Schools Terms and Conditions

Schools/settings are subject to the terms and conditions as laid down by Southend Music Service as detailed below, and agree to abide by these terms and conditions.

This document covers our Terms and Conditions for

  • Whole class provision/teaching in school
  • Small group teaching and workshops
  • Individual (student) tuition
  • Instrument hire for schools

For the Services listed, the school/setting

  • Is responsible for providing a suitable space for teaching/the activity.
  • Is responsible for providing a suitable parking space for the Tutor (that minimises risk as often they will be carrying heavy equipment).

Whole class provision

  • Schools can access this service provision by emailing MusicOnSea@southend.gov.uk detailing the year group, term and instrument provision required. One of our team will then be in touch to discuss arrangements and organise provision from one of our specialist tutors.

Individual (student) tuition

  1. All requests for Tutors must be sent to MusicOnSea@southend.gov.uk
  2. It is the School’s responsibility to manage the Instrumental Tuition.
  3. Tuition is on-going and will continue until notice is given to stop. If notice is given before the half term costs are for the full term.
  4. We provide 30 lessons during the School year:
    • This can be increased by agreement with both your Tutors and our service.
    • Invoicing is direct to the school/setting.
  5. Our process for in-school tuition is:
    • The School manages which students require individual tuition, take payment, and prepare timetables, liaising directly with the tutors delivering this work.
    • The school timetables all instrumental lessons within their setting and informs the Parent/Carer with appropriate notice.
    • Southend tutors will then inform the central Music Service as to the number of hours they are delivering within the school. This is expected within the first two weeks of delivery.
    • Southend Music Service will collate all responses from tutors and send a draft SLA to each school receiving provision.
    • Schools will review, confirm the hours are correct, or advise of any amendments, and return the SLA to Music On Sea.
    • Southend Music Service will raise an invoice in line with the signed and agreed SLA for payment.
    • Lessons continue throughout a child’s school journey until notice is given.

Paying for Tuition

  • Adjustments will only be made if Southend Music Service cannot supply any session, e.g. Tutor illness/absence.
  • Credit will not be given if students are absent from or late for lessons for any reason or if firm arrangements have been agreed between the School and Tutor to make up lost sessions.
  • Fees are payable in full until the end of the term in which notice to end the contract has been given. Notice needs to be given by the half term break if tuition is to terminate at the end of the term.
  • Fees are per term (for the full term).

Lesson administration

  1. Lesson Length

    • The minimum lesson length for one-to-one tuition is 15 minutes.
    • The minimum lesson length for a small group lesson is 10 minutes per student (i.e. group lessons should be at least 20 minutes for two students or 30 minutes for three students or more).
    • Lessons will take place in school during the typical school day.

  2. Cancelling Lessons and Notice Periods

    1. Once the Parent/Carer/School is registered for tuition, they are liable for the term’s tuition.
    2. No refunds will be given: the agreement is binding and will continue until it is cancelled.
      • To stop lessons at the end of the Autumn Term, you must give notice by end of October half-term.
      • To stop lessons at the end of the Spring Term, you must give notice by end of February half-term.
      • To stop lessons at the end of the Summer Term, you must give notice by end of May half-term.
    3. If notice to withdraw is received after this specified date, the Parent/Carer(s) will be required to pay the full term’s fees for the following term, as notice is given at half- term for the end of that term.
    4. If the date to give notice is missed, we will apply the notice period for the end of the following term, and so the child receives one more term of learning.
    5. We have a late notice fee as our tutors are contracted in advance of delivering the lessons to ensure they are committed and keep themselves available from other commitments. The late notice fee therefore is a contribution towards their pay that they will receive as part of the contracting, even if lessons do not go ahead.
    6. In the interests of fair practice, notice periods are the same for Schools as they are for Tutors and for Parents/Carers.
    7. Verbal notification by students or the Parent/Carer(s) to Tutors will not be accepted; this must be in writing and acknowledged.
    8. We understand that on occasion there may be exceptional circumstances under which lessons may stop, be the cause the Tutor, the School, the Parent/Carer(s), or the student. These circumstances will be examined by the Lead for the Music Service on an individual basis.
    9. Where a student changes Schools during term, we will endeavour to continue provision however it may not be possible to make a like- for-like fit with the new school/setting; in this circumstance each case will be examined by the Lead for the Music Service on an individual basis.

  3. Student Absence

    1. Refunds are not given for non-attendance by students.
    2. It is not the responsibility of Tutors to ensure students attend lessons; however, every effort will be made to encourage good attendance.
    3. Schools are required to provide Tutors, in advance of term starting, with a copy of the School diary/calendar:
      • Schools are responsible for updating Tutors as to any changes within the diary/calendar.
      • Where events are scheduled which affect Tutors (e.g. Staff training Days, trips, examinations etc.) the detail is given direct to the tutor no later than two weeks before, so that the session can be rearranged; this includes, but is not limited to, planned absence or activities.
      • If less than two weeks’ notice of an event is given, no adjustment will be due if the Tutor is unable to offer an alternative date.
      • If the Tutor is not notified of an event until they arrive on the day, they will attempt as far as reasonable to teach any students who are available but may require the School to alter the timetable for that session.
      • There will be no further expectation on the part of Southend Music Service that the Tutor makes up the session.
      • The school will engage with the parent/carer/student.
    4. Where appropriate, lessons may be taken in advance; for example, prior to examinations, or planned longer term absence and time taken off in lieu. Such requests are at the discretion of the Tutor.
    5. Please note that Tutors will do what they can to help students catch up lessons but in the case of a student falling more than 2 lessons behind it will probably not be possible to catch every lesson up.
    6. Southend Music Service follows the guidelines set out in Southend County Council’s, Managing Sickness Absence Policy (available on the council website) & tutors are expected to report sickness absence to the school/setting/service.

