Terms & Conditions
​
REGISTRATION FOR NEW STUDENTS
Either the full fee or the first instalment must be paid in advance of starting lessons. Lessons will not commence without prior payment. This payment will only be refunded if Dun Laoghaire School of Music is unable to offer you a suitable place.
The submission of a completed Application Form does not constitute an offer of a place or obligation to accept a place when offered. Places can only be reserved with receipt of the full fee or the first instalment.
By booking lessons with us, you agree to the school's terms & conditions. Therefore, it is up to each student/parent to read the terms & conditions carefully.
RE-REGISTRATION FOR CURRENT STUDENTS
Either the full fee or the first instalment is due by the end of each term to secure your or your child’s place for the next term. Failure to comply with this may result in the student losing their individual place.
The fee is non-refundable and non-transferable.
Students who are re-registering for the beginning of Term 1 in September MUST inform the school that they are returning in September and pay either the full fee or the first instalment in order to secure their place by the specified date. Students and Parents MUST NOT ASSUME that the time slot held in the previous term will be held for them for the next term unless they have re-registered and paid the fee by the specified date given by the office in Dun Laoghaire School of Music.
Dun Laoghaire School of Music will not hold a student’s place and time slot if they have not contacted the office to re-register their place before the end of the current term.
By booking lessons with us, you agree to the school's terms & conditions. Therefore, it is up to each student/parent to read the terms & conditions carefully.
​
POLICY FOR ATTENDANCE
Lessons will not be made up in the case of a student being absent.
Payment must be made for all classes, whether taken or missed.
If you cannot make a lesson, we ask that the school, or teacher, be notified before the scheduled class time, as a courtesy to the teacher.
If the teacher cancels a lesson, it will be rescheduled for a later date or the student may take up the class with a substitute teacher or opt for an online lesson at a later date.
​
MISSED / CANCELLED LESSONS
If a teacher is absent for any reason, a suitable substitute teacher will be appointed. If a substitute teacher cannot be found, the lessons will be rescheduled or refunded.
If lessons are cancelled by the student/parent, make-up lessons WILL NOT be given.
If a student misses a class, they are not entitled to a make-up lesson or a refund for that class as the teacher’s time is booked for that time for the whole term and the teacher will be at the school for that class time, whether the student is or not.
If a pupil is going to be absent, for any reason, the Music School should be informed as soon as possible.
​
In extreme circumstances, it may be possible to re-schedule the lesson based on the teacher’s availability; this will depend on the circumstance, amount of notice given and the availability of the teacher.
The school shall not be liable for any failure of or delay in the performance of classes for the period that such failure or delay is beyond the reasonable control of the school, materially affects the performance of any of its obligations and could not have reasonably have been foreseen or provided against e.g extreme weather conditions, epidemics or pandemics. Classes missed due to conditions beyond the reasonable control of the school will have to be forfeited by the student.
​
CONTACTING TEACHERS
Teachers should NOT be contacted regarding booking lessons, changing the time of lessons or to ask about what time slots they have available. ALL BOOKINGS MUST GO THROUGH THE OFFICE.
If the office has told you a certain time is not available, DO NOT contact the teacher to ask if they can squeeze you in.
You may only contact a teacher to let them know you will be missing a lesson.
​
​
EXAMS
Fees for exam entries are to be paid to the school. All students are notified when they are due.
Students are offered the opportunity to enter for Royal Irish Academy of Music and Associated Board examinations. Royal Irish Academy of Music (RIAM) exams will be scheduled to take place at Dun Laoghaire School of Music. Parents and students will be informed of exact dates and times of exams as soon as they are confirmed by RIAM.
If a student withdraws from an exam after entering and paying the appropriate fee, the RIAM will not refund the exam fee. The RIAM will only refund the exam fee when the withdrawal is due to illness; in this case, an original doctor’s cert must be provided.
For exams organised by the Associated Board (ABRSM): these exams will take place in an external venue, decided by ABRSM. The ABRSM will not refund entry fees if a student withdraws after submitting an exam entry.
