard they have attained and future aims and
achievements. In addition to this you may contact us at any point during the academic year for
feedback and we will liaise with your child’s teacher for you.
WHEN CAN MY CHILD TAKE AN EXAM?
Our students are not only taught to develop the technical aspect of playing their instrument but also
how to read the appropriate notation. Our teachers incorporate the syllabus requirements for the
graded examinations for either A.B.R.S.M., Trinity College, London College or Rock School exams into
their courses.
If the teacher is confident that your child has mastered these requirements and that they are ready
to take an exam you will be contacted to find out if you are happy for this to go ahead. They will also
pass on the information about the relevant fee for the grade your child is ready to take that is set by
each external examination Board, and any accompanist fees that this may involve.
HOW MUCH PRACTICE SHOULD MY CHILD DO BETWEEN SESSIONS?
We believe students should practise every day!
However, as we live in the real world we know that this is not always possible.
We suggest that students make time to practice soon after each lesson, so that the teacher input and
the tasks required are fresh in their minds. After that we recommend that students practice as many
times as possible between sessions for about 10-15 minutes at a time at first, extending the time as
they progress.
In the run up to concerts and exams teachers will recommend that daily practice is essential to
ensure that students are well prepared and confident.