I am just wondering what other teachers do about their students taking prolonged breaks for academic exam periods - some might call it "study leave"? It is fairly common in the schools I visit but what about private pupils?

This year, for the first time in many, I have a large number of private students taking GCSE/AS/A level exams this term in the UK who all want study leave exam breaks during late May/June/early July to concentrate on their academic studies. They all assure me even coming to a music lesson (whether practise has been possible or not) is one stress too much and they are planning breaks which, in some cases, will last over six weeks.

At one level, I am supportive of their need to do this - and I'm clearly not going to win any battles against parents who think it is the only way. However, I am looking at a personal financial loss of around £1000 this term because of it (on the assumption I'm not paid if I don't teach them) - and that's significant in terms of my monthly budgets. I suppose it's the price one pays for being self-employed but, at one level, it irritates me.

I contract with all of my parents/adult students and my terms for remuneration in the case of absence without explanation etc are quite clear. To date, I've never said anything about study leave because this is the first year it has affected me to a significant level. Given the ages of my current students, I can see it's going to be an annual problem from now on.

My other half reckons I should charge parents a "retainer" fee during this period on the basis that they will expect me to hold their place for September and be there to teach them again then (ie if I fill their slot or lose revenue and go out of business because of their absences, they won't have a teacher in September). Whilst I see his point, I don't particularly like asking for money for services which haven't been given so I'm unsure that I have any ground to stand on here.

So, may I ask colleagues on this forum what, if anything, they do? Do you not permit study leave? Do you accept such times go with the job of a self-employed music teacher? Do you ask for a "retainer"?

Any thoughts, ideas welcome. I want to do the best by my pupils and be fair and honest but I am a little concerned at the loss of income I'm being asked to absorb by giving in to their needs and requirements.

My sons school peri teachers ask if the students want to have lessons during study leave. If they do, no problem. If not then we don't pay for what we don't have.

It's tough for you from the financial point of view I guess you just have to factor it in now you've come up against it and try to save ahead in the months before.

Could you offer some extra tuition in something like aural training during this time to the students not on study leave and make up some work there?

I've had a couple of students ask for this this term. However, both have asked if I will give them a few lessons over the summer instead, so overall I will not lose out very much financially.

In this neck of the woods students move on to sixth form college. I know from experience that they will not have their timetables until the second week of term, and they are unlikely to be able to keep to the same lesson times with me anyway. So the question of a retainer for their particular slot does not arise. I have warned all my year 11s that it might be difficult to accommodate them all in September, because they arrive home so much later than the school students. It's not helped by two out of the three schools from where I tend to attract my private pupils finishing at 2.30, so they are often in the earlier slots.

I've decided to operate as far as possible off a temporary timetable for the first half of the Autumn term, asking parents/students to fill in a form with preferred lesson times, and hoping to satisfy everyone by half-term. It's a particular problem this year because I've got at least 5 changing schools.

I don't think you would be unreasonable in expecting at least part of your usual fee if they want their place keeping open.
Problem could arise that, having taken a break, some at least may well decide not to return anyway.

Have you explained to them that you understand the importance of their school exams and during the exam period will be aware that practice may be limited? Lessons during this time could be a welcome break from hard study in which you can explore some easier fun repertoire.
If it is your main income then I think that you are especially justified in not holding open places for that period of time without charge. (I had a teacher once who I had to pay even when I was in hospital if lessons could not be made up later).
Stick to your contract terms.

At the risk of sounding hard nosed, this is a business problem, and you need to tackle it in a business like way. Which I realise can be very hard if you are passionate and dedicated about/to something on a personal level. But you said it yourself, you are a business owner and this problem could potentially put your business at risk.

Why did you put a non-attendance term in your contract in place in the first place? To protect yourself from people taking the you-know-what about not paying for non-attendance! They can call it what they want, but if they are buying a 'slot' from you to avail themselves of your services, then they should be prepared to pay for it, or expect to lose it.

Again, this may sound cold, but ensuring that parents are aware that they will be expected to pay for lessons missed over study leave might get them thinking about their child's priorities; of course every parent wants their child to succeed in their academic exams, but imho, ditching everything else in your life to concentrate on the one thing that has become tough at a given moment is not a healthy approach; no well-balanced high achievers that I know are guilty of it! Perhaps there would be good mileage in guaranteeing 'stress-free' lessons during study and exam periods?

