Term dates 2024-2025

Term one: Mon 2 Sept - Sat 21 Dec 2024

Term two: Mon 6 Jan - Sat 12 April 2025

Term three: Mon 28 Apr -Sat 28 June2025

Holidays 2024-2025

Oct midterm break: Mon 28 Oct -Sat 2 Nov 2024

Christmas break: Sat 22 Dec - Sun 5 Jan 2025

Imbolc St. Brigids Day: Mon 3 Feb 2025

Feb mid term break: Mon 17 Feb - Sat 22 Feb 2025

St. Patrick's holiday: Mon 17 Mar 2025

Easter break: Mon 14 April - Sat 26th April 2025

May bank hol: Mon 5 May 2025

June bank hol: Mon 2 Jun 2025

Fees: 

All lessons are 30min and one-to-one

Term one: 15 lessons €450

*Mon students 15 lessons €450

Term two: 13 lessons €390 

*Mon students 11 lessons €330

Term three: 9 lessons €270

*Mon students 7 lessons €210

Child Safeguarding Statement

We at the Harmonics Music School are committed to a child centred approach to our work with our students. All our students are treated as individuals with individual needs and their happiness and personal development is at the core of all our work. We are committed to providing a safe environment and experience, where the welfare of the student is of the uppermost importance. We will adhere to the recommendations of Children First: National Guidelines for the Protection and Welfare of Children, published by the Department of Health and Children. Our Welfare and Child Protection Policy gathers all policies and procedures that relate to work with young people and adheres to the Children First act 2015 and the Children First: National Guidance, and Tusla’s Child Safeguarding: A guide for Policy, Procedure and Practice.

We implement the following within the school:

• Knowledge and awareness of child safeguarding
• Code of behaviour for all staff
• Confidentiality
• Following correct reporting procedures as advised by Tusla.

Principals to Safeguard Children from Harm

Below are the principles which will be observed to ensure as far as possible that a child is safe from harm while availing of our services at Harmonics Music School. All staff and teachers, engaged to work with children, are Garda vetted and are fully compliant with our safeguarding statement and implementations.

We always endeavour to create and encourage a friendly, welcoming and positive atmosphere.

All child protection or welfare concerns will firstly be reported to a parent/guardian and furthermore, if needed, to Tusla/Gardai, in a timely manner.   

We recognise that implementation is an ongoing process at Harmonics Music School. Our service is committed to the implementation of this child safeguarding statement and the procedures that support our intention to keep children safe from harm while availing of our service.

Darryn Scott and Elaine Scott

Directors – Harmonics Music School

Payment

Term fees must be made by the due date on your invoice to secure your place. Your lesson  will only be allocated onto the teacher timetable once payment is received.

Please note: A late payment fee of 5% of the term cost will be applied to your account to cover the additional admin required due to lateness. This will be included in the following term fee.

Your place will not be secure without full payment. You will lose your current slot and you will have to consider other days/times for lessons if payments are not made on time.

By making any payment in respect of fees, you are agreeing with Harmonics Music School’s Policies and Procedures available on the website and student portal.

Invoices will be sent in advance of a new term (see term dates) and will be due by the due date before lessons commence. Payments can be made online, via the online link on your invoice. 

Please note, online card payments incur a 2% charge due to fees passed on by credit card companies to the school. 

Cancellations

All lessons are paid for whether taken or missed, if lessons are cancelled, make-up lessons will not be given, as teachers are contracted and paid by the term and not by the week. We are not obligated to make up/reschedule lessons that are cancelled/missed by the student. 

Refunds will not be given for any missed lessons, regardless of notice given.

If a teacher is absent/unwell, a rescheduled class will be arranged for a later date or a substitute teacher will be arranged for that class. Please note: Rescheduled lessons may take place in the school holidays/bank or public holidays. You will be offered two opportunities for a rescheduled class. If both dates are unsuitable, a final date for an online lesson will be arranged. If the rescheduled class/online class is missed by the student, it will not be further rescheduled or refunded.

The term fee is fixed and non-adjustable. If you decide to finish lessons earlier than the specified date, the full fee still applies, as our teachers are contracted by the term and we are not able to provide teachers with a new student in that particular slot for the few remaining weeks of the term. Please do not adjust the fee to suit your holidays or lessons that can’t be attended.

DATA/GDPR

Harmonics Music School will only store your data and information for the purpose it was originally collected for, and it will not be shared with a third party.

