If you have any questions regarding music tuition or music groups, hopefully you will find the answer here. If not submit your question below.
What is the procedure for getting out of class to attend lessons? They should tell their teacher at the start of the class that they have a music lesson, then excuse themselves from class 5 mins before their lesson and come over to P Block. If they are coming back into class after having a lesson (ie. the next class has started) they need to let the teacher know that they have just come from a music lesson. If their lesson happens during Assembly time, they should sit close to an aisle and leave 5 mins before hand, letting their Housemaster know where they are going.
What do I do if my son cannot get to a lesson? If your lad is sick, or will not be at school for some reason, email Mr Greg McMillan-Perry, or the school office so a message can be passed on to the Tutor.
Are there catch up lessons if my son misses a lesson due to illness? Unfortunately, no. The tutors are here for a certain time each week and no other time slots are available to provide catch up lessons. Sometimes it is possible to slot a student into a spot that becomes free, but this doesn’t happen routinely. You would need to contact Mr Greg McMillan-Perry to see if this is possible.
What happens if the Tutor is away sick? From time to time, tutors may not be able to come in on the normal timetabled day. This could be due to illness or other commitments. When this happens, a credit for the missed lesson will be given at the end of the term. It is not always possible to send emails out to all the boys, but they will appear in the notices when this occurs. This is why we ask that boys check their timetables online each week (the night before) to make sure they don’t miss out on any lessons.
If my boy has an assessment at the same time as his lesson, where should he go? Class assessments always take priority over music lessons. Boys should know in advance when they have assessments on. The timetables are published well in advance (before the terms start) and any changes are normally at least a week ahead, so ideally the boys will be able to swap their lesson time for that week to avoid any clashes. This can be done by the HOD if at least 1 days notice is given (otherwise the boys will have to try and organise it on the day, or miss their lesson that week).
If my son is out of class due to a school related event such as sports trials, field trips etc and missed, or will miss his lesson, what should we do? Once again, boys should know well in advance when such events take place and so should organise to swap their lesson. This can be done by the HOD if at least 1 days notice is given (otherwise the boys will have to try and swap on the day or miss their lesson that week).
Do the timetables change? We try to keep the timetables as accurate as possible from the start of each term, however, there are times when changes need to be made during term time. This may be because of a school event that has been rescheduled, or an assessment which has moved. Changes to the timetable will be emailed out to parents if there is insufficient time for the adjusted time table to be viewed (if it falls within the week it was to happen). A runner will be sent if any changes made come into effect that day to ensure boys get to their lessons. If there is advanced notice of the changes for 2 or more weeks an email will not normally be sent. PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU CHECK THE ONLINE TIMETABLE EACH WEEK.
Are fees refunded for missed lessons? No - term fees have been calculated to make allowances for some of the school wide events that disrupt normal lessons times. If a student misses a lesson due to tutor absence, the lesson will be made up. If a student misses a lesson because of non school events (such as holidays during term time), or he has not organised for a lesson swap, it is not made up.
How do I stop lessons? Lessons roll over from term to term within a school year. Lessons can be stopped by sending an email the HOD before the start of the following term. Term Fees are not refundable once the term has begun, unless another student is able to take the lesson slot. In this instance, a pro rata fee will be charged. This will be arranged on a case by case basis.
I have been sent an email to tell me my lad has missed his lesson. Do I need to do anything? Simple answer, no. If you have already explained the reason for his absence to the school, or he was out on a school related event please disregard this message. It is only meant to keep parents informed of unexplained absences from music lessons and while we do check the absentee lists, we have been known to miss one occasionally.
How important is it that you have an email address from me? Very important! We need to have an email address that you access on a daily basis as it is our first point of communication with you for issues such as missed lessons, timetable changes and music group notices. If you are using a different email address from the original one you have supplied, please contact us, even if you have changed it at the school office.
My son does not take music as a class subject. Is he still able to gain NCEA credits? Absolutely! In fact one of the reasons we give performance grades is to let parents know how their boys progress is going and to make them aware of the possibility of gaining more NCEA credits while at HIBS. If you want to discuss this in more detail, email Greg McMillan-Perry for more information.