Terms & Conditions

Last Updated: November 2026

Operating Entity: Derby Yamaha Music School (Derby YMS)

Studio Address: 4 Pride Point Drive, Derby, DE24 8BX

Contact Email: info@DerbyYMS.co.uk

Contact Phone: 01332 206706



1. Introduction & Acceptance of Terms

Welcome to Derby Yamaha Music School. By enrolling on a course, submitting a booking enquiry, paying an invoice, or attending a lesson, you make a commitment to your musical education, and we commit to providing the highest standard of tuition.

These Terms & Conditions govern the booking and delivery of music lessons—both in our studios in Derby and online—arranged through our website and central administration. By using our services, you (the student, or the parent/legal guardian if the student is under 18) agree to these Terms & Conditions alongside our Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy and Privacy Policy.


2. Our Collective Structure & Agency Role

  • Independent Teachers: Derby Yamaha Music School is a collaboration of independent, self-employed music teachers. We are not an employer or traditional music school.
  • Principal & Agents: Gail Braithwaite and Trudy Lyons act strictly as central booking, studio management, and billing agents on behalf of our teaching roster, keeping up to date with educational developments from Yamaha and managing the day-to-day running of the studio. Your contract for musical tuition is directly between you and your assigned self-employed teacher.
  • Teacher Vetting & Insurance: Every teacher operating within the collective holds an up-to-date Enhanced DBS certificate and individual Public Liability Insurance. Derby YMS maintains separate Public Liability Insurance covering our physical studio premises.


3. Academic Year, Bookings & Group Classes

  • 48-Week Teaching Year: Our studios operate for 48 weeks of the year, closing for 2 weeks at Christmas and 2 weeks at Easter. Consistent weekly attendance is strongly encouraged for maximum musical progress.
  • Regular Weekly Tuition: Ongoing lessons are booked as a recurring weekly time slot with your assigned teacher. Your slot is confirmed and reserved only once advance payment is received.
  • Group Class Merging: For group courses, if class numbers dwindle, Derby YMS and your teacher reserve the right to merge classes of a similar level so the course can continue successfully.
  • Taster & Ad-Hoc Lessons: Single trial lessons and ad-hoc bookings are subject to studio room and teacher availability and must be paid in full at the time of booking.
  • Online Lessons: Remote lessons are conducted via Zoom. Students must have a stable internet connection, working camera/microphone, and a quiet, well-lit practice space. For students under 18, online lessons must take place in an open-door communal room with a parent or guardian on the premises.


4. Fees, Invoicing & Central Payments

  • Central Billing: All lesson fees are collected centrally by Derby YMS into our collective account on behalf of your assigned teacher. Paying Derby YMS discharges your payment obligation to your teacher. Do not pay individual teachers directly unless instructed in writing by our administration team.
  • Payment Schedule & Summer Offset: Regular lessons are billed monthly in advance via an ongoing Standing Order on the 14th of every month. To help offset summer holidays, two free weeks are built into the calculation of your annual monthly payment plan.
  • Fee Reviews: We review tuition rates annually and will provide at least 4 weeks’ written notice before any fee changes take effect.
  • Additional Costs: Tuition fees cover teaching time only. Sheet music, method books, instrument hire, accompaniment fees, and graded exam entry fees (e.g., ABRSM, Trinity, Rockschool) are billed separately with your prior agreement.
  • Late Payments: If an invoice remains unpaid 14 days after its due date, we reserve the right to suspend lessons and release your reserved weekly time slot until the balance is cleared.
  • Accurate Contact Details: You must provide accurate contact details upon enrolment and inform us promptly of any changes so we can manage your bookings and safety records effectively.


5. Cancellations, Rescheduling & Lateness

  • Student Cancellations: All student-cancelled or missed lessons are non-refundable. Where advance notice is given for unforeseen circumstances, we will make every reasonable effort to offer catch-up practice materials or an alternative catch-up lesson slot, subject strictly to studio room and teacher availability. Rescheduled lessons are offered on a goodwill basis and cannot be guaranteed.
  • Late Arrivals: If you arrive late for a studio or online lesson, the session will still finish at the scheduled end time so following students are not delayed.
  • Teacher Cancellations: If your teacher cancels a lesson due to illness or unforeseen circumstances, your teacher will arrange a qualified substitute/cover teacher, reschedule the lesson, or apply a full refund/credit for the missed session.


