When the studio first opened, we did our best to accommodate every request for a rescheduled lesson because we genuinely wanted to help families.
However, in just one year we received over 200 reschedule requests.
Many parents understandably think moving one lesson is straightforward. In reality, it rarely is.
Rescheduling a single lesson often involved checking the timetable, arranging a series of swaps, contacting five or six other families, exchanging multiple emails and messages and confirming every change with families affected. It also meant disrupting other families' work, school and other extracurricular schedules - all to accommodate one change.
With many students, this quickly became a significant administrative burden that simply wasn't sustainable for a small business. We don't have a full-time administrator, so every reschedule takes valuable time away from lesson planning, teaching and supporting our students.
The studio now operates with a full timetable and a long waiting list. There aren't spare lesson slots sitting empty each week, so rescheduling usually means trying to create space that simply doesn't exist.
In many cases, repeated reschedule requests simply meant the original lesson time was no longer the best fit. That's why families commit to a fixed weekly lesson time when they join the studio.
Every student has a dedicated weekly lesson reserved exclusively just for them. Once that slot has been booked, it's almost impossible to fill at short notice if a lesson is missed.
Our teachers have already set aside that time, prepared each lesson in advance and often travel a considerable distance to teach. They are therefore paid whether or not a student attends. A missed lesson also leaves an unfillable 30- or 60-minute gap before the next student arrives, meaning that reserved teaching time usually cannot be used for another lesson at such short notice.
If I then arrange an additional make-up lesson, I have to pay the teacher a second time, meaning I pay for two lessons while only receiving payment for one. Unfortunately, that simply isn't sustainable for a small independent studio.
Piano is a cumulative skill, so regular attendance is essential. Students who attend consistently make the strongest progress because they're continually reinforcing new skills, developing good practice habits and maintaining momentum.
To support regular attendance, our teaching calendar closely follows the Bromley school term dates, helping to minimise clashes with school holidays and maintain consistency throughout the academic year.
Like many children's activities, including dance, gymnastics and swimming, many piano studios also do not routinely offer make-up lessons. A regular weekly place is reserved for every student, allowing us to provide a consistent, high-quality learning experience for all.
Our no make-up policy isn't about being inflexible. It's about running a fair and sustainable studio so we can focus our time and energy on what matters most: providing outstanding piano lessons for every student.
Thank you for your understanding and continued support.
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