Student Portal

To cancel a lesson, please do so via the Student Portal which you will be sent access to through the website. THIS GOES DIRECTLY TO THE TEACHER. Failure to attend a lesson or lessons without notice, will result in those lessons being lost. If no further contact is received, your slot on the timetable will also be lost. Teachers may upload materials to the student portal for you to download and print. You will automatically get an email if a teacher has uploaded an item.

Drop  Off/ Collection

Please ensure your child is dropped off and collected in a reasonable time frame before the lesson starts and after the lesson is concluded. No children should be left waiting for extended periods either side of lessons in any area of the premises. All children should wait and be collected unless their teacher is informed otherwise. The school and its teachers are not responsible for any student outside of the assigned lesson time or off the premises.

Student Progress

If a parent wishes to speak with the teacher, we ask that you do so at the beginning of the students lesson so it doesn’t interfere with the following students lesson time. Parents are not permitted to sit in on the lessons as it can be disruptive to the child and the teacher. Exceptions can be made in certain circumstances, but it’s at the teacher’s discretion as to whether a parent may sit in on a lesson.

COVID Restrictions

Should government imposed restrictions or advice in regards to Covid-19 lead to the temporary closure of the school for in-person classes, students enrolled will be given online lessons. No deferrals or refunds are offered in this situation.

Weather Alerts

In the event of a weather alert, parents and students will be notified of cancellations.

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 been foreseen or provided against, e.g extreme weather conditions/alerts, epidemics or pandemics. Classes missed due to conditions beyond the reasonable control of the school will have to be forfeited by the student.

Student Injury

In a case where a student has an injury that impacts their practical progress, teachers will adapt their approach and provide a rounded music lesson for the duration of the injury, ie. a lesson focussing on music theory, aural training, sight reading techiniques etc that will benefit their overall progress. In instances where a teacher also teaches voice, a student may wish to take voice lessons for the duration of the injury. As these lessons are flexible and adaptable to the students needs and desires, lessons will continue and no refunds/rescheduling are offered.

Discontinuance

Harmonics Music School reserves the right to withdraw the enrolment of any student who misses three consecutive lessons without notification or who has a pattern of absence. All students or parents on behalf of students must give 2 weeks notice if they wish to discontinue with lessons. All fees for the term must be paid in full regardless of the student finishing the term. No refunds will be given. Fees are non-transferable between siblings or school terms.

Trial lessons 

Harmonics Music School reserves the right to withdraw the enrolment of any student after a paid trial lesson. It's at the teacher's discretion to advise if the student should continue with lessons or not. Trial lessons are to be paid in full before the lesson commences. The time/day lesson slot will be determined/scheduled after the trial lesson is completed. Lessons slots are only confirmed once full payment is received. 

Refunds

No refunds are given except in exceptional circumstances determined by Harmonics Music School. Fees are non-transferable between siblings or school terms.

Exams

Fees for exam entry are paid directly to the school. Parents will be informed of the due date for fees. There is a €5 (euro) admin fee for the processing and uploading of each application. 

Please note: We cannot accept responsibility for any exam entry not put forward to the examining board due to your late payment of the fee. 

At Harmonics Music School, our ethos is very important to us, therefore students are under no obligation or pressure to work toward/sit grade exams. Students who would like to have the opportunity to work toward grade exams with the Royal Irish Academy or Trinity College London, please talk to your teacher if you are interested. Grade exams can be taken in person at the Royal Irish Academy of Music, Westland Row (or a nearby local centre operated by RIAM/Trinity), or in some cases, by recording a digital video exam with their teacher. Parents will be informed of the dates and times as confirmed by RIAM/Trinity, please note, these are set dates and times and we cannot alter them.

If a student withdraws from the exam, the examining boards do not offer refunds. They will only refund the fee if a doctor’s note is provided due to illness. 

If any vocal student (classical/musical theatre) attending an RIAM/Trinity exam requires accompaniment for their exam, this is the responsibility of the parent/student. The fees associated with an accompanist are also the responsibility of the parent/student. Please speak with your teacher regarding this matter.

Behaviour

Abusive behaviour, verbal or otherwise, will not be tolerated. If a resolution can not be met in a timely, professional and understanding manner, then we, Harmonics Music School, reserve the right to the termination of lessons without refund. The terms and conditions are in place to ensure the smooth running of the school for both students and teachers.