GUITAR TUITION
Terms & Conditions of Tuition
Private One-to-One Lessons | Online Lessons | Home Visits | Guitar Courses
Welcome to my guitar tuition service. My aim is to provide enjoyable, structured and productive lessons, helping students develop their playing, musical understanding and confidence.
To ensure that lessons run smoothly and that teaching time is properly reserved, the following Terms & Conditions apply to all students.
By booking lessons or enrolling in a course, students (or their parent/guardian where applicable) agree to these terms.
1. Bookings and Monthly Payments
1.1 All lessons must be booked in advance and agreed with the teacher.
1.2 Lessons are arranged on a monthly basis, with students confirming their preferred lesson dates and times in advance.
1.3 Payment is required at the beginning of each month, in advance of the scheduled lessons.
1.4 Monthly invoices will reflect the actual number of lessons scheduled during that calendar month. Months containing five weekly lessons will therefore include five lesson payments.
1.5 Payment secures the student's agreed lesson dates and times. Once booked, these times are reserved specifically for that student.
1.6 Lessons must be paid for regardless of whether the student subsequently attends, subject to the cancellation and rearrangement provisions below.
1.7 Where payment has not been received, the teacher reserves the right to withhold confirmation of future bookings or suspend tuition.
2. Cancellations and Rearranging Lessons
2.1 A minimum of 48 hours' notice is required for requests to cancel or rearrange a lesson, except where a different notice period applies to home visits under Section 5.
2.2 Where sufficient notice is provided, the teacher will endeavour to offer an alternative lesson time, subject to availability.
2.3 Rearranged lessons are not guaranteed and must be agreed in advance.
2.4 Cancellations made with less than the required notice will be charged at the full lesson rate.
2.5 Missed lessons, failure to attend or failure to connect to an online lesson at the agreed time will be treated as a late cancellation.
2.6 Lessons cannot automatically be carried forward, accumulated or refunded because of student cancellations.
2.7 Exceptions may be considered in genuine emergencies or exceptional circumstances, at the teacher's discretion.
3. Practice and Student Commitment
3.1 Students are encouraged to practise regularly between lessons to maximise their progress.
3.2 Students should make a reasonable effort to complete exercises, techniques and material covered during previous lessons.
3.3 Not having practised, completed homework or worked through previous lesson material is not a reason to cancel or postpone a lesson.
3.4 Lessons can always be adapted to accommodate a student's progress. If practice has not been completed, the lesson can be used to revisit previous material, work on technique, address difficulties or consolidate existing skills.
3.5 Progress depends on the student's commitment and practice outside lesson time. Specific results or progression within a particular timeframe cannot be guaranteed.
4. Online Lessons
4.1 Online lessons take place using an agreed video conferencing platform.
4.2 Students are responsible for having a suitable internet connection, working equipment and an appropriate environment for learning.
4.3 Students should be ready to connect at the agreed lesson time.
4.4 If technical problems on the student's side prevent the lesson from taking place, the normal cancellation policy will apply.
4.5 If technical problems on the teacher's side prevent the lesson from taking place, an alternative lesson or appropriate credit will be offered.
4.6 Online lessons are subject to the same advance booking and payment arrangements as face-to-face tuition.
5. Home Visits – Lessons at the Student's Home
5.1 Home visits involve additional time, travel and scheduling commitments on the part of the teacher.
5.2 An agreed home-visit appointment represents a firm commitment of teaching time and travel arrangements.
5.3 A minimum of seven days' notice is required to request cancellation or rearrangement of a home-visit lesson.
5.4 Cancellations made with less than seven days' notice will normally be charged at the full lesson rate.
5.5 Rearrangement of home visits is subject to availability and cannot be guaranteed, particularly where travel arrangements have already been committed.
5.6 Students and parents/guardians are responsible for ensuring that someone is available to receive the teacher at the agreed time.
5.7 Where the teacher has already travelled or arrived at the agreed location, the full lesson fee remains payable if the student is unavailable.