6. Studio Rules, Parking & Health and Safety

  • Parking & Drop-Off Rules: There is no parking available before 5:00 pm, Monday to Friday. Our three spaces at the front of the building may be used strictly as a brief pull-in to drop off or collect students. Please respect our neighbours by never using their allocated spaces. You are welcome to park on site after office hours (post-5:00 pm) and at weekends.
  • Hearing Protection (Drum Students): Drum students must bring adequate earplugs or ear defenders to every lesson.
  • Supervision of Minors: Teachers are responsible for students only during their scheduled lesson time inside the teaching room. Parents and carers remain fully responsible for supervising children and accompanying siblings in the waiting area, hallways, toilets, and car park before and after lessons.
  • Studio Etiquette & Equipment: Please arrive no earlier than 5 minutes before your lesson and keep noise to a minimum in communal waiting areas. Studio instruments and equipment must be treated with care and used only under a teacher’s supervision. Students are responsible for their own personal instruments and belongings brought onto the premises.
  • Health & Contagious Illness: Do not attend the studio in person if you or your child have a fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, or a heavy contagious cold/flu. Please request an online lesson instead.


7. Pausing or Ending Lessons

  • Ending Regular Lessons: If you wish to stop regular lessons, simply let us know in writing at info@DerbyYMS.co.uk before your next billing cycle begins, and cancel your Standing Order with your bank after your final payment. You will then finish out the remaining lessons in the period you have already paid for in advance, and no further invoices will be issued.
  • Refund Policy: Because studio rooms and teaching hours are reserved in advance, we do not offer refunds for remaining lessons if you choose to stop partway through a paid billing period, except in exceptional circumstances at our discretion.
  • Teacher Reassignment: If your assigned teacher leaves the collective or becomes unavailable long-term, we will offer you a priority transfer to another suitable teacher within Derby YMS. If we are unable to offer a suitable alternative, we will provide a full refund for any remaining pre-paid lessons you have not received.


8. Inclusion, Reasonable Adjustments & Lesson Suitability

  • Our Commitment: Derby YMS is committed to providing a welcoming, respectful environment in line with the Equality Act 2010. We welcome students of all backgrounds, abilities, and neurotypes, and we do not discriminate on the grounds of disability or any other protected characteristic.
  • Reasonable Adjustments: If you or your child are neurodivergent or have additional learning needs, please inform us upon booking so your assigned teacher can discuss practical, reasonable adjustments (such as sensory breaks, adapted teaching materials, or adjusted pacing).
  • Scope of Tuition: Our independent teachers are qualified music educators rather than clinical therapists or specialist SEN practitioners. While we make every reasonable effort to accommodate individual learning styles, tuition is subject to the student being able to engage safely within a standard studio or online teaching environment.
  • Right to Pause or Discontinue Lessons: Derby YMS and your assigned teacher reserve the right to review, pause, or discontinue tuition if we reasonably determine that a student’s needs fall outside the professional training or scope of our teachers, if required adjustments are not practicable within our studio setup, or if behaviour poses a risk to the safety of the student, teacher, other visitors, or studio equipment. In such cases, any unused pre-paid lessons will be refunded in full.


9. Intellectual Property & Media

  • Teaching Materials: Any custom worksheets, backing tracks, or arrangements created by our teachers remain their intellectual property and are provided for your personal practice only.
  • Photos & Recordings: Neither Derby YMS nor any teacher will record online lessons or publish photos/videos of students on our website or social media without prior written consent. Students and parents may not record lessons without the teacher’s explicit permission.


10. Limitation of Liability & Governing Law

  • Feedback & Concerns: We hope you thoroughly enjoy your lessons with us. If you ever have any concerns regarding your course, lesson time, or teacher, please speak with us directly so we can look into alternative arrangements.
  • Liability: Nothing in these Terms limits or excludes liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud, or any other liability that cannot be excluded under English law. Subject to this, neither Derby YMS nor any individual teacher shall be liable for any indirect or consequential loss arising from the use of our services or studio premises.
  • Governing Law: These Terms & Conditions are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales, and any disputes shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.



Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy

Last Updated: November 2026

Operating Entity: Derby Yamaha Music School (Derby YMS)

Studio Address: 4 Pride Point Drive, Derby, DE24 8BX

Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSL): Gail Braithwaite & Trudy Lyons

Contact Email: info@DerbyYMS.co.uk

Contact Phone: 01332 206706


1. Our Commitment

At Derby Yamaha Music School (Derby YMS), we are committed to providing a safe, supportive, and welcoming environment for all students. We believe that every child, young person, and vulnerable adult has the right to enjoy music education free from harm, abuse, or neglect.

This policy applies to all independent, self-employed teachers, guest tutors, and administrative personnel operating within our collective, both at our studios in Derby and during online lessons.


2. Teacher Vetting & Training

To maintain the highest standards of safety across our collective:

  • Enhanced DBS Checks: Every teacher operating within Derby YMS holds an up-to-date Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) certificate, which is verified prior to teaching and renewed regularly.
  • Safeguarding Training: All teachers adhere to UK safeguarding best practices (including the Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance and the NSPCC framework for music educators) and complete regular safeguarding updates.
  • Code of Conduct: Teachers maintain clear professional boundaries at all times, using appropriate language, professional communication channels, and safe physical posture guidance only with explicit permission.


3. Studio Lessons & Premises Safety

Our studios at 4 Pride Point Drive, Derby are managed to protect students and provide peace of mind for parents and carers:

  • Visibility & Open Doors: Teaching rooms are fitted with viewing panels or operate with doors left ajar when teaching under-18s, unless a parent or carer is present in the room.
  • Waiting Areas & Drop-Off: Parents and carers are welcome to wait in our designated waiting area during lessons. If dropping off a child, parents must collect them promptly at the end of their scheduled session. Teachers are responsible for students only during their booked lesson time inside the teaching room.
  • Physical Contact: Music tuition rarely requires physical contact. If a teacher needs to demonstrate posture or hand position (for example, on a keyboard, piano, or guitar), they will explain what they are doing beforehand and ask the student—and parent, if present—for permission first.


4. Online Lesson Safeguarding

When lessons take place online via Zoom, the following rules apply to all students under the age of 18:

  • Parental Arrangements: All online lessons must be booked, paid for, and arranged directly with a parent or legal guardian. Teachers will never message, email, or connect with under-18s on personal social media or private messaging apps.
  • Lesson Environment: Students must take online lessons in a communal, open-door room in the home (such as a living room or kitchen) rather than a bedroom. A parent or responsible adult must remain on the premises throughout the lesson.
  • No Recording: Online lessons are never recorded or photographed by the teacher or the student without prior written consent from both the parent/guardian and the teacher.


5. Photography, Video & Social Media

We love celebrating our students' musical progress, but privacy comes first. Derby YMS will never take or publish photos, audio recordings, or videos of students on our website, social media channels, or promotional literature without obtaining explicit written consent from a parent or guardian (or from the student, if aged 18 or over). Consent can be withdrawn at any time by emailing info@DerbyYMS.co.uk.


6. Reporting a Concern

If a student, parent, or teacher has any concern about the safety or welfare of a child or vulnerable adult, it should be reported immediately to our Designated Safeguarding Lead:

  • Designated Safeguarding Leads: Gail Braithwaite or Trudy Lyons
  • Email: info@DerbyYMS.co.uk
  • Telephone: 01332 206706

If the concern involves the Designated Safeguarding Lead, or if you believe a child is in immediate danger, please contact Derby City Council Children’s Social Care (First Contact Team) on 01332 641172 (or out of hours on 01332 956606), or call the police on 999. You can also contact the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000.


7. Policy Review

This policy is reviewed annually by the members of Derby Yamaha Music School to ensure it remains accurate, effective, and aligned with current UK safeguarding legislation.