  4. Tutor Absence

    • Where a Tutor is long term absent, according to the nature of the sickness and providing Southend Music Service is notified within good time, we will aim to provide a cover teacher.
    • Tutors are not obliged to make up the days they are off sick.

  5. Administrative Responsibilities

    • Schools working with Southend Music Service must return any information requested (Statistical Analysis, surveys, forms etc) as soon as possible/by the deadline.
    • Statistical returns particularly are vital for us to demonstrate the range of our work and to justify our use of the external funding we receive.
    • Southend Music Service will endeavour to communicate such requests with notice.
    • We must meet requirements of our data return to GEMH.

Accommodation

  • Schools/settings should provide adequate space that is quiet, warm and has good ventilation.
  • The teaching room must have a window in the door for reasons of safeguarding.
  • If the teaching space is not adequate, the Tutor will raise this with the school/setting and consideration of alternatives is made.
  • The service will attempt to mediate with ongoing issues but there will be a limit to what we can achieve without cooperation by the school and tutor.
  • We reserve the right to terminate tuition where accommodation is unsuitable for tuition.

Health & Safety / Accidents

  • Tutors that suffer accidents at work should report it to the school and follow the school’s policy. It is the school’s responsibility to ensure that the correct policies are available to Tutors, and that the appropriate measures are in place for reporting the accident.
  • Tutors suffering any accident at work are obliged to fill in an ‘Accident/Near Miss/Ill Health Report Form’ (school based).

Additional/Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)

  • Tutors are entitled to ask a School for details of their students where these are not provided in by the school so reasonable adjustments can be put in place.
  • Additional adjustments made by Tutors will be fed back to the School.
  • The Service requires tutors to undertake mandatory training on inclusion to support understanding and consistency.

Organisation of timetables

  • Good communication between the School, the Head of Music/Music Coordinator/Business Manager, the Tutor, and where appropriate Southend Music Service, is essential.
  • It is the School’s responsibility to create the timetable and communicate timings clearly to students and parents/carers.
  • Some Schools ask the Tutor to create the timetable, in which case it is important that, as mentioned above, any change in dates or student absence are notified as soon as possible.
  • For those Schools that administer the timetable for the Tutor, good communication is essential so that musical tuition and progress of the student is maximised.
  • There can be flexibility if all parties are in agreement.

Registers

  • The school monitor attendance and engages with the tutor on this.

Teaching outside of normal School hours

  • Teaching on the School premises outside of School hours can be arranged providing there is agreement between the Tutor and the School.
  • It is the School’s responsibility to inform the Tutor as to communication regarding who is still on the premises, how to get help if needed, and what arrangements are being made for students’ security while they are waiting, as per GEMH Safeguarding Policy.
  • The tutor has a duty of care to their students, however the School is responsible for the arrangements and processes where, for example a parent/carer is late collecting their child.
  • Where this becomes a regular occurrence, the Tutor will raise this with Southend Music Service and the School.
  • Tutors should not start so early that their first student is unsupervised between the end of their lesson and the start of the school day.

Safeguarding

See the respective GEMH policy.

  1. School Single Central Record requests

    • Schools requiring information to update their Single Central Record, usually regarding safeguarding and pre-employment checks, should request information via contacting MusicOnSea@southend.gov.uk

  2. Identity badges

    • All Southend Music Service Tutors carry Southend Council Identity Cards, featuring their name and a photograph for identification purposes.
    • If staff at a School have a query regarding a Tutor’s identity, they should in the first instance contact Southend Music Service.

  3. DBS Certificates and Update Service

    • Southend Music Service Tutors are in the process of all being registered with the DBS Update Service.
    • They will then be checked ‘live’ on the DBS Update Service.

  4. Vacancies and selection criteria

    • Requests for new provision at a School should be made via contacting MusicOnSea@southend.gov.uk.
    • Where Schools wish to use a specific Tutor, please contact the service to discuss.
    • Once a selection has been made, we will notify the School as appropriate.
    • Where we do not have a Tutor available, we will attempt to source capacity.

  5. Sharing positives & concerns

    • Do share with us what is working well.
    • Day to day issues are often easily resolved between the school and the Tutor.
    • If a technical issue is not resolved, this can be escalated to the Southend Music Service on MusicOnSea@southend.gov.uk
    • In the unlikely event of more serious issues or complaints, these should be escalated to the Lead Music Officer. This officer may seek advice and support from the Service Manager. The Head of Service is ultimately responsible.
    • Southend Music Service:
      1. takes all complaints made against Tutors and staff seriously
      2. has a duty of care to students, Schools, Parents/Carers, and
      3. has a priority to ensure the wellbeing and safety of all

After appointing an appropriate officer to investigate, the manager will review evidence and follow the relevant policies and guidance, including Southend Council’s values and behaviours/Code of Conduct policies to make a decision and any recommendations.