Students coming from outside Britain pay exactly the same course fee to the school and the same rent to families offering accommodation (if applicable) as do students from within Britain.
However, the final cost will be a little more. Exchange rates constantly change and making a payment to another country incurrs a cost in itself.
About half of our students come from countries other than Britain. So, based on past experience, here are some notes and suggestions that might be helpful. They are:
The cost of the course in other currencies - approximately
PLEASE NOTE that "approximately". Because exchange rates do change all the time, the information here can only be an approximation. It will be kept as up-to-date as possible. Payments are due in Pounds Sterling. If a payment is made in another currency, the amount paid will be the Sterling that it is exchanged for in England.
The first table shows the course fee, materials budget and accommodation. The second shows the sequence of payments for the deposit, balance of fees and accommodation. The totals are the same in both.
Course Fee, Materials Budget and Accommodation
| Country | Currency | Rate | Course Fee | Materials Budget* | Accomodation* | Total |
| If none of these apply, you can enter your own exchange rate in the first (Rate) box and click on any other to display these amounts in your currency. | ||||||
| Rate | Course Fee | Materials Budget* | Accomodation* | Total | ||
* Notes
1. Materials Budget. This is the initial budget, not necessarily the final cost. Full details of materials cost are in Dates / Fees / Enrolment Procedure.
2. The Accommodation cost here is that for staying in lodgings with a family. That is not the only possibility. See Notes on Enrolment for a more details.
Sequence of payments for the course
| Country | Currency | Rate | Deposit | Balance* | Accommodation* | Total |
| If none of these apply, you can enter your own exchange rate in the first (Rate) box and click on any other to display these amounts in your currency. | ||||||
| Rate | Deposit | Balance* | Accommodation* | Total | ||
* Notes
1. Materials Budget. This is the initial budget, not necessarily the final cost. Full details of materials cost are in Dates / Fees / Enrolment Procedure.
2. The Accommodation cost here is again the total for staying in lodgings with a family. You are advised to pay two or four weeks at a time only, in case you should want to move during the twelve weeks - it happens sometimes.
Costs other than the course fee and materials
Accommodation
The School itself is not residential, and the course fee does not include accommodation. Most students choose the simple option of lodging with a family in Totnes, which is a small and friendly town. Details of this (and other) accommodation is in the Notes on Enrolment. Independent (ie self-contained) accommodation tends to be more expensive.
Bank Charges associated with making a payment to another country
As mentioned above, banks make a charge for arranging a payment to another country, extra to the amount being paid. There are several ways it can be done, and the charge can vary a lot. We reccommend using a Cashier's Cheque, which is described below.
Notes on making a payment from outside Britain
Cashiers Cheque
The most straightforward way to make a payment from outside Britain is to use what is known here as a "Cashier's Cheque". This is normally easy to obtain from your own bank, and it should be issued in Pounds Sterling (GB Pounds; £) and "Drawn on London".
If you use this method, you will be buying from your bank a cheque payable to us in Pounds. Crucially, it behaves like a cheque written on an account held in Britain, which means we receive exactly the amount it is written for, and it is cleared in the normal few days. You will pay a commission or charge to buy it, but our experience suggests that it is as cheap or cheaper than other methods (for these amounts of money). The Cashier's Cheque is the most common method used to make payments to us from abroad, and it is familiar to us.
Finally, to pay your deposit, the Cashier's Cheque should be made payable to "Norman Reed Guitars, account number 21230034". We have been advised that including the account number on the cheque is a simple and effective way to ensure security.
Wire Transfer of Funds
Other ways of paying are available if your bank cannot provide a Cashier's Cheque. Remember, though, that banks and their middlemen can levy charges which are not apparent until we have received the not-quite-full amount.
With this caution in mind, the next best option is to transfer funds directly from your bank account to ours. To do this you will need the correct bank details, which are:
| Bank: | HSBC Bank plc |
| Branch: | Totnes Branch |
| Address: | 57 High Street, TOTNES, Devon. TQ9 5NS, England |
| Branch Code: | 40 - 44 - 24 |
| Account Name: | Norman Reed Guitars |
| Account Number: | 21230034 |
| Bank Identifier Code: | MIDLGB2160C |
| IBAN (International Bank Account Number): | GB23MIDL40442421230034 |
Other
If neither of these methods of payment is appropriate and you intend to use another, please let us know in advance what to expect. Many thanks.
