DeRosa Music Academy

Tuition Terms & Conditions

These Terms & Conditions apply to tuition provided by DeRosa Music.

By enrolling for tuition and continuing to use our services, the customer agrees to these Terms & Conditions.

1. YEAR-ROUND TUITION

DeRosa Music operates as a year-round Academy and is not restricted to traditional school term dates.

The Academy will normally remain open during school half terms, Easter holidays and summer holidays.

Pupils are allocated a regular weekly lesson time which is reserved for them while they remain enrolled with the Academy.

Individual tutor availability may vary. DeRosa Music tutors are self-employed professionals and some tutors may choose to offer year-round tuition while others may operate on a term-time or reduced- holiday basis.

A pupil's scheduled lessons will therefore reflect the availability of both the pupil and their tutor.

2. TUITION FEES AND MONTHLY PAYMENT

Tuition fees are charged monthly in advance.

On or around the 20th of each month, the Academy will calculate the lessons scheduled for the following calendar month.

Payment will normally be collected on the 1st of the month in which those lessons are due to take place, using the customer's registered payment method.

The amount payable may vary from month to month depending upon:

• The number of scheduled lessons in that calendar month

• Pupil holidays or planned absences notified before the monthly cut-off

• Tutor availability

• Academy closure dates

• Any applicable lesson credits or account adjustments.

Monthly payments are therefore based upon the lessons scheduled for the forthcoming month and are not equal instalments of an annual or termly tuition fee.

Customers are responsible for maintaining a valid payment method and ensuring that tuition fees are paid when due.

3. REGULAR WEEKLY LESSON SLOT

• A pupil's regular weekly lesson time is reserved specifically for that pupil.

• The reserved slot will normally continue each week throughout the year, subject to pupil availability, tutor availability, Academy closure dates and these Terms & Conditions.

• The regular lesson slot remains allocated to the pupil while tuition continues and the customer's account remains in good standing.

4. PUPIL HOLIDAYS AND PLANNED ABSENCE

• Pupils may take up to 6 weeks of planned absence in any rolling 12-month period without being charged for those lessons and while retaining their regular weekly lesson slot, subject to the notification requirements below (A "week" for these purposes means the pupil's normal weekly lesson during that week.)

• Planned absence must be notified to the Academy on or before the 20th of the month preceding the month in which the absence will occur, (For example, an absence during August must be notified by 20 July

Where sufficient notice is provided:

• The lesson will be removed from the following month's schedule

• The lesson will not be charged

• The pupil's regular weekly lesson slot will remain reserved.

The six-week allowance applies only to pupil-requested planned absence.

Tutor absence and Academy closure dates do not count towards the pupil's six-week allowance.

Exceptional circumstances may be considered at the Academy's reasonable discretion.

5. ABSENCE EXCEEDING SIX WEEKS

• The six-week planned absence allowance is intended to provide families with reasonable flexibility while allowing the Academy to maintain continuity of tuition and reserve regular teaching slots.

• Where a pupil wishes to take more than six weeks of planned absence within a rolling 12-month period, the Academy is not obliged to continue reserving the pupil's regular weekly lesson slot without payment.

• The Academy will discuss the available options with the customer before releasing a regular lesson slot. Depending on availability and circumstances, this may include moving the pupil to a flexible lesson arrangement, waiting list or another suitable lesson time.

6. CANCELLATIONS AFTER THE 20TH

• Once the monthly schedule has been confirmed, teaching time has been reserved with the tutor.

• Where a pupil cancels a scheduled lesson after the 20th cut-off, the lesson will remain payable. Once paid, the pupil will receive a lesson credit for the cancelled lesson. The credit may be used towards an alternative lesson subject to the provisions below.

7. TERM TIME TUITION AND CREDITS

• Some tutors choose to provide tuition on a term-time basis. Where a pupil is allocated to a term-time tutor, lessons will follow that tutor's published teaching calendar.

• Lessons will not normally be scheduled during periods in which the tutor has notified the Academy that they are unavailable to teach.

• Lessons which are not scheduled because of the tutor's published term-time availability will not be charged.

• The pupil's regular lesson slot will normally remain reserved for their next scheduled teaching period, provided the pupil remains enrolled and their account is up to date.

• Because term-time tuition already incorporates extended non-teaching periods, the six-week planned pupil absence allowance available under year-round tuition does not apply in addition to term-time tuition.

• Pupils receiving term-time tuition are expected to attend and pay for their scheduled lessons during their tutor's published teaching weeks, subject to the cancellation provisions contained in these Terms.

• Families may request a change between term-time and year-round tuition, but any change is subject to suitable tutor and timetable availability.

8. LESSON CREDITS FOR YEAR ROUND TUITON

• A lesson credit resulting from a pupil cancellation must be used within 60 days of the date of the original scheduled lesson. Alternative lessons are subject to tutor, room and timetable availability and cannot be guaranteed.

- The Academy will make reasonable efforts to provide opportunities for valid lesson credits to be redeemed.

Credits:

• May be used towards an appropriate alternative lesson

• May be provided with the pupil's usual tutor or another suitable tutor where appropriate

• Cannot be exchanged for cash except where a refund is required by law or otherwise agreed by the Academy

• Cannot be transferred to another person without the Academy's agreement

• Expire if they have not been redeemed within 60 days.

The availability of lesson credits does not alter the requirement to provide notice by the 20th where a pupil wishes a lesson to be removed from the following month's charges.

9. TUTOR AVAILABILITY AND ABSENCE

DeRosa Music works with self-employed tutors who determine their own availability.

