Severn Arts Terms & Conditions – Music Tuition and Instrument Hire

Severn Arts Music Tuition – Direct Billing
Parent/Carer Terms and Conditions 

Setting up and Managing Your Account 

If you do not already have an account, the parent/carer will need to set up a Severn Arts Speed Admin account using the link provided to you by the student’s school. 

The Severn Arts Speed Admin account will be used by the parent/carer to manage the student’s tuition, keep all contact details up to date and pay any monies due. In addition to showing payment account details and status, the Speed Admin account can also be accessed to view timetable details, details of cancellations or amendments, any instrument hire details together with any relevant news and upcoming events or opportunities. Further registration requests can also be made through the account, for example to sign up to join an orchestra or further tuition or to hire an instrument. 

Please note that the student’s school may request weekly lessons be rotated and in this case the exact time shown on the student’s timetable in Speed Admin may not be correct, so it is important the student checks the relevant notice board in school to attend at the correct time. 

Teaching 

When signing up for tuition, the standard commitment is for the full (or remaining part of the) academic year. Tuition is provided by Severn Arts teachers on one of the following principals: 

Shared lesson
35 lessons per academic year will be provided and will be a 20 minute weekly session consisting of two pupils or 30 minute lessons consisting of 3 pupils.  

Individual one to one lesson
35 lessons per academic year will be provided and can be either 20 minutes or 30 minutes in length, on a one-to-one basis.  

All options above may not be offered in every setting, when booking you will be able to see what is available at your child’s school or Music Centre.

When will lessons be held? 

Severn Arts teachers will visit the student’s school or Music Centre to provide lessons, normally during school hours, at times agreed with the school. The student should consult the music notice board and/or the designated member of the school staff responsible for music each week to check the time of their lesson. So that the student can make the most of the lesson we ask that they arrive promptly at the time agreed for the lesson. 

Teaching calendar  

 https://online.severnarts.org.uk/teaching-calendar-2022-2023/  The specific sessions booked for the student can be viewed on the parent/carer Severn Arts Speed Admin online account. 

Fees 

Payment
Payment must be made via our online platform using your Severn Arts Speed Admin account. Log in details so that you can access your account will provided at the point of sign up. If you lose access to your account or forget your password, please email [email protected]. Payment for tuition for each term must be made before the first session of that term. If you are having difficulty in making the required payment all at once, please email the office and we may be able to offer additional support or payment options.  We will email reminders to the registered payer when the next term’s payment is due, but it is the parent/carer’s responsibility to ensure that payments due are made on time.  

Lesson discounts 
Some schools provide financial support for lesson costs for pupils in receipt of pupil premium funding and some schools also support lesson costs where pupils are studying towards GCSE or A Level music. If you think you have an entitlement to support, please speak to your school. 

Additional costs
Pupils will need tutor books for their lessons. Parents/carers are responsible for purchasing books requested by the teacher. Other costs such as exam entry (which are not compulsory) are also the responsibility of the parent/carer. Severn Arts will provide a practice diary for the student (or access to an online equivalent) as part of the tuition cost. 

Absence

Pupil absence 

Refunds are not available when a pupil does not turn up for a lesson at the allocated time, is unwell, if they are away on a school trip, or if the school cancels the visit. Should an individual lesson be cancelled by the parent/carer by sending notification in writing to [email protected] giving at least 10 working days’ notice, then Severn Arts will attempt to re-organise the lesson for later in the term. If this is not possible, then the parent/carer’s account will be credited at the end of the term for the missed lesson.  

Severn Arts teacher absence

Absences by Severn Arts teachers will be made up where possible. In the case of long-term teacher absence (three weeks or more), we will do our best to find a suitable replacement however, this cannot always be guaranteed. Credits or refunds will be made at the end of the term if any missed sessions have not been made up refunds will not be issued at other times. 

Cancellation of lessons 

If you wish to cancel lessons or reduce the length of a lesson/lessons, a minimum of 6 full weeks’ notice is required.  Please email [email protected] or follow the links to de-register in your Severn Arts account.

 

GDPR – Storing and processing your data

We will collect and use personal information about you and the student(s) for the purposes of processing and managing tuition and your booking. As part of processing your booking or ensuring safeguarding, we may need to share information with the student’s home school. All personal information will be held securely and not shared with other third parties or used for wider marketing purposes without your express permission.

1  Instruments may be hired by anyone who is resident in the UK. Priority will be given to students receiving tuition from Severn Arts. Discounted rates apply to state school pupils resident in Worcestershire or who attend a state sector Worcestershire school.

2  Instruments hired to school pupils who move out of the area may continue but entitlement to the discounted rate will cease from the start of the following term. The hirer will be responsible for returning the instrument to Severn Arts at the end of the hire or for servicing.

3  The hirer is responsible for the instrument until the point at which it is returned to Severn Arts.

3.1  At the end of the hire period, it is the responsibility of the hirer to ensure the safe return of the instrument to Severn Arts and it will remain charged until its return is confirmed by the Severn Arts office. Instruments can be returned via the student’s school provided this is in Worcestershire and is a school Severn Arts has an existing relationship with. In all other cases, the instrument must be returned to the Severn Arts office. Please see the Severn Arts website (click here) for details of our address and opening times.

