Lessons missed by the teacher

Why would my teacher be absent?

We know that continuity is an essential part of learning, so we work hard to ensure that from term to term the vast majority of lessons take place as originally scheduled.

However, all of our teachers are also actively engaged in performing work, which is part of what makes them great teachers - this means that occasionally a teacher might have a performance engagement which means they can't be present for their normal teaching. In addition, a teacher may be unwell.


What happens when my teacher is absent?

For group lessons:

A minimum of ten lessons will be provided each term - the curriculum is planned accordingly. Normally we schedule 11-14 sessions across the term, so if we have to cancel a lesson then the curriculum will be covered in the remaining weeks; no make-up or refund is provided. If less than 10 sessions are provided then we will credit back fees. 


For one to one lessons:

One of the following options will be arranged, according to your teacher's availability -

  1. Make-up week: Reschedule the lesson to the designated make-up week at the end of term. (Make-up week is a specific week set aside at the end of each term for rescheduling lessons missed by teachers - sometimes a full week is available, other times it's just a few days, or none at all. See the dates for this term on our website term dates page.)
  2. Alternative teacher: Arrange for a substitute ('deputy') teacher to deliver the lesson, following our careful hand-over process to ensure continuity.
  3. Reschedule: Offer an alternative day or time if convenient. Once confirmed, this rescheduled lesson is fixed and cannot be further changed unless initiated by the teacher.
  4. Credit: If none of the above options is possible, GMS will credit back fees for the lesson.

When are lesson credits processed?   

We process credits at the end of each term, and they will normally apply to the next invoice at that point, not the current one. For example, credits for Autumn term lessons will normally be applied to the February invoice.