• Some tutors may teach throughout school holidays while others may offer tuition on a term-time or reduced-holiday basis.

• Where a tutor's planned absence is known before the following month's fees are calculated, the affected lesson will not be charged unless an alternative lesson or suitable tutor has been arranged and agreed.

Where a tutor becomes unavailable after a lesson has been charged, the Academy may offer:

• A suitable alternative tutor;

• An alternative lesson time;

• A lesson credit

• A refund where the Academy cannot provide the lesson or a reasonable alternative.

Tutor absence does not form part of the pupil's six-week planned absence allowance.

10. CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR CLOSURE

• The Academy's standard annual closure is from 23 December to 1 January inclusive. The Academy will normally reopen on 2 January.

• No lessons will be scheduled or charged during the standard Christmas and New Year closure.

• This closure does not count towards a pupil's six-week planned absence allowance.

• Any additional planned Academy closure dates will be communicated to customers in advance and will not be charged unless an agreed alternative lesson is provided.

11. SCHOOL HOLIDAYS

• School holidays, including half terms, Easter and summer holidays, are not automatically Academy holidays.

• Where the Academy and the pupil's tutor are available, regular lessons will continue during these periods.

• Customers who do not wish to attend during a school holiday should notify the Academy in accordance with the planned absence provisions in Section 4.

• School holiday dates themselves do not automatically entitle a customer to cancellation, credit or refund.

12. NOTICE TO END TUITION

• Customers wishing to end regular tuition must provide one month's written notice.

• Notice may be given by email or through another communication method formally designated by the Academy

• Tuition scheduled during the notice period remains payable.

• The pupil may continue attending their scheduled lessons during the notice period.

• Where fees have been paid in advance for lessons falling after the end of the applicable notice period, any amount properly due to the customer will be refunded or credited as appropriate.

• Cancelling a Direct Debit or other payment authority does not itself constitute notice to end tuition.

13. PAYMENT AUTHORISATION

• Customers must maintain a valid payment method while receiving regular tuition.

• Payments may be collected through the Academy's appointed payment providers.

• Customers should not cancel their payment authority until their tuition arrangement has ended and any outstanding amounts have been settled.

• Where an incorrect payment has been collected, the customer should contact the Academy promptly so the account can be reviewed and any amount properly due for refund can be returned.

14. LATE OR FAILED PAYMENTS

• Where payment is not received when due, the Academy may contact the customer and request payment.

• Where an account remains overdue, the Academy may suspend tuition and/or release the pupil's regular weekly lesson slot after giving the customer reasonable notice (Suspending tuition does not remove liability for tuition already provided or properly scheduled and payable under these Terms).

15. CHANGES TO LESSON TIMES OR TUTORS

• From time to time it may be necessary to change a pupil's tutor, room or lesson time.

• The Academy will make reasonable efforts to minimise disruption and will discuss any significant permanent change with the customer.

• Where a tutor ceases providing services to the Academy, we will endeavour to offer a suitable replacement tutor or alternative lesson arrangement.

16. FIRST AID AND HEALTH & SAFETY

Health and safety is taken seriously.

• Customers should inform the Academy of any information reasonably necessary for the safe provision of tuition (e.g Epilepsy, Severe Allergies, Asthma, Diabetes, Mental Health conditions that may affect learning/attendance)

• A qualified First Aider may not always be present on site.

• In an emergency, the Academy will take reasonable steps to safeguard the pupil and contact the parent, carer or emergency services as appropriate.

17. SAFEGUARDING AND SUPERVISION

• Tutors working with children are required to hold appropriate DBS clearance and work within the Academy's safeguarding arrangements.

• DeRosa Music is responsible for a pupil during their scheduled lesson only. The Academy does not provide childcare or general supervision before or after lessons.

• Children remain the responsibility of their parent, carer or accompanying responsible adult until their lesson begins and return to their responsibility when the lesson ends.

• Parents and carers should ensure that pupils are collected promptly at the end of their lesson. If unexpectedly delayed, please contact the Academy as soon as possible.

• Parents and carers should not enter teaching rooms during lessons without prior agreement, particularly where doing so could disrupt tuition or create safeguarding considerations for other pupils

18. CIRCUMSTANCES OUTSIDE OUR REASONABLE CONTROL

Occasionally a lesson may be affected by circumstances outside the reasonable control of the Academy, including severe weather, utility failure, building closure, transport disruption or other exceptional events.

Where reasonably possible, the Academy may offer an alternative method of providing the lesson,

including:

• An online lesson;

• An alternative lesson time;

• An alternative tutor

• A lesson credit

Nothing in this section affects any statutory right the customer may have to a refund or other remedy where a service cannot be provided.

19. CHANGES TO FEES

• Tuition fees may be reviewed periodically.

• Customers will receive reasonable advance notice of any increase in the price of their regular tuition.

• The current lesson price will be communicated at enrolment and whenever a price change is introduced.

20. CHANGES TO THESE TERMS

• The Academy may update these Terms & Conditions where reasonably necessary, including to reflect changes to the way tuition is provided, legal requirements or Academy operations.

• Customers will be given reasonable notice of material changes.

• Where a material change significantly alters the service being provided, customers will have an appropriate opportunity to end their tuition arrangement before the change takes effect.

21. CONSUMER RIGHTS

Nothing in these Terms & Conditions excludes or limits any statutory rights which cannot lawfully be excluded or limited.

Where exceptional circumstances arise which are not specifically covered by these Terms, the Academy will consider the circumstances reasonably and fairly.