1. What EJMS offers.

1.1. Ealing Junior Music School (“EJMS”) is a Saturday Music School that operates in West London from 8.30am to 1.30pm on thirty Saturdays a year (10 per term) during Ealing Council school term dates.

1.2. EJMS provides high quality individual lessons (in the Western Classical Music tradition) for all orchestral instruments (except harp) and singing; the opportunity to play and sing in various ensembles, orchestras and choirs, theory lessons, aural training and entrance to formal ABRSM or (for certain instruments only) Trinity music exams.

1.3. EJMS offers to students who already learn an instrument elsewhere (and who wish to continue with that external tuition), the opportunity to enrol as an ensemble or choir student at EJMS and to play or sing in the relevant EJMS orchestra, ensemble or choir.

1.4. EJMS does not give piano or keyboard lessons.

1.5. EJMS is aimed at young children, pre-teens and teenagers in the age-range 3-18. Dedicated early learner courses are run for children aged 3-5.

1.6. A trial lesson may sometimes be available for the “Musicianship Course” only, subject to spaces being available. Please contact the Administrator for further information. [email protected]

1.7. EJMS invites parents/guardians of EJMS students to sing in the EJMS Adult Chorale (for an additional small fee). At the discretion of the Music Director, parents/guardians with suitable abilities may be invited to play in certain ensembles where additional support is required.

1.8. EJMS employs a Music Director, some 50 music teachers and several administrative staff. General midweek enquiries should be emailed to [email protected] or phone 020 8930 0579.

1.9. EJMS is a registered non-profit making charity (no 1046811). EJMS does not receive direct funding from either the government or from Ealing Council. EJMS therefore charges fees to cover payments to teachers and staff, hire of the host school premises, insurance payments, pension payments etc. These fees may increase annually (usually in April) to cover increased operating costs.

1.10. EJMS’s Parent Teacher Association (“The Friends of EJMS”—registered charity no 1046970) exists to support the activities of EJMS. In particular, “The Friends” operate a Café on Saturday mornings where light refreshments are available for teachers, staff, students and parents. Profits from the Friends’ Café are the main source of funding for the purchase of instruments for EJMS. All parents/guardians and teachers are automatically members of “The Friends”. The “Friends” AGM is held annually in March.

2. How EJMS Operates

2.1. EJMS currently operates at (though is not part of) Twyford Church of England High School, Twyford Crescent, Acton, W3 9PP. EJMS cannot guarantee that it will always operate from Twyford School.

2.2. On Saturday mornings, EJMS administration is run from “The Desk” in the Twyford School Café where questions are answered and help and support are available.

2.3. Students enrolled on the individual lesson Full Course are encouraged—subject to advice from the student’s Teacher and/or the Music Director—to play in any of the ensembles suitable for their musical ability, sing in the age-relevant choir, and attend theory classes, without payment of further fees.

2.4. Where a student takes up individual lessons in a second concurrent instrument, a fee will be charged for that second study. This fee is less than the Full Course fee.

2.5. Students may be entered for exams, if so recommended by the student’s Teacher. Where students are entered for exams, the exam fee and a small administrative charge must be paid in advance. ABRSM practical exams are normally held at Twyford School on the last two Saturdays of each term.

2.6. Once students are entered for exams, EJMS will provide, without further fee, weekly sessions with a piano accompanist and weekly aural training sessions. EJMS will also provide without further fee a piano accompanist for the actual exam. The allocation of any particular accompanist or aural teacher is entirely a decision reserved to EJMS.

2.7. EJMS cannot guarantee that lessons will take place at a certain time. As a student progresses, and is moved to higher-grade ensembles, the lesson time may change to fit in with the time of the new ensemble. Students are expected to be available for the whole morning 8.30am – 1.30pm, but may leave once their lessons, classes and ensembles are finished.

2.8. EJMS currently offers discounts from the Full Course fee where two or more children from the same family are both/all registered for the Full Course: the second child receives a 10% discount; the third and any subsequent child receives a 15% discount. EJMS reserves the right to change the level of discount, or to discontinue them, at one month’s notice.

