Music Tuition Program Enrolment 2025

Program Overview

St Stephen’s School offers a comprehensive Music Program including an Instrumental Tuition Program for students from Year 1 to Year 12. Instrumental Music Tutors are contracted by St Stephen’s School to provide lessons during school time on School premises. Lesson times may vary from week to week to ensure students are not absent from the same class each week.

Students enrolled in the program are required to participate in an appropriate instrumental ensemble or choral ensemble when they have reached the required standard, as assessed in consultation with the Instrumental Music Tutor, the Director of the ensemble and Music Department staff. Rehearsals for choirs, guitar ensembles, orchestras and bands are generally held either before or after school.

Program Tuition

Enrolment for tuition in the following instruments may be available.  Instruments offered may vary with demand from year to year.  Duncraig ELC - Piano lessons only available for Year 1 and 2 students.

Fees
As this program is optional, fees are charged in addition to the standard School Fees. The annual fee for enrolment in the program is based on 32 lessons being provided each year. The fee will be included in the annual family account issued at the beginning of the year (or added to the account where enrolment in the program is confirmed after 1 December of the previous year).

The fee for individual student tuition in 2025 will be $1,560 (excludes instrument hire, maintenance, and insurance excess payments where applicable). 

Advanced students, and particularly those studying Music in Years 9 and above, may enrol for 45 minute or 60 minute lessons at the discretion of the Director of Music in consultation with parents and Tutors. These additional costs will be applied to Family Account by our Accounts Department. Piano students must have a suitable piano or keyboard at home before the commencement of lessons.

Please note that there is no refund of lesson fees or rescheduled lessons if a student is absent from school due to a family holiday taken during the school term or non-attendance without notification. 

Music Tutors

The Tutors will provide the following:

• Appropriate program of tuition for each student, including both practical and theoretical components.
• Timetable of lessons for each student on SEQTA.
• Communication with parents via the Music Record Book.
• Recording details of the homework/practice required in the Music Record Book every lesson.
• Collecting a year 1 to 2 student from class at the beginning of the lesson and taking them back to class at the end of the lesson.
• Attempting to locate a year 3 to 6 student who has not arrived within five minutes of the scheduled lesson time.
• Attempting to locate a year 7 student for Term One only.
• Attempting to locate a year 8-12 student for the first four weeks of Term One only.
• Emailing the parent should the student not be found with the date and time of the next lesson via SEQTA.
• Ensure all students sign in/out via iPad.

Parents/Guardians

Parents/Guardians are responsible for:

• Signing the Enrolment Form to acknowledge these procedures and to confirm acceptance of the conditions of enrolment, including fees payable and requirements for withdrawal from the program.
• Ensuring the student has access to an appropriate instrument and relevant accessories (reeds, strings, valve oil etc.), noting the instrument may usually be hired from the School.
• Ensuring the instrument is regularly cleaned, maintained and serviced and that instruments hired from the School are professionally serviced before return to the School. A receipt of instrumental service, no older than 2 weeks, must be returned with the instrument.
• Ensuring the student practice record in Music Record Book is signed weekly.
• Communicating directly with the Tutor about student progress and any concerns or queries. 
• Communicating directly with Tutor of planned absences relating to School events such as excursions, camps, carnivals etc, at least one week ahead of the lesson.
• Encouraging the student to practise their instrument daily and participate in ensembles.
• Any unresolved concerns after discussion with the Tutor can be emailed to Duncraig: musicadminduncraig@ststephens.wa.edu.au Carramar: musicadmincarramar@ststephens.wa.edu.au  where it will be addressed by the Campus specific staff member.
• Submitting a Withdrawal Form within the required notice period should the student wish to withdraw from the program.
• Please note that Primary students may have their lessons in Secondary Music Practice rooms as and when required.

Students

Students are responsible for:

• Actively participating in lessons, practising regularly and participating in ensembles where appropriate
• Recording practice times in the Music Record Book
• Bringing their instrument, music books, Music Record Book and other accessories to every lesson
• Attending their lesson promptly at the scheduled time as indicated on their timetable in SEQTA Learn. 
• Communicating with the tutor if they have any questions or concerns about their lessons.
• Talking with their parent/guardian about their lessons and any matters of concern.
• Student must sign in/out via iPad.

Absences

• Parent's must give one week's notice to the Music Tutor in order to change a lesson time for the following week.
• Student is absent from School they can have a lesson on Teams (parents must notify the Tutor that they want a Teams lesson as soon as possible) or they are marked as absent.
• If a child is absent due to a family holiday they will be charged for the lesson with no option to reschedule.
• Lessons are only rescheduled for official School activities that have been marked on the calendar, or where the lesson clashes with an assessment (the Tutor still requires one week’s notice).
• If a Tutor is unwell and or unable to give your child their scheduled lesson then you will not be charged for that lesson. The Tutor will reschedule that lesson at a later date. If the 32-lesson maximum is not reached, you will receive a reimbursement at the end of the year.
• Should your child be absent from a music lesson without notification they will be marked as absent and an email sent directly to the parent.

Withdrawals

• Enrolment is assumed to be ongoing from term to term unless the student officially withdraws from the program.  Parents will receive notification via email of renewal during Term 4 of each year to review the Terms and Conditions, and Tuition Fees.
• Withdrawals from the program requires 1 week’s notification only.Notification of withdrawal submitted during holiday periods will be counted from the first week of the following academic term. To notify the School of a student's withdrawal from the program, a Withdrawal Form must be completed via Parent Portal.
• Where notification of withdrawal is immediate without the provision of one week’s notice, one full lesson will be charged.