The service is very poor and likewise the level of teaching. My kids have been at Watford Music school for six years, but this will be their last term. Teachers have no interest in your kids music dev... Toon meer
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My child has been happily attending the choir for over a year now. An activity she goes happily to and enjoys a lot. Then semester performances where all the various students perform their acts with... Toon meer
My daughter really enjoys her weekly choir sessions via HMS. They always do a great end of term concert to showcase their hard work too. Music staff are friendly and supportive. Emails from HMS are... Toon meer
Bedrijf heeft geantwoord
Sing,Make,Play! FABULOUS introduction for my daughter in Year 4. Fun, interactive, variety of styles and instruments. Made new friends. Fantastic staff that made her feel safe. Now going into Yea... Toon meer
Bedrijf heeft geantwoord
Bedrijfsgegevens
Geschreven door het bedrijf
HMS is a team of passionate musicians, teachers and educators who care deeply about enabling young people to experience the benefits of a high quality music education. We deliver the incredible musical, personal and social outcomes that come from learning a musical instrument week in, week out. Our 12 music centres across the county are local musical community hubs with the ambition of providing engaging, life-long music education as well as a wider variety of activities including music technology, music production and youth leadership opportunities. For over 40 years Hertfordshire Music Service has successfully delivered musical opportunities to generations of young people throughout the county. The service is now one of the largest in the country with many thousands of young people involved in our weekly musical activities, supported by over 450 teachers. We receive funding from the Department for Education through the Arts Council England, as well as generous support from Hertfordshire County Council to provide world class music tuition to the residents and families of Hertfordshire.
Contactgegevens
Mid Herts Centre for Music and Arts, AL10 0PS, Hatfield, Verenigd Koninkrijk
- 01438 844851
- HMSMarketing@hertfordshire.gov.uk
- hertsmusicservice.org.uk
3,8
Goed
58 reviews
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Poor teaching and service.
The service is very poor and likewise the level of teaching. My kids have been at Watford Music school for six years, but this will be their last term. Teachers have no interest in your kids music development, they are not willing to help parents managing exams and some of them lack of basic music teaching skills. The admin team is also not very friendly nor helpful. Also, the school doesn’t offer face to face exam. Since we started 6 years ago, there has been a slow decline. It’s far too expensive for what they offer.
4 september 2026
Review zonder uitnodiging
My daughter has flute lessons delivered…
My daughter has flute lessons delivered at her school. The teacher arranges the lessons around her school hours. All goes very smoothly and is very convenient (no driving to another location required). I like the flexibility and the integration into the school schedule. Her progress is
21 augustus 2026
Review zonder uitnodiging
One year strong
My child has been happily attending the choir for over a year now. An activity she goes happily to and enjoys a lot. Then semester performances where all the various students perform their acts with confidence is always a great event to attend.
The teachers are kind and patient.
7 augustus 2026
Review zonder uitnodiging
Excellent service
Excellent service, good communication from organization & teachers. Very good teaching.
2 juli 2026
Review zonder uitnodiging
Antwoord van Hertfordshire Music Service
Thank you for your kind review.
We’re delighted to hear that you’ve had such a positive experience with HMS. It’s wonderful to know that both our teachers and wider team have provided good communication and high-quality teaching.
We really appreciate your feedback and hope we can continue to support your musical journey in the future.
I have had good experiences throughout…
I have had good experiences throughout the years since I started with the company. Always on time and good reminders , prompt and professional.
29 juli 2026
Review zonder uitnodiging
Antwoord van Hertfordshire Music Service
We’re so pleased to hear that you’ve had positive experiences with Hertfordshire Music Service over the years. It’s great to know that our reminders, punctuality, and professional communication have been helpful.
We really appreciate your continued support and hope we can continue to provide you with a positive experience for many years to come.
Terrible communication (unless they're harassing you for money six months in advance)
My son enjoys his lessons and likes the teacher. However there doesn't seem to be any structure to them whatsoever - no written materials are provided, he doesn't work from a book or is set any specific homework and so it's difficult to judge his progress. It just seems to meander on depending on how they feel on the day.
In addition to this, the communication from HMS is basically non-existent apart from when they're chasing money and you get lots of emails saying your childs lessons will be cancelled unless you pay up immediately. He had not even finished his current lessons in July before they started sending agressive emails demanding payment for all lessons up until December, which is completely unlike any other provider I have come across before. From reading other reviews it seems this is a problem that bothers a large number of parents, but the service seem to ignore this feedback.
In addition to the above we were never given a specific starting date for the lessons at the beginning of the year. My son took his guitar to school for a couple of weeks for no reason as the teacher hadn't commenced lessons or told us when they were starting, let alone what day they would be held on.
