Terms and Conditions

All Lessons

Terms of Tuition 

Open 2 Music is the trading name of Music in Education LLP, an independent organisation providing music lessons in schools and online, these Terms and Conditions form a contract between Open 2 Music and the pupil or the pupils’ main contact/s if the pupil is under 18 years old.

Lessons will only commence once full payment for lessons has been received by Open 2 Music. 

Office Hours

Please note that communications will be monitored and replied to Monday to Friday from 9am - 5pm. Any communications received outside of these hours will be processed during the next working day.

All communication regarding in school lessons should be with the Open 2 Music office and not directly with our teachers.

For online lessons communication with our teachers is for contact only. For any other queries, please direct your enquiries to the office.

Office contact details are:

contact@open2music.com

dawn@open2music.com

Payments 

All lessons will be renewed automatically each half term unless you choose to discontinue tuition by sending us a written notice of cancellation as detailed below. Invoices will automatically be sent to you in advance and we must receive payment no later than 7 days before the first lesson.

Late Payments

If you are aware of an issue making payment by the due date please contact us as soon as possible. 

Late payment may result in the lesson being withheld and potentially the lesson time being reallocated to another pupil. 

Lesson Times:

In-school Lesson Scheduling

In-school lessons are scheduled via Open 2 Music and should a pupil wish to change a scheduled lesson time then all must be communicated via the office, and not directly with the teacher.

Online Lesson Scheduling

Online lessons are initially scheduled via Open 2 Music and should a pupil wish to change a scheduled lesson time then that can be communicated directly with the teacher.

In School Lessons

Lesson times will be posted on our website. This will be communicated at the start of each half term once the schedule is available. Please note that days / times may differ from the previous half term and may also vary during the half term. These days / times will apply for the half term and should any amendments be necessary a communication will be sent via email to inform you that the schedule has been updated. It is the parents / guardian’s responsibility to inform the pupil of any changes.

Please note that lessons may be fixed or rotated depending on the school attended and lesson availability. If a pupil commences lessons mid half term then the lessons may be scheduled at a fixed time for the remaining few weeks of that half term then, unless otherwise communicated, lessons will be placed on the lesson rota for the proceeding half term. If a fixed lesson time is required for the proceeding half term please contact the office to check availability.

Once lessons have been timetabled it is expected that pupils will attend all lessons at the given time. If you have any queries regarding your child’s music lesson day or time, please contact us as soon as you receive our lesson schedule.

It is the parent / guardian’s responsibility to inform Open 2 Music of any timetable changes e.g. parents evenings / school trips / sports days / exams etc. that may affect their childs music lesson. Open 2 Music does not have access to individual pupils school timetables and the school is not responsible for informing Open 2 Music of individual pupils unavailability for music lessons, it is solely at the parent / guardian’s responsibility to inform Open 2 Music.

Music Lesson Room (Secondary Schools)

Please note that lessons may not always take place in the same room each week and the rooms can vary depending on what is happening in the Music Department that week, this is something which Open 2 Music has no control over. It is therefore the responsibility of the pupil to check all practice rooms and if the teacher cannot be located then to ask the Head of Music / School Reception. If the teacher is still with a previous pupil at your childs scheduled lesson time, then please can the pupil knock on the door to alert the teacher they are there and then to wait. (More information on this is contained in the Taster / Lesson Confirmation emails)

Online Lessons

Online lessons are scheduled at a time agreed between the teacher and parent or pupil (if over 18 years old). Once lessons have been timetabled and confirmed it is expected that pupils will attend all lessons at the given time.

Credits and Refunds:

If a tutor is absent for a lesson then Open 2 Music will either provide a cover teacher for the lesson or attempt to make up this lesson at a later date. If this is not possible a credit or refund will be issued by Open 2 Music. 

In School

Refunds and credits will not be given in the event of pupil absence for example due to sickness, school trips, exams, dental / medical appointments, etc. unless Open 2 Music have agreed the absence in advance (see terms below for Agreed Absence). Where possible tutors may be able to make up a missed lesson but neither the teacher nor Open 2 Music are under any obligation to do so. 

It is the parent / guardian’s responsibility to inform Open 2 Music of any timetable changes e.g. parents evenings / school trips / sports days / exams etc. that may affect their music lesson. Open 2 Music does not have access to individual pupils school timetables.

We will endeavour to accommodate requests for a change of lesson day / time as long as the request is submitted at least 2 working days before the scheduled lesson, however it is not guaranteed that we will be able to change the lesson due to teacher availability, and therefore will not be subject to being credited / refunded if there is no suitable lesson available. Please also see Agreed Absence Terms below.

Online

Requests for change of online lesson day / times should be sent directly to your child’s music teacher.

