Need advice re music tuition

[EvilTwinsAteRudolph]

I'm coming at this from the POV of a teacher, and would like to hear some POV from parents please.

I'm Head of Performing Arts at a secondary school - newly returned to post after 4 yrs off as SAHM. Same school though (lucky coincidence) One of my jobs is sorting out peripatetic music tuition. We had a really slow (and small) take up this year - rural area, low income families, credit cruch etc. We always say that unless 2 or more students want to learn the same instrument, we can't offer it, as single lessons are expensive - the county music service bills us, and we pass the cost on to parents, splitting it into termly amounts, and dividing by the number of students in the lesson (usually group lesson of between 2 and 4 (not ideal, IMO, but the way it seems to have been done for years). About 3 weeks into term, it came to my notice that one student - a lovely Yr 8 boy, was having an individual lesson with one of the peri teachers, which I had no idea about - it wasn't arranged via me or school - the boy's mum had (I think) sorted it out directly with the teacher, as he taught the boy last year too. I spoke to the mother about this - just let her know that it wasn't the usual way to sort it, and that school had to arrange it with County. Thing is, he's the only one learning this instrument, and so when we got the bill from county, we've had no option but to pass on the whole thing to her. She's livid - our letter (which she did not wait for before arranging her son's lesson, and hasn't signed and returned the slip anyway) states a certain amount per lesson, and of course she's been landed with a bill for double that.

I need to contact her to sort this out, but would value some opinions from wise MNers as to how to handle it - how would you feel in her position?

TIA

[harpsichordcarrier]

OK let me be clear about this - she arranged these lessons without sorting out the cost in advance? and she did it privately? then she CAN'T complain imo.
How much is it, out of interest?

[EvilTwinsAteRudolph]

It's about £140. She was expecting it to be about £70 - two term's worth of weekly lessons. She'll be basing it on what she paid last year, when her son was one of a group of 3 students learning the same instrument together.

[harpsichordcarrier]

Music lessons are clearly charged per hour and will be more if it's one to one. £140 is about right isn't it?

So, what did the letter say?
Has she been misled?

[DanZZZenAroundTheTreeAgain]

"our letter (which she did not wait for before arranging her son's lesson, and hasn't signed and returned the slip anyway) states a certain amount per lesson, and of course she's been landed with a bill for double that."


Who sent her the letter with the incorrect sum on it? Someone has failed to notify her that as it is a private lesson (as in 1:1) she will need to pay the total amount as I see it, presumably the teacher with whom she directly organised the whole thing, bypassing the standard procedure for some reason.

Not sure how to resolve this really.

[flowerytaleofNewYork]

If she was written to stating her son's lessons would cost £70 how can you justifiably charge her £140? Did the letter say anything like 'lessons are £70 when given in twos because the cost is split'?

[flowerytaleofNewYork]

Sounds as though she was wrong/ignorant of procedure to arrange the lessons directly, assumed they would be £70 then received a letter confirming that cost.

[DanZZZenAroundTheTreeAgain]

I'm a bit surprised though that it did not occur to her that a private lesson would be more expensive than a group lesson with 3 participants.

[EvilTwinsAteRudolph]

Just to clarify, at the beginning of term, I spoke to County Music Services, to clarify a) which instruments they were able to offer and b) what they would be charging this year. I then sent a letter to parents of any student expressing an interest in music tuition stating that the hourly rate was £XXX (works out at £35ish per term) but that we would be unable to run lessons if there were not sufficient students, and that there must be at least two students for each instrument. This is exactly what happened last year, so the mother in question ought to have been aware of the procedure. This particular boy did not return a letter (all parents have to sign to say that they understand costs etc and that lessons are to be paid for termly). I realised that he was having his lessons before I had actually called County Music to arrange which tutors would be coming in, which is why I spoke to his mother. She was lovely, but quite obviously unaware of how expensive music lessons can be - she was keen for her son to take up a second instrument, but thought that she was more likely to find a cheaper teacher if she looked independently rather than going through school.

I guess I'm just going to have to phone her and tell her that she was wrong to go ahead with arrangements without the school's agreement and that the cost is up to her to cover.

[flowerytaleofNewYork]

Did the letter actually say it had to be arranged through the school though? Did she know she wasn't allowed to sort it with the teacher directly?

