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Solihull Music School Ltd
The Barn Studios
Woodhouse Farm
Bickenhill Lane
Catherine-de-Barnes
Solihull B92 0DJ
01675 443456
Teacher Terms & Conditions
2024
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Background Checks:
Due to the nature of the work, teachers are required to undergo a Disclosure & Barring Services (DBS) check and must fully cooperate in providing information for this check. Solihull Music School will fund the first check for teachers, subsequent checks will need to be paid for by the teacher themselves, and are only due every 3 years.
Training Requirements:
Yamaha teacher training is mandatory upon a succcessful interview process and teacher onboarding. The training consists of:
- Initial training: 1-3 days
- Follow-up training: 1-3 days within the same year
- Annual Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
This training is provided by Yamaha and Solihull Music School.
Accommodation and meals during training are provided by Solihull Music School, but teachers are responsible for their travel arrangements and costs relating to travel.
On some occasions Yamaha is able to offer the training in house at the school or online, however this will depend on the timing and availability of the courses in relation to the start date of each teacher. In this case you will be catered for accordingly regarding meals for the training days, however there is no accommodation arranged if the training is hosted at the school itself.
Availability and Holidays:
All teachers have 8 weeks of holiday per year, based on the term dates, which are available to view on the website and notice board.
We ask that teachers are available during ALL school terms, except in cases of illness or accident. We strongly discourage days off and or holidays during term time as we pride ourselves on teacher continuity for the students’ progression.
If there is an un-avoidable situation where a teacher is going to be away during term time, outside of illness or accident, we require written communication of the dates and for the teacher to arrange adequate cover for the lessons missed. Each cover teacher will need to be approved by Solihull Music School and requires the same safeguarding checks as mentioned in point 1.
In the event of illness, teachers must notify the school promptly to arrange for a substitute teacher or to inform students that their lesson will not take place.
Fees for lessons not taught for any reason must be returned to the student by Solihull Music School, teachers are unpaid for lessons missed.
In the event of cover / substitute teacher, the payment for the students will be paid directly to the cover / substitute teacher within 2-4 weeks.
School Closure Periods:
Solihull Music School is closed during the following periods:
- 2 weeks at Christmas
- 2 weeks at Easter
- 4 weeks in August (subject to slight variations)
- All Bank Holidays
Actual dates will be posted on the notice board and school website. We are open during all half terms but, as stated before, not Bank Holidays.
Remuneration:
Teachers will be paid per student per lesson at the agreed rate and will receive their payments at the end of each month. Solihull Music School will collect fees in advance of the lesson period. The teacher payment breakdown is as follows:
Group Students are paid at £5.25 per student per hour (maximum student numbers in one group is 8).
1-2-1 Students are paid at £10.00 per student per half hour.
Lesson Preparation:
Teachers must arrive in sufficient time to ensure their studio is clean, tidy, and ready to commence lessons. We expect for a teacher to arrive at least 15 minutes before their first lesson, this is to ensure that all students start and finish their lessons on time, and any adminstrative messages can be passed on without issue. Any delays due to traffic should be reported to the school as early as possible. Failure to uphold this could result in a written warning and subsequent disciplinary procedures.
Dress Code:
Teachers are expected to be clean and smartly dressed at all times, presenting a professional appearance to both students and parents. Jeans are permissible only if they are clean and smart.
Recruitment and Promotions:
All marketing and recruitment is managed by Solihull Music School and the adminstrative team. This means, as a teacher the main focus is to deliver high quality, well prepared lessons. The adminstrative team will sometimes merge classes or move students within a teacher’s day of work to create gaps for more lessons and to maximise a teacher’s earning potential. In this event there is at least 3 weeks notice of any change.
The recruitment process requires that teachers are available to run the initial segment of our Free Taster Lessons (20-30 minutes). The second part of the process is managed by the Principal. Taster lessons are unpaid, with a view to recruit paid lessons for the slot in question. In the case of 1-2-1 students the school provides a ‘meet the teacher’, which again, will fall in line with a gap in a teacher’s schedule.
The ‘meet the teacher’ is for 15 minutes.
Once a year Solihull Music School will run a promotion on social media or a free open day where prospective parents and students can experience the school, see students perform and observe mini taster lessons.
The open day is unpaid and will always fall outside of lesson times, however, food and drink is provided and the sign up and retention rates of students from these promotions and events is always very high.
The view with this process is to add to the school numbers and increase a teacher’s earning potential. All promotions and open days will be announced with at least 1 month’s notice for teachers to plan their diaries.
Administrative Duties:
As part of our commitment to transitioning Solihull Music School into a fully paperless and digital environment, we have introduced several new systems to streamline our processes. These include:
Digital Student Register
Payment Portal and Student Database
Student Learning Portal
Individual Teacher Email Addresses for communication with the administrative team, students, and parents.
With the shift to digital platforms, we are legally required to comply with data protection regulations, including GDPR. Each studio (Drums, Keyboard, and Guitar) is equipped with a computer, microphone, and webcam to support these initiatives. Group lessons will be streamed live to a private learning portal, allowing us to reduce administrative tasks for teachers (such as sending homework notes) while creating a comprehensive digital record of each student’s progress. This record will be accessible online by both teachers and the administrative team.
