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Extra-curricular activities

Find advice on the best extra curricular activities in secondary schools and primary schools here.

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Original poster

Piano teachers......

24 replies

boredofironing · 11/02/2013 22:29

If you teach privately in a school and charge on a termly basis, Do you give refunds if the child is taken out of school to go on holiday?

OP posts:

Picturesinthefirelight · 11/02/2013 22:34

(From the point if view of a dh who was a peri and a mum who pays for piano lessons)

RaspberryLemonPavlova · 12/02/2013 01:06

No, the piano teacher in DCs junior school still charges if you choose to take your child out of school.

If I remember correctly this included dr/dentist appointments.

However she would try and re-arrange lessons round the latter with plenty of notice.

pigsinmud · 12/02/2013 09:21

No dh wouldn't. He might try to rearrange if given plenty of notice. Would you ask the swimming teacher at the local pool to give a refund?

Not meant to sound arsey, it just seems to me a lot of parents expect a refund for music lessons, but quite happily accept they won't get a refund for ballet, swimming lessons etc...

DeWe · 12/02/2013 10:09

School for mine is no refunds, be it for illness, holiday, school trips etc. But they will try and rearrange if it is possible. Wouldn't occur to me to ask either.

Private lessons out of school we would generally either not pay or have another lesson in lue for illness or planned holiday/reason. However this is only for the odd one, if it became frequent, then you'd not get that, if that makes sense.

Original poster

boredofironing · 12/02/2013 10:11

It's down right cheeky isn't it.

I feel like saying "please enjoy your skiing holiday - I can't afford to take my family skiing because clients keep short changing me"

Shilke - yes I agree. Why is this?

OP posts:

Original poster

boredofironing · 12/02/2013 10:14

Only last week I refunded a lesson for this pupil because she was out on a school trip. And now this request to pay me only for 4 lessons instead of the invoiced 5.

OP posts:

Sam100 · 12/02/2013 10:25

Our teacher does not charge where school trips clash with a normal teaching day but would expect payment if the parent voluntarily took the child out of school. We have not had sickness issue but I assume no refunds if the child is off with a cold etc but maybe arrangement if say they had broken arm.

mercibucket · 12/02/2013 10:25

why do you have this as your t and c?

mercibucket · 12/02/2013 10:27

sorry, pressed post a bit early

be stricter and give a contract at the beginning with notice period etc
(not actually a piano teacher but run similar private classes and some parents do take the mick)

Original poster

boredofironing · 12/02/2013 10:27

have what as my t and c?

OP posts:

Original poster

boredofironing · 12/02/2013 10:28

cross post

OP posts:

pigsinmud · 12/02/2013 10:29

Bored - I wasn't sure which angle you were coming from when i replied.....the parent or the teacher. I didn't want to sound too uppity!

It takes the biscuit doesn't it? Dh only teaches privately in independent schools now and some of the parents are amazing in their requests for refunds - dh always wants to ask if they are asking the school for a refund as they are missing 3/4/5 days of the paid term! I think we know the answer to that one!

He does refund for school trips, but only if he is told about them. He has turned up a number of times to discover there are no year 7 & 8s as they're on a trip....no-one told him.

Original poster

boredofironing · 12/02/2013 10:34

I am certainly no businesswoman, that is true.

I never saw this one coming I have to admit. I do state a given notice period.

I think I'll start printing t and c on the back of the invoices and be very blatant about what will / will not be refunded.

Any tips regarding t and c gratefully received.

OP posts:

Original poster

boredofironing · 12/02/2013 10:35

Shilke - Inset days too with no pupils at all in the school!

OP posts:

Picturesinthefirelight · 12/02/2013 12:34

I would expect a refund for school trips/inset as the lessons are organised through school I don't expect to pay if school prevent my child attending

However we willingly paid through dd's panto run and when she missed school to be in a musical.

If dh turns up to school willing to teach and finds the pupils out on a trip where he hasn't been informed he invoices the school for his wasted journey.

LilyBolero · 13/02/2013 15:25

Imo even school trips should be chargeable, because that is time that the peri has been booked to be in school, to teach the child. They are not able to fill that time with another chargeable lesson, because of the nature of music lessons, and it is not reasonable to expect them to lose income because the school has arranged a trip. If queried, the school should probably cover the cost of the lesson.

Daisy17 · 13/02/2013 15:33

The school should refund the teacher for a child being on a school trip as it is the school preventing that lesson being taught not the parent or the teacher. Short answer to original question, no!

Daisy17 · 13/02/2013 15:34

X post, Lily.....

consordino · 13/02/2013 17:33

I can't see the school giving me a whole days teaching money.
Even though the trip was arranged on 3 weeks notice. The school won't even pay to have the piano tuned, or buy a piano stool. I use the piano so I should pay for these things in their opinion.
Luckily, the PTA are supportive and provide these costs. The school isn't interested though.
Re the holiday refund - I've politely said I don't do that. I bet they won't pay though.

consordino · 13/02/2013 17:36

Boredofironing=consordino!!!! Sorry! I forgot I'd just name changed!!!!

LilyBolero · 13/02/2013 20:10

consordino; do they provide the pupils? If so, then is worth looking into legal side, because it may be they are assuming you are self-employed, whereas if they provide the pupils (ie you don't go round canvassing classes for pupils, but they express an interest in learning an instrument and are given to you to teach), then you should probably be employed, which opens up a whole minefield of sick pay, holiday pay and pension.

consordino · 13/02/2013 20:28

No - basically the interest comes from pupils/parents. The school isn't a musical school (I am working on that!). They have whole class music lessons for one year group, but otherwise I am the only visiting instrumental teacher.

The school just let me 'get on with it'. I do other musical stuff for free around the school (don't want to out myself by saying what) but otherwise the school don't get in my way.

Bonsoir · 27/02/2013 11:18

DD has private lessons for piano, swimming and English. If we cancel, tough shit. If the teacher cancels, we either don't pay or reschedule.

ElizaFyfe · 03/03/2013 19:02

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