Leave and make-up classes cause more arguments than almost anything else at a learning centre. Usually not because the rules are unfair, but because there were no clear rules to begin with.
Decide them once, write them down, and apply them the same way to every family.
Decide how much notice you need
24 hours before the lesson is common for group classes. For 1-to-1 lessons, such as piano, some centres ask for more, because the teacher's time was reserved for that one student.
Count the notice from when the parent submits the request, not from when your staff happen to see it. Parents shouldn't pay for a slow reply.
Decide what happens with late leave
Most centres treat late leave as a lesson used, because the teacher and the room were already booked. Others allow a make-up anyway. Either is fine, as long as everyone knows which one applies.
Write down your exceptions too, for example a medical certificate.
Set limits on make-up classes
Without limits, make-ups pile up and fill your classes. Decide:
- How many make-ups a student can have per month or per term
- How long a make-up stays valid, for example 4 weeks
- Whether make-ups can be taken in another class of the same level
- What happens if the student misses the make-up too
Treat centre closures separately
When the centre closes for a public holiday or a teacher is away, that isn't the student's leave. Those lessons should be replaced or carried forward, and parents should hear about it early.
A sample policy
The numbers below are examples. Change them to suit your centre.
Leave and make-up policy 1. Please apply for leave at least 24 hours before the lesson. 2. Leave applied with less than 24 hours' notice counts as a lesson attended and is charged. 3. Each student may have up to 2 make-up classes a month, to be taken within 4 weeks. 4. Make-up classes are arranged in another class of the same level, subject to available seats. 5. Lessons cancelled by the centre, including public holidays, will be replaced or carried forward.
Make the policy easy to follow
Give the policy to parents at enrolment, let them apply for leave in one place instead of several chats, and always reply with the outcome. A clear yes or no prevents most disputes later.
How Communex handles leave
Parents apply for leave in the Communex app and can suggest times that suit them for a make-up. You set the minimum notice in hours, 24 by default, and whether late leave is still charged. Notice is measured from when the parent submits the request.
Staff review each request, and make-up classes are arranged in the same schedule as every other lesson.
