Please read our terms and conditions before applying for music services. These terms and conditions apply from 1 September 2023.

1. Definitions 

1.1 "Services" means the services to be provided by Severn Arts to the customer. 

1.2 "Customer" means the person receiving tuition, hiring an instrument or participating in a group/ensemble, or in the case of a child under 18 years of age the parent or carer of that child. 

1.3 "Hirer" means the account payer – the person who is financially liable for payment of the account and any outstanding debt.  

2. General

2.1 These terms and conditions shall apply to the relationship between Severn Arts and the customer. 

2.2 Any purchase by the customer of services is conditional upon acceptance by the customer of these terms and conditions.  

2.3 Invoices are issued at various points in the term. Payment terms will be stated on the invoice.  

2.4 If payment is not received by the due date, Severn Arts reserves the right:  

2.4.1 to add interest to the outstanding balance at the Bank of England base rate plus 5%. 

2.4.2 not to deliver the service requested. 

2.4.3 to commence legal proceedings to recover any outstanding payments due (including any surcharge imposed and the cost of recovering any instrument (where applicable) which may result in additional legal costs.  

2.5 Payments can be made online by either debit or credit card. 

2.6 We shall give not less than 30 days' notice of any increase in fees for tuition, instrument hire or music centre groups.  

2.7 Severn Arts must be advised of any changes to your contact details including address, email and telephone number.  

2.8 The personal data collected directly from you is given voluntarily by you. The personal data we collect is used solely for processing enrolment to Severn Arts tuition or access to our services, for communication with you about these services or related activities, and to provide reporting data to Department for Education via Arts Council England in relation to the service subsidy they provide. The personal data of the data subject is kept for as long as necessary for the purposes stated above.  We will never share your data with third parties unless we are required to do so by law or for the purpose of providing our service to you.  The registrant is aware that more information about the Personal Data Act and the Personal Data Regulations is available at https://ico.org.uk/. We will not use your details for marketing purposes unless you have expressly opted to allow us to do so. 

2.9 Severn Arts will review these terms and conditions before the start of each academic year. In addition, Severn Arts reserves the right to make changes to these terms and conditions at other times during the year when deemed necessary. If changes are made during the academic year, we will notify our customers in advance not less than 30 days before the change takes effect. 

3. Instrument hire

3.1 Instruments may be hired by anyone who is resident in the UK. Priority will be given to students receiving tuition from Severn Arts. Discounted rates apply to school pupils resident in Worcestershire or who attend a Worcestershire school and are resident in the UK. Instrument charges apply per term of part thereof. Where an instrument is hired part way through the term, the full hire fee for the term will apply. 

3.2 Instruments hired to school pupils who move out of the area may continue but entitlement to the discounted rate will cease from the start of the following term. The hirer will be responsible for returning the instrument to Severn Arts at the end of the hire. 

3.3 The hirer is responsible for the instrument until the point at which it is returned to Severn Arts. 

3.3.1 At the end of the hire period, it is the responsibility of the hirer to ensure the safe return of the instrument to Severn Arts and it will remain charged until its return is confirmed by the Severn Arts office. Instruments can be returned via the student’s school at the end of hire provided this is in Worcestershire, is a school Severn Arts has an existing relationship with and the school is happy to accept the instrument. In all other cases, the instrument must be returned to the Severn Arts office. Please see the Severn Arts website for details of our address and opening times. 

3.3.2  If the hirer returns the instrument via the school, Severn Arts must be formally notified in writing (cancellation form available on the Severn Arts website) and the hirer should request a receipt from the school office as proof of return. Please note that the school has no formal responsibility as part of an instrument hire agreement and any co-operation in holding/forwarding an instrument to Severn Arts on behalf of a hirer is at their discretion. The hirer is ultimately responsible for the safe return of the instrument to Severn Arts. 

3.3.3 In exceptional circumstances, Severn Arts teachers may be able to accept an instrument return, but only by prior arrangement through the Severn Arts office. It remains the hirer’s responsibility to obtain proof of receipt from the teacher. 

3.3.4 If return is disputed (in particular, via the school), it is the responsibility of the hirer to prove that the instrument has been returned before the hire agreement can end and the account credited. 

