Music Scholarship

Independent Schools as an alternative to Grammar

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Kev
Posts: 29
Joined: Wed Jan 23, 2008 8:51 am

Music Scholarship

Post by Kev »

Now that the offers have been made, did anyone get offered a music scholarship? I would be interested to hear which schools (or general location if you don't want to identify yourself), percentage off fees, instrument(s), playing standard and anything else you can share!

Thanks
Marmite
Posts: 12
Joined: Thu Jan 17, 2008 11:50 am

Post by Marmite »

Hi Kev - I PM you!
P's mum
Posts: 108
Joined: Thu Mar 06, 2008 10:56 am

Post by P's mum »

Our case may not be the same as yours as we were looking for a boarding place, further if you wanted a London day school place my impression was that the standards were higher. I did check carefully to try to establish that the standards required were likely to be within my daughter's reach whilst still ensuring that the standard of music was good. This excluded specialist music schools for example. I also excluded schools that were either looking specifically for choristers or required the piano as we could not meet those requirements. My impression was that if your child played a sought after instrument e.g. viola perhaps 'cello, double bass or oboe you were in for a better chance. Violin is a difficult instrument but there are lots of them.

My daughter plays the 'cello and will take her grade 4 in July (this is her 5th year of lessons) and the guitar and will take grade 3 in May (in her 2nd year of lessons). Generally speaking her exam results have been high merits with a distinction in her most recent guitar exam.

In the end I found two schools that met my criteria in the right part of the country. She was offered a music scholarship at Felsted of 15% fee remission plus free lessons in two instruments and was first reserve at the Royal Hospital School (for I suspect a more valuable scholarship).

It was clear from one audition that there clearly are music teachers out there who are very up on all the local possibilities and are preparing students specially for scholarships. I did it myself from overseas.

I hope that this helps.
P's mum
happymum
Posts: 92
Joined: Tue Mar 04, 2008 11:02 pm

Post by happymum »

Our back up plan was an Independent school for our son and he was offered a choral scholarship for 20% off the fees with the view to increasing it to 30% next year.
tipsy
Posts: 102
Joined: Thu Mar 13, 2008 9:25 am

Post by tipsy »

It depends when they're going to senior school. At 13 they're uually expected to be at least grade 5 on one and grade 4 on another but often there are kids who are close to grade 7/8 so the competition is fierce. Your child will also be up against choristers from choir schools who are highly sought after. I have been told frequently that it is also dependant on the instrumnt you play. For example you have to be exceptional at the piano and violin if these are your instruments but if you play a less popular instrument such as the bassoon then I know of children being awarded music scholarships when they were only at grade 3 at age 13. Schools need to fill their orchestras so are looking for those less popular instuments. Regarding scholarships they generally do not exceed 20% but then you can be means-tested if the school thinks you are worth extra. If you go for a school that is not known for its music you may find the competition less fierce.
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