Terms and Conditions

1a. Teaching weeks at BSGS roughly adhere to UK school terms. However, there may occasionally be differences, and our term dates are sent out before each term begins.

1b. It is the responsibility of the pupil or parent/carer to be aware of the first and last dates of each BSGS term.

2a. All correspondence is sent to the pupil or parent/carer by email. If this causes a problem, please let BSGS know.

2b. It is the responsibility of the pupil or parent/carer to make BSGS aware of any changes to their contact details. BSGS will not be held responsible for missed communications, late or overdue payments, missed lessons, etc. where these are due to incorrect or outdated contact information.

2c. Due to the size of our student roll, much of BSGS's communication is carried out using bulk delivery services, such as mail merge. This means there is a possibility of occasional errors. If you notice something incorrect, such as lesson details or account information, please contact us by email at hello@cwguitaracademy.com so that we can rectify the situation as soon as possible.

3a. The pupil will be informed of the lesson day, time and date of their first lesson before teaching commences. This may be communicated in person, by email and/or through the My Music Staff portal. The portal will be kept up to date, so we recommend checking your account to verify lesson times. BSGS will aim to confirm lesson details by email but does not guarantee that this will always be the case where sufficient confirmation has been provided by other means.

3b. Site-based lessons: If agreed lesson times or days need to be changed, the pupil will be contacted as far in advance as possible and alternative arrangements will be made to continue lessons at times and days that suit both the pupil and BSGS. Please check the portal regularly for updates.

3c. School-based / School Programme lessons

• 3.c.i. If the agreed lesson day needs to be changed, the pupil will be contacted as far in advance as possible and alternative arrangements will be made with the school and pupil for a suitable new lesson time.
• 3.c.ii. If the agreed School Programme lesson time needs to change to a new time on the same day of the week and within school hours, the pupil may not be informed in advance and will instead be collected at the new time by the tutor. If this is not possible at your school, your lesson will not be changed.
• 3.c.iii. To help pupils avoid missing the same classroom lesson or activity each week, BSGS may operate a rotating timetable where appropriate. Not all schools operate this way, and we will always follow the school's requirements.
• 3.c.iv. Pupils scheduled for lessons on a rotating timetable will be given details of the varying lesson times. These details will also be provided to tutors and the school so that attendance at School Programme lessons is not adversely affected.

4a. Individual Lessons

• 4.a.i. If the pupil is unable to attend a lesson, please let BSGS know as early as possible by emailing hello@cwguitaracademy.com. Emails and absence notifications will be passed on to the relevant tutor(s). You are also welcome to contact your tutor directly.
• 4.a.ii. Where less than 48 hours' notice is given for a missed lesson, no catch-up lesson or credit will be provided. The lesson will be considered forfeited.
• 4.a.iii. Where at least 48 hours' notice of the intended absence is given, this will be considered an “explained absence.”
• 4.a.iv. The pupil's BSGS tutor will arrange replacement/catch-up lessons for up to two explained absences per term, at a mutually agreeable time. This may be an online lesson rather than a lesson at school. If arranging a replacement lesson is not possible, the value of those lessons will be deducted from the following term's invoice.
• 4.a.v. BSGS tutors will make reasonable efforts to arrange replacement/catch-up lessons. However, if the pupil or parent/carer chooses not to take an offered replacement lesson, the lesson will be considered forfeited. The responsibility is shared between the parent/carer and tutor to find a mutually suitable time.
• 4.a.vi. Credit may be placed on a pupil's account for the value of a missed lesson at management's discretion. Account credit cannot be exchanged for cash and will normally be applied to the next available invoice, usually the following term's fees.

4b. Group and School Programme Lessons

• 4.b.i. No catch-up lessons or credits will be provided for an individual's absence from a School Programme, group lesson, band class, choir or other group-based tuition activity.
• 4.b.ii. Where an entire group is absent, BSGS will endeavour to provide a replacement/catch-up lesson later that term. If we are unable to do this, we may instead apply credit to the pupil's account.
• 4.b.iii. Where a BSGS tutor is unable to teach due to illness, vehicle/mechanical failure or similar circumstances, BSGS will arrange for the missed lessons to be caught up at a time that suits the affected school.

4c. Tutor Absences

• 4.c.i. If the pupil's tutor is unavailable to teach, BSGS will attempt to arrange a cover tutor and provide as much notice as reasonably possible.
• 4.c.ii. If this is not possible, the pupil's usual tutor will arrange a catch-up lesson as stipulated in section 4.a.iii.
• 4.c.iii. A tutor's absence will not count as one of the pupil's two explained absences per term. It will be treated as an additional replacement/catch-up lesson owed.

4d. Unavoidable Cancellations

• 4.d.i. If BSGS cancels lessons due to events outside its control, account credit may be provided at the discretion of BSGS management.
• 4.d.ii. BSGS makes reasonable efforts to identify events planned by schools that may conflict with lessons at the beginning of each term. However, pupils and parents/carers should not assume that BSGS has been informed of every school event. Responsibility therefore also lies with the pupil or parent/carer to inform us of known clashes.
• 4.d.iii. If a school cancels BSGS teaching due to events outside BSGS's control, such as sports days, school trips or other school activities, BSGS cannot guarantee replacement lessons or credits.

4e. Ongoing Absences

• 4.e.i. If a pupil will be absent for more than three weeks due to medical reasons, account credit may be provided at the discretion of BSGS management.

5a. The lesson agreement between BSGS and the pupil is a rolling agreement that continues into each new term and academic year.

5b. Pupils will normally be invoiced towards the end of each term, or before the beginning of the following term, for the next term's lessons. This will continue until the required cancellation notice is received as described below.

The pupil or parent/carer must actively opt out of the ongoing lesson agreement with BSGS.

6a. If the pupil wishes to cancel their lesson agreement with BSGS, written notice must be received at least half a term before the end of the current term.

6b. Verbal notice given to a tutor will not be considered sufficient and will not be acted upon unless the cancellation is also confirmed in writing to BSGS by the pupil or parent/guardian.

6c. If the pupil is unable to provide half a term's notice, a late-notice fee equivalent to four weeks of lessons will be charged. If only two weeks' notice is given, for example, a late-notice fee equivalent to two weeks of lessons will be charged.

6d. Exceptions on medical grounds may be made at the discretion of BSGS.

6e. No refund or credit will be provided for cancellations part-way through a fixed-length programme.

6f. If BSGS needs to cancel a lesson agreement, it will endeavour to provide two weeks' notice to the pupil. Any prepaid lessons remaining after the agreement's end date will be credited to the pupil's account.

6g. In exceptional circumstances, BSGS may terminate a pupil's lesson agreement immediately due to serious misconduct, damage to property or harassment of BSGS staff. In these circumstances, no credit or refund will be provided for outstanding lessons.

7a. Payments should be made by bank transfer or through the online payment portal.

7b. Monthly payments should be made on the 10th of each month.

8a. BSGS will initially follow up unpaid term fees on the assumption that non-payment is an unintentional mistake.

8b. The pupil will be billed for each future term in full towards the end of the preceding term unless a monthly payment plan is in place. Where a monthly plan is in place, monthly invoices will be issued through the portal.

8c. Full payment must be received before the new term starts unless an agreed instalment plan has been put in place through Standing Order, Direct Debit or the online portal.

8d. BSGS bank details:

• Account Number: 96876455
• Sort Code: 04-00-04
• Bank: Monzo

Reference should be CHILDSLASTNAMESCHOOL e.g. BrooksKings

8f. BSGS prefers payments to be made using online/internet banking.

8g. New pupils will receive an invoice when their enrolment is processed.