TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR TUITION AT MUSIC MAKERS ACADEMY
Last updated 29 January 2024
The following Terms and Conditions apply to all lesson agreements made between Music Makers Academy (“MMA”) and its pupils and the parents / carers of its pupils (“the pupil”).
The Terms and Conditions described below may seem relatively strict but have been discussed at length amongst the MMA leadership team with the endeavour of making them as fair as possible for both client and provider. As MMA is a social enterprise that functions with minimal margins, such lines in the sand have had to be drawn and are not a reflection of how awesome the majority of MMA families are. They are a reflection of the small margin of people that have taken advantage and never paid for services rendered that jeopardise the livelihood of our tutors and managers.
We try to approach each individual case in good faith with an open ear and we hope that you will also approach us in the same manner. There will be times that the terms and conditions are more in favour of MMA but there are also other times that they are more in favour of the student/caregiver.
At MMA, we understand that life can get complicated. We also know that successful and fulfilling musical and performing arts & entertainment studies depend on regular commitment. That’s why we’ve designed our policies to give you as much flexibility as possible while still promoting consistency.
Our teachers reserve time on their schedules, plan for your classes and lessons, and invest in the long-term development of each student. To provide consistent, fun & inspirational learning and event experiences, the following policies need to be observed.
If you have any questions regarding our policies, please contact us at hello@musicmakersacademy.com.au
The following Terms and Conditions apply to all lesson agreements made between MMA and its students and the parents/carers of its students (“the pupil”) for our monthly subscription program.
The Terms and Conditions set forth below have been created for the mutual success and benefit of all parties involved.
1. Program Dates
1a. Our monthly program will begin on the 29th of January and conclude on the 1st of December.
1b. At all times it is the responsibility of the pupil to be aware of the first and last dates of the program at MMA.
1c. Lessons take place every week during the 2023 academic school year except when a month has five weeks.
1d. If a lesson falls on a public holiday, there will be no lesson that day. The lesson will instead be rescheduled to the same day in the 5th week of a month.
2. Communications
2a. All correspondence is sent out to the pupil by email.
2b. It is the responsibility of the pupil to make MMA aware of any changes to their contact details. MMA will not be held responsible for any missed communications, late / overdue payments, missed lessons, etc. if this is due to incorrect contact information.
2c. Due to the size of our student roll, most of MMA’s communication is done via bulk delivery services e.g. mail merge, therefore there is a level of potential error associated with this. If you notice something incorrect e.g. lesson details or account details, it is not meant offensively. In these cases please let us know via email to hello@musicmakersacademy.com.au so we can rectify the situation as soon as possible.
3. Billing
3a. MMA tutors CANNOT accept payments in any form.
3b. MMA starts following up monthly fees with an assumption of good faith that it is an unintentional mistake.
3c. The pupil will be billed for each month on the 1st of each month.
3d. Full payment must be received by the conclusion of the 1st week of every month.
3e. MMA prefers automatic billing. By adding your credit card details to our system, you will be automatically billed on the 1st of every month until the end of your subscription period.
3f. New pupils will receive an invoice when their enrolment is processed.
3g. If the pupil commences lessons part way through a month, the remainder of that month will be billed in full.
3h. Upon enrollment a pupil or guardian/caregiver of the pupil will be set up with a Customer Portal log in. All monthly fee invoices, payments and lesson details are accessible there.
3i. Instalment payments are not to be confused with a “payment for lessons” arrangement. The full invoiced fee is due.
3j. A discount of $75 will be applied to all lessons where 2 or more lessons / activities are attached to a single family record on the MMA database. This discount will not be applied retrospectively for any lessons already billed.
3k. Penalties for late payments will be applied as per the below.
4. Payment methods
4a. The client agrees to be automatically debited the monthly fee on the 1st of every month.
4b. The client is responsible for ensuring their card details remain current for the payments to succeed.
5. Cancellation of subscription process
5a. If the pupil wishes to cancel the subscription with MMA, a 30-daywritten notice must be received by MMA Management.
5b. Verbal notice given to the tutor will not be acted upon and is not considered sufficient unless confirmed in writing to MMA main office by the pupil.