2.9. EJMS may offer, on application by the parent/guardian a discretionary discount to a new student for the first term on a Full Course. Contact [email protected]

2.10. In cases of hardship, a small number of bursaries may be available to cover some (but not all) of the cost of a Full Course. Contact [email protected]

2.11. EJMS has some instruments available for hire for a moderate termly fee. That fee includes insurance. EJMS recommends these instruments for young beginners.

2.12. EJMS aims to provide consistency of teacher. However, EJMS reserves the right to provide a substitute teacher. This normally will only apply where the usual teacher is ill or is unavailable for other reasons.

2.13. Where a teacher is unavailable and EJMS has not been able to obtain a deputy, the lesson will be made up at a later date as agreed with the parent/guardian. Where that does not prove possible, EJMS will offer a refund.

2.14. EJMS teachers write in a student’s notebook each week what has been done in the lesson and what the teacher expects the student to practise the following week. The notebook is obtainable from the EJMS Desk for a small charge.

2.15. Where a teacher believes that a child is not practising or benefitting from lessons or a course, he/she will raise the matter with the EJMS Music Director and Administrator, who will decide in conjunction with the parent/guardian the best course of action.

2.16. EJMS reserves the right to refuse to allow a student to continue lessons or ensembles where that student’s attendance is poor without good reason. Discussions will always be held in advance with the parent/guardian before any decision is made.

2.17. EJMS runs various formal and informal concerts and recitals during each term. In addition, there are always formal concerts on the last day of each term. All concerts and recitals are currently held at Twyford School with the exception of the July end of year concerts which are currently held in St Barnabas Church, Pitshanger Lane, Ealing W5 1QG. These concerts and recitals allow the students to showcase their talents.

2.18. EJMS aims to offer a weekly Performance Platform from week 4 of term for students who are entering an exam that term.

2.19. EJMS aims to issue invoices and a student timetable at or shortly before the start of each term.

2.20. EJMS offers the whole musical experience of individual tuition, choirs, orchestras and ensembles, theory and aural training, exam accompanists and performance opportunities. The fees charged by EJMS reflect that full experience and cannot be compared to the notional cost of a 30-minute instrumental lesson.

2.21. EJMS has an Inclusion Policy. EJMS will attempt to make reasonable adjustments where it can, but EJMS has no control over the host school building or site.

2.22. EJMS has a range of Policy Documents. These are available to view at “The Desk” when EJMS is in operation.

2.23. Details of all the EJMS courses and course fees are available on the EJMS website www.ejms.org.uk , from the General Administrator [email protected] and from “The Desk” on Saturday mornings during term time.

3. What EJMS requires from students and their parents/guardians.

3.1. A registration form must be signed by the parent or guardian of a prospective new student. (Exceptionally, where a new student is aged over 18, the student may himself/herself sign the registration form.) The registration form includes contact details of the parent/guardian, such as name, address, email address and telephone numbers. Full payment for the first term in £ sterling must accompany new registrations.
Re-enrolment is automatic between terms and academic years.

3.2. In subsequent terms, the relevant course fee for the entire term must be paid in full in £ sterling on or before the first day of term.

3.3. On application by the parent/guardian before the start of term, the Finance Administrator may agree to payment for that term being made in three equal instalments on dates as advised by the Finance Administrator. (These are usually weeks 1, 5 and 8.)

3.4. Payment may be made by cheque, direct bank transfer or by cash at “The Desk”. (Cash must NOT be posted.) The payer is responsible for any bank transfer fees that may be charged for a direct bank payment and for any fees charged to EJMS as a result of cheques being cancelled by the payer or being dishonoured by the payer’s bank due to insufficient funds in the payer’s account.

3.5. If a student hires an instrument from EJMS, the student/parent/guardian must ensure that the greatest possible care is taken of that hired instrument. Any damage must be reported immediately by email to the Finance Administrator [email protected]

3.6. EJMS does not accept responsibility for instruments that EJMS does not own. EJMS’s insurance only covers instruments that belong to EJMS. If a student is using an instrument that belongs to the student or his/her parent/guardian, EJMS strongly recommends that the parent/guardian fully insures that instrument both for inside and outside the student’s home. EJMS cannot give insurance advice. However, EJMS’s experience is that policies from the specialist musical instrument insurance companies generally do not have the restrictive conditions common in household contents insurance policies.

