I've had a lot of people cancel at short notice lately and expecting to not pay. I know of other activities such as Ballet and Karate where a fee is still expected if you don't attend. Has anyone got any advice for me as to how to word an official sounding letter? Or could other people tell me how they deal with this?

Suggest you ask your students to pay for each half-terms lessons up-front, as is the case with dancing/sports lessons and music lessons in schools. I have minimal cancellations, if a student cancels due to illness I try to make up the lesson in the holiday's.

I second that.
If they pay a half terms fees in adfvnace, then there is a definite incentive to come, and if they don't, they lose out and you have half an hour free but get paid.
Write a letter to all pupils before next term to tell them that all fees are now payable in advance.
State clearly the terms and conditions i.e. how much notice they need to give of non attendance.

I work for Cleveland School of Music and students who miss lessons are charged £4 per missed lesson.

Most of my pupils pay me for 10 lessons in advance, and they know that if they miss one for no reason, they'll get no rebate. Try and make it clear from the start what you intent to do as regards missed lessons, as it's very difficult to ask for money after the event! I allow 24 for them to cancel a lesson before they are charged, but I never charge them if they are ill. Hope that helps!

It is a good idea to let them know your usual practice to absentees and who want to arrange for a 'make-up class'.

I give my prospective private pupils / students, on the day of 'interview', a list of "Rules and Regulations", detailing everything I think they have to know, about paid leaves (for me, of course! ), public holidays, fees adjustments, method of payment etc.

I normally allow them a 24-hour notice and would arrange a make-up class if they 'break the rules' for the first time, warning them allowance would never be made again. In addition, they are required to pay for 4 lessons in advance.

For other students (those in a music school, tertiary institute etc), the schools and institutes would have their own policies and procedures. If situation has become intolerable, notify the administration.

Just one thing - I am in Hong Kong. Don't know what it would be like in UK.

Decide what you will allow and put it it writing.
If people know from the start there (should) be no arguament.

I charge a cancellation fee of £5 for any lesson missed irrespective of notice. The fee is payable for the 1st week of illness only - other continuing absence is by arrangement. I am paid weekly and charge £16 per hour. My pupils' parents have no problem with this - I give all new pupils my 'terms of engagement', and update regularly, as well as provide a termly newsletter.
Hope this helps.

If you're a member of the Musicians' Union they have sample contracts on their website which you can use for private teaching. Even if you choose not to use one, it would probably give you an idea of how you could word your own 'agreement' between yourself and the parents/pupils, then you won't be left without payment again in the event of cancellation. I personally don't use one, as I have to often rearrange my pupils' lessons, but as others have commented, sports and dance activities and school-based music lessons have to be paid for a term in advance regardless of missed lessons, so why should private music lessons be any different??

Only thing is, the contracts on the MU site can only be accessed if you're a member....perhaps the ISM has similar advice on its site as well which is open to all.

For private lessons in the home, I don't charge if children are absent because they always ring to give notice and as I am in my own home I can get on with something else. Clubs and school based lessons are different because the teacher is on the premises ready to teach and needs to be paid for their time, or for group lessons there are still other children being taught.

I always charge my pupils who cancel without giving me 24 hours notice. If they give me notice I do try to rearrange their lesson, but if they simply do not turn up or cancel at short notice they pay for the lesson in full.
When a new pupil commences tuition with me they all sign one of the contracts supplied by the musicians union. There is no question then of my terms and conditions.

I charge whether they turn up or not, even if they give me plenty of notice. They are paying for access, not usage. Tuition reserves their exclusive lesson time; it is payment for my course of music education. What they do with their reserved time, is entirely up to them.

They do not pay for a lesson, they pay for a time slot in my week. I give them a lesson in this time, keep the piano tuned, buy their books (yes it's included in my fee), supply extra materials e.g. flashcards, keep the room warm etc. Of course, I will do a makeup if I have a spare moment somewhen, but thats entirely up to me.

I suppose a lot depends on whether you are teaching for 'pin' money, or need to pay bills with the money. If Johnny is ill, then I am sympathetic, but it really isn't my fault either and I should not be left wondering how I am going to pay the mortgage.

My students know this, and as they pay me by standing order each month, it isn't a problem. Since I moved over to this system, their health has improved considerably :-)

I was quite pleased to read this message. Not just me that has this problem then!!! i have 35 private pupils a week and so far this year have had 87 cancelations!!!!!!!

I must say, in spite of doing my first term's teaching, in my first ever school job without any real 'written' agreement, parents paid the full fee for each term (eventually!) and if they missed lessons, I often made them up at later dates - out of courtesy for my first engagement as a visiting peri. .

However! these days I make all parents sign a tuition contract - any lessons missed through cancellation or absence are charged. Simple enough really. Illnesses may be catered for, provided I get a written note explaining the absence from the parent/guardian. In these cases I 'endeavour' to give them another lesson to make up for the lost time - if I can that is. If I can't then unfortunately, it's not my responsibility and it's tough luck. I also work on a 'pay in advance' system for at least the first half term - if not the whole term. I won't work now without having parents sign up for a fixed period - by the terms of my contract. The only exception is in one school where pupils pay up for the whole term in advance to the school - and the school pay me monthly. Basically, as long as my wages are secured for the term or half term, I'm happy. Private lessons are different - I do very few of those and if people cancel, they cancel - I sometimes have to cancel at short notice and I certainly don't want to be giving free lessons every time I do that!

There is an ethical issue surrounding this - do teachers want to appear mercenary in their teaching practice? Well, I'm of the mindset that, if it's your main or only source of income (as it is for me), then you'd better cover yourself in every way you can! Provided the quality of your teaching is good enough to justify your methods of extracting payment, then sign people up for fixed terms of employment, and demand advance payment. It's also worth joining a union to help out with these matters. You would be pretty peeved if you were a classroom teacher, and your wages depended on how many kids bothered to turn up to your lesson! You get an employment contract and a steady wage from most jobs - why should peripatetic teaching be any different?

Anyway, that's how I see it.

yeah, i can see the logic in that. i dont think parents realise that each individual ammount adds up to your wage. I have even had the occasion where the parent has rung the day before to cancel and finished with "well we'l leave it for this week then" like they're doing you a favour!! Last August after calculating that my wage was down to a third, and recieving another phone call to cancel, i explained that this was similar to her boss saying take half an hour off without pay in the middle of the day. Its usually too late to replace the lesson and means i just sit in my car and hope i can get to my next lesson 5 mins early. the next pupil benefits at least!
Holidays are a pain as well. most of my pupils are well off [to say the least} and often the holiday absences
alone add up to 8 weeks. with 35 pupils to teach, a job in a semi pro band, playing at funerals and weddings someone commented that i should be loaded! I think this job requires a good business head as well (thats not me haha}.