Definitions for the purpose of this agreement:
"Term" refers to one of the following periods: Autumn (September to December), Spring (January to March), Summer (April to July).
"Agreement" refers to these terms and conditions as entered into by Surrey Arts and the signing parent/carer read in conjunction with Surrey Arts' Privacy Policy.
This document is for the named parent/carer and payer of invoices for instrumental and/or vocal tuition with Surrey Arts. If you are a school staff member completing this application on behalf of a parent/carer, you should not proceed with the lesson application before ensuring the parent/carer has understood and agreed to these terms.
By ticking the box on the online application form or signing the printed copy available upon request, you agree to the Tuition terms and conditions below, unless you notify Surrey Arts within seven working days of receiving your offer confirmation by email of your intention to decline the offer.
Lessons overview
Surrey Arts aims to deliver 33 lessons per academic year. School terms vary in length thus affecting the number of lessons delivered in any one term. Surrey Arts guarantees that Surrey Arts teachers will offer no fewer than 33 lessons during a full academic year. Should Surrey Arts fall short of this guaranteed minimum through teacher absence, it will make a pro-rata refund or credit in respect of the shortfall on its guarantee, normally at the end of each term.
Arranging lesson timeslots
Ahead of your first lesson you will be sent an email from Surrey Arts to log onto the SpeedAdmin customer portal to check your lesson timeslot, venue and start date. For lessons taking place outside of school hours, including Music Centre lessons, timeslots are fixed each week.
For lessons taking place during school hours, timeslots are arranged between Surrey Arts and parent/carer. Lesson timeslots during the school day are subject to change, for example if the teacher operates lessons on a rotation system. In this event, efforts will be made by the Surrey Arts teacher to keep your child informed.
For online lessons, a zoom link will be sent to you by the Surrey Arts Administration Team ahead of the first lesson. Please ensure to check your junk or spam folder in case the email is sent there. We recommend adding Surrey Arts email addresses to your safe sender list.
Student attendance
Surrey Arts teachers will make reasonable effort to ensure your child attends their lesson. Teachers and schools may have measures in place to remind students of upcoming lessons, including putting lesson times on a noticeboard, putting reminder slips into a register, or some teachers may collect students directly from their classroom if permitted by the school office. There is usually a quick turn-around between music lessons, so if time runs out to locate a student and bring them to their lesson, a teacher will need to proceed with the following student's lesson.
Surrey Arts cannot take responsibility for lessons missed or shortened due to a student not attending promptly. Conflicts between school activities and music lessons, such as Forest School, sports day, or other clubs, will be treated similarly to a student forgetting to attend. Surrey Arts encourages parents to speak to their child's classroom teacher or the school's music lead if extra measures need to be put in place to help a child attend lessons in these instances.
If your child is absent from music lessons for two weeks in a row, please contact the Surrey Arts Administration Team.
If a student is not able to attend an upcoming lesson, you should let your Surrey Arts teacher know as far in advance as possible so that they know not to expect you. This can be done by emailing surreyartsmusic@surreycc.gov.uk or calling 01483 519 303.
Teacher absence
If a teacher needs to cancel an upcoming lesson, Surrey Arts will inform the parent/carer by phone or email. They may offer a rescheduled lesson or an online lesson alternative. For rescheduled lessons, Surrey Arts will let parents/carers and students know in advance when this will be taking place. If a student is not able to attend a rescheduled lesson, this will be treated as a student absence and will not be refundable. Any unscheduled make-up lessons will be credited back to your account at the end of each term. This will be shown in the SpeedAdmin customer portal.
Force Majeure
Force Majeure (war, civil war, armed conflict, terrorist attack, government action, fire, flood, severe weather conditions, pandemic or epidemic or any other matter that is beyond our control). Surrey Arts will not be liable if a lesson has to be cancelled due to Force Majeure. In this event Surrey Arts will endeavour to resume lessons as soon as practicable either face to face, or online. Information on the resuming of lessons will be made available as soon as possible.
Changes to lesson details
Any lesson detail adjustments, for example an increase from 20 minutes to 30 minutes, are usually actioned at the end of each Term. Whilst Surrey Arts will try to accommodate your change request, approval is dependent on teacher availability amongst other factors so it cannot guarantee lesson details will be adjusted. If Surrey Arts needs to make changes to lesson details, for example a change of teacher, it aims to inform the parent/carer as soon as possible.
Lesson fees
The fees list for lessons can be found on our website. The fees list normally remains valid for the academic year and is reviewed annually with the revisions taking effect from September.
