Instrumental Lessons: Terms and Conditions 2024 - 2025
Thank you for encouraging your child to learn a musical instrument at JIS. Here at JIS we believe that a successful instrumental programme is essential to our school’s holistic outlook, encourages excellence, nurtures child development, supports our academic music programme and enriches the school experience for all our students.
We offer tuition in a wide range of instruments as well as voice. Our teachers are highly qualified and experienced both as performers as well as teachers.
From August 2024 all new JIS instrumental students will be limited to learning a maximum of two instruments at JIS to ensure student wellbeing and to allow ample time for personal practice and progress.
Lesson Structure
Instrumental lessons are offered to Year 1 - Year 13 students. In the case of Year 1 and Year 2 students, a trial lesson will be held to establish the suitability of the learner being able to benefit and make progress during a 30 minute lesson.
The majority of the lessons are timetabled between 7:45am-4:30pm. On occasion and in consultation with parents, lessons may be timetabled outside the core hours.
In consideration of the timetabling of lessons for Year 1 to 6 students, lesson times will be scheduled to avoid core academic lessons.
Year 7 to 13 students have 55 minute music lessons. Most students in Years 7 to 13 will come out of class on a rotation basis so as to minimise the impact on their subject lessons. We shall aim to timetable all sixth form students to have their instrumental lessons during their study periods where possible.
To maximise entry to the programme, Junior School students may initially be placed in small group classes (not more than 2) before moving on to individual lessons once the basics have been learned.
As there is only a limited number of fixed lesson times that fall outside of the timetabled curriculum, the order of precedence for these lessons is as follows:
- Sixth form students taking IB Music or A Level Music Technology
- Students taking GCSE Music
- Sixth form students - usually timetabled during study periods
- Students enrolled and regularly attending a Music CCA
- All other learners
Necessary Changes to Fixed Lesson Times
Please note on some occasions it is necessary for the music department to reschedule a weekly fixed lesson time. Please note that timetables are sent to all parents and Year 7-13 students before the following week’s timetabled lessons. It is the responsibility of the parents and the Year 7-13 students to check this published timetable each and every week, in case of any changes.
Other JIS Commitments
Although the music department works around events published in the school calendar, it is the responsibility of the parents to give 48 hours notice ahead of the published lesson time if there is a clash with another JIS event. Please check the timetable each and every week.
Unauthorised Absence from JIS
If a student is marked as an unauthorised absence from JIS then any missed instrumental lesson during this time will be marked as ‘absent’ and charged.
Student Expectations
Learning a musical instrument is a privilege and demand for lessons is high. It is important for students to practise regularly according to their teacher’s instructions and parents have an important role to play in encouraging this. Students are expected to be punctual and well prepared for each lesson. Students are also expected to take good care of their instruments. To assist students maintain a regular practice regime, teachers may issue practice diaries or publish practice requirements as a homework task on Firefly/Google Classroom.
Instrumental Tutors’ Expectations
Our instrumental tutors are continually monitoring the progress of their students. If any student’s approach to learning has not changed, there will be a discussion with the parents on the plan of action.
The instrumental tutor has the right to terminate a student’s lessons following a 6 week monitoring on the improvement/approach to learning which are unsatisfactory in the best interest of the student.
Absenteeism Policy
Illness
If a student is off sick on the day of their instrumental lesson (or expected to continue to be off sick) please continue to mail your child’s form tutor by 7.30am, but please also email the Senior Music Administration Officer Helen Yap (email: helen.yap@jis.edu.bn) and your child’s instrumental teacher if it affects the instrumental lesson.
Failure to notify of absence by 7.30am on the day of sickness will result in the missed instrumental lesson being marked as “absent” and will be charged.
A replacement lesson time for correctly notified student sickness will be scheduled in the following ten working days and notification sent to parents/carers. This is a one-off lesson for sickness and will be scheduled at a suitable time when the instrumental tutor has a free teaching slot. If this replacement lesson time is not accepted, the lesson will be forfeited.
Other Reasons
In the event of other valid reason for absence (non-emergency circumstances), the instrumental music tutor and the Senior Music Administration Officer (Helen Yap) must be informed 48 hours before the scheduled lesson time.
Instrumental Teacher Absence
In the case of instrumental teacher absence a replacement lesson may be organised at a mutual time that suits both teacher and student. Otherwise, a financial adjustment will be made credited to the parents at the end of the school year.