Is an amendment to your terms an option for the coming academic year? I'm no lawyer, but perhaps something along the lines of you as the teacher undertake to make every effort to fill gaps caused by cancelled lessons, but in the event of you being unable to do so, the customer becomes liable for the full amount for each missed lesson.

Good luck, hope you get this resolved soon!

I've had GCSE/AS/A level-aged students for many years, and no-one has ever asked for study-leave - perhaps I've just been lucky that the situation hasn't arisen.

I actually see their music lessons as being a welcome escape from revision, exam stress etc. I do tell them that it's not a problem if they can't manage a lot of practice around their exam period, and we often play duets or sight-read some easy things together. With the ones who are doing A levels and will soon be leaving to go off to uni, we often revisit their special favourites from all the years they have been with me - this is a real trip down memory lane for both of us, and I must admit to often feeling quite tearful as I accompany them. It's such a privilege to have helped these pupils along their musical paths and to see them go off confidently into the future.......

If anyone did ask for study leave, amongst those who would be expecting to return in September, I would insist on a retainer fee of half the lesson-fee for each lesson missed - this is the system I have for holidays taken in term-time anyway.

Having said that, with the A level people who will not be returning in the new school year I am quite flexible once the exam period begins - if they are intending to study music at uni I think it's sensible to continue having lessons to the end of term, but if they aren't, I feel it makes a memorable ending to their time with me if they treat my big summer concert as their Grand Finale performance (they are presented with a card signed with good wishes from myself and all the other pupils, and a nice present). If they leave after that I can either take on someone from the waiting list or leave the slot temporarily free, which makes my annual re-working of the lesson timetable for September much easier!

Mmm - this is a tricky one, but I don't think it's fair of parents to expect you to keep a place open without paying for the privilege.

You could point out that you have a waiting list and you can't justify keeping another student waiting for a place without some kind of guarantee that the exam student will return in September - or whenever. If they are reluctant to agree to keeping their place open, they have the option of joining the waiting list again!!

Jo, Melissaria and Sbhoa made some good points which I find myself in agreement with!

I tend to ease up on expectations, and we do other things in lesson time when practice has been impossible. Some relaxing listening often goes down well!

I hope you can sort this satisfactorily Oboist

I agree this is tricky. I used to do a lot of private teaching, and there were some families who expected to have a couple of weeks break even for annual school exams!

Have you told the parents how much income you are losing? They probably aren't aware of the whole picture, just their little bit of it. You could point out that you can't really afford to keep the place for them if a new student comes along.

You could insist on giving the lessons (or at least being paid for them) but make it clear that you won't be disappointed if the students don't practise. Use the lesson time instead for aural, or playing duets (i.e. sightreading practice), or improvisation etc.

At the schools where I teach, study leave (especially for year 12s) ends about two weeks after half term. You should certainly expect to resume lessons then, not wait until September!

Finally, it doesn't sound as though you've been given much notice of this. How does that work with the terms of your contract?

Good luck with sorting it out.

I haven't come across this problem myself-possibly because all my teaching is private, music school based or primary age schools. The older students who come to me expect to come for lessons for the whole of the term-if anyone has to miss, say due to an exam being scheduled that day/school trip/parents evenings, etc, I still expect them to pay. I am happy to make the lesson up, often by having a lesson in half term week, or continuing for an extra week/starting back a week early, at the start or end of term. I agree that it's unhealthy anyway to study to the extent you give up all your hobbies and relaxation-as others have pointed out, if they haven't been able to practice, then it's fine, and very valuable, to focus on sight reading and /or aural for a couple of weeks. I certainly wouldn't be happy letting them take chunks of time off during term time-from a business point of view I couldn't afford it, and I think from a music point of view, a lack of continuity like that is wrong.

Thanks everyone for your very helpful and considerate replies. I shall think on about this looking ahead to next year. It is clearly far too late to make changes to my terms of agreement for teaching this academic year but I think some modification may be needed in the future.

Thanks again - I value and respect your input greatly.

It's a difficult one. I respect their need for having time off, but for say an hour's lesson a week, this isn't much compared to the actual amount of school study leave and actual time taken up by exams. During this term, I'm going to loose out on around £250 through pupils taking time off for exams.
David