Sometimes lessons would be cancelled with no notice, but the only way we found out about this was when our son told us he hadn't had a lesson that day. At no point did HMS contact us to tell us lessons were cancelled and there's no way to track how many he has received each term and whether he has been taught the correct number of times we have paid for.
Overall, they could easily improve the service hugely by taking on board the same points that are regularly raised, which wouldn't take much effort.
We are going to continue for one more term, but if communication and payment demands don't improve then we will very likely not extend into 2027 as there are dozens of private tutors who could provide a better service.
14 juli 2026
Review zonder uitnodiging
Antwoord van Hertfordshire Music Service
Thank you for taking the time to provide such detailed feedback. We’re pleased to hear that your son enjoys learning guitar and values his teacher, but we’re very sorry to read about the communication issues you’ve experienced throughout the year.
We understand how frustrating it must have been not knowing when lessons would begin, receiving little or no notice of cancellations, and feeling unable to track the lessons that had been delivered. Clear communication with parents and carers is important, and the concerns you have raised about lesson scheduling, cancellations, and payment communications are all matters we take seriously.
We would really appreciate the opportunity to investigate this further. Please contact your local Music Centre directly by phone and email and ask to discuss your concerns with the Regional Manager, who will be able to review your son’s lesson schedule and attendance record. You can also contact our Customer Support team at HMS.CustomerSupport@hertfordshire.gov.uk, and we will ensure your feedback is reviewed by the relevant teams and that someone responds to you directly.
Thank you again for sharing your experience. Feedback like yours helps us identify where improvements are needed, and we hope we can work with you to improve your family’s experience moving forward.
I would not recommend this company.
I would not recommend this company.
My daughter received guitar lessons through HMS at school for around 18 months. She genuinely enjoyed her lessons and spoke very highly of her teacher, who was engaging and encouraging. However, despite this, she appeared to make very little progress over that time. There was no communication about her development, no feedback on her progress, and it was virtually impossible to speak to anyone to discuss our concerns.
After deciding to cancel her lessons for the following term, I was unable to reach anyone regarding a refund despite sending multiple emails and leaving voicemails, all of which went unanswered. I was ultimately left with no option but to raise a dispute with my bank.
While HMS is prompt and persistent when requesting payment, my experience has been that customer support and resolving refunds are given far less priority. The lack of communication, transparency and accountability has been extremely disappointing. Based on my experience, I cannot recommend this service and would encourage prospective customers to consider alternative providers.
28 juli 2026
Review zonder uitnodiging
Antwoord van Hertfordshire Music Service
Hi Alexa,
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We’re pleased to hear that your daughter enjoyed her guitar lessons and had such a positive relationship with her teacher.
We’re sorry to hear about your experience with communication, progress updates and the difficulty you had in getting support regarding your cancellation and refund. We understand how frustrating this must have been and would like the opportunity to look into what happened and help resolve any outstanding concerns.
Please could you contact our Customer Support team at HMS.customersupport@hertfordshire.gov.uk with your details or get in touch with your local music centre team (preferred option), who can help direct your enquiry to the right person.
Thank you again for sharing your feedback, as it helps us understand where we can improve our service.
Terrible.
Terrible, terrible, terrible (customer) service.
The teacher and the lesson quality is perfection, my son is learning loads BUT the admin side is SO BAD!
I am chased for invoices a whole TERM before, I can't afford that! I will pay the invoice before the lessons start but NOT 1 term before, I deffo don't like the 14 day and 7 day countdown to invoice payment otherwise cancellation of lessons then I need to re-register him before the start of every term. Its painful and time wasting. I hate it. The chasing also feels like baillifs threats! For goodness sake it's a child's school piano lessons.
1 juni 2026
Review zonder uitnodiging
Antwoord van Hertfordshire Music Service
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We are pleased to hear that your son is enjoying his piano lessons and that you are happy with the quality of teaching he receives.
We are sorry to hear that you have found our payment communications frustrating. We appreciate your feedback regarding the timing of invoices and payment reminders, and we will share your comments with the relevant teams as we continue to review our processes.
If you would like to discuss your experience further, please contact our Customer Support team, who will be happy to assist.
Teacher change
My child had individual piano lessons with the same teacher for four years. I renewed and paid in advance for the Autumn term because the invoice stated that payment had to be made by the deadline or the place could be lost.
Just three days after taking my payment, they informed parents that the teacher would no longer be teaching at the school. Despite the Autumn term not having started, HMS refused to cancel the lessons or refund my payment.
I appreciate that teachers can change, but after four years of continuity, the identity of the teacher is a significant factor. Parents should have an option to withdraw from lessons after such a significant change.
I expected a council-run service to be fair and transparent.
Upd. After complaining, they issued a full refund.
