Music School Policy - 2026/2027

STUDENT COMMITMENT

Private Lessons - Piano, Violin, Viola, Cello: Lessons are organised into ‘terms’ that roughly follow the State School terms dates (usually 11-13 weeks depending on the time of year). Students commit to lessons termly and are invoiced for the amount of weeks in a given school term. Pro rata rates apply if students join our school in the middle of a term.

FEES

Private Lessons: £58 per hour, times the weeks in a term. (£43.50 - 45 minute lesson / £29 - 30 minute lesson)

ADDITIONAL FEES

Material / Music Library Fee- (Piano Students) There is a £20 material fee at the start of the year (September) per child.

Recital Fee - £12 in the Winter and Summer Terms for all school-aged students (through A-Level). Recitals are compulsory and this fee is not optional (see below for further recital information).

OTHER FEES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR

Books: Piano students do not often have to buy new books as we have a loaning library and all beginners receive their own music books as part of lessons. However, sometimes it’s useful for students to own their own copies of advanced repertoire and we will discuss this with families on a case-by-case basis to help you decide if you should invest in particular repertoire.

Festivals / Exams etc: In some instances throughout the year there might be other additional fees. Such fees might include: exam registration, additional exam music books, instrument hire, music festival registration, masterclass/workshop sign up fees etc. We will always have a discussion with you about these fees to decide together if you would like to take part in such activities.

LESSON CANCELLATION

It is important that students commit to and prioritise their lesson time. However, if a student needs to cancel their lesson (illness etc), you can simply message to say they won't be able to attend that particular lesson. If cancellations become frequent we will suggest that students discontinue lessons and their space will be offered to the waitlist.

  • We do not offer refunds or credits for cancelled lessons

  • We are unable to reschedule missed lessons

  • Missed Lessons do not roll over to the following term

If we have to cancel a lesson for any reason we will always do one of the following:

  • Provide a substitute teacher

  • Offer a make-up lesson

  • Apply a credit to the next term's invoice

REARRANGING YOUR LESSON TIME

Once your particular weekly lesson time has been confirmed it is difficult for us to change it. If you find that your lesson time is not working for your family you can request a new time and we will do our best to accommodate this but it might take an entire academic year to find an alternative time.

Likewise, it is not possible for us to offer different lesson times during the week if you have a scheduling clash. If such a clash arrises your lesson will simply be missed.

We ask that families prioritise lessons as this is how holistic progress is made and real joy is found in music.

LATE ARRIVAL

If you arrive late to your lesson, we might not be able to go over time and give you a full lesson. We will try to be flexible with this but please try to arrive promptly for the start of your lesson.

PRACTICE

Parents agree to work with children to build good practice routines and help children meet goals and challenges. Without parental commitment in this area, student progress will be slow and frustrating. We understand that building healthy practice habits takes patience and time. We create a lot of activities, projects and challenges to help students develop these skills. Please chat with us if practice becomes a struggle and we can work together to help make this easier.

RECITALS

Surrey Hills Music School organises several opportunities for performance throughout the year and these performances are an integral part of the curriculum. There are recitals in December and in the summer term. Students are carefully prepared for these performances over several weeks and months, so that they feel confident and prepared.

Please Note: Recitals are compulsory for all school-age students in private lessons

After a student has studied with us for more than a term they are required to participate in BOTH the December recital and another one in the summer term. If there is ever a concern about an upcoming performance please chat with us and we will work together to make this easier.

If students habitually opt out of recitals we will suggest that they discontinue lessons and their space will be offered to the waitlist.

EXAMS

All students who study with Surrey Hills Music School are taught at a high international level. Their training will allow them to choose any musical path they desire. Sitting performance and theory exams are not necessary for this process and sometimes even get in the way of it, for this reason exams are NOT compulsory.

If a student ever wants to sit an exam we are happy to discuss this and will help them to prepare. At certain stages throughout their studies exams might be useful and might help them prepare them for musical studies within the British school system.However, we might suggest that the time is not right for an exam and ask them to wait.

Expectations before committing to an exam:

  • Students are required to have spent at least 1-2 years in weekly lessons before considering sitting any exam.

  • Students are required to be in a comfortable routine of daily practice.

PHYSICAL CONTACT WAIVER

Safe and effective music instruction often requires appropriate physical contact between the teacher and the student. This is used exclusively to demonstrate proper posture, alignment, technique etc. Parents are always welcome to sit in on and observe lessons and we ask each family to sign a ‘physical contact waiver’.

  • Nature of Contact: Physical contact will be strictly professional, educational, and limited to non-sensitive areas such as the hands, wrists, arms, shoulders, and back.

  • Prior Consent: The Teacher will verbally request on-the-spot permission before initiating any physical correction, and the Student retains the right to decline physical adjustments at any time.

STOPPING LESSONS

We ask for half a term’s notice if you have decided to stop lessons.

OUR COMMITMENT TO YOU

We consider it a privilege to work with each student. We strive to provide excellent music instruction patiently and kindly. We will always communicate with you and be available to discuss any questions or concerns. We will always work together with you to create the best learning experience possible.