Privacy Policy (UK GDPR)

Last Updated: November 2026

Data Controller: Derby Yamaha Music School (Gail Braithwaite & Trudy Lyons)

Studio Address: 4 Pride Point Drive, Derby, DE24 8BX

Contact Email: info@DerbyYMS.co.uk

Contact Phone: 01332 206706

ICO Registration Number: 00016315586


1. Who We Are & How This Policy Works

Derby Yamaha Music School (Derby YMS) is a collaboration of independent, self-employed music teachers operating from our studios in Derby and online.

Under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018, Derby YMS acts as the Data Controller for personal information collected through our website, central booking system, and collective billing account. When we assign a student to a teacher, your assigned self-employed teacher also acts as an independent Data Controller for their specific teaching notes and lesson planning.


2. The Information We Collect

We only collect personal data that is necessary to arrange lessons, manage studio safety, and process payments:

  • Parent/Guardian & Adult Student Details: Full name, email address, phone number, and home/billing address.
  • Student Information: Student’s name, age/date of birth (for under-18s), instrument, musical experience, exam grades, and relevant learning support or medical/accessibility notes needed to keep them safe in our studio.
  • Financial & Booking Records: Lesson attendance logs, invoices, and Standing Order payment history.
  • Website & Technical Data: Basic analytics and essential cookies when you browse our website or submit an enquiry form.


3. How We Use Your Information & Our Lawful Basis

Under UK GDPR, we rely on specific lawful bases to process your data:

  • Contractual Necessity: To respond to enquiries, schedule studio or online lessons, match you with a suitable teacher, and send invoices or timetable updates.
  • Legal Obligation: To maintain accurate financial records for HMRC tax compliance and uphold our statutory safeguarding and health and safety duties.
  • Legitimate Interests: To manage studio room allocations, improve our website, and share essential administrative updates with active students.
  • Explicit Consent: For sending optional newsletters, publishing student photos/videos on our website or social media, or recording an online lesson. You can withdraw consent at any time.


4. Children’s Privacy

We take children’s data protection seriously. For any student under the age of 18, we collect personal information directly from—and communicate exclusively with—their parent or legal guardian. We never knowingly collect personal contact details directly from children via our website.


5. Who We Share Your Information With

We never sell or rent your personal data to third parties. We only share your details where strictly necessary:

  • Your Assigned Collective Teacher: When you book lessons centrally, we securely share relevant student details (name, age, musical goals, and emergency parent contact number) with your assigned teacher so they can deliver your lessons safely.
  • Trusted Service Providers: We use secure, UK GDPR-compliant software to run our administration, including Xero. These providers only process data on our instructions.
  • Exam Boards & Legal Authorities: With your permission, we share student details with music exam boards (such as Yamaha Music Examinations, ABRSM, Trinity, or Rockschool) when entering you for exams. We will also share information if legally required by HMRC, the police, or local safeguarding authorities.


6. How Long We Keep Your Data

We keep your personal information only for as long as necessary:

  • Active Students: Retained throughout your time taking lessons with Derby YMS.
  • Inactive Students: Teaching and contact records are securely deleted 12 months after your final lesson, unless you ask us to delete them sooner.
  • Financial & Safeguarding Records: Invoices and payment records are retained for 6 years plus the current tax year to comply with HMRC regulations. Any safeguarding or studio accident logs are retained securely in line with UK statutory guidelines.


7. Your Rights Under UK GDPR

You have the right to:

  • Access a copy of the personal data we hold about you or your child.
  • Correct any inaccurate or incomplete information.
  • Request erasure ("the right to be forgotten") where we have no legal obligation to keep your data.
  • Restrict or object to how we use your data, or withdraw consent at any time.

To exercise any of these rights, please email info@DerbyYMS.co.uk. We will respond within one calendar month.


8. Cookies & Website Links

Our website uses essential cookies to ensure the site functions properly [and basic analytics cookies to understand visitor traffic]. You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings. Our website may contain links to external sites (such as Yamaha Music UK or exam boards); we are not responsible for their privacy practices.


9. Complaints

If you have any concerns about how we handle your data, please contact us first at info@DerbyYMS.co.uk so we can put things right. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK’s data protection regulator, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), at ico.org.uk or by calling 0303 123 1113.