13 juli 2026
Review zonder uitnodiging
Antwoord van Hertfordshire Music Service
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We’re sorry to hear about your experience and understand how disappointing a change of teacher after four years of continuity can be.
We would welcome the opportunity to discuss your concerns further. Please contact your local Music Centre via email or visit in person and ask to speak with the Regional Manager, or email our Customer Support team at HMS.CustomerSupport@hertfordshire.gov.uk, and we will ensure your concerns are reviewed and responded to.
Thank you again for bringing this to our attention.
My daughter and son are enjoying their…
My daughter and son are enjoying their lessons and they like their teacher. However, I don't really have any feedback except what my kids are telling me, no end of year report either. I think a good feedback is important.
26 juli 2026
Review zonder uitnodiging
Antwoord van Hertfordshire Music Service
Thank you Mihaela for sharing your feedback. We’re happy to hear that your children are enjoying their lessons and have built a positive relationship with their teacher.
We appreciate your comments about the importance of feedback and will take this into consideration. If you would like to discuss your children’s progress in more detail, please contact your local music centre and they can put you in touch with the relevant Regional Manager, or alternatively you can contact your child’s teacher directly.
Thank you again for being part of HMS. We hope your children continue to enjoy their musical journey with us.
Great choir sessions, less great comms
My daughter really enjoys her weekly choir sessions via HMS. They always do a great end of term concert to showcase their hard work too. Music staff are friendly and supportive.
Emails from HMS are long and complicated, and it can be hard to work out which bits are relevant to your child. More personalised communication would help with this, plus advertising the groups that are available to boost numbers.
26 juli 2026
Review zonder uitnodiging
Antwoord van Hertfordshire Music Service
Thank you, Chloe, for taking the time to share your feedback.
We’re so pleased to hear that your daughter enjoys her weekly choir sessions and that you’ve found our music staff friendly and supportive. It’s wonderful to know that the end-of-term concerts have been a highlight and a great way to celebrate the children’s hard work.
We also appreciate your comments about our communications. We’re always looking for ways to make information clearer and more relevant for families, and your suggestion about more personalised communication and better promotion of available groups is really helpful.
Thank you again for your support and thoughtful feedback.
A great range of groups, excellent value for money
HMS has provided a great range of musical groups and experiences for our children over many years, from local groups when getting into music up to my son's current audition to County Orchestras. Friendly and efficient communications, and excellent value for money.
25 juli 2026
Review zonder uitnodiging
Antwoord van Hertfordshire Music Service
Thank you, David, for your kind review.
We’re delighted to hear that Hertfordshire Music Service has supported your children throughout their musical journey, from local groups through to county-level opportunities. It’s wonderful to know that you’ve found both our range of ensembles and our communications to be positive experiences.
We wish your son the very best with his County Orchestra audition and thank you for your continued support over the years :)
Son likes guitar lessons but I have no…
Son likes guitar lessons but I have no idea as a parent how he is doing. What he has leant if anything.
1 juli 2026
Review zonder uitnodiging
Antwoord van Hertfordshire Music Service
Thank you, Zofia, for your feedback. We’re pleased to hear that your son enjoys his guitar lessons, but we’re sorry that you feel you haven’t received enough information about his progress.
We’d encourage you to contact your local Music Centre and ask to speak with his teacher, who can discuss what he has been learning and how you can support his practice at home. You can also contact our Customer Support team at HMS.CustomerSupport@hertfordshire.gov.uk.
Thank you again for your feedback.
This is a fabulous community of musicians
We have been visiting Herts music centres for years now. They are responsible for turning our children into confident musicians and in the process they have created a community of young people from different schools in the region. We are so grateful to the music service for all the opportunities and the experiences that they have given to our family
17 juli 2026
Review zonder uitnodiging
Antwoord van Hertfordshire Music Service
Thank you, Isobel, for your wonderful review.
We’re so pleased to hear that your family has been part of our music centre community for many years. It’s incredibly rewarding to know that the opportunities, ensembles, and experiences have helped your children grow into confident musicians while also building lasting friendships across Hertfordshire.
Thank you for your continued support and for being such an important part of our community :)
Excellent Woodwind provision
Both my children have been taking woodwind lessons each week for the last year at school. Neither had played the flute or saxophone before, but the teacher, Mrs Silverman has been outstanding. From the onset she was incredibly helpful and my children have absolutely flourished under her tuition. Would highly recommend the group lessons as they have been excellent.
23 juli 2026
Review zonder uitnodiging
Antwoord van Hertfordshire Music Service
Thank you, Lee, for your wonderful review.
We’re delighted to hear that both of your children have flourished in their woodwind lessons over the past year. It’s especially lovely to know that Mrs Silverman’s encouragement and expertise helped them build confidence with the flute and saxophone from the very beginning.
