How to tell school piano teacher we are changing to home lessons

[Darkdiamond]

My 11 year old son has been taking piano lessons with a teacher (Jean) through school since he was in Year 1 and to say he has made slow progress is an understatement. I dont play an instrument so do not have a clue how to help him but I instinctively felt like something was wrong. He scraped a pass in his Grade 1 with regular practice, even though Jean always gave me a glowing report. It is a one off payment each September of around £800 for a 30 minute lesson every week for the academic year.

My son is definitely musical and also sings and acts in school performances.

So coming up to Grade 2, someone recommended a mobile teacher who charges £30 an hour to come to the house. I got her to come and assess my son and she immediately saw many gaps in the skills he should have developed by now. She came once every week for a month in the build-up to the Grade 2 and he got a merit. I instantly could tell the difference in his skill and confidence and he told me that she didn't 'let him get away with mistakes like Jean'.

My Year 5 daughter also does a different musical instrument through school and has also been making very slow progress with a different teacher. She now wants to play piano and loves the 'new' piano teacher so I plan to swap her too.

Finally my youngest who is 4.5, had a generic whole class music lesson in school and they picked up on a talent and told me she should play piano 😄. I told the new teacher and she said she had done training on the Yamaha method with very young children (maybe i picked this up wrong) and she is happy to assess her.

Anyway my dilemma is how to tell Jean that I have another teacher. For context, I work at the school and do not want any bad feeling at all. Jean is lovely and I just don't want the aggro. Jean is a lovely older lady who I have got along with well. She loves my son and always brings him a bar of chocolate to every lesson.

I want text her to tell her (I know, I am a coward!) to put it to her that all 3 will now be playing the piano and a teacher coming to the house every week will help us cut costs. Do you think this will be an OK excuse and keep the peace? Sorry for the waffle but I wanted to explain my rationale a bit more clearly.

I should mention that Jean also teaches in the secondary school that the primary is attached to.

Now he's in year 6 you don't want him missing lessons to go out for his piano lesson so you're moving to home lessons.

A very valid reason that is not at all unusual.

Dear Jean,

Thank you so much for teaching Ben over the years. He has really enjoyed his time with you, escpially the lovely choclate you treat him to. As he enters Year 6, I do not want him missing school lessons, so I have moved his lessons to after school.

All thes best,

Dark Diamond.

That’s very abrupt and dismissive for a lovely lady who loves your son so much that she takes him a bar of chocolate for each lesson.

Definitely having all the lessons in your home is a good reason. But thank her very much for the care that she’s given him, which you appreciate so much, and give her a card and a box of chocolates.

Very good shout!

Tell the school office, I know you said you work in the school and you see her but wouldn’t other parents just cancel by telling the school office? You could use the excuse that he’s taking a break due to SATs revision if you really want to chicken out.

I'm sure I acknowledged that in my OP.

Dear Jean, thank you for teaching DS, he has really enjoyed his lessons with you. I just wanted to let you that as of this term he is moving to home lessons with his siblings.

Yeah but they don't see her all the time. Plus it would feel wrong not to tell her first, after all these years.

Its the wording I need help with.

I want text her to tell her (I know, I am a coward!) to put it to her that all 3 will now be playing the piano and a teacher coming to the house every week will help us cut costs

I don't think you need to mention the other 2. You only need to end the lessons for the one who is actually having lessons from her. It's too much information and irrelevant.
Just say, as another poster suggested, that you have decided to have lessons for him with a teacher who visits the house as you don't want him missing school lessons for piano, now he's in year 6.

‘Janet’, I’m sad to say we are going to have to stop the piano lessons, with ‘Eric’ as we really need to him knuckle down for his final year with SATs coming up. Thank you for everything, feels sad like end of an era!

send a text like that and then leave a box of chocolate in her pigeon hole!

You will obviouhave to let the school know, as you won't be making the lump sum advance payment but I think you should also speak to Jean f2f, thank her for all that she has done for DS including the chocolate and explain that paying for 3 of them in advance would be difficult and as you don't want him to muss Y6 lessons, as a family, you have decided to find a home teacher. I would give DS a card and small box of chocs to give to her, as a thank you.

Best way is to write a song about it and play it to her on the piano. Maybe to the tune of Twinkle, twinkle little star.

Dear Piano Teacher, just a note to let you know that as Johnny moves into Y7 he will no longer be having school piano lessons. We would like to thank you so much and wish you all the very best, with kind regards, Darkdiamond.