5.8 Any exceptional circumstances will be considered at the teacher's discretion.
6. Studio Lessons – Students Visiting the Teacher
6.1 Students attending lessons at the teacher's teaching premises must arrive at the agreed time.
6.2 A minimum of 48 hours' notice is required for cancellation or rearrangement.
6.3 Late cancellations and missed appointments will be charged at the full lesson rate.
6.4 Students should arrive prepared and ready to begin their lesson at the scheduled time.
6.5 Any changes to agreed lesson arrangements must be confirmed in advance.
7. School-Age Students and Exam Periods
7.1 I recognise that younger students have additional commitments, including schoolwork, examinations, GCSEs, family arrangements and other activities.
7.2 Reasonable flexibility will be offered wherever possible, provided changes are communicated in advance.
7.3 Students and parents/guardians are encouraged to discuss known examination periods, holidays or other commitments when arranging monthly lesson dates.
7.4 Where a break in tuition is required, this should be discussed and agreed before the beginning of the relevant month.
7.5 Once monthly lesson dates have been confirmed, the standard cancellation arrangements apply.
7.6 Flexibility is offered subject to availability and does not constitute an automatic entitlement to refunds, replacement lessons or carried-forward sessions.
8. Fees and Payment Arrangements
8.1 All lesson fees will be agreed before tuition begins.
8.2 Monthly payments must be received in advance, by the agreed payment date.
8.3 Payment methods will be agreed between the teacher and student.
8.4 Any changes to lesson fees will be communicated in writing with a minimum of six weeks' notice.
8.5 Any agreed discounts or special rates are individual arrangements and may be reviewed periodically with reasonable notice.
9. Course and Learning Materials
9.1 Students enrolled in the blues guitar course will receive access to the agreed teaching materials and learning resources.
9.2 Course materials, exercises, backing tracks, videos and lesson notes are provided for personal educational use only.
9.3 Materials must not be copied, distributed, shared, resold or made publicly available without prior written permission.
9.4 Students are responsible for working through the course material and practising between sessions.
9.5 Course-specific payment, attendance and cancellation arrangements will be confirmed at the time of enrolment where they differ from standard private tuition.
10. Holidays and Teacher Absence
10.1 The teacher will provide reasonable advance notice of planned holidays or periods when tuition will not be available.
10.2 Where the teacher is unable to provide a scheduled lesson, an alternative lesson or appropriate credit will be offered.
10.3 Students will not be charged for lessons cancelled by the teacher.
11. Ending Regular Tuition
11.1 Either party may end an ongoing teaching arrangement by providing six weeks' written notice.
11.2 The notice period allows sufficient time for lesson schedules and reserved teaching slots to be reorganised.
11.3 Payment arrangements during the notice period will be agreed in accordance with the scheduled lessons and applicable cancellation provisions.
11.4 Any outstanding fees must be settled.
11.5 Nothing in this section restricts statutory cancellation rights or other rights available under consumer law.
12. General Conditions
12.1 Students are expected to behave respectfully and appropriately during lessons.
12.2 For students under 18, all contractual arrangements must be agreed with a parent or legal guardian, who will be responsible for payment and communications.
12.3 The teacher reserves the right to discontinue tuition where serious or repeated inappropriate behaviour makes the teaching arrangement unreasonable.
12.4 These Terms & Conditions apply consistently to all students, regardless of lesson format, unless a specific alternative arrangement has been agreed in writing.
13. Consumer Rights
13.1 Nothing in these Terms & Conditions affects the student's statutory consumer rights.
13.2 Where an agreement is made online, by telephone or away from business premises, a statutory 14-day cancellation period may apply.
13.3 Where applicable, students will be provided with the required cancellation information and arrangements for requesting that tuition begins during this period.
STUDENT AGREEMENT
By booking guitar lessons, the student or parent/guardian confirms that they have read, understood and accepted these Terms & Conditions.