School Policy

MEMBERSHIP

Annual membership fee at the Richmond Music School is $50.00 per household. Membership fee registration after January 1 is prorated to $25.00 per household. This fee includes the annual Society fee allowing one vote per family member at the annual general meeting.
Membership fees are annual effective from July 1st to June 30th and are NON-REFUNDABLE. Lessons will not commence until this fee has been paid.
If students want to secure their Teacher yearly, the membership fee must be paid before July 1st of the next school year. We do not guarantee the same time slot.

REGISTRATION OF TUITION FEES

Tuition fees for private lessons must be paid in advance for the full school term. Please refer to the Term Calendar on our website for specific dates. This policy ensures that the school can secure fixed lesson times with the teacher for the entire term.
If a student anticipates missing lessons before the term begins, full payment is still required. However, arrangements for makeup lessons can be scheduled in advance with the teacher and the office.
Missed lessons will be credited to the family's account but are non-refundable until the student withdraws from the school.
Credits in the family account can be applied toward the next term’s tuition.
All tuition fees are non-transferable. (Exception MAY be applied to students from the same household, subject to special approval)
Fees must be received prior to the start of lessons. If payment is not received, Richmond Music School reserves the right to cancel all upcoming lessons, and the student risks the loss of the current teacher and time slot.
Group lessons/programs are payable by one-time payment for the course fee.
We accept payments by e-transfer, Debit Card, Visa, and Mastercard. Fees with pre-authorization made by credit card will automatically be charged. Students/Parents will not be notified for approval. By signing the Registration/Membership form you are approving this charge.
Each academic year runs from September to the following June. A student is automatically enrolled for the entire academic year upon registration and payment of a tuition fee. Payment is made in three terms.
Any student who does not intend to return for the following term must notify the office in writing.
All withdrawals must be made with at least FOUR scheduled lessons' notice.
Late or non-payment by the beginning of the next term does not result in automatic withdrawal.
Any unused balances on fees/credit in the student account will be considered forfeited within 12 months from the end of the school year. For example, the unused balance incurred in the school year 2024-2025 will be considered forfeited if it was not used up on or before June 30, 2026.

PAYMENT OPTIONS

One-Time Payment — Suitable for paying for group lessons or trial lessons.
Term Payment — Please refer to the term dates on our website for a number of weeks per term.
Full School Term — This payment reflects the start of the lesson to the end of the school term on June 30th and must be paid in full for the whole session prior to the first class.
Summer Term — This payment reflects lessons starting on July 1st and ending August 31st and all lessons scheduled must be paid prior to the lessons during this term. (Please check what summer term is defined according to our school calendar).

ADMINISTRATIVE FEES

Late payments may result in the suspension of lessons and possible loss of Teacher
All returned payments maybe charged a $25.00 handling fee. This includes unauthorized payments on credit cards.
Enrollment is only accepted from those returning students whose fees and accounts are paid up to date and in good standing. Any arrears must be paid in full before subsequent enrollment is accepted.

SCHOOL CLOSURES

Our programs run from September to June. There are several times during the year when the music school is closed. Students are not invoiced for these times.
Two-week Christmas/New Year period.
Richmond School District Spring Break.
Statutory Holidays and the Easter weekend, including Easter Monday.

LATE ARRIVALS

Zero tolerance for late arrival, your lesson will end at scheduled time.

CANCELLATIONS, REFUNDS AND WITHDRAWALS

Private Lessons

Cancellation with Notice:
A minimum of 24 hours’ notice is required to cancel a private lesson. Notice must be sent by email to both the school office and the teacher. One cancellation per term is eligible for either a make-up lesson or a lesson credit.
Missed Lessons Without Notice:
Lessons missed without notice or cancelled with less than 24 hours' notice will be charged and are not eligible for a make-up or credit. This includes no-shows.
Make-Up Lessons:
A maximum of one makeup lesson per term is allowed per student. Make-up lessons are not guaranteed and must be scheduled with the teacher before the term ends.
Cancellation/Missed Lessons/Make-up Lessons policy does not apply to BPP programs.
Teacher Cancellations:
If a lesson is cancelled by the teacher, a qualified substitute may be assigned. If no substitute is available, the teacher will coordinate a make-up. If this cannot be arranged, a credit or refund will be issued at the end of the term.
Extreme Weather:
If the Richmond School Board remains open, RMS lessons proceed as scheduled. Missed lessons will be charged and are not eligible for make-up or refund. If RMS is closed due to weather, a credit will be applied to the student’s account. These credits are non-refundable and must be used by June 30 of the academic year.

Withdrawals

A one-month written notice (equivalent to four scheduled lessons) must be submitted to both the school office and the teacher, regardless of whether the student attends the lessons during this period.
There are no refunds for the notice period.
Any unused makeup lessons will be forfeited upon withdrawal.

Group Lessons and Programs

Group lesson fees are non-refundable after 48 hours from registration.
If registration is made within 15 days of the program start date, no refunds will be issued.
Missed group classes cannot be made up, and no credits or refunds are given for absences.
If a group class is cancelled by the teacher and no make-up is offered, a credit or refund will be issued.
Group lesson fees are not refundable and non-transferable.
Students who arrive more than five (5) minutes late to a Richmond Music School group lesson may be refused entry at the discretion of the teacher, to avoid disruption to the class.

