Fun, encouraging guitar lessons – right in your child’s school
From learning their first chords to playing along with their favourite songs, our school guitar lessons are designed to help children enjoy music, build confidence and make great progress.
We welcome children from Year 1 upwards, including complete beginners. Lessons take place during the school day, making it easy for children to learn without adding another activity to busy evenings and weekends.
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“Cooper has really enjoyed his lessons with Andy, he’s gained a load of confidence and looks forward to it each week.”
OLLIE ANSELL
WHAT HAPPENS IN A DWA GUITAR LESSON?
We want children to experience what it’s like to make music, not simply work through exercises.
Our tutors demonstrate, play alongside students and help them put the skills they’re learning into real songs and music.
Depending on their age and stage of learning, your child may work on:
★ Guitar technique
★ Chords and chord changes
★ Rhythm and timing
★ Songs and pieces
★ Reading music and tablature
★ Listening skills
★ Playing along with backing tracks
★ Creativity and improvisation
★ Performance skills
★ Graded material and exams, where appropriate
The aim isn’t perfection. It’s progress.
Sometimes a successful lesson means playing their first chord. Sometimes it’s finally mastering a tricky change, playing along to a favourite song or simply leaving their lesson excited to come back next week.
THE DWA WAY
BUILD THEM UP.
We want students to leave their lessons feeling more confident than when they arrived.
SHOW MORE. TALK LESS.
Children learn music by experiencing music. We demonstrate, play alongside them and help them see and hear what they’re working towards.
PUT IT TO MUSIC.
A chord, rhythm or technique makes much more sense when your child hears how it fits into real music. Songs and playing along are an important part of our lessons.
FUN + PROGRESS.
There’s room for favourite songs, musical games, challenges and plenty of laughter – while still helping children learn and move forward.
PROGRESS, NOT PERFECTION.
Beginner guitarists make mistakes. Lots of them! We want children to feel comfortable having a go, getting something wrong and trying again.
LESSONS THAT FIT INTO THE SCHOOL DAY
Guitar lessons take place during the school day at participating schools.
Depending on the school and availability, lesson formats may include:
20-minute individual lessons
30-minute group lessons
30-minute individual lessons at selected locations
Lessons usually take place weekly during term time and are scheduled within the school day.
DWA manages registrations, payments, parent communication and progress reporting, helping make the programme straightforward for both families and schools.
SCHOOL GUITAR LESSON OPTIONS & PRICES
30-MINUTE GROUP LESSON
Small-group tuition where children learn together, take turns, watch one another and develop confidence playing alongside other young musicians.
£14 per lesson
£38.50 per month including VAT
20-MINUTE INDIVIDUAL LESSON
Focused one-to-one tuition allowing the tutor to work closely with your child at their own pace.
£20 per lesson
£55 per month including VAT
30-MINUTE INDIVIDUAL LESSON
Available at selected DWA teaching locations.
£29 per lesson
£79.75 per month including VAT
DISCOUNTS
Sibling Discount – 10%
Available for siblings learning with DWA.
Multi-Lesson Discount – 5%
Available when a student is enrolled in two or more different types of lessons with DWA.
REGULAR MONTHLY PAYMENTS
Our school tuition is based on 33 lessons across the academic year.
The annual cost is spread evenly across 12 monthly payments, so your regular payment continues during school holidays, including August.
You’re not paying specifically for lessons during those months – the annual tuition cost has simply been divided into 12 equal payments.
★ One month’s notice is required to cancel lessons. Your regular monthly payment will continue during the notice period in line with our cancellation policy.
DOES MY CHILD NEED A GUITAR?
Having a guitar at home will give your child the opportunity to practise between lessons, but you don’t need to rush out and buy one before they’ve even started.
Equipment and books can vary depending on the student and tutor, so we’ll let you know what’s appropriate for your child.
All the equipment needed to take part is available during their school lesson.
And when your child joins DWA for regular lessons, they’ll receive a DWA tote bag and practice notebook from us, completely free of charge.
THINKING ABOUT BUYING A GUITAR?
If your child enjoys their lessons and you’d like to get them a guitar for home, we’re happy to help you choose something suitable.
The right size and type of guitar can depend on your child’s age, size and what they’re learning, so please speak to their tutor or contact us if you’re unsure.
