11 Plus Exams Forum

Hi, my son currently has music lessons (plays the keyboard / piano) with a private tutor. I'm thinking of switching him to doing this at CRGS from sept. My questions are: 1) how good / comprehensive are the music lessons; and 2) do they get to do any recognised exams at the end of each level?

Many thanks.

My DS has piano lessons at CRGS. We have been very pleased with the teacher and he loves the baby grand they play on. They take ABRSM exams when ready. The school hosts its own exam sitting each term which means they get to take their exams on a piano they are used to.
The only disadvantage (we found this more of a problem in year 7) is remembering to go to the lesson as DS was used to being fetched at primary school. We purchased a Digital watch in the end which we programmed to bleep 15 minutes before his lesson!
Music theory is available as a lunch time club.

The quality is fine but the lessons are short and can be disruptive to 'proper' lessons.
It probably depends a bit on your DS how he copes with this.
wouldn't recommend having an alarm that goes off in lessons

It wasn't that loud! But enough to remind him, no teacher ever complained. The fact that a child leaves the class in the middle is a disruption itself. Nowadays he apparently programmes his mobile to vibrate in his shirt pocket.
Lessons are mostly half an hour although you can have 15 mins. Lessons are subsidised for gcse and a level music students.
Agreed with KB your son does need to be organised to catch up what he misses / find out the homework as "sorry sir I was at my piano lesson" wouldnt go down well! They do try to rotate the lesson times so that the same subject is not always missed.

Thanks a lot Minesatea and KB. I think I already know what to do. My son is both disorganised and forgetful so prob best to stick to the current plan where I ferry him from a to b. Also, I wouldn't want him to miss any part of his normal classes. Thanks!!