How much do you pay for music tuition in your school?

I'd love to set up a fund for children who can't afford it to have music lessons. My late dad was a music teacher and it would be a great way to remember him (I lost him when I was very young). It was all free (for the kids) when I was at school and Saturday morning orchestra too. My DS couldn't do GCSE music as so few opted for it, music is dying in state schools as families are slowly priced out.

Rates for 30 min lessons:

• £21 - strings
• £24 - voice

£27 at an independent.

Home Counties

I'm paying £100 a term (3 terms a year) in a Hampshire state school. It's provided by the county music service.

My goodness you all pay so much , my children don’t take additional music lessons but at their school they are £6! Just £6 a week for any instrument that includes hire of the instrument apart from drums!

It depends if it's a group lesson or individual. My daughter school are either 1:1 or 1:2. Her primary is a group lesson and it's cheaper.

I don't know if everyone is priced out. I live in a well off area and the school is still struggling to fill the orchestra and bands. I think it's also that kids have a lot more on then just music. I see parents spending a lot on sports for example. Also, many parents don't believe in playing instruments. At primary, both my children have full class lessons learning a variety of instruments with the county music service. Many parents refused to take the instruments home so the kids can't practice even if they are interested. One of the instruments they learned is the ukulele so it's not just orchestral ones.

For comparison about cost, I'm paying £25 for 45min of private violin lessons. The girls also do figure skating and it's £30 per half hour for their coaches. In addition I have to pay £85 a month to get on the ice. Music is very cheap in comparison. The music service ensemble is £57 a term only. The school ones are free.

I am a music tutor in a grammar school in N.Ireland, the school sets the tuition rate at £16 for 30min lesson.
Outside of school my rate is £20 per half hour.

£35 for 35 minute lesson at an independent school in SW London/Surrey.
£20 for a 30 minute lesson privately.

We pay £33 for half an hour a week (10 week term) at an independent school. And then we pay VAT on top of that! Because private lessons in an independent school attract vat even though they don’t in state school or if I was paying for private tuition to the same teacher outside of school lessons.

We pay for music lessons outside school - £23.50 for half an hour for one teacher, £25 for another. Lessons in our primary school (state) are £33 for half an hour because the county music service adds their slice to cover the admin cost. (And if you have lessons at a private school, it’s more because they have to add VAT.)

So the cheapest way to learn is to go direct to a music teacher as you are just paying tuition to them and not any admin fee to the school or the provider.