Make-Up Lesson Policy (2025)

At Melody Makers, our goal is to provide consistent, high-quality music education. To maintain this, we must ensure our teachers’ time is protected while offering as much flexibility as possible to our students.

This policy outlines how we handle lesson cancellations and the process for booking make-up sessions. By enrolling in lessons, you agree to the terms outlined below.

1. If You Need to Cancel (Student-Initiated)

We understand that illness, school trips, or family emergencies can arise. To help us manage our schedule, we have the following requirements for student cancellations:

  • The 24-Hour Rule: To be eligible for a make-up credit, you must cancel your lesson at least 24 hours in advance. Cancellations made with less than 24 hours' notice are not eligible for a credit, as this does not allow enough time for the teacher to offer that slot to another student.

  • Termly Allowance: To ensure scheduling remains stable for everyone, students are eligible for a maximum of two (2) make-up credits per term for student-initiated cancellations.

  • Prolonged Illness: We are all only human! In the event of a serious or prolonged medical issue, please contact us directly. We are happy to discuss bespoke options outside of this standard policy to support your child's musical journey.

How to Process a Cancellation

The most efficient way to manage your schedule is through the My Music Staff (MMS) Portal:

  1. Log in to your account.

  2. Navigate to the Calendar in the left-hand menu.

  3. Locate the lesson you wish to cancel.

  4. Click the appointment and select "Cancel Lesson" from the dropdown menu.

  5. Optional: You may leave a brief message for your teacher to let them know the reason.

If you are unable to access the portal, you may text Claire at 07971224821 or email claire@westonshaw.com. Please note that we strongly encourage written confirmation (text/email) to avoid any ambiguity.

2. If a Teacher Needs to Cancel (Teacher-Initiated)

If a teacher is unable to attend a lesson due to illness or an emergency, we will ensure you are not disadvantaged.

  • Automatic Credit: You will be issued a make-up credit immediately.

  • Exemption from Limits: Teacher-initiated cancellations do not count toward your two-per-term limit.

  • Communication: We will notify you via email as early as possible. Please look for the subject line: "NO LESSON (Date)." We appreciate a quick reply to confirm you have seen the message.

3. Redeeming Your Make-Up Credits

Make-up credits act as a "token" that can be used to book into alternative slots. We provide two main avenues for redeeming these:

  1. Recycled Time Slots: When another student cancels their lesson with notice, their time slot is released back into the system as a "Recycled" slot.

  2. Dedicated Make-Up Days: At the beginning and end of terms, our teachers often nominate specific days dedicated entirely to make-up sessions.

How to Book a Make-Up Lesson

  1. Log into your MMS Portal. Your available credits will be displayed on the home page.

  2. Click the Calendar icon.

  3. Look for a slot labeled "Recycled" or a "Make-Up Day" that fits your schedule.

  4. Click the "Green Plus Man" icon and select "Register" to secure the slot.

Important Booking Notes:

  • Confirmation: You will not receive an instant confirmation email, but the lesson will appear in your calendar immediately. The system will send a standard 24-hour reminder before the lesson starts.

  • Lesson Venue (In-Person vs. Virtual): By default, all make-up slots are scheduled as face-to-face sessions. However, if you are a student of Claire or Steve and would prefer your make-up to be virtual, please go ahead and book the session as normal, then send us a quick message. Because our system can only list one venue at a time, we will manually update the location to "Online" for you once we receive your request.

4. Terms, Expirations & Reporting

  • 6-Month Validity: All make-up credits are valid for 6 months from the date of issue. To keep our records manageable, credits not used within this window will be automatically removed from the system.

  • Active Registration Required: Make-up credits are a benefit for our active students. If you choose to withdraw from lessons at Melody Makers, any remaining credits will be forfeited and cannot be used after your final paid session.

  • Credit Reports: To help you keep track, we run a weekly report and will email a summary of your balance approximately once a month. This email will also highlight upcoming "Make-Up Days" to help you plan ahead.