3.3.5 The hirer will be held financially liable for both the hire and replacement cost of instruments not returned. 

3.4 Instruments should be ordered via the Severn Arts website or directly via the parent/carer’s Severn Arts login page. Once ordered, we will confirm availability with you and advise when the instrument is ready to be collected from our workshop in Worcester. We may be able to assist with home delivery for especially large or bulky items, but an additional charge will apply for this service. 

3.5 On request, we can deliver hired instruments to the student’s school provided Severn Arts teaching takes place in the school. There is a charge of £5 per instrument for delivery to school. Standard delivery time for new instrument hires is 2 weeks, subject to availability. We will be in contact with you to arrange delivery to school or when items are ready for collection. At busy times of year (July-September) delivery times may be longer. Instruments ordered between 20 June and 20 August for school delivery will normally be delivered to school in the first two weeks of September. Instruments ordered for delivery after 20 August may take longer to be delivered to school, so please order in good time.  

3.6 Instruments will not be released until the first hire payment has been received. If collecting in person, payment can be made at the point of collection. A deposit may apply for certain instruments. 

3.7 Each time an instrument is issued from our store it will be in good playing order. It is the customer's responsibility to take good care of the instrument and return it to Severn Arts at the end of the hire period in the same condition (save for reasonable wear and tear). 

3.8 Instruments will be marked with the student’s name and the Severn Arts identification mark. 

3.9 Shoulder-rests, replacement reeds and strings, and other accessories and expendables are not included in the hire fee. 

3.10 Instruments needing repair must be notified to the Severn Arts office. Routine maintenance and repairs are carried out by the Severn Arts workshop. Severn Arts will not reimburse customers who make their own arrangements for maintenance. Unauthorised repairs to instruments may result in additional charges to the hirer if the repairs are not deemed effective or to a suitable standard or if further damage to the instrument has been caused. 

3.11 Instruments hired from Severn Arts remain the property of Severn Arts, and ownership cannot be sold or transferred by the hirer. 

3.12 Instrument insurance and responsibility 

3.12.1 Hired instruments will remain the responsibility of the account payer (the hirer). Unless covered by section 3.12.2, the hirer is required to take out their own insurance or check that the instrument is covered by their existing home insurance policy. 

3.12.2 Severn Arts only provides insurance to cover theft and accidental damage to instruments hired to school age students resident in Worcestershire. However, this may not cover all eventualities and the hirer remains responsible for taking good care of the instrument at all times and complying the reporting of any incidents with the required information. 

3.12.3 Where the theft or loss of an instrument occurs: 

• Thefts must be reported by the hirer to the police within 2 working days of the incident and a crime number obtained. 
• The hirer must also report the theft/loss to the location where it occurred (e.g. if from a hotel: report to reception, if from a venue: report to the box office, if from a coach/bus/train, report to the company etc). 
• The hirer must then report the incident to Severn Arts within 5 working days of the event providing written confirmation that the incident has been reported (including the crime number) and that the relevant premises have been searched for the instrument.  Failure to do so may invalidate any cover that Severn Arts has in place, rendering the hirer financially liable for the loss. 

3.12.4 There is no cover for instruments stolen which have been put at risk through lack of care by the hirer or which have been left in open-view in an unattended vehicle – even if the vehicle is locked/alarmed. Where such losses occur, the hirer will be liable for the cost of replacement of the instrument. 

3.12.5 If the hirer wishes to take the instrument(s) out of the country, they must request permission from Severn Arts in writing giving at least one month’s notice. The hirer must provide written details to include dates, destination, details of the instrument(s), instrument I.D. numbers, reason for taking the instrument and security arrangements. Written confirmation of permission must be received from Severn Arts in advance of any trip. Any insurance through Severn Arts will be invalid without this permission. Severn Arts may decline to give permission if the reason for taking the instrument(s) abroad and/or security arrangements are not deemed suitable. 

3.13 Termination 

3.13.1 If the hirer wishes to cancel instrument hire, a completed cancellation form (available on our website) must be returned to the Severn Arts office, or an appropriate notification needs to be received from the hirers Severn Arts account. 

3.13.2 Severn Arts may terminate the hire agreement at any time by giving three months’ notice to the hirer. Such notice may be sent by email. The hirer will be required to return the instrument by the end of this notice period. 