Our teacher will endeavour to accommodate requests for a change of lesson day / time as long as the request is submitted at least 2 working days before the scheduled lesson, however it is not guaranteed that they will be able to change the lesson due to availability, and therefore will not be subject to being credited / refunded if there is no suitable lesson available. Please also see Agreed Absence Terms below.

Refunds will not be given in the event of pupil absence for example due to sickness, school trips, exams, dental / medical appointments, etc. unless Open 2 Music have agreed the absence in advance (see terms below for Agreed Absence). These absences should be communicated to the Open 2 Music office.

Could we please ask that you are considerate of our teacher’s private time and understand that they will not always be instantly available to respond to your request.

Agreed Absence Terms

For both in school and online lessons, Open 2 Music will allow up to one Agreed Absence per half term if given at least one weeks’ notice. Notice must be received in writing directly by Open 2 Music (not to the pupils school or tutor) by email to dawn@open2music.com. 

Giving Notice  

We require a minimum of four lessons notice in writing, effective from the date we receive the notification. You will be liable for payment of these lessons whether or not the pupil attends. To cancel tuition, please send written notification directly to Open 2 Music (not to the pupils school or tutor) by email to dawn@open2music.com. We will confirm your final lesson date and any additional payments due within three working days of receipt. 

If you do not wish to continue lessons into a new academic year then we must receive written notification before end of the preceding July.

Tutors 

All instrumental and vocal tutors are highly qualified and all appropriate checks are made and provided to the school. We reserve the right to change tutors but will endeavour to tell you if this is necessary. If we are unable to find a replacement tutor then we will refund or credit the relevant fee as appropriate. All tuition depends on the availability of tutors. 

Exams 

We do not expect all pupils to take exams unless they wish to, however if a pupil wishes to take exams the teacher will provide advice on grades and timing. Parents will be responsible for entering the pupil for the exam with the relevant exam board on the advice of the teacher. Parents are requested not to book exams until the teacher has confirmed the pupil will be ready. 

How to pay for lessons 

All fees must be paid in advance, by the date indicated on your invoice. 

Payment is made through online banking via our account - full details will be on your invoice. Please ensure you include the pupil name as a reference and ensure payment is made by the due date. 

Equipment 

Parents are expected to provide instruments, where applicable, accessories and music where possible. Open 2 Music does not accept liability for loss or damage to any personal possessions or personal injury, however caused. Any damage to instruments or equipment belonging to the teacher, Open 2 Music, or the school, caused by the pupil, will be the responsibility of the parent. 

For hygiene reasons it is highly recommended for pupils to use their own instruments. For drum students, please ensure that your child brings their own drum sticks to each lesson.  

If your child does not own their own instrument i.e. guitar / ukulele etc. please ensure that you inform Open 2 Music before lessons recommence.

Online Safety

It is the parent / carers responsibility to ensure that their child is appropriately safeguarded in their home environment.  For pupils under 16 years old we require an appropriate adult to be in attendance at all times. This does not mean they have to sit in the lesson, but they must be within the pupil's calling distance, this is at the parents discretion. We recommend an appropriate adult stays with younger children in case they need assistance, again this is at the discretion of the adult.

Our tutors reserve the right to terminate the lesson immediately if they feel the pupil is not appropriately supervised, is behaving inappropriately, or is inappropriately dressed.  In this case we will call the parent / carer to let them know, as soon as is practically possible.

Safeguarding 

Open 2 Music believes that a child or young person should never experience abuse of any kind. We have a responsibility to promote the welfare of children and young people and to keep them safe. We are committed to practice in a way that protects them and to that end we have a clear

Safeguarding Policy which has been informed by the NSPCC’s general guidance. All our tutors have a clear Enhanced DBS check and are required to undertake and pass an NSPCC / Musicians Union online safeguarding training programme specifically relating to music tuition. 

Policies and Procedures 

We have the following policies and procedures available on request: 

• Data Protection Policy
• Conduct, Personal Safety and Lone working
• Recording and Information Sharing
• Safeguarding (Child Protection and Adults At Risk) 

If you wish to receive a copy of any or all of these documents please email contact@open2music.com. 

Your information will never be shared with third parties, unless complying with legal obligations or instances allowable under our safeguarding and information sharing policies. 

Agreement that you have read, understood and accept our Terms and Conditions will be upon payment of the first invoice and that you are giving Open 2 Music permission to record and store the information you have provided. This will be held securely and will only be used by members of Open 2 Music members and staff in accordance with our Data Protection Policy. 

All data is stored and used in compliance with the Data Protection Act 1998 and the GDPR 2018. 

A copy of our full Data Protection Policy can be requested by contacting us at contact@open2music. 

Updated: 25/07/2023