Frequently Asked Questions

1. I pay via monthly direct debit. Why have I got an invoice?
2. How is my invoice calculated?
3. My child has a school trip/sports day/secondary school visit planned for the day I have my lesson. What do I do?
4. My child missed their lesson today as they weren’t called or the teacher was absent. What happens next?
5. What happens if my child is ill or on holiday or forgot to attend their lesson?
6. How long should my child’s lesson be and how many should be in the group?
7. What happens if my child forgets their instrument?
8. My child’s instrument is broken and has been sent back for repair?
9. How do I pay for my child’s lessons?
10. My child wishes to stop having lessons. What do I do?
     

I pay via monthly direct debit. Why have I got an invoice?

Parents pay Normans Musical Instruments via direct debit for the hire of their instrument. Music for Schools will always invoice parents separately at the beginning of a term for the next terms worth of lessons.

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How is my invoice calculated?

Music for Schools endeavor to deliver 30 lessons over the course of an academic year. As a parent you will be aware there are more than 30 weeks available in order for us to teach however we have to allow for tutor illness/school trips/SATS tests etc... Therefore we will only ever promise to deliver a maximum of 30 lessons. For payment purposes we break these down into 5 lessons per half term. Depending on when your child starts, will depend how many lessons the tutor can deliver. For a basic breakdown, see below.

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My child has a school trip/sports day/secondary school visit planned for the day I have my lesson. What do I do?

If your child has an event of any kind planned we should already know about it, however we do ask for support from everyone. At the beginning of a term our tutors advise schools of their proposed timetable for the next 10 weeks. At this point we do ask if there are any planned activities that could affect the lessons. If the teacher has enough notice, (usually 2 working days) they can reschedule the lesson. However if the teacher arrives at the school in order to teach the lesson to find the children are not there then we are under no obligation to replace the missed lesson.

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My child missed their lesson today as they weren’t called or the teacher was absent. What happens next?

MfSF believe that the one of the main principles of learning an instrument at this young age is that it encourages the children to be responsible. They have to remember to take their instrument and book to the lesson. They have to remember to practice and they have to remember to attend. We do understand that we are dealing with children and there may be occasions when attending the lesson is a problem and in these instances we ask parents to give us a call and we will happily liase with your child’s teacher on their behalf. Many schools will not allow our tutors to collect the children from the classes, therefore we operate a last child calls the next child policy in most schools. If your teacher was absent, then your missed lesson will be made up before the end of the academic year.

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What happens if my child is ill, on holiday or forgot to attend their lesson?

Unfortunately, this lesson cannot be made up. Most tutors will try and find some extra time for you however this is at their discretion. If your child has a long term illness or a broken limb resulting in them not being able to attend lessons then please give us a call at the earliest opportunity in order for us to ensure that we sort this for you.

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What happens if my child forgets their instrument?

We advise that all children attend their lessons even if they have forgotten their instrument. This enables the children to continue learning the theory element of the lessons.

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My child’s instrument is broken and has been sent back for repair?

We advise that all children attend their lessons even if they have have no instrument for that week. This is because the children can continue to learn the theory element of the lessons. If for any reason a theory lesson cannot be given the lesson will be made up at a later date.

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What do I do if my child’s instrument isn’t working?

If you have obtained your instrument through Normans Musical Instruments and a problem arises, your instrument may be repaired by your child's tutor. If they are unable to make the repair and the instrument is within the specified guarantee period of the rental or purchase, the instrument should be forwarded (with an explanatory covering letter) to the designated Normans repairer, who is located at:

Normans Musical Instruments
3rd Avenue
Centrum 100
Burton on Trent
Staffordshire
DE14 2WD
Tel: 08000 28 14 15

Please do not take the instrument to be repaired by a non-affiliated Normans repairer, as Normans would be unable to reimburse repair fees.

Pupils attending lessons with a non Normans instrument must make sure that their instrument is in good working order. Should a minor fault occur, the MfSF tutor will attempt to repair the instrument in order to ensure the pupil can participate in the lesson.

If you do not wish the tutor to make repairs to your child's instrument, please advise MfSF Head Office in writing, at the address above, before tuition commences. If the tutor is unable to repair the instrument, please make arrangements to repair the instrument prior to the next lesson.

Pupils attending lessons with their own instruments must make sure that their instrument is in good working order. Should a minor fault occur, the MfSF tutor will attempt to repair the instrument in order to ensure the pupil can participate in the lesson.

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How do I pay for my child’s lessons?

After your initial registration we will send you an invoice when you are next required to pay. All invoices must be settled within two weeks of the invoice date. After this point, a surcharge will be added to each account. Payment should be made by cheque, credit or debit card, or online via our website. Please do not send cash and do not send any monies to our tutor.

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How long should my child’s lesson be and how many children in the group?

Music for Schools are a group learning scheme and as such we prefer to teach in groups wherever possible, however sometimes due to time constraints or learning pace its more beneficial to have children learning on a 1-1. It is advisable that pupils arrive punctually or a few minutes early, in order to maximise lesson time. MfSF will endeavor to accommodate parental requests. However, this is dependent on tutor availability.

4/5 Children 30 Minute Lesson
3 Children 20 Minute Lesson
2 Children 15 Minute Lesson
1 Child 10 Minute Lesson

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My child wishes to stop having lessons. What do I do?

In the hopefully unlikely event that your child wishes to finish lessons, please notify MfSF Head Office at the earliest opportunity – cancellations should not be done through schools or tutors. Please note that we require half a term's notice prior to ceasing tuition, and unfortunately, we are unable to give tuition refunds if you have already paid.

As more lessons are usually given in the Autumn and Spring Terms, when cancelling lessons in the Spring or Summer Terms you may therefore be required to pay for lessons taken but not covered by previous invoices.

If you have purchased your instrument outright from Normans, you can return it to them for a 75% refund within 6 months of your lessons starting (calculated from the date of your first lesson). If you wish to cancel a hire agreement with Normans, this can be done provided at least 3 payments have been made. Please contact Normans Musical Instruments for more information on 08000 281 415.

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Please click here if you wish to view our current Tuition Fact Sheet which can be saved for your records.

If you would also like to view a copy of the instrument care and maintenence guidelines given to us by Normans Musical Instruments, please click here.