3.14 Where the hirer cancels a hire during the term, the hirer will be liable for the full-term fee.  

3.15 The hirer is liable for the full replacement cost of the instrument as well as hire cost should the hirer’s account fall into arrears. Should the hirer account be more than three months overdue, then interest will be added to the outstanding balance at the Bank of England base rate plus 5%. 

4. Music tuition

4.1 When signing up for tuition the standard commitment is for the full (or remaining part of the) academic year. Tuition is provided by Severn Arts teachers on one of the following principals:  

Shared lesson* 
35 lessons (30 in a Music Centre setting) per academic year will be provided and will be a 20 minute weekly session consisting of two pupils or 30 minute lessons consisting of 3 pupils.   

Individual one to one lesson* 
35 lessons (30 in a Music Centre setting) per academic year will be provided and can be either 20 minutes or 30 minutes in length, on a one-to-one basis.   

*All options above may not be offered in every setting, when booking you will be able to see what is available at your child’s school or Music Centre. 

4.2 Severn Arts teachers will visit the student’s school or Music Centre to provide lessons, normally during school hours, at times agreed with the school. The student should consult the music notice board and/or the designated member of the school staff responsible for music each week to check the time of their lesson. So that the student can make the most of the lesson they should arrive promptly at the time agreed.  

4.3 Please see the teaching calendar for the schedule of lessons for the academic year. The specific sessions booked for the student can be viewed on the parent/carer Severn Arts Speed Admin online account.  

4.4 Invoices will be sent out by email to the registered payer before the new term starts. Payment for each term must be made in advance via our online platform using your Severn Arts Speed Admin online account. Login details so that you can access your account are provided at the point of sign up. If you lose access to your account or forget your password and are unable to reset it using the ‘forgotten password’ feature, please email [email protected]. . If you are having difficulty in making the required payment all at once, please email the office and we may be able to offer additional support or payment options.  It is the customer/hirer’s responsibility to ensure that payments due are made on time.  Failure to pay by the due date may result in the withdrawal of tuition. 

4.5 Some schools provide financial support for lesson costs for pupils in receipt of pupil premium funding and some schools also support lesson costs where pupils are studying towards GCSE or A Level music. If you think you have an entitlement to support, please speak to your school.  

4.6 Pupils will need tutor books for their lessons. Parents/carers are responsible for purchasing books requested by the teacher. Other costs such as exam entry (which are not compulsory) are also the responsibility of the parent/carer. Severn Arts will provide a practice diary for the student (or access to an online equivalent) as part of the tuition cost.  

4.7 Refunds are not available when a pupil does not turn up for a lesson at the allocated time, is unwell, if they are away on a school trip, or if the school cancels the visit. Should an individual lesson be cancelled by the parent/carer by sending notification in writing to [email protected] giving at least 10 working days’ notice, then Severn Arts will attempt to re-organise the lesson for later in the term. If this is not possible, then the parent/carer’s account will be credited at the end of the term for the missed lesson.   

4.8 Absences by Severn Arts teachers will be made up where possible. In the case of long-term teacher absence (three weeks or more), we will do our best to find a suitable replacement. Credits or refunds will be made at the end of the term if any missed sessions have not been made up.  

4.9 If you wish to terminate or reduce the length of lessons a minimum of 6 full weeks’ notice is required.  Please email [email protected] to request adjustment to length. To cancel lessons altogether, follow the links to de-register in your Severn Arts Speed Admin online account. 

5. Music centre groups and band & orchestra membership 

5.1 Group/ensemble membership must be applied for online. Membership must be applied for directly to Severn Arts and the student may not attend rehearsals until registration has been received.    

5.2 Pupils in receipt of free school meals, and/or pupil premium and/or a Severn Arts Music award are eligible to apply for a discount off the group subscription fees. For more information, please see our website help with costs. 

5.3 Should you withdraw from an intermediate or youth ensemble before the end of the academic year subscriptions already paid are non-refundable. 

5.4 Ensemble fees are subscription based and are charged termly. Fees are a contribution towards the running costs of the whole Severn Arts ensemble and performance programme and therefore are neither partially nor wholly refunded for non-attendance.