A growing studio
The Humming Tales family is growing—and with great power comes great responsibility.
Our updated website makes cancellations and make-up planning simpler, leaving us more time to focus on teaching.
To help this system run smoothly, accepting the Studio Policies below is required to begin or continue lessons.
The system may not be perfect yet, but it is an important first step—and all we need is your cooperation and support. If anything is unclear, please contact us; we will be happy to help. Thank you for your understanding.
01
Academic year and lesson target
A full academic year runs from 1 September to 31 August. Humming Tales commits to making 40 regular lesson opportunities available during that period.
This supports steady progress while allowing for the four-week summer break and planned non-teaching dates. A student who joins later or ends earlier receives a proportionately adjusted target. A lesson Humming Tales is ready to teach counts as made available even when the student cancels or does not attend.
The academic year is a planning and tracking period, not a minimum contractual commitment. Regular lessons continue until ended in accordance with Section 08 of these Studio Policies.
While Humming Tales commits to 40 lesson opportunities, we aim to offer 41–43 whenever the calendar allows. Any opportunities beyond the first 40 are additional and provided at no extra charge; they are not guaranteed and cannot be claimed or carried forward.
02
Tuition and payment
Monthly tuition is a rounded payment plan for the lessons in the academic year, not a charge for the number of lessons in one calendar month.
The applicable tuition amount is confirmed before regular lessons begin. Fees are due within seven days of the payment message. Materials and registrations for examinations, recitals, workshops or other events are charged separately when applicable.
Bank details IBAN: NL96 ABNA 0103 4254 70
Account name: K. Jain
If a consumer payment remains outstanding, a free formal reminder will provide a further 14-day payment period before any collection costs permitted by Dutch law are considered.
03
Summer closure, annual commitment and planned dates
Each academic year includes one fee-free summer closure of four consecutive weeks.
The closure will fall entirely within the official Region Noord summer-holiday period published by the Dutch government. Exact dates may vary each year and will be communicated beforehand. Humming Tales remains responsible for making the applicable guaranteed or adjusted annual target available. If a lesson not taught by Humming Tales would leave a student below that target, an additional opportunity will be arranged.
Planned non-teaching dates for 2026–2027
- Wednesday 14 October 2026 — studio break
- Wednesday 23 December 2026 — studio break
- Friday 25 December 2026 — Christmas Day
- Wednesday 30 December 2026 — studio break
- Friday 1 January 2027 — New Year’s Day
- Friday 26 March 2027 — Good Friday
- Monday 29 March 2027 — Easter Monday
- Tuesday 27 April 2027 — King’s Day
- Wednesday 28 April 2027 — studio holiday
- Wednesday 5 May 2027 — Liberation Day
- Thursday 6 May 2027 — Ascension Day
- Monday 17 May 2027 — Whit Monday
These dates are provisional and may change. Any change to this planned schedule will be communicated at least one week beforehand.
04
Lesson cancellations by students
Each student may receive up to four make-ups per academic year.
When illness makes 24 hours’ notice impossible, up to two of these four may still be used, provided the cancellation is submitted before the lesson begins. Please inform us as early as reasonably possible. Other late cancellations and no-shows are not eligible.
Individual lesson cancellations must be submitted through the Cancel a Lesson page. The time recorded by the website determines whether the standard 24-hour rule or the late-illness allowance applies. No medical evidence is requested. To end regular lessons altogether, follow the written-notice process set out in Section 08 of these Studio Policies.
If the cancellation page is temporarily unavailable because of a technical problem, contact Humming Tales immediately by WhatsApp or email.
When the make-up is delivered, the missed lesson is resolved but the use of one of the student’s four make-ups does not reset. A missed lesson that is not eligible for a make-up, exceeds the allowance, or has a credit that expires or is forfeited reduces that student’s expected completed-lesson total without reducing tuition or creating an additional teaching obligation.
Cancel a Lesson
Submit an individual lesson cancellation on the website.
www.hummingtales.com/cancel-lesson/index.html
05
Arranging and attending a make-up lesson
Eligible make-ups can be arranged at any point during the academic year, subject to available slots.
Eligible make-up lessons should be requested through the Make-up Lessons page. Select a suitable time and submit your request. All requests are subject to confirmation by Humming Tales. Slots are available more often than not, and students, parents or guardians are responsible for checking frequently. The day, time or location may differ from the regular lesson.
Once confirmed, a make-up cannot be cancelled or rescheduled by you as an entitlement. If it is missed, the original credit is treated as used. Humming Tales may make a discretionary exception. If Humming Tales cancels the confirmed make-up, the original credit becomes available again.
Credits normally expire on 31 August. A credit carries forward only when Humming Tales could not make an opportunity available—not when displayed options were inconvenient, declined or not requested.
Plan a Make-up Lesson
Check available times and submit a make-up lesson request.
www.hummingtales.com/calendar/index.html
06
Planned extended student breaks
Some students take one continuous summer holiday lasting four to six consecutive weeks.
To qualify as a planned extended summer break, the absence must include the complete four-week Humming Tales summer closure and may extend into a maximum of two adjoining weeks immediately before and/or after it—for example, one week on each side, two weeks before, or two weeks after. The entire absence must be continuous.
The studio closure is fee-free. For regular lessons falling within the adjoining teaching weeks, the student may choose either:
- a proportionate fee reduction, with an equal reduction in the annual lesson target; or
- continued tuition with corresponding Holiday make-up lessons. These are separate from and do not use the student’s four regular make-up credits.
The chosen arrangement must be agreed with Humming Tales before the holiday begins. Separate shorter absences cannot be combined into an extended break. Holidays taken at other times of the year follow the student-cancellation rules in Section 04 of these Studio Policies.
07
Admission, agreement and weekly place
Admission follows a trial lesson and confirmation of a regular weekly time.
The admission form should normally be completed before the first regular lesson. It records the agreed lesson duration, weekly place, Studio Policies acceptance and a separate required Yes/No media choice. Successful submission automatically concludes the continuing lesson agreement and records its date and policy version.
An online agreement has a statutory 14-day cooling-off period calculated from submission, irrespective of the first lesson date. You may withdraw by email or through the website’s withdrawal option.
By submitting the form, you expressly request regular lessons to begin or continue during the cooling-off period. If you withdraw during that period, payment remains due proportionally for lessons already provided. An exceptional lesson given before admission is treated as provisional; the continuing agreement is not backdated.
08
Ending lessons
One month’s prior written notice is required to end regular lessons.
Notice starts on the date it is received. Tuition remains payable and lessons continue during the notice period unless another arrangement is agreed in writing. Notice may be emailed to info@hummingtales.com.
09
Respectful and reliable participation
Lessons should remain safe, punctual and respectful.
Students and accompanying adults are expected to treat the teacher, venues, instruments and other learners with care. Humming Tales may end lessons in cases of serious or repeated unsafe or disruptive behaviour, or continued non-payment by the student, parent or guardian after the required reminder process.
10
Privacy and student media
Personal information and identifiable photographs or videos are handled with care.
The admission form asks separately whether Humming Tales may use identifiable lesson-related photographs and videos on its website and social-media accounts. Permission may be refused without affecting lessons and may be withdrawn by contacting info@hummingtales.com. Please read the Privacy Notice for full details.
