Studio Policy & Tuition Guide
Everything an enrolled family needs to know about how the studio runs — rates, term dates, cancellations, practice expectations and exams. There is nothing to fill in or return; keep it to hand and check back when a question comes up.
Tuition is billed per term, in advance, and covers the number of lessons scheduled in that term.
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| | | Most students, Grade 1 upward |
| | | Grade 5 and above, exam terms |
| | | Siblings or friends at a similar level |
| | | Theory, aural and ensemble work |
| | | The six weeks before an exam date |
Accompanist fees for exams and recitals, exam board entry fees and printed music are billed separately at cost.
Term Dates & Studio Calendar
- The studio year runs in three terms of twelve teaching weeks each — autumn, spring and summer.
- A one-week half-term break falls in the middle of each term. No lessons are scheduled and no tuition is charged for that week.
- The studio closes on public holidays. Where a holiday falls on a regular lesson day, the term is planned around it in advance.
- The winter recital is held in the last week of the autumn term; the summer recital closes the studio year.
- Exact dates for the coming year are issued four weeks before the autumn term begins.
- Invoices are issued two weeks before each term starts and are due on or before the first lesson of the term.
- Bank transfer and card are both accepted. A monthly instalment plan is available on request before the term begins.
- A late fee of 5% applies to balances unpaid fourteen days after the due date.
- Lessons may be paused where a balance is more than thirty days overdue. The lesson slot is held for two further weeks before being released.
- Tuition is not refundable mid-term, but an unused balance can be carried to the following term where a student withdraws with notice.
Cancellations & Make-Up Lessons
- Give at least 24 hours’ notice to cancel a lesson. Notice given in time earns one make-up credit.
- A lesson missed with less than 24 hours’ notice, or not attended at all, is charged in full and does not earn a credit.
- Up to two make-up credits may be earned per term. Credits are used within the same term and expire at the end of it.
- Make-ups are scheduled into whatever gaps exist in the teacher’s week — they cannot always fall on the usual day or time.
- If the teacher cancels, the lesson is always rescheduled or credited in full, with no limit.
- Withdrawing from lessons requires four weeks’ written notice; lessons within that period remain payable.
Progress is decided between lessons far more than during them. Short daily practice beats one long session at the weekend.
- Beginner / pre-grade — 10 to 15 minutes, five days a week.
- Grades 1 to 3 — 20 to 30 minutes, five to six days a week.
- Grades 4 to 6 — 40 to 60 minutes daily, split into two sessions if that is easier.
- Grades 7 and 8 — 60 to 90 minutes daily, with scales and studies kept separate from repertoire.
- Younger children practise best with an adult nearby, even one who plays nothing at all.
What to Bring to Each Lesson
- The instrument, in working order and tuned as far as the student is able
- All current method books, exam books and sheet music — originals, not photocopies
- The practice notebook, so the week’s assignment can be written in
- A pencil with an eraser — never a pen on printed music
- Reeds, rosin, strings, valve oil or picks as the instrument requires
- Clean hands, short nails and no chewing gum
Buying vs Renting an Instrument
- Rent for the first year. Interest is hard to predict, and growing children outgrow sizes on strings and wind instruments.
- Look for a rent-to-own scheme — most local dealers credit the rental paid against a later purchase.
- Buy once the student is settled, past a first exam, and playing an instrument that no longer keeps up with them.
- Ask the teacher before buying anything online. A cheap instrument that will not hold its tuning is the fastest way to lose a beginner.
- For piano, a weighted 88-key digital instrument is an acceptable start; an unweighted keyboard is not.
- The studio keeps a list of dealers it trusts for rental, setup and repair. Ask at the desk for the current list.
Exams are optional. Students who never sit one still progress — but for many families a graded track gives helpful structure.
- ABRSM — the most widely recognised graded track, with a strong scales, aural and sight-reading component. Three exam sessions a year.
- Trinity College London — more repertoire choice and flexible supporting tests. Suits students who perform well but dislike prescribed technical work.
- Yamaha Grade Examinations — strong on ear, improvisation and keyboard harmony rather than repertoire alone.
- Entries close roughly ten weeks before the session. The studio submits entries as a group — tell your teacher at least two weeks before the board’s deadline.
- Entry fees are set by the board, paid through the studio, and are not refundable once an entry is submitted.
- A student is entered only when the teacher judges the programme secure — normally a full grade of headroom before the exam date.
Recitals — Dress Code & Etiquette
- Smart dress: no jeans, no logos, no trainers. Shoes with a firm sole for pedalling; hair tied back where it would fall over the instrument.
- Arrive thirty minutes before the published start time to warm up and check the stage.
- Audience members stay seated for the whole programme. Please do not leave after your own child has played.
- Phones silent and out of sight. The studio arranges a single video recording and shares it with every family afterwards.
- Applaud after each complete piece, not between movements. If in doubt, follow the teacher’s lead.
- Younger siblings are welcome, with a quiet exit at the back for anyone who needs it.
- The studio office answers messages Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
- Teachers are teaching during lesson hours and reply between sessions or the next morning. Please do not expect a reply mid-lesson.
- Same-day cancellations should go to the office, not to the teacher, so the slot can be reallocated.
- Longer conversations about progress are best booked as a ten-minute slot at the end of a lesson rather than held at the door.
Rates and dates in this guide apply to the current studio year and are reviewed annually. Anything unclear — ask your teacher or the office; we would rather answer twice than have a family guess.