1. Independent contractor relationship
• The Teacher is engaged as an independent contractor, not as an employee, partner, or agent of the Studio.
• The Studio and Teacher work together to maintain continuity and consistency across lessons.
• The Teacher is responsible for their own tax, insurance, and professional obligations, is not entitled to employee benefits, and does not make legal or financial commitments on behalf of the Studio.
2. Services
• The Teacher provides online Suzuki music lessons to students enrolled in the Studio.
• The Teacher agrees to:
◦ follow Suzuki principles
◦ maintain current teacher registration with the relevant Suzuki Association for the instrument(s) they teach through the Studio
◦ provide evidence of that registration if asked
◦ promptly tell the Studio if their Suzuki teacher registration changes, lapses, is suspended, or is withdrawn
◦ support the Studio’s Suzuki-based parent-participation approach by ensuring a parent is present at the start of lessons and remains present for most of the lesson
◦ record lesson notes using the Studio’s agreed documentation
3. Teaching framework and collaboration
• The Studio works within a shared Suzuki-based pedagogical approach to provide high quality, engaging lessons, support continuity and a positive learning experience for families.
• Within this framework:
◦ Student placements are coordinated by the Studio to ensure an appropriate match and may be adjusted in consultation with the Teacher and family to support the student’s progress.
◦ Lessons are recorded for safeguarding, continuity and quality assurance purposes. Recordings are not routinely reviewed; they may be accessed in specific circumstances such as a safeguarding concern, a parent complaint, or to help improve the quality and consistency of teaching.
◦ The Teacher’s professional expertise is valued, and they are encouraged to contribute to ongoing dialogue about pedagogy and practice within the programme.
◦ The Studio aims to support teachers through clear communication, shared resources, and a collegial professional environment.
◦ The Teacher agrees to make themselves reasonably available for periodic online professional coordination meetings with the Studio. Meeting times will be arranged by mutual agreement, taking into account the Teacher’s location, time zone, availability, and teaching commitments.
4. Availability and scheduling
• The Teacher sets their own availability and accepts lessons by mutual agreement.
• Lesson allocation depends on student enrolment and availability, and there is no guarantee of minimum hours.
• The Teacher may teach elsewhere, provided this does not interfere with lessons assigned by the Studio.
5. Payment and invoicing
• The Teacher will be paid a fixed hourly rate for teaching time as recorded on the Studio’s online booking system. The pay rate will be reviewed periodically.
• The Teacher will submit a monthly invoice to the Studio for teaching services provided during the previous calendar month. Invoices should be submitted by the 5th of the following month and will be paid by the 15th. The Studio will provide a template invoice format for the Teacher’s use.
• The hourly rate includes reasonable lesson preparation, brief lesson notes, ordinary parent communication, and occasional Studio coordination connected with assigned students.
6. Tax and contractor status
• The Teacher is an independent contractor, responsible for their own taxes in their country of residence.
• The Teacher will provide any required tax ID or VAT/GST number for invoicing purposes.
• The Studio will not deduct tax unless legally required.
7. Currency and payment fees
• Payments will be made in New Zealand dollars unless otherwise agreed in writing. The Studio is responsible for any fees or exchange-rate differences involved in paying the Teacher.
8. Record keeping
• Both parties will retain records of invoices and payments as required by law.
9. Materials and intellectual property
• All videos and written resources provided by the Studio remain the intellectual property of the Studio and may be used by the Teacher only for teaching assigned students.
• Lesson recordings made by the Studio remain the property of the Studio and may be used internally for quality assurance and training purposes. Lesson recordings are retained by the Studio for 6 months from the date of the lesson, after which they are deleted. If a Teacher leaves the Studio, recordings of their lessons are retained for the remainder of this 6-month period. The Teacher must not download, copy, or retain lesson recordings without the prior written consent of both the Studio and the student’s parent or caregiver.
• Occasionally, the Studio may request permission to use lesson recordings as demonstration material for prospective students and families. Such recordings will only be shared or used for this purpose with the explicit consent of both the Teacher and the student or parent/guardian.
10. Privacy, safeguarding and online conduct
• The Teacher must protect all student and parent information, including names, contact details, lesson notes, images, voices, recordings, learning needs, and family information.
• The Teacher must only use that information for Studio teaching work. The Teacher must not copy, download, share, upload, photograph, screen-record, or retain any student or parent information without the Studio’s prior written approval.
• The Teacher must maintain professional boundaries with students and families at all times. The Teacher must use the Studio’s approved systems and communication channels. The Teacher must not communicate privately with a student outside approved Studio channels.
• The Teacher must promptly tell the Studio about any safeguarding, privacy, wellbeing, or inappropriate communication concern.
11. Confidentiality, non-solicitation and Studio communications
• The Teacher agrees to:
◦ keep all student and parent information confidential
◦ present lessons to families as part of Katie Suzuki Music Ltd
◦ recognise that students introduced through the Studio remain Studio students
◦ not move, invite, encourage, or arrange for any Studio student or family to receive private lessons from the Teacher outside the Studio, during this Agreement or for 12 months after it ends, unless the Studio agrees in writing
◦ communicate with parents and students only via the Teacher’s official @katiesuzukimusic.com email address
• The Teacher acknowledges that the @katiesuzukimusic.com email account is a Studio work account, not a private personal account. The Studio may access it where reasonably needed for administration, continuity, safeguarding, privacy, complaint management, or legal obligations.
12. Respectful conduct by families
• The Studio will support the Teacher if a parent, caregiver, or student behaves in a way that is unreasonable, disrespectful, unsafe, or inconsistent with the Studio’s learning environment.
• The Teacher must promptly tell the Studio about any concern. The Studio may take reasonable steps to resolve the issue, including speaking with the family, changing lesson arrangements, pausing lessons, or ending enrolment.
13. Term and termination
• This Agreement continues until ended by either party.
• Either party may terminate with 14 days’ notice.
• Immediate termination may occur for serious misconduct, breach of confidentiality, privacy or safeguarding obligations, or misrepresentation of Suzuki credentials.
14. Governing law
• This Agreement is governed by the laws of New Zealand.
15. Entire agreement
• This document constitutes the entire agreement between the parties and replaces any prior informal arrangements.