Shared lessons
In the event that a shared lesson is unable to continue, for example if a lesson partner discontinues, the shared lesson rate will be honoured for the rest of the current term, and you will be given the option to continue individual lessons at the standard individual lesson rate for the following term.
Invoices
Lessons are invoiced termly in advance of the autumn, spring and summer terms commencing. Surrey Arts will email parent/carers or learners to log on to the SpeedAdmin customer portal to view and pay their invoice. Payment is due in full within two weeks of the date on your invoice.
Payment is to be made through the SpeedAdmin customer portal.
Late payment
If payment is overdue, Surrey Arts will issue a reminder notice by email. Lessons may be suspended until the teacher has been notified by Surrey Arts that payment is received. It may take up to three working days for payment to be confirmed as received. Surrey Arts cannot accept responsibility for disruption to tuition due to late payment. Any missed lessons will not be rearranged or refunded. In the event of non-payment, the lesson timeslot is not considered reserved and another student may be allocated the space.
Lesson discontinuation
Surrey Arts will timetable a lesson for the student each term until you give Surrey Arts notice via the deregister function on the customer portal on SpeedAdmin. Surrey Arts must have half a term's notice and lessons can only cease at the end of a full term, in order to cover its costs.
To cancel lessons for the end of the term, notice is required by the last Friday before half term.
Notice given verbally or in writing to the teacher will not be registered as notice and you may continue to be charged for lessons.
A student's discontinuation from lessons is effective from the end of each term only (Christmas holidays, Easter holidays or Summer holidays). Refunds or credits will not be given if notice is given to discontinue mid-way through a term.
Lesson rescheduling and credits
In most cases, lessons missed due to student absence will not be rescheduled or credited. This is because the teachers' timeslots are booked in advance.
If credits are due for lessons missed due to teacher absence, these are issued at the end of each term once a total lesson calculation is completed. The reason for this is to allow a teacher the maximum opportunity to reschedule missed lessons in the first instance.
Missed lesson guidance
Reason for missed lesson | Will this be rescheduled? | Will this be credited? ? |
|---|---|---|
Student is unwell or injured for two or less consecutive weeks. | No, although a teacher may offer to reschedule at their discretion. | No |
Student is unwell or injured for three or more consecutive weeks. | No, although a teacher may offer to reschedule at their discretion. | Yes, upon receipt of a doctor's certificate or hospital letter. |
Student is self-isolating due to COVID-19 | No, although a teacher may offer an online lesson at their discretion. | No |
Teacher has cancelled, for example, teacher is unwell or self-isolating. | Yes | Yes, if it has not been rescheduled by the end of the academic year. |
Student has an exam or is on study leave | No, although a teacher may offer an online lesson at their discretion. | No |
Student has an appointment or scheduling conflict | No, although a teacher may offer to reschedule at their discretion. | No |
Student is on holiday | No, although a teacher may offer to reschedule at their discretion. | No |
Student has forgotten their lesson, instrument, or music book | No, although a teacher may offer to reschedule at their discretion. | No |
Student or parent/guardian no longer wishes for student to attend lessons | No | No |
Student online lesson technical difficulties | No, although a teacher may offer to reschedule at their discretion. | No |
Tutor online lesson technical difficulties | Yes, either rescheduled or credited. | Yes |
School trip or school event | No, although a teacher may offer to reschedule at their discretion. | No |
School inset day | No | Yes, if it has not been rescheduled by the end of the academic year. |
Unexpected school closure, for example a snow day. | Yes, including an online lesson where possible. | Yes, if it has not been rescheduled by the end of the academic year. |
Mass and school assemblies | No | No |
If your missed lesson reason is not outlined in the guidance above, please contact us at surreyartsmusic@surreycc.gov.uk to discuss your missed lesson.
Refunds
Any refunds/credits due will show on your Surrey Arts customer portal account and will be adjusted against the following term's invoice. If the student is discontinuing, the refund will be issued to the card by which the payment was made.
General terms and conditions
By registering for lessons with us you are also agreeing to Surrey Arts' Privacy Policy.
Terms and conditions review
Surrey Arts reserves the right to review this Agreement from time to time, normally at the end of an academic year. You will have the option to accept the revised Agreement or withdraw from lessons if they change. If Surrey Arts advise you of any material change to this Agreement to your detriment without giving sufficient notice to enable you to withdraw from the Agreement by the specified date, you will not be required to pay an administration charge or late discontinuation charge of notice in respect of the following Term.