We’ll be sure to pass on your kind words to Mrs Silverman, and we’re so pleased that the group lessons have been such a positive experience for your family :)
Thank you for your recommendation and for being part of the HMS community.
Sing,Make,Play
Sing,Make,Play! FABULOUS introduction for my daughter in Year 4. Fun, interactive, variety of styles and instruments. Made new friends.
Fantastic staff that made her feel safe.
Now going into Year 8 she has continued Piano, Viola individual lessons with magnificent teachers, grading when she feels ready and progressed through, string starters, Junior strings and moving on to string works in September.
The Christmas and Summer concerts are always a delightful way to end the term.
Showcasing the dedication and talents of staff and young people.
Excellent value for money.
23 juli 2026
Review zonder uitnodiging
Antwoord van Hertfordshire Music Service
Hi Dannielle, thank you so much for sharing your wonderful experience. It's fantastic to hear about your daughter's musical journey with HMS, from her first introduction through Sing, Make, Play to continuing with individual lessons and ensembles. We love hearing how music has become such an important part of her life, and we really appreciate your support :)
My son enjoys his piano lessons
My son enjoys his piano lessons, but unfortunately, he has made no progress over the past two years and remains at the exact same level. We have experienced a severe lack of communication from the service; the only feedback we ever receive is a generic instruction to 'practice more at home.' Furthermore, his teacher was changed last year, and the only solution offered by staff was to buy a new book. He is scheduled to start with another new teacher next year, and we sincerely hope this change finally leads to actual improvement.
23 juli 2026
Review zonder uitnodiging
Antwoord van Hertfordshire Music Service
Thank you, Marina, for taking the time to share your feedback. We’re pleased to hear that your son enjoys his piano lessons, but we’re sorry to hear that you feel his progress has plateaued over the past two years.
We understand that a learning plateau can be frustrating, and we appreciate your patience and perseverance in continuing with his lessons. We’re also sorry that the communication and support you have received have not met your expectations.
We would welcome the opportunity to discuss your experience in more detail and explore how we can better support your son’s musical progress and development between lessons. Please contact your local Music Centre directly via phone or preferably email and ask to speak with the Regional Manager, or email our Customer Support team at HMS.CustomerSupport@hertfordshire.gov.uk, and we will ensure your concerns are reviewed and responded to.
Thank you again for your feedback, and we hope we can work with you to improve your son’s experience moving forward.
Great experience
The teacher has always tailored the lessons to my daughter's musical tastes, so she's learning things she wants to play rather than struggling with something she;'s not interested in. This makes a huge difference in her wanting to learn!
23 juli 2026
Review zonder uitnodiging
Antwoord van Hertfordshire Music Service
Hi Richard, thank you for your lovely review. It's great to hear that your daughter is enjoying her lessons and that the personalised approach has helped keep her motivated and excited about learning music.
Overpriced and lessons regularly…
Overpriced and lessons regularly cancelled due to 'teacher illness'.
23 juli 2026
Review zonder uitnodiging
Antwoord van Hertfordshire Music Service
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We're sorry to hear that your experience has not met the standards we strive to achieve. We understand how frustrating lesson cancellations can be, particularly when they disrupt your child's musical learning.
We'd appreciate the opportunity to discuss your experience further. Please get in touch with us directly so we can connect you with your Regional Manager. We'd like to better understand what happened, explore any concerns you've had, and see if there's anything we can do to support the continuation of your child's musical journey.
My son says he enjoys his lessons and…
My son says he enjoys his lessons and he has been told to practice at home too. However communication is non existent to parents and the school. If a lesson isn't happening, you are not told in advance or even afterwards why it was cancelled. No details of your child's learning apart from an end of year report which was lovely but also mentioned doing home practice. But no guidance on what that should look like, and my son needs some instruction as he is only Year 1. Emails largely go unanswered or give vague responses that go round in circles. Will be continuing for another term and seeing how it goes as my son enjoys it and its convenient that it is during school day, however the lack of communication means Im considering going elsewhere.
23 juli 2026
Review zonder uitnodiging
Antwoord van Hertfordshire Music Service
Thank you, Collette, for taking the time to share your feedback. We’re pleased to hear that your son enjoys his lessons and that the convenience of lessons during the school day has been a positive part of your experience.
We’re sorry to hear about the communication issues you have experienced.
The experience you have described, particularly around lesson cancellations, responses to emails, and the guidance provided to support home practice, does not meet the communication standards we strive to achieve at HMS.
We would welcome the opportunity to discuss your experience further and explore how we can better support your son’s musical development, including practical ways to encourage and guide his practice at home. Please contact your local Music Centre directly via email and ask to speak with the Regional Manager or visit in person and we will ensure your concerns are reviewed and responded to.
Thank you again for your feedback, and we hope we can work with you to improve your family’s experience moving forward.
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