Billing
Parents will be billed in advance at the beginning of each term. Payment can be made in a single payment or in monthly instalments. Any discrepancies will be made up in Term 3.
Parents will be expected to be billed for a minimum of 34 lessons and a maximum of 37 lessons a year. Any additional lessons will be made in agreement with parents.
Term 1 - 15 lessons
Term 2 - 11 lessons (10 lessons for Year 7-13 students)
Term 3 - 9-10 lessons (allowing for school residential trips)
Any adjustment in the number of lessons will be calculated in Term 3.
Due to study leave and public examinations in term 3, Year 11 and 13 students will only be billed for terms 1 and 2. These students, in consultation with their instrumental tutor, may wish to opt into lessons for part or all of term 3.
Current charges are:
- $50 for each individual 55 minute lesson (to coincide with the length of a period)
- $39 for each individual 45 minute lesson (applicable mainly to lunchtime & before/after school lessons)
- $25 for each individual 30 minute lesson (mainly junior school students)
Six weeks’ notice is required to stop instrumental lessons. If a student wishes to cease lessons with immediate effect six weeks fees will be liable. Any remaining fees for that term will be refunded.
If notice is given during the final six weeks’ of term three, the remaining number of weekly lessons and any catch-up lessons will be liable, up to a maximum of six.
Instrument Hire
Some instruments are available for hire from the school. These include most string, woodwind and brass instruments.
Hire rates per year:
Instrumental hire fees will be billed for the entire academic year in Term 1, or prorated for students who hire the instrument after Term 1.
It is the responsibility of the student to keep the instrument in good working order. It is the students’ responsibility to purchase the accessories and cleaning materials as necessary for keeping their instrument in good working order. These materials are available in the school shop.
As students progress and enter the elective courses of Years 10 - 13, we would encourage most students to purchase their own instruments. A refundable bond is taken at the outset of an instrument hire to be set against any potential repair costs incurred during the hire lease.
Instrumental bond:
Students studying piano, guitar or drum kit are expected to have an instrument to practise on at home.
Exams
JIS is a registered examination centre for ABRSM (The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music) and Rockschool (RSL).
ABRSM is the UK's largest music education body, one of its largest music publishers and the world's leading provider of music exams, holding over 650,000 assessments in more than 90 countries every year. ABRSM is also registered with Brunei’s Ministry of Education.
ABRSM exams are optional at JIS and there is no requirement to take exams.
Entry for ABRSM exams is at the discretion of the teacher and JIS reserves the right to withhold a student from entry. There is a prerequisite requirement - Candidates for Grade 6, 7 or 8 exams must already have passed ABRSM Grade 5 (or above) in Music Theory, Practical Musicianship or a solo Jazz instrument. Higher grade ABRSM results also carry valuable UCAS points which count towards UK university entrance, for example, a distinction in Grade 8 is worth approximately half an A-level in UCAS points.
For the latest ABRSM exam fees please refer to:
https://bn.abrsm.org/en/exam-booking/exam-dates-and-fees/
The exam fees will be converted from Sterling Pounds to Brunei Dollars using the exchange rate from our Accounts department. There will be a local charge of B$10 (Practical) and B$5 (Music Theory) by the Ministry of Education which will be collected in addition to the exam fees.
For instruments other than piano, a professional piano accompanist from JIS will be employed at a flat hourly rate of $40 to cover the rehearsal and the exam (whether face-to-face or exam recording).
We also have Rockschool practical examination sessions which take place in Apr/May and Nov/Dec each year for contemporary musicians studying Acoustic/Bass/Electric Guitar, Drums, Piano and Vocals.
RSL has been an independently regulated awarding organisation in the United Kingdom since 2002. RSL Awards currently operates in over 45 countries, certifying over 80,000 learners each year.
The fees for the practical exam session for year 2024 is as follows. These will increase for the year 2025.
Instrumental students may also access Trinity College London online music exams through JIS.
Reports
All instrumental students receive a written report as part of their school report in Term 3.
Ensembles Programme
We run a rich ensembles programme at JIS with orchestras, jazz band, and other groups. Students who have instrumental lessons are expected to join these ensembles free of charge once they have sufficient skills. It is obligatory for GCSE, A Level and IB Music students to attend at least one Music CCA.
Registration Form