WHAT ABOUT PRACTICE AT HOME?
Our advice is simple:
SMALL AND OFTEN.
Five or ten minutes regularly can be much more valuable than one long practice session every few weeks.
Practice might mean playing through this week’s chords, working on part of a song or simply spending a few minutes getting comfortable with the guitar.
Listening counts too. Hearing the songs they’re learning and noticing the guitar parts can all help develop their musical understanding.
Most importantly, we don’t want practice to become a chore.
Encouragement is brilliant. We want children to gradually develop their own relationship with music.
TIMETABLES & PROGRESS
Lessons during the school day
Your child leaves their classroom at their allocated lesson time, has their guitar lesson and then returns to class.
Our school timetables normally rotate every half term, helping to reduce the chance of your child continually missing the same classroom lesson.
Keeping you informed
Parents don’t normally get to watch school lessons, so good communication about progress matters to us.
You’ll receive a written progress report three times during the academic year – Christmas, Easter and Summer.
Reports give you a useful picture of what your child has been learning and how they’re progressing.
Performances
Where possible, we also aim to give students opportunities to perform through school concerts and assemblies.
For one child, success might mean confidently performing a complete song. For another, simply standing in front of an audience and having a go can be an enormous achievement.
WHAT ABOUT GUITAR EXAMS?
Exams are an option, not an expectation.
For some students, working towards a graded exam can provide a brilliant goal. For others, completing a book, learning a favourite song or preparing for a school performance may be much more motivating.
We’re not trying to race children through grades.
We want to develop confident young musicians who enjoy playing, understand the foundations and have something positive to work towards.
READY TO GIVE GUITAR A GO?
Where appropriate, new students can start with a free, no-obligation taster lesson at their school.
It’s an opportunity to meet their tutor, pick up a guitar and discover whether guitar might be their thing.
Simply find your child’s school and register your interest. We’ll then be in touch about availability and the next steps.
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School Guitar lessons FAQ
Francis Baily Primary
Hambledon Primary School
St James’ CE Primary School in Emsworth
Wickham CE Primary School near Fareham
Students learn primarily on an electronic guitar in lessons. But they also use an acoustic, too.
Cool songs, riffs, instrument knowledge. And you get a crash course in notation, reading music and tabs!
The Rockschool Guitar Method book. The link to buy it is here (Approx. cost £15).
It’s up to you. But an acoustic guitar will be quieter at home.
We recommend buying a 3⁄4 (three-quarter) size electric guitar. This guitar comes highly recommended. It comes with a mini-amp and accessories for £89.99 plus postage. A 3⁄4 size acoustic guitar is also fine.
Both are available!
– 20-minute individual lessons
– 30-minute group lessons
Yes, lessons taught at your child’s school are conducted throughout the school day. Children may miss some of their regular lessons, but teachers are informed and aware of their absence.
The frequency of practice depends on your goals and schedule. However, practicing a little bit every day is often more beneficial than longer sessions less frequently. Aim for consistency rather than quantity.
Effective from 1st April 2025
(Prices include VAT)
School Guitar Lessons
30-minute group: £14 per lesson / £38.50 per month
20-minute solo: £20 per lesson / £55 per month
Discounts
Sibling Discount: 10% off for siblings
Loyalty Discount: 5% off for students enrolled in both drum and guitar lessons
We offer 33 lessons per academic year, all during term-time. To make budgeting easier for families, we spread the cost evenly over 12 months.
There are 33 lessons per academic year, provided during term-time only. The costs are spread out and billed monthly over 12 months to make it easier for families.
If a teacher is absent, we will provide a suitable cover teacher whenever possible. If this is not feasible, a free lesson will be credited.
Unless the teacher is absent, all missed lessons, unless due to teacher absence, will be charged. Unfortunately, lessons missed due to short-term illness, school events/trips, or last-minute absences cannot be refunded or rescheduled. This policy also applies to non-emergency school closures with less than 48 hours’ notice. Rescheduling lessons is challenging due to teacher availability and the complexity of coordinating timetables.
Timetables are subject to change each half term to minimise disruption. On occasion, lessons may extend into break or lunchtime to accommodate all students.
One month’s notice is required to terminate lessons. This notice must be emailed to Alex at support@drumwithalex.com. This allows us to effectively manage our schedule and accommodate other students.
