FAQ's
Below are the answers to some of the many questions we get about instrumental lessons. If you can't find an answer to your question then please contact us by clicking here.
What instruments do you teach?
Here at Rockademy we have an excellent team of teachers available for Electric and Acoustic Guitars, Bass Guitar, Piano/Keyboard, Drums, Saxophone, Ukulele and Singing. Not all instrument lessons are provided in every school.
Do you supply instruments or do we have to buy/rent one?
A student’s progress will be greater if they do regular practice at home and having their own instrument will obviously ensure this can happen.
Don’t yet have an instrument? Not a problem the option of hiring a guitar from us is available (click here to contact us for more information).
Electric, Acoustic and Bass Guitars
With the guitar It is advised to bring your own instrument along to lessons.
Drums + Keyboard
Obviously bringing an instrument to lessons isn’t the same for Drums and Keyboard due to their size and the difficulty in getting them to and from lessons. Don't worry as these instruments will be provided in lesson.
Singing
For singing all you need is to bring yourself!
Before you commit to buying anything please get in touch and we will do anything we can to help advise on what type of instrument you need, hiring or any purchases.
Once I have enrolled for lessons when will they start?
Once enrolled you will be contacted and given a start date and ...
Do I need to buy any books/sheet music?
You don’t have to no. Our teachers are well equipped and will provide sheet music for the lesson content and to practice at home. Books and sheet music are a useful resource and our teachers can advise the best options for their students.
How do I pay for lessons?
You will be invoiced for a course of lessons which is calculated per half term for all private home lessons or per 10 weeks if lessons are within school. See here for the latest invoice dates. You can pay by either bank transfer - or by the link on Xero, the account details will be attached to your invoice.
What should I do if I want to stop lessons?
In order to operate as efficiently as possible, we use an automatic rebooking system. This means that, unless you inform us that you wish to cancel your chosen instrument lessons, we will automatically enrol you onto a new lesson course. If you do not wish to be re-booked it is vital that you inform us by the stated deadline which is before any new payment cycle (details of which can be found on your welcome letter). You can do this by email, phone or post but if we have not received notification by the deadline your place will be automatically rebooked and the refunds/cancellation policy will apply - Once a course has started, we regret that Rockademy cannot issue refunds or credits.
What happens if a lesson is missed - can we make up the lesson?
If you wish to cancel a lesson we cannot offer a refund or make up. This is due to many schools now charging a room hire fee in advance for a set number of hours which we have to commit to providing our timetable for. See this page for more info
How does teacher absent from school affect payment?
We will do everything we can to make sure all the lessons paid for are completed in the payment period. If a Rockademy teacher is off, we will try and make up the time by adding an extra session on where possible. If this is not doable, we will add a credit to the next invoice for you.
Invoices are explained more here
My child can't choose an instrument but wants to learn - do you do trial lessons?
Picking an instrument can be a difficult decision but we can make it easier for you. We often have taster days one or two times a year in schools to help introduce students to instruments.
What times in the school day do the lessons take place and how are they scheduled?
Lessons take place all throughout the school day from the start of school until home time and including lunch times. Some schools require us to run clubs after school hours, this of course will be made known to you upon enrolment.
Are your teachers DBS or police checked?
All our teachers visiting schools are fully DBS checked.
How long should my child/I be practicing and how can I get the most out of music lessons?
How do I know how well my child is doing?
How long does it take to get good at my instrument?
All students will benefit from regular and structured practice and will in return will boost the rate of progress. Teachers will provide students with music and a checklist of what to practice at home to help students reach their goals. As parents actively encouraging and supporting your child to practice regularly will help establish a routine. DOWNLOAD OUR PRACTICE CALENDAR HERE
Practice schedule:
Below is a rough guide for the amount of time that students should do each week to make good progress:
Tips and tricks
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If possible keep your instrument out of it's case and somewhere where it is seen on a daily basis which will encourage you to play it as they say, out of sight is out of mind.
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For younger students parents are encouraged to actively sit with their child during practice time.
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Use a weekly practice log/checklist so students can see how much they have done and develop ownership in students to their instrument, praise/reward scheme
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Little and often is best for anyone.
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Need more ideas? Help is at hand, just send us a message and we gladly assist.
How long are lessons and how often?
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School lessons options are 20 or 30 minutes and are weekly during term time.
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Home lessons options are 30, 45 or 60 minutes.
Is my child too young/am I too old to learn?
You can never be too old or young to learn an instrument.
Are individual lessons better than group?
This depends entirely on the individual. There are many benefits to learning in an interactive group environment with other learners at the same ability as you. Students are encouraged to be supportive and can develop their own confidence, self-esteem, expression and identity as well build skills in teamwork.
My child had a disability, can they still have lessons?
Here at Rockademy we believe that anyone can learn to play an instrument and there are many benefits for all students but if you have any concerns please contact us and we will help with any questions or advise you need.
Are the teachers at Rockademy trained in child protection?
All of our teachers complete a Safeguarding Basic Awareness Course, a government program devised by the Safeguarding Children Board. Teachers are recommended to complete this training within 12 months of joining the Rockademy team.
I have a query, how can I contact you?
You may send any queries to us by text 07846164157, email rockademy@outlook.com or post. Details are found on the Contact Us page. Though our FAQ's are always being updated, please check that the answer to your question is not here first.
Did I receive an invoice from you?
Please check the junk or spam folder as from time to time our invoices end up there – We use a third party software to dispatch our invoices.
It seems as though we have been charged for 8 lessons instead of 10?
Our invoice dates are calculated at set points during each school year (starting in September we calculate our 10 lessons courses across the academic year). As your child joined in mid-way through invoice period, the invoice you received was only made to cover the lessons remaining in this period (in this case, 2 lessons into the course equals payment for only 8 lessons not 10) With only 8 weeks remaining of this current invoicing period, it would allow you to keep in line with our invoicing structure.
Behavioural Policy..
The behavioural policy exists to maintain an environment that enable pupils to reach their full potential. Any disruptive behaviour both in class will not be tolerated. The Rockademy teachers have the right to ask pupils to leave the class sessions at any time if they feel that their behaviour is either inappropriate or spoiling the enjoyment for other pupils. If disruptive or inappropriate behaviour continues, the pupil may be asked to leave Rockademy.