Question for music scholarship parents

[Musicparent23]

Hi, I'm wondering if anyone has any advice.

I have one dc in year 5 who is really musical, multi instrumentalist, also really excels at a sport and is bright.

In an ideal world I'd send her on a scholarship to a private school as they would be able to support this. Our local state provision is below average with very little music and sports.

However we have a younger child who is basically tone deaf and would not get a scholarship ( although said child is v bright so would benefit from academic school).

It will be v tight to send them private but possible. It would be incredibly hard to achieve the same results and experience in the state sector without music or sports facilities, no orchestras/ choirs etc.

But, it would be reducing disposable income significantly, essentially to support my older DC so it feels unfair on the younger. On the other hand I feel bad if we don't offer the older one the opportunity to get a scholarship when they are so talented and work so hard?

Sorry for the essay. Any advice appreciated.

Ps moving not an option

Not all private schools support music in a good way. My DD went to a private primary school which was fantastic where music was concerned, and she got a music scholarship to a private senior school. However, the music provision has slowly faded away following the loss of a brilliant music teacher which they failed to replace. There are only 2 taking GCSE music this time and no one has it as an option in the year below. We will be moving her for 6th form (she is in year 11) to another private school which we know supports music, and where she can do A level music.

Luckily we live in an area where there are incredible music services so she has been able to be in concert bands and orchestras with these.

If sending them to private is going to affect your life so that there is no spare money, search around you instead for your local music service/ music school and see what they offer.

Have you looked into the actual value of the scholarship? Often they are low, the merit is the kudos of winning it basically. at DSDs school, for example, the monetary value is simply paying for music lessons.

Have you looked into busaries?

Have you looked into the junior department of a conservatoire to get the musical provision at a really high standard all in one place. My DD does lessons, musicianship, choir, orchestra, wind band all at a much higher level than even any of the private schools would offer. It's pricey but cheaper than private schools.

Thanks all,

• yes it is definitely a music focused school with state of the art concert halls etc, it's hard not to get carried away, same with sports

• scholarship would be 25% so not life changing, for me it's the recognition that they have potential that we should support

• yes we could get to a JD but it's an hour away so would be a real commitment to lose Saturdays as a family. School is 5 minutes away by car

Hi Musicparent23,

I guess it depends on what you’re looking to achieve. If you’re looking for DC1 to excel academically, musically and with sport then private school is the best way forward. You can decide what’s best for DC2 later.

If you’re looking mainly at music provision then JD is probably the best way to go. We have two children at JD and state school. The lessons at JD in areas like composition support the GCSE and A level syllabuses and it goes without saying that they get excellent ensembles and instrument lessons.

We considered private and scholarships for our eldest but concluded that the standard of music wasn’t that high at the schools we considered, there were just far more children playing instruments to make up the ensembles. We also concluded that as a music scholar our DC would be asked to take part in lots of extra curricular music in the evenings and weekends which would limit the time they had to spend on other musical activities which could bring greater benefit.

Not an easy choice I know!

I really appreciate the advice thank you.

DC actually favours the sport above music at the moment, and is very much an all rounder, I would think it unlikely they'd want to pursue music professionally so a decent private school music dept would suffice I think.

Plus if we commit to Saturdays at a JD our younger child wouldn't be able to join so it would separate them and give lots of resource to one child.

Although if older one is on a scholarship they're having to sing for their supper whereas the younger one has less pressure so that's not fair either?

Plus usual worries of high pressure private schools, only socialising with well- off friends etc.

If I'm honest with myself ( and this is not a particularly pleasant