5c. If the pupil is unable to give notice by the required deadline, they will be charged for another month at MMA.
5d. Exceptions on medical grounds may be made to this as decided by MMA management.
5e. If MMA has to cancel a lesson agreement it will endeavour to give 2 weeks’ notice to the pupil. Any lessons remaining after the lessons’ end date will be credited to the pupil's account if payment has already been made.
5f. If, in exceptional circumstances, MMA has to cancel the pupil's lesson due to damage of MMA property or harassment of MMA staff by the pupil, this may be done with no notice and no credit or refund for any outstanding lessons.
5g. Should you decide to terminate lessons, either permanently or temporarily, notice must be received with a 30-day notice.
6. Absences from students
6a. If the pupil is unable to attend a private lesson, the lesson is considered forfeited. However, the teacher will film a video during that lesson time, and upload it to the student’s account.
6b. If the pupil is unable to attend a lesson please let MMA know at the earliest time possible, either by email to absences@musicmakersacademy.com.au , by submitting our absentee form from our website, or by cancelling your paid lesson from the online portal.
6c. If a pupil will be absent for more than 2 weeks due to medical reasons, a credit may be given, at the discretion of MMA management.
6d. NO tuition credit or refund will be provided for missed lessons.
6e. PLEASE DO NOT TEXT, CALL or EMAIL YOUR TEACHER – MMA administration must have a record of a cancellation.
7. Absences from teachers
7a. In the event of the tutor being absent, the tutor will arrange catch up lessons with the pupil.
12b. A tutor’s absence is counted as an additional replacement/catch up lesson owed.
8. Public holidays
8a. MMA is closed during public holidays and as such, there can be no private lessons or group activities on those days.
8b. If a private lesson falls on a public holiday, the lesson will be rescheduled on the same day in the 5th week of a month.
9. Bad weather
9a. Online lessons are a full replacement for lessons missed due to any closures outside of MMA’s control. These lessons will be a full replacement, and no credit or refunds will be given instead of.
10. Timetabling & changes
10a. The pupil will be informed of the lesson day, time and the date of their first lesson before their teaching commences by email. MMA will aim to confirm all the lesson details by email, but does not guarantee that this will be the case if it deems sufficient confirmation has been provided by other means.
10b. Site-based lessons - if the 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 the lessons at times and days that suit the pupil and MMA.
11. Other Absences
11a. Unavoidable cancellations –
MMA cancels any lessons due to events out of its control, customer credit may be given at the discretion of MMA management.
11b. Ongoing absences –
If a pupil will be absent for more than three weeks due to medical reasons, a credit may be given, at the discretion of MMA management.
12. Rolling enrollment
12a. The lesson agreement between MMA and the pupil is a rolling agreement that continues into each new month until the conclusion of the monthly program (1st of December 2024).
12b. The pupils are emailed on the 1st of every month until a notice of termination has been received by the client or the subscription concludes.
12c. Cancellation of rolling enrolment must be received by email to hello@musicmakersacademy.com.au with a 30-day notice period.
12d. We consider any absence longer than 6 weeks as a cancellation of lessons, even if for a long holiday and standard re enrolment rules apply.
12e. The pupil will automatically be re-enrolled when the program structure and any policy changes occur, unless the pupil opts out by written notice.
13. Photo/Video policy
13a. MMA may use film or still photographs of students for appropriate promotional purposes.
13b. A media release form is available at the time of enrolment to grant us (or not) permission to take photographs/videos of the students to use in brochures, websites, posters, advertisements, and other promotional materials MMA creates.
14. Changes to the Terms and Conditions
14a. The Terms and Conditions described above are agreed to upon enrollment and may be changed at any point by MMA without providing notice to the pupil. A copy of the Terms and Conditions will always be available on our website and may be emailed to the pupil on request.
15. Who to contact in case of question:
For all general enquiries E: hello@musicmakersacademy.com.au
For all absence notifications E:absences@musicmakersacademy.com.au
To find us on facebook F: https://www.facebook.com/musicmakersacademyau
To call us Ph: 0466 515 194 (available during office hours only)