Fees & Payment
Fees are £20 per half hour lesson.
Fees are charged on a monthly basis, one month in advance. We email invoices on the 15th of each month for the month following:
We ask that all clients pay for lessons by setting up a direct debit, to be collected at the end of each month
Lesson Start Times
Lessons will be given from my home teaching premises in Nailsworth, or online via Zoom, at my discretion.
It is requested that students arrive at the beginning of their allocated teaching slot, with the books and equipment required for the lesson. Unfortunately, I cannot allow lessons to run over due to late arrival.
Lesson Cancellations
Students are expected to attend each week that the studio is open.
The studio runs at full capacity. Cancelled lessons cannot be resold, and replacement teaching time cannot be created. Missed or cancelled lessons will not be refunded.
Students may have the opportunity to reschedule missed or cancelled lessons, during vacant slots within the studio’s working hours, should these arise. Lessons will be rescheduled subject to availability, and at my discretion.
Should I have to cancel a lesson, for any reason, the lesson price will be refunded in full from the balance of the next invoice.
Teaching Schedule
During School Year
Piano teaching is divided into 3 terms. Each year the dates of these mirror Gloucestershire County Council’s “School Terms and Holidays”
Five Valleys Piano closes during national bank holidays, but will not close for half-term breaks unless stated otherwise.
Outside of School Year
Five Valleys Piano closes for the Christmas and Easter Holidays.
During the Summer, I offer 2 weeks of teaching. Summer teaching dates will be announced no later than the beginning of July – but may be subject to change thereafter.
It is recommended that all students attend lessons during the summer holiday. Seven weeks is a long time to go without a lesson, and a considerable part of a student’s progress may be lost if no lessons are taken.
Home & Practice
All students need to own an acoustic piano, a digital piano, or a keyboard on which to practice. I recommend either an acoustic piano or a digital piano with 88 weighted keys and pedals. Acoustic pianos should ideally be tuned at least once a year. It is strongly recommended that every student own a metronome. Students should practice the pieces and exercises set by the teacher. At times other types of “homework” may be set e.g. theory or note reading exercises.
Successfully learning the piano requires a commitment to practice for at least 15 minutes a day, 5 days a week. Students are reminded that those who do not practice regularly will fail to progress, regardless of the best efforts of their teacher.
Discontinuation of Lessons
Lessons may be discontinued without notice at discretion of teacher. If lessons are discontinued by teacher, refund will be given for lessons paid for but not offered.
Clients wishing to discontinue lessons must give 28 days’ notice.