Music Therapy Sessions

Cancellations require 24 hours’ notice by email to the school office.
Sessions cancelled without sufficient notice are billable and not eligible for make-up.

Other Terms

Change of Teacher: Requests must be submitted in writing to the office and include the reason for the request. Approval is at the discretion of the Principal.
Teacher-Initiated Termination: A teacher may terminate lessons if the teaching relationship becomes unproductive. Valid reasons include lack of commitment, disruptive behavior, or communication issues.

Note: The above policies do not apply to the Beginners’ Piano/Violin Program. Please refer to the program-specific terms.

TRIAL LESSONS POLICY

All trial lessons must be paid within 48 hours after setup. If no payment is received within 48 hours, the trial lesson will be automatically cancelled without notification.
Trial lessons may be rescheduled only ONCE after payment is made and lesson is confirmed.
Notice to reschedule a trial lesson must be at least 1 business day.
No refund on trial lessons is given, and no-show will be fully charged.

SCHOOL PERFORMANCES ELIGIBILITY

All RMS students are eligible to register for participation in RMS school performances and outreach concerts.
Students must obtain approval from their respective teachers prior to registration.
The final program for each school performance or outreach concerts, including the selection of performers and the performance order, is subject to the sole discretion of the RMS school administration.
Any student who withdraws from a performance after the official withdrawal deadline will not be permitted to register for any performances in the following term, regardless of the reason for withdrawal.

MAKE-UP LESSONS/SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS

If individual lessons are cancelled by the student/parent, it is at the teacher's sole discretion to determine whether the lesson will be eligible for make-up lessons. Teachers are not obligated to do so but will try to reschedule a make-up lesson.
In the event of a medical emergency with less than 24 hours' notice, the School may require from the student a doctor's note for proof of absence to be eligible for a make-up lesson. If the teacher cancelled due to medical reasons without offering a make-up lesson, then the lesson will not be charged and will be credited.
Make-up lessons are offered only once, if a student misses or cancels a scheduled make-up lesson, the lesson will be considered completed. All makeup lessons are to be completed by June 30. Makeup lessons are not eligible for refunds.
The Make-Up Lessons policy does not apply to BPP programs.
RMS reserves the right to substitute or change teachers for any lessons. No refunds or make-up credits will be permitted due to a change of teacher.

ADDITIONAL COSTS

Materials such as music books, metronome and instruments are chosen or recommended at the Teacher’s discretion to match the level of the student’s development, and should be supplied by the student or parent.
There is no charge for participation in recitals for our registered students.

LIABILITIES

The School accepts no responsibility for personal injury or illnesses occurring at any School activity (including transportation to and from the activity) nor for any damage to instruments or personal property, however caused. RMS's health/ safety protocol strictly follows the BC Health Authority policy. Each student attending in-person class should adhere RMS's safety and Covid-19 protocols. All students are responsible to ensure his/her own safety while on school property. RMS is not responsible for any incident that is not caused by RMS negligence.
RMS reserves the right to charge any cleaning, repair, or replacement expenses to the student, parents, or instructor for damages to school property, including pianos and other musical instruments.

PRIVACY

Music school events may be photographed, audio or video recorded by the Richmond Music School and its community partners. Registered members including Parents/guardians/students hereby grant permission to the School and its partners to take photos and video recordings for promotional purposes and for use in social media channels and website. Those who wish to opt out must notify the School in writing by sending the notice to info@richmondmusicschool.ca. No student will receive monetary reimbursement for use of such photographs or recordings unless authorized in advance by the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors' decision will be final.

Richmond Music School Society reserves the right to change or update any of the terms and conditions at any time. School policy posted on this webpage will be considered the most updated version, and it will supersede any previous versions (digital and printed inclusive).

POLICY ON REFUSAL OF A SERVICE AND REGISTRATION

Richmond Music School is committed to providing a safe, respectful, and positive learning environment for all students, faculty, and staff. To ensure the well-being of our community, the School reserves the right to refuse or discontinue registration and service to any student under the following circumstances:

Disruptive or Unsafe Behavior
Students or Members who consistently demonstrate disruptive conduct that interferes with teaching, learning, or school activities may be denied registration or asked to withdraw.
Violation of School Policies
Students and families are expected to adhere to all Richmond Music School policies and guidelines. Failure to comply with these expectations may result in refusal of service.
Threats to Safety and Well-Being
Any behavior that poses a danger, threat, or risk—physical, emotional, or psychological—to other students, teachers, staff, or members of the community will not be tolerated. In such cases, registration will be refused or discontinued immediately.
Administrative Discretion
The Principal, in consultation with the Board or designated staff, holds the authority to determine whether a student’s conduct or circumstances warrant refusal or discontinuation of service.

This policy is intended to uphold the School’s mission of maintaining a safe, inclusive, and supportive environment where music education can flourish.