3.7. EJMS’s insurance similarly does not cover personal possessions of a student or their parent/guardian. EJMS does not accept responsibility for loss or damage to a student’s or their parent/guardian’s personal property left in the Café or elsewhere inside or outside the school. EJMS strongly recommends that the parent/guardian insures any personal property that may be brought to an EJMS event, whether at Twyford or elsewhere. Personal property including instrument cases and music folders should be labelled with the name of the owner.

3.8. Entry to EJMS is not by audition. However, EJMS expects all students to regularly practise the instrument they are learning.

3.9. For young and new students, EJMS recommends that the parent/guardian sits-in at the student’s lesson. The parent/guardian must not sit in on the lessons of other students, unless it is a joint lesson.

3.10. The parents of Musicianship students should not sit-in the Musicianship Class, except by prior arrangement with the class teachers. Seats are available outside the classroom door. Special arrangements are in place for the collection of Musicianship students at the end of their class lesson.

3.11. EJMS expects the parent/guardian to read the student’s notebook and to encourage their child to practise on a regular basis.

3.12. Where a parent/guardian has any concerns about the tuition that the student is receiving, these should be raised in person with the EJMS Music Director at “The Desk” and by emailing the Music Director [email protected] AND the General Administrator [email protected]

3.13. EJMS expects students to attend EJMS each and every Saturday of term. Where there are reasons why a student will be absent on a particular day, the teacher and the Desk Staff should be informed the week before as a matter of courtesy. No refunds will be given where a student is absent, as the teachers have already been booked for the lessons for that term.

3.14. Where a child is unexpectedly ill on a Saturday morning, the parent/guardian should phone EJMS on 07939-550497 (Saturday number only.) No refunds will be given where a student is absent, as the teachers have already been booked for the lessons.

3.15. In the interests of EJMS staff and students, any student or their parent/guardian who is ill or who has an infectious or contagious disease should not attend EJMS.

3.16. Where a student has a particular condition, illness or allergy that may affect the student’s health and welfare while at EJMS, the parent should notify the General Administrator [email protected] This will be treated confidentially. Extra time/consideration may be available from the examination bodies for certain conditions.

3.17. EJMS requires that all students (and indeed parents/guardians) behave respectfully and courteously to EJMS teachers, EJMS staff, other students and their parents/guardians. Codes of Conduct are available on the EJMS website www.ejms.org.uk EJMS reserves the right to refuse to continue lessons or ensembles where a student (or their parent/guardian) breaks the Codes of Conduct. This will normally only be done after previous discussions with the student and the parent/guardian.

3.18. All students taking instrumental or singing lessons at EJMS are encouraged to fully participate in the various formal and informal concerts and recitals. The whole ethos of EJMS is to encourage students to make music together.

3.19. Student lesson times may change from term to term. This flexibility is essential to allow the progression of students into different ensembles as they progress. Students are expected to be available for the whole morning 8.30am – 1.30pm, but may leave once their lesson, classes and ensembles are finished.

3.20. EJMS expects all parents/guardians to help at ‘The Friends’ Café counter for a one-hour slot approximately once a term. A rota is issued at the start of each term by the EJMS Honorary Secretary.

3.21. EJMS has a zero-tolerance of drug or alcohol abuse. Where a student or their parent/guardian is thought to be in the possession of or under the influence of illegal or designer drugs, the police will be informed and referral made to Ealing Council safeguarding staff as appropriate.

3.22. Smoking (normal or electronic), or the consumption at alcohol is not permitted on the EJMS site. However, the consumption of alcohol supplied by EJMS at evening concerts is permitted.

3.23. The student remains the responsibility of the parent/guardian while at EJMS at all times when the student is not in an actual lesson, ensemble or choir.

3.24. As with many organisations, EJMS teachers are employed under a non-compete restrictive covenant agreement and are not allowed to privately teach a student that the teacher is or was contracted to teach at EJMS. Please do not embarrass the teacher by asking him or her to do so. Additional lessons before exams or during the school holidays while the student remains enrolled to study that instrument at EJMS are however acceptable.