3.2  If the hirer returns the instrument via the school, Severn Arts must be formally notified in writing (cancellation form available on the Severn Arts website) and the hirer should request a receipt from the school office as proof of return. Please note that the school has no formal responsibility as part of an instrument hire agreement and any co-operation in holding/forwarding an instrument to Severn Arts on behalf of a hirer is at their discretion. The hirer is ultimately responsible for the safe return of the instrument to Severn Arts.

3.3  In exceptional circumstances, Severn Arts teachers may be able to accept an instrument return, but only by prior arrangement through the Severn Arts office. It remains the hirer’s responsibility to obtain proof of receipt from the teacher.

3.4  If return is disputed (in particular, via the school), it is the responsibility of the hirer to prove that the instrument has been returned before the hire agreement can end and the account be credited.

3.5  The hirer will be held financially liable for both the hire and replacement cost of instruments not returned.

4 Instruments should be ordered via the Severn Arts website (www.severnarts.org.uk/instrument-hire) or via the parent/carer’s Severn Arts log in page. Alternatively, please contact the office by phone and we can send out relevant forms by email or post.

5  Standard delivery time for new instrument hires is 2 weeks, subject to availability. We will be in contact with you to arrange delivery to school or when items are ready for collection. We may be able to assist with home delivery for especially large or bulky items. An additional charge may apply for this service.. At busy times of year (July-September) delivery times may be longer. In particular, instruments ordered between 20 June and 20 August for school delivery will normally be delivered to school in the first two weeks of September. Instruments ordered after 20 August may take longer to be delivered to school, so please order in good time. The hire charge is a fixed fee which contributes towards servicing and delivery of instruments and does not relate to a weekly charge. As such, where ordering/delivery occurs during the term and the hire is on a termly basis, the full hire fee for the term applies.

6  Instruments will not be released until the first hire payment has been received. A deposit may apply for certain instruments.

7  Each time an instrument is issued from our store it will be in good playing order. It is the customer’s responsibility to take good care of the instrument and return it to Severn Arts at the end of the hire period in the same condition (save for reasonable wear and tear).

8  Instruments requested can either be collected from the Severn Arts office in Worcester or delivered to a student’s school (see below). We will be in touch when the instrument is ready. Our address and opening hours can be found on our website. Instruments can be delivered to a student’s school provided this is in Worcestershire and the school is happy to accept the instrument. Instruments will be marked with the student’s name and the Severn Arts identification mark.

9  Shoulder-rests, replacement reeds and strings, and other accessories and expendables are not included in the hire fee.

10  Instruments needing repair must be notified to the Severn Arts office. Routine maintenance and repairs are carried out by the Severn Arts workshop. Severn Arts will not reimburse customers who make their own arrangements for maintenance. Unauthorised repairs to instruments may result in additional charges to the hirer if the repairs are not deemed effective or to a suitable standard or if further damage to the instrument has been caused.

11   Instruments hired from Severn Arts remain the property of Severn Arts, and ownership cannot be sold or transferred by the hirer.

12  Instrument insurance and responsibility

12.1  Hired instruments will remain the responsibility of the account payer (the hirer). Unless covered by section 12.2, the hirer is required to take out their own insurance or check that the instrument is covered by their existing home insurance policy.

12.2  Severn Arts only provides insurance to cover theft and accidental damage to instruments hired to school age students resident in Worcestershire. However, this may not cover all eventualities and the hirer remains responsible for taking good care of the instrument at all times and complying the reporting of any incidents with the required information.

12.3  Where the theft or loss of an instrument occurs:

12.4  Uninsured losses: There is no cover for instruments stolen which have been put at risk through lack of care by the hirer or which have been left in open-view in an unattended vehicle – even if the vehicle is locked/alarmed. Where such losses occur, the hirer will be liable for the cost of replacement of the instrument.

12.5 If the hirer wishes to take the instrument(s) out of the country, they must request permission from Severn Arts in writing giving at least one month’s notice. The hirer must provide written details to include dates, destination, details of the instrument(s), instrument I.D. numbers, reason for taking the instrument and security arrangements. Written confirmation of permission must be received from Severn Arts in advance of any trip. Any insurance through Severn Arts will be invalid without this permission. Severn Arts may decline to give permission if the reason for taking the instrument(s) abroad and/or security arrangements are not deemed suitable.

13 Termination

13.1 If the hirer wishes to cancel instrument hire, a completed cancellation form (available on our website) must be returned to the Severn Arts office, or an appropriate notification needs to be received from the hirers Severn Arts account.

13.2   Severn Arts may terminate the hire agreement at any time by giving three months notice to the hirer. Such notice may be sent by email. The hirer will be required to return the instrument by the end of this notice period.

14  Where the hirer cancels a hire  during the term, the hirer will be liable for the full-term fee. Where the hire is on a monthly fee basis, the full fee for the month is still due and no refunds can be given.

15  The hirer is liable for the full replacement cost of the instrument as well as hire cost should the hirer’s account fall into arrears. Should the hirer account be more than three months overdue, then interest will be added to the outstanding balance at the Bank of England base rate plus 5%.

16  Severn Arts may vary the hire charge to the hirer by giving 3 months (or one term’s) notice. Such notice may be sent by email. Should the hirer not wish to accept the new charge, then they will need to return the instrument before the new hire charges take effect.

17   Hirers are required to advise Severn Arts immediately of any change of contact details, including address, email and phone number.