Music lessons....How much does your school charge ??

[nutcracker]

Dd1 is in year 4 and has been told she can learn to play Violin.
They have said how much and I'd like to know how much other people pay before I decide wether to cry and scream and shout.

[mumeeee]

I was paying £40 a term for my 14 year olds violin lessons And £10 a term for my 16 year olds singing lessons ( this is because she was doing music GCSE and they were subsided by the school).

[portonovo]

In our county, primary music lessons are quite heavily subsidised, so you pay £40 a term for 1 lesson a week - lessons are usually about 20 mins, and may or not be shared depending on if anyone else plays that instrument at a similar level. So, my son got individual lessons because he was the only sax player in the school.

You have to provide your own instrument, although there are a few ones which can be borrowed.

Recorder clubs at school (lunchtime) are free, run by several teachers just out of goodwill and to build up a decent recorder ensemble!

At secondary school, we pay £120 a term for 10 lessons a term, each one 30 mins of one-to-one tuition. This seems to be the going rate for all the freelance music teachers. Year Sevens get 10% discount.

It certainly is expensive, but worth it if your child is musical. My 3 are only allowed one expensive paid-for activity like this each, the first 2 do music the 3rd hasn't decided yet.

My eldest is desperate to do a second instrument - she does flute now and wants to do keyboard - and I would love her to because she is so musical. She is taking grade 5 flute in Nov, only 20 months after first picking up the flute. But for now, she knows we can't afford a second instrument so is teaching herself!

[julienetmum]

I asked dh about this nutty as he works in a neighbouring LEA I think to you.

A few years ago funding to the music services (who provide the teachers for these lessons) was cut dramatically so they were faced with two options, close completely or charge for lessons. In his area each school gets a small amount of free music service time the rest has to be charged.

How each individual school charges parents is up to them. Some may have funds to subsidise the lessons, some charge one amount for group lessons and another amount for individual. The fees also have to cover the cost of running the LEA music centre (once students reach a certain standard they can go to music centre and take part in variuous orchesteras/bands etc.

To put it all in context the going rate per hour for a instrumental teacher is about £20-£25 per hour.

[LiliLaTigresse]

dd gets 30 mn one to one singing lesson at school @ £120 a term
she gets private cello lesson outside school @ £15 per half hour, if she did cello at school it would be a bit cheaper, but her teacher at the moment is brilliant
hope your dd's OK nutty, she's not doing badly though if she has ballet and choir!

[sandyballs]

My DDs are in yr 1 and they can learn violin, guitar, clarinet or piano for £50 a term. Not sure whether to bother though, think they are too young and won't stick to it.

[firestorm]

my dd is doing recorders & violin, both cost about £75 a term each (10 group lessons) horrendous imo especially for the recorders. dd2 is just starting early years music at a more respectable £30 a term & wants to do karate & learn the recorder soon. both do swimming lessons. no wonder we never have much money

[wangle99]

£10 per 30 min lesson of individual tuition (private school Cornwall but music teacher's invoiced individually)

DD used to learn piano at 30 mins individual lesson for £5!!! Her teacher unfortunately has retired now.

[Judy1234]

Depends on the teacher and paid direct to them. About £17 per individual half hour lesson per week (London, private school).

[brimfull]

DD'sschool will help out with if parents can't afford the music lesson fees.I would definately ask the head of music about it if I were you nutcracker.

[brimfull]

Have just written a cheque for £195 for the whole yrs lessons for dd .That covers a minimum of 30 half hr individual lessons and maximum of 33 lessons.She is working towards gr 7 now in the viloin hence the individual lessons,but saying that she's always had individual lessons since starting at the senior school.

[threebob]

How long would she get for this 73 pounds nutty? And would she share - I can't decide if it's a lot without that information.

[UrsulatheSeaWitch]

Per lesson would probably cost a bit more, ange, but minutes-per-head would be cheaper.

(Do you know of a good private teacher though? If not, possibly better to stick with school lessons until you do)

[ange8]

£92 per term, in Bury, for group lessons. Wonder if its cheaper to go private?

[longwaytogo]

two children in two different schools in the same education authority one is free the other is £35 a term. Apparantly school gets an amount of money per child in schoolo and because dd 2 school is smaller not the same amount of money available so we have to pay.

[pointydog]

Free. As it should be.

[Loshad]

it all really mounts up doesn't it - rugby subs, swimming lessons, music lessons (ours are £13.50 per 1/2 hr, individual), karate etc etc, my cheques book throbs atm

[nutcracker]

Kids are just too damn expensive. Dd has just returned from ballet with the bill for this term....................£103

[lorina]

Ours is £40 per term for an individual lesson every week.

I think its £30 a term for a group lesson.

You have to provide your own instrument though. (and earplugs )

Exams are £28 ,only about once a year

[nutcracker]

Ahh will check that out Ursula, thanks for that.

Dd2 is currently sitting watching Annie and asking again for drama lessons LOL how the hell I ended up with kids that like doing all this stuff I don't know, cos I never did.

[nutcracker]

She will like the choir yeah, she was in it before and loved it.

There isn't a fund to help with the lessons, another mum overheard me moaning about the price and told me LOL.

I have explained to her that she already does ballet which is costing me a small fortune at the mo cos she has an exam coming up and so it's just not something I can afford right now. Also Dd2 doesn't do any after school activites at the mo and wants to so it just wouldn't be fair.

[UrsulatheSeaWitch]

[UrsulatheSeaWitch]

nutty, are you receiving any benefits? If so she might be able to have free lessons. Worth asking. (I tried to find some prices in my LEA website, there weren't any but it did say a child in a family receiving benefits would get lessons and loan of instrument free.)

[DumbledoresGirl]

The choir can be a very fulfilling experience too Nutty. The only other thing I can suggest is speaking to the head and asking if they have a fund to help people like you afford music lessons. In an ideal world they would be free.

[nutcracker]

I told her to join the choir instead (thats free).