Dear students and parents,

I hope this message finds you well. 

Firstly I’d like to thank you all for continuing piano lessons with me. I really enjoy the work that I do and would like to remind you all that if there’s anything else you think I can be doing to support yours or your child’s musical education then please let me know. I love receiving feedback from you all as I believe it helps me improve upon what I do. 

My main reason for messaging however is that I’d like to politely remind you all of my cancellation/rearrangement policy and give you all some small updates on it. Ever since I started teaching 6 years there’s always been some cancellations and I’ve always strived to be fair and understanding and I will keep on trying my best to continue to do so. 

Cancellation and Rescheduling Policy

• I will always inform you (either verbally or in writing or both) if I am unable to teach your lesson that we have prearranged. As a rule of thumb, I teach as normal throughout the school holidays and on bank holidays but will always tell you explicitly if I am not teaching. If you have a lesson at the same time every week or every two weeks then that lesson will always happen unless either the teacher or student cancels or reschedules it. 
• If you are ever unsure whether you or your child has a lesson scheduled or are unsure of the time then please double check with me. I prefer this so much more than not having you or your child being absent at the arranged lesson time. 
• If you cancel or reschedule your lesson with more than 48 hours’ notice (measured from the start of the lesson time) then you will never be charged or you will keep that lesson if you pay by blocks of 4 because I can usually fill that lesson slot with an alternative student. 
• If you cancel with less than 48 hours notice (measured from the start of the lesson time) then unfortunately you will be charged for that lesson or lose it from your block if you pay in blocks of 4.
• You can request a rescheduled lesson instead of cancelling the lesson. If this is done with more than 48 hours notice then you will not be charged. If you request a rescheduled lesson with less than 48 hours notice then it will be treated the same as a cancellation with less than 48 hours’ notice unless we can find a lesson slot time that is at both of our conveniences. If we cannot find a mutually convenient rescheduled time and you are unable to attend the originally agreed lesson time then you will be charged or that lesson will be deducted from your block of 4.
  • Please consider in the case of rescheduling that by changing the lesson time we interrupt your normal lesson schedule which is something I take in to consideration when planning your lessons as it affects how much time you have to practise. (e.g. if you normally have a lesson on Monday but we rearrange for Thursday then that leaves you with 3 days to practise instead of the normal 7 and therefore is far from a best-case scenario.) 

Extenuating Circumstances 

• If you cancel with less than 48 hours’ notice then it is at my discretion if you are charged for the lesson or not. Examples of extenuating circumstances include, but are not limited to, cases of genuine hardship or serious family illness/death.
• Unfortunately, non-severe illness (including Covid 19) or adverse weather (excluding flooding) is not a reason not to charge you for the lesson if you give me less than 48 hours’ notice. 

Teacher Cancellation

• Occasionally I am ill or have unforeseen inconveniences come up with short notice too and will have to cancel lessons with less than 48 hours’ notice. I try and avoid these scenarios as much as possible but when they do happen you will never be charged and the lesson will never be deducted from your block of 4. 
  • In the case of teacher cancellation, I am usually able to provide written support instead of a lesson. Please let me know if you would like a free email designed to support your practise in instances of teacher cancellation. 

If you have any questions about these updates to my cancellation and rescheduling policy please do speak to me about them. 

I understand that the cost of living is going up for us all and that Covid-19 has been, at best, a huge inconvenience to our everyday lives and will probably continue to be for at least a while longer. 

However, I hope you can understand that teaching piano is my main form of income and sometimes I can lose 20% of my monthly income due to lesson cancellations, rearrangements and student absence. 

I send this message with the best intentions in the world and as a general reminder to all of my students, new and old. 

Very best wishes 

Tom