Tuition:

1. All lessons will be conducted by  tutors who have been approved by the AGAPE Management Board, and have fulfilled legal requirements, e.g. working with children check.
   
2. All lessons will be held within rooms of the Camden Uniting Church.


3. Practical music lessons are “one on one”, one student and the tutor, half an hour in duration.  Music Theory lessons may be individual lessons  half an hour in duration as for practical lessons, or group lessons of either 1 hour or 1.5 hours duration.


4. Details of potential students will be received by the AGAPE Director to determine a suitable match of tutor. Once a student has been enrolled, contact details for the student will be given to that tutor, and the tutor’s contact details will be given to the student.


5. When a student is enrolled at AGAPE , the commitment is for the whole term. Every lesson scheduled for the term MUST be paid for, except if a tutor needs to cancel a lesson.


6. Each student will be automatically enrolled for the following term unless the Director is notified  two weeks before the end of the current term.


7. Music students are expected to come to each lesson with their instrument, music, and lesson book, having practiced as regularly as possible since the previous lesson.


8. Tutors will aim, as a matter of courtesy, to start and finish lessons on time. Therefore, if a parent wishes to discuss any aspect of their child’s progress, they are asked to speak to the tutor within the student’s own lesson time, or make an appointment to meet the tutor at another time. A parent may also make an appointment with the AGAPE Director to discuss any matters of concern.
9. In 2012 Creative Arts tuition will offered, being taught in groups, either as short courses , holiday workshops, after-school or Saturday workshops.

Fees in 2012:
   

1. Fees for individual lessons range from $30 to $33  per half hour  for  individual tuition.


2. Fees for group music lessons will be $10 per student for 1 hour, $15 per student for 1.5 hours.
Fees for Creative Arts Courses and workshops  will be determined for each individual course or workshop, depending on kind of course offered.

3. Cost of lessons is inclusive of GST.


4. Payment of fees:

 Payable on receipt of invoice for the term. Invoices will be posted or emailed prior to the  commencement of each new term.

• The following are the options for payment of accounts.
• Accounts for the term may be paid by direct deposit, cheque, or cash.
  (Credit card  facilites are not available at this stage.)


• Payment Schedule :
  One payment for the full term.
  If individual lessons for the whole term are paid in full by the end of week 2 of the current term a 5% discount is allowed - the accounts manager will apply this to the following term’s invoice.
  Fees for the term need to be paid by the end of week 4
  If this is not possible, then it would be appreciated if the Director or the Accounts Manager could be contacted so that alternative arrangements can be made. One such arrangement could be to schedule regular internet  monthly internet payments.  If there is no communication, and fees are not received by the end of week 4, the Director will ask the student to cease lessons until outstanding fees are paid.
  

• DISCOUNTS:  If three or more children from the same family are learning music at AGAPE, a special discount is available. The accounts manager will automatically apply this to the account.

Missed lessons:

The overall policy is that the time slot allocated to a student is for a weekly lesson for the whole term. The following are the details:

1. There are no credits allowed for lessons missed by the student, This is in keeping with standard procedure in most music schools, and in many other organizations such as swim schools, dance schools etc. Tutors need to be paid, therefore fees must be paid!


2. If a tutor is unavailable on a given day, the Director will try to arrange for a substitute teacher to give the lessons.


3. If a substitute tutor is not available, the accounts manager will credit the lesson missed to the student’s account, and this will be shown on the  following term’s invoice.
4. As a matter of courtesy parents are asked to notify the Director or the student’s tutor as soon as possible if a student is going to be absent.


5. If a tutor is unavailable, and there is no substitute teacher available, every effort will be made to notify parents that the lesson is cancelled.


6. If a student ceases lessons within a term , AGAPE reserves the right not to refund fees for lessons scheduled for the remainder of that term. Once a time slot has been given for a term, the commitment is for the full term.

Protocols:

1. Music lessons are held weekly during NSW state school terms.

2. Public holidays are observed. These will be taken into account by the accounts manager when preparing invoices.

3. State school “pupil-free” days are not usually observed at AGAPE.

4. AGAPE aims to be an organization that welcomes communication, and parents are encouraged to talk through any issues of concern.

5. Any issues regarding progress, course content, lesson times, etc should be directed to the tutor or to the Director. Any temporary difficulty with the payment of fees should be communicated to the Director.

6. Any enquiries about invoices and accounts should be directed to the Accounts Manager (contact details are on invoices ).

7. Piano students at AGAPE will be offered the opportunity to prepare for AMEB exams, in both practical and theory. Students studying guitar and drums may have the option of preparing for AMEB Contemporary Guitar and Contemporary Drum exams .

8. Students will be encouraged to perform at the AGAPE Performances held twice a year.

9. Tutors will make every effort to develop a good rapport with their students, and to make the experience of learning at AGAPE fulfilling ,enjoyable, and challenging. They will encourage students to give of their best so as to fulfill their God-given potential.