3.25. Some car parking spaces are available to EJMS Parents in the car park at the back of the Twyford Sports Centre. (Uxbridge Road Entrance and follow the road round to the right and NOT straight on.)
Parents are not permitted to park or drop off next to the Cafe. This is part of the playground where young students play between lessons, and so for safety reasons only teachers who generally arrive and depart outside normal hours are permitted to park here.
The small car park off Twyford Crescent is reserved for the Armenian School who hire the white 6th form block and EJMS is not permitted to use it.
Parents may find it easier to park in nearby roads.

3.26. Should Twyford School be closed due to an event out of EJMS’s own control (for example—but not limited to—a power supply failure, or a decision by Twyford School or EJMS to close the School for extreme weather conditions), no refunds will be contractually offered. However, EJMS will make best endeavours to obtain refunds from Twyford School and/or EJMS’s insurers. Any sums recovered will be refunded to parents/guardians in such proportions as—in EJMS’s opinion—are fair and reasonable.

3.27. Formal written notice to cease lessons or ensembles at EJMS or to change courses must be given before half-term for a student leaving or changing courses at the end of that term; and by the end of term for a student leaving or changing course at the subsequent half-term. In the absence of such timely notice, fees for the term concerned will still be payable, as EJMS will have committed to pay the teacher and will not have had the opportunity to find a replacement student. EJMS may charge an admin fee for the extra work involved in processing late notice, non-attendance or non-payment of fees.

4. Child Protection.

4.1. EJMS takes Child Protection very seriously. All EJMS teachers, staff and Trustees have Enhanced DBS Disclosure Certificates. These are regularly monitored by EJMS.

4.2. To safeguard EJMS students and teachers, EJMS teachers are contractually advised not to teach a student in the teacher’s own home.

4.3. Where, with the knowledge of EJMS Administration, missed lessons or additional lessons during the school holidays are given in a student’s home, EJMS strongly recommends that the parent or guardian should be present.

4.4. EJMS teachers are contractually obligated NEVER to make personal contact with an EJMS student, whether by phone, text, email or social media. Where contact is necessary to arrange additional holiday lessons, this must be between the teacher and the parent/guardian.

4.5. All contact or queries about lessons at EJMS must be between the parent/guardian and the EJMS Music Director and/or the EJMS General Administrator.

4.6. EJMS teachers and staff are under no obligation to give their personal phone numbers or personal email addresses to EJMS parents/guardians.

5. Photographs, video and audio recordings

5.1. EJMS is proud of our students, and may therefore share their achievements through audio recordings, video recordings and photography. By attending, or your child attending, EJMS tuition, courses or events, you give consent on behalf of yourself and/or your child for us to take photographs and make audio and video recordings, and for these to be used in all forms and media, including social sharing and advertising. The images, video or audio may be altered in any manner, and used without approval from the subject(s). Those appearing in photographs or video or audio recordings will not be named, except where appropriate by first name only. The full name of the end of year student award winners may however appear in the end of year concert programme.

6. GDPR

6.1. EJMS takes Data Protection seriously. The EJMS Data Protection policies are available to view on the EJMS website.

7. EJMS website.

7.1. EJMS does not guarantee that the EJMS website is completely up to date and free of errors, whether technical, typographical or photographic. Any out of date or incorrect information on the website does not bind EJMS to stay with that out of date or incorrect information. EJMS may make changes to the EJMS website at any time without notice. EJMS does not make any commitment to update the website content.

7.2. Any content posted on the EJMS website remains the legal property of EJMS.

7.3. EJMS takes no responsibility for external websites that may be linked to the EJMS website. Use of any such external website is at the user’s own risk.

8. General.

8.1. By enrolling a student at EJMS, you as the parent /guardian agree to accept the Terms and Conditions set out in this document.

8.2. EJMS regularly reviews this document, and changes may be made. By continuing to send your student to EJMS, you as the parent /guardian agree to accept all revisions to the Terms and Conditions set out in the latest version of this document.

An EJMS Policy Document