We hope you enjoy learning with Encore!

Lesson prices for the 2025-26 academic year are as follows:

Please direct all queries (including absences) to: hgsencore@hgs.rklt.co.uk

We hope you enjoy learning with Encore!

Contacts

• Mr Durbin - Programme Leader of Music
• Mrs Twitchin - Encore Lead

Email: hgsencore@hgs.rklt.co.uk

HGS Encore! Terms and Conditions 2025-26

• You are enrolling your child for lessons for the academic year 2025-26

• Lessons take place on a weekly basis during term-time.

• Lessons are either 20, 30 or 40 minutes, depending on the length of lesson applied for and agreed with Encore.

• To secure your place for September, please sign up for lessons for the Autumn term here by Friday 27th June 2025.

• HGS students will be able to pay for lessons using Arbor Shop. Please contact HGSFinance@hgs.rklt.co.uk for any queries related to Arbor Shop and billing.

• Should students wish to stop lessons at the end of a term, please notify us at HGSEncore@hgs.rklt.co.uk, a half-term in advance. If this notice is not received, you will still be liable for the fees for the following term. Notice dates for 2025-26 are therefore as follows:

• Encore! Lesson times will not be on Arbor. HGS students will need to check their lesson times on Showbie each week.

• Lessons for KS3 and KS4 students will be on a rotating timetable (where possible) to avoid students missing the same classroom lessons. We will aim to timetable all 6th form lessons during free periods, study periods, or during break or lunch time.

• Student absence: If students miss lessons (e.g. due to illness, sporting fixtures or school trips), the teacher will not be expected to make the lesson up. It may be possible to rearrange the lesson for another day/time, but this is at the teacher’s discretion and subject to their availability. Giving as much notice as possible for planned absences will help.

• Staff absence: if teachers are unable to deliver the full quota of lessons due to staff absence or school closures (bank holidays, etc.), these lessons will be refunded back to you at the end of the academic year.
  
  
• You will be billed for the number of lessons we expect teachers to deliver over the academic year:

• If an application is made to start lessons part-way through a term, the fees due will be adjusted accordingly based on the number of weeks remaining.

Discounts

• Students in receipt of Free School Meals are entitled to a 75% discount on one set of instrumental lessons.

• Students who take GCSE, BTEC or A Level Music are entitled to a 40% discount on one set of instrumental lessons until the end of the Spring term of Year 11/13.

• If students have lessons on more than one instrument, only one set of lessons will be discounted.

• Only one discount per student is allowed (i.e., you cannot apply for a GCSE discount AND a FSM discount).

Exciting news, Drama comes to Encore!

 Individual LAMDA lessons are available for all students. LAMDA’s performance examinations use drama to develop self-confidence, physical presence and a strong speaking voice.

What is LAMDA?

LAMDA is one of the UK’s oldest and most respectful awarding organisations. We will offer practical examinations in communication, and performance. LAMDA examinations improve communication skills, increase self-confidence and develop strong social skills. It has been especially designed to provide an easy transition for all students to continue with or start drama lessons from primary school upwards. For further information please click on www.lamda.org.uk

Who is eligible for lessons?

Any student is eligible for LAMDA lessons. You do not have to have had previous drama lessons elsewhere, or feel that you are particularly gifted at drama to take part. Our emphasis is on providing quality tuition for all year groups and all standards of students to improve confidence and communication skills among others.

What will I learn?

The process and preparing for succeeding in a LAMDA examination essentially helps learners, whatever their ages or aspirations, to develop a broad range of skills that will serve them throughout life. Across the range, the examinations develop a learner’s ability to:• Read easily, fluently and with good understanding

• Expand vocabulary to improve powers of self-expression
• Interpret text physically and vocally
• Improve confidence in speaking and listening
• Memorise and recall information
• Create and defend arguments
• Engage in constructive informal conversation

Who are the lessons with?

Lessons will be with Bridie Moore. Bridie has taught drama and performance in a number of places, including schools, colleges and universities. She has been teaching LAMDA at HGS for several years and has achieved excellent results with the large majority of students who entered for the exams achieving Distinction grades. Before she became a teacher Bridie was a Theatre Director with among others The Everyman Theatre Liverpool, Paines Plough Theatre Company and Battersea Arts Centre.