For instruments that require accompaniment, it is the responsibility of the student/parent to organise an accompanist. However, you can discuss this with your teacher and he/she may be able to recommend an accompanist. Accompanist’s fees are the responsibility of the student/parent and are payable directly to the accompanist.
In-house exams can also be arranged for students in the school.
PAYMENTS & FEES
If fees are being paid in instalments, the payments must be made on or before the specified dates set out by the school. Late instalment payments will incur an extra charge of 5%. If payments continue to be late, lessons can be suspended or cancelled.
Payments can be made by bank transfer or through the Easy Payment system on our website.
Fees will be reviewed every term.
All fees, whether it is the full amount or the first instalment, are payable prior to commencement of each term. Failure to comply with this may result in suspension of classes until the account has been settled.
If a student / parent decides to stop classes after a term has already begun, we regret that fees already paid cannot be refunded. If paying by instalments, the amount of fees to be paid is at the discretion of Dun Laoghaire School of Music.
No refunds can be given for classes.
GENERAL ITEMS
Each year consists of two terms. The first term runs from September to January (approx.). The second term runs directly after the first term and runs from January until June (approx.)
Each term consists of 18 weeks and one-to-one lessons can be either 30 minutes, 45 minutes or 60 minutes long. Prices quoted are per term.
Prices increase once the student goes above Grade 6.
Students are encouraged to take part in our annual concerts organised by the Music School. There are two concerts a year, one at Christmas time and one at Summer time before the end of term.
Dun Laoghaire School of Music reserve the right to make changes to class timetables or teachers.
As our teachers are on a yearly contract, we cannot guarantee the same teacher every year. You will be notified, by email, of any changes in the teacher’s schedule or if the are bring replaced by a new teacher.
Dun Laoghaire School of Music reserves the right to change the Terms & Conditions at any time.
Please keep the school informed of any changes in contact details, such as mobile number, home address and email address. It is important for you to have a working email address that is checked regularly to avoid disappointment, as there may be occasional last-minute changes to lessons due to unforeseen circumstances.
Dun Laoghaire School of Music would appreciate if parents could ensure their child attends regularly and on time for class as this is of the utmost importance for your child’s enjoyment and success.
Parents/guardians MUST collect their children at the specified finish time of their lesson. There is no provision for supervision of students either before or after their lesson time.
If you wish to discuss your child’s progress or any other relevant issue with your child’s teacher, as a courtesy to the next student, this should be done at the start of your child’s lesson and not at the end as this takes up the time of the next student’s lesson.
For all concert performances, Dun Laoghaire School of Music regularly organise photos and videos of student performances for website and archive purposes. If you wish to opt out of having any photos/videos been taken, please contact us.
Students are expected to behave in an appropriate manner while attending lessons in the school. Respect for fellow students, teachers, equipment, resources and facilities are of the upmost importance. We would ask parents to be courteous and polite to the office and teaching staff at all times. Parents who do not comply may be asked to remove their child from the school.
All students/parents contact details are automatically placed on our Student Mailing List and SMS Text Message List in order to keep you updated with information / timetables / dates for your diary.
Parents are not permitted to sit in on lessons with their children as this is disruptive to both the child and the teacher. Exceptions can be made if a child is nervous and the parent can stay with them for the first lesson. At certain times during the year, the parent may request to sit in for a lesson to check on progress but permission must be given by the teacher first as it is at the teacher’s discretion as to whether or not a parent can sit in on a lesson.
Dun Laoghaire School of Music reserve the right to terminate lessons indefinitely due to consistent absenteeism, lack of progress, bad behaviour and any reason relating to the progress of other students or any other reasonable cause. Verbal abuse from parents/students will always result in instant termination of lessons without refund.
​
Dun Laoghaire School of Music cannot accept any responsibility for damage or loss of property.
In the event of government issuing closures for any reason (e.g. Covid-19) lessons will be held online.
​
Dun Laoghaire School of Music reserves the right to amend any of the above.
​