Teacher Responsibilities:
Ensure that the student register is checked for each class.
Keep administrative staff informed of any relevant changes concerning your students, including medical issues, attendance, non-attendance, and safeguarding concerns.
The student learning portal also allows students to access recordings of missed lessons, making it a valuable teaching tool. All teachers will receive training on using the digital register and the streaming service available in each studio.
Privacy and Data Protection:
Any communication directly with students and/or parents through private channels is strictly prohibited. All communication must be conducted through official school email addresses. The reception email address (learn@solihullmusicschool.co.uk) should be CC'd in all correspondence with students or parents. Failure to comply with this policy could result in formal disciplinary procedures.
If a student under the age of 16 contacts you directly via your school email address, please notify the administrative team immediately. Teachers should not engage directly with the student unless a parent is involved in the conversation.
Any student under the age of 16 who contacts a teacher outside of official school channels must be reported to the administrative team immediately.
Communication:
Solihull Music School will manage all written administrative tasks related to students. However, we ask that teachers maintain clear and effective communication with the administrative team to ensure the smooth operation of the school. Teachers will be provided with:
Student email addresses.
A dedicated school email address (name@solihullmusicschool.co.uk) for official communications.
Technical Support:
If you encounter any issues with the portal or digital systems, please report them to reception immediately for prompt resolution.
Studio Trees and Merit System:
To support student retention, we have implemented a merit system that rewards consistent practice and effort. Each student is provided with a practice diary, where they will write down their homework at the end of each lesson. This diary serves as a record of their practice and progress, which can be viewed by both teachers and parents through official school channels.
Merit System Overview:
Practice Tracking: Students who practice five times in a week will receive one merit card. If they practice six or seven times in a week, they will receive two merit cards.
Additional Merits: Extra merit cards may be awarded during lessons for exceptional effort or achievement.
Awards: Once a student collects 10 merits, they will receive a bronze award, consisting of a certificate and a plaque. The plaque will be displayed on the Merit Tree in the studio, which features several goals that can lead to further prizes as students progress.
Practice Diary: The practice diary not only tracks homework and practice frequency but also holds a record of each lesson. This ensures that both parents and teachers can monitor the student's development. As per our privacy and data protection guidelines, all communication related to student progress must be conducted through official school email addresses, with the administrative team copied into relevant correspondence.
Studio Maintenance:
Teachers must leave their studios clean and tidy for the next teacher, including cleaning the board and emptying bins. Any necessary supplies or maintenance should be noted and reported to reception.
Exams:
Examinations take place 2-3 times a year, typically during the day from 9:00 am onwards. We do not require that teachers are present during the exams as the adminstrative team cover the reception desk and help students prepare for their exams on the day.
In the past we have required all teachers to be there on the day, but we understand that teachers may have other commitments which make it impossible to be there, however we have found that exam day is a great time to get to know the student’s families and the support teachers can give their students is very much welcomed adding to retention.
We welcome the teachers attending the exam day and there will be a nominal amount paid to teachers along with food and drink provided.
Classroom Concerts:
Termly classroom concerts must be conducted for Grades 1 and 2, and Music Adventures Books 1, 2, and 3. A termly calendar of planned concerts should be submitted to Kate.
Notice Period:
If a teacher wishes to resign, one term’s notice in writing is required to allow the school time to find and train a replacement. However, if a teacher is only contracted for 2-3 days per week the notice period can be adjusted provided a replacement / substitute teacher can be found.
Misconduct:
Any actions by a teacher that negatively affect the viability, smooth running, or reputation of Solihull Music School will be treated as gross misconduct, leading to dismissal. This includes soliciting students and or teaching current or recently cancelled students (within 2 months of leaving) outside the music school.
Safeguarding:
Teachers must be familiar with current Safeguarding Regulations and Solihull Music School’s safeguarding procedures. Online training and information will be provided by the school.
Accredited online courses such as those from VitalSkills.co.uk (HSQE Ltd) are recommended.
Classroom Discipline and Conduct:
All teachers will be provided training on the school discpline procedure, more information can be found on this link.
School Concerts:
We ask that teachers plan and execute small class concerts once a term with the newer groups. These concerts are not outside of lesson time, but can be built into the end of a lesson to showcase the progress of their learning with parents. Training on this will be provided in the initial training days with the Principal.
GDPR Compliance: All teachers are required to strictly adhere to GDPR standards to ensure the protection of personal data and privacy of our students and their families. This involves:
Ensuring that all personal data collected, stored, and processed is done so in a secure manner and used only for legitimate educational purposes.
Maintaining confidentiality of student information at all times and not disclosing any personal details without proper authorisation.
Following all school protocols for data handling and reporting any data breaches or security incidents to the administrative team immediately.
Participating in any GDPR training sessions provided by the school to stay updated on policies and best practices.
Compliance with these standards is mandatory and essential for maintaining the trust and safety of our school community.
By agreeing to these terms, you confirm your understanding and acceptance of your responsibilities as a teacher at Solihull Music School.