Music

The demand for tuition in some instruments is sometimes more than we can cater for, but we will endeavour to provide the tuition requested.  Should your daughter be unable to start lessons immediately, we will place her on a waiting list.  It will therefore help us if you could return the application form as soon as possible so that the music staff can work out the hours they may be required to teach in school. The waiting lists usually work through in the course of the year; again this depends on demand.  When allocating lessons we will give preference to those students who are already having lessons.

Should your daughter be really keen to start an instrument, she should consider other instruments where there may be immediate vacancies – and places in bands and orchestras. 

We would welcome bassoon players, brass players and cello players in particular, all of which may also be taken up by girls who have already started to play other instruments.  Please consider them as a very serious alternative.  We really do need a wider range of instrumental players.

If you do not already own an instrument, please do not go out and purchase one until your daughter’s instrumental teacher has given you some advice about schemes available in the area. 

However, if your daughter is learning to play the piano, it is important that she is able to practise on one at home – keyboards are not ideal.  All students in Years 7 and 8 use keyboards in their timetabled music lessons. A digital piano with 88 weighted, touch-sensitive keys is the best alternative to a piano.

Lessons are taught on a rota basis with students coming out of their school lessons at a different time each week.  This means that they will miss a different lesson each week and should not, therefore, experience difficulty catching up with missed work.

It is not always possible to allocate a fixed lesson time at lunchtimes for students in Years 7-11. 

Students must bring their device to their instrumental lessons in order to write down their lesson times.  They must show their device to their subject teachers when excusing themselves from lessons and must sign out in Student Support before attending their lesson. 

If your daughter is going to miss a music lesson due to illness, please inform the teacher directly (via the teacher’s email address) as the school is unable to take responsibility for passing on messages.  The instrumental staff will be as accommodating as possible when completing the correct number of lessons.

However, they must be given adequate notice if girls are going to miss lessons other than through illness, for example school visits, appointments, planned tests / examinations or controlled assessments.  Please inform the instrumental / vocal teacher in advance if you know your daughter is unable to attend her lesson.  Unfortunately, forgetting to attend a lesson is not a viable excuse.

You will receive a bill for private lessons at the start of each term, including details of how to pay.  You are asked to settle the bill promptly; if there are any difficulties in settling your bill, please get in touch directly with the instrumental teacher as alternative arrangements may be available.

Should your daughter wish to stop having private lessons, one whole term’s notice must be given in writing to the private teacher.  Failure to give notice within these timescales will result in a full term’s fees being payable.

Your daughter’s private teacher will advise her as to what she should be practising, how this practice should be done and what amount of time she should be spending on it. 

Regular, well-structured practice sessions are essential if progress is to be made; a short, frantic burst the night before a lesson will prove fruitless.

Attendance at lessons is monitored closely and you will be notified if your daughter is missing lessons for no apparent reason. 

Unless informed otherwise, private music teachers will enter students for examinations when they are adequately prepared.  You will be informed of this by your daughter’s teacher.

Once your daughter is ready she will be expected to join our instrumental groups, according to instrument and ability.  We expect a high level of participation from students who have lessons in school.  Choirs are available for all, from the start of Year 7.

Girls who have lessons outside school, privately or at organisations such as Chiltern Music Academy and High Wycombe Music Centre, should come and join in too.  Concerts, festivals, competitions, Carol Service, musicals and music tours are part of the life of the Music Department.  In addition, we perform concerts in High Wycombe and the surrounding area.