If the letter said the school would be unable to run lessons without enough students and there must be at least two, she probably thought it was ok for this particular instrument as the teacher had gone ahead with the arrangement rather than saying no, as he/she ought to have done. And then the mother had a letter confirming the hourly rate was as she thought.

[NoahAndTheWhale]

Where we are, you apply to the County Music Service and it is clearly stated how much lessons would be in the event of your child being in a small group of 2, 3 or 4 (not sure if you can do individual lessons or not).

It goes through the school inasmuch as there only are certain instruments offered at the school (is a primary school) but the billing is all direct with parents.

[NoahAndTheWhale]

Have looked again and it is £62/term for group of up to 4 and £175/term for individual lessons. It makes it very clear how much it costs.

[thetasigmamum]

I'm not surprised that the take-up is low at your school given the poor commitment from the school in providing music lessons. How could you possibly justify withdrawing lessons on a particular instrument from a child who is keen and who has been having them in previous years when the existing teacher is still ready willing and able to give the lessons? With the uncertainty that must bring to those pupils who are keen no wonder few want to put themselves at the mercy of the school.

On the issue of the amount charged, if the school - you - sent a letter quoting a specified figure then that is your contract with the parent. You can't make her pay more now.

I'm appalled that someone who is head of performing arts at a secondary school could be so disinterested in the provision of instrumental lessons though. And so lacking in understanding at how the system you have described would naturally drive away most people with any real interest in pursuing music tuition properly.

[santadefiesgravity]

Dh is a peri and my children have peri lessons at school so I come at it from both sides.

It seems to me that the peri is at fault he or she must know that they cannot arrange private lessons with a student in music servicve directed time. You as HOD givem him the timetable and only you can authorise the lessons.

Presumably you hadn't booked this peri so surely the school isn't liable for the cost from the music service.

DD's school piano teacher called me last week to arrange some private lessons over the holiday. However they are held at his home as part of his private practice and are totally outside the scope of the school.

[santadefiesgravity]

Thyetasigna - I think thayt is unfair. Schools have limited budhets and can not subsidise lessons to the extent they used to be able to.

I assume that is there wasn't sufficient take up then the parent could offer to pay the one to one fee however a peri may not be able to travel for just one student anyway.

[maktaitai]

Oof. I have to say that from the letter you describe sending out, I would not necessarily understand that only having 1 child would double the cost - the explicit link between the bit about '£XX per hour' and 'we must have at least two students' seems to be missing. I'm sure it seems like it must be obvious but possibly not to me and maybe not to her - she asked the teacher, could you carry on teaching my son - the teacher said yes and missed the opportunity to check what her cost assumptions were, perhaps because the teacher doesn't normally deal with the money?

I do think she hasn't got a leg to stand on from a procedure point of view but I really feel for her. Is there any way at all that the school could carry the cost for now and charge her in instalments perhaps, maybe £10 a term or something? £70 unexpected is a hell of a lot all of a sudden. And could you do some active outreach trying to get hold of someone else to learn the instrument next term, if she/her son is still interested? That way at least you are doing some things for her?

[thetasigmamum]

Cat64 The teacher in question appears to be completely prepared to travel to the school for one child. And has done so all term. Presumably because he recognizes that his lessons are valued and valuable. And presumably because he doesn't want to leave a pupil who is apparently keen and has been learning for some time just flapping in the wind, abandoned. Which is apparently what the school feels should happen.

I don't necessarily expect head teachers or finance officers to recognize then importance of music tuition. I do however expect someone with the job title 'head of performing arts' to recognize it and to do everything to facilitate the take up of music lessons within the school rather than to actively discourage them. As a parent with several children learning a variety of instruments (and as someone with several peri teachers as close friends) I wouldn't be prepared to commit my child to the uncertainty that is apparently the norm in this particular school.

Regarding the issue of the fees if a letter was sent stating a particular sum then that is the contract. It's not the mother that doesn't have a leg to stand on it's the school, unless the letter clearly stated lessons cost x per term, and are charged at x per pupil for a group lesson of y pupils.

Either way the upshot is likely to be that a school with poor uptake of instrumental lessons will have one fewer pupil learning next term. Which is desperately sad and not something I would be proud of.

The OP asked for the opinion of parents with children who learn instruments at school. I'm a parent with kids who learn instruments at school, and that's my opinion.

[roisin]

I think - given the letter sent out - then you need to somehow find the extra £70 for this bill on this occasion.

I know what a huge headache it is to arrange peri lessons in school and to administer them. I hope you manage to improve the uptake of lessons in your school.

At our school the bills are sent out at the beginning of each term and are due immediately: that might be a good place to start. I think offering the option of individual lessons (for £70 per term or whatever) in your letters would be a good thing.

Do you have any musical groups or bands or choirs in school? At our school all students having instrumental lessons have to agree to join and regularly attend at least one of the extra-curric music groups - one relevant to their instrument. Our lessons are £75 per term for 10 individual lessons (25 mins).

[circular]

I'm with Roisin on this.

I also think it is quite sad that the school does not offer individual lessons.

DD1's school ONLY offers individual, at £60, £80 or £120 a term for 15, 20 or 30 minute lessons.

The 15 minute option is particularly useful for children starting out on wind or brass instruments, as more continuous play can be quite tiring to start with.

When DD started violin in YR7 there were enough pupils learning for the teacher to attend almost a whole day. Now there is only her and one other pupil left, so he is only at the school for an hour. One downside of this is that DD misses part of same school lesson each week.

Not sure it would help the pupil in question much if other children took up the instrument - would the school be able to group them together with a beginner now?

[DanZZZenAroundTheTreeAgain]

I think first make an appointment to speak to the teacher.

Then see if there is any leeway at all the school can offer here.

I agree with Maktai about actively trying to recruit further children for this instrument.

Then ask the mother in (you said she was nice and may now have got over the shock) and speak to her in person. It always makes a difference. I would try to find some kind of compromise if at all possible because there has obviously been a break-down in communication somewhere or in a couple of places along the line and I am not convinced that the entire blame for this lies firmly at the door of the mother.

Is that at all workable?

A letter to all the teachers re future procedure and a new letter to go out to parents in future stating that the school only offers group tuition with a minimum of two students. Lessons must be arranged in following manner ... Also perhaps that suggestion someone made re billing at the beginning of term so there is no doubt about costs involved might be a good step for dealing with this in future.

These type of mishaps happen but I think the school/teacher have a bit of responsibility here so I would try to find a way to make this manageable for the mother.

Is the boy advanced, what instrument is it?

[EvilTwinsAteRudolph]

Thanks for all the replies. It's not an "excuse" as such, but I have taken over the system as it was, rather than having invented/instigated it myself, so to an extent, had to work with what was already in place.

Those of you who are saying that the letter was the contract - you are right, but this mother has not signed it - she (I assume) contacted the peri teacher directly, and organised a time for him to teach her son in school. I only knew because I saw him - he was coming in at lunchtime and teaching in a classroom, rather than the music practise room - since last term, several classrooms have changed, so he doens't actually know that the practise rooms have moved. I have spoken to him, of course, but he's always "in a rush" and doesn't want to speak to me! I suspect he knows that he's done the wrong thing in arranging the lessons without going through the school.

County Music Services have now billed us (at the end of term) which is unusual, but they expect school to deal with the cost.

For those of you saying that it's terrible that there is so little musical provision, I agree. I spent many many hours phoning around parents of the 60 or so students who expressed an interest in music tution at the beginning of term, to be told by all but three that it was too expensive (and I explained the full costs - individual and group rates) We are a rural school in a disadvantaged area and the extra money for music lessons just isn't there. It is sad. Last year, we had many more students learning instruments, but most parents felt that they just couldn't afford it this year. The others, who are all learning the same instrument, signed the form, have paid upfront and are doing well. I'm a department of one, and with all the other stuff I'm doing (school play, choir, glee club, end of term performances, summer term Performing Arts Festival) I can't really spend much more time that I already do actively encouraging students to take up instruments. And sadly, if their parents can't afford to pay, there's nothing more I can do.

[thetasigmamum]

I think it's quite clear where your interests lie, from this latest post. Such a shame for the kids at your school who might want to learn instruments. But hey, they can join the glee club. :(

[brimfull]

I think if I was the parent in this case I would be surprised that the cost would be doubled purely because he is the only child doing that instrument, esp as he has been doing it for a few yrs previously.
I don't envy you explaining to the parent but she clearly shouldn't have arranged with the teacher.
Saying that the peri teacher could have approached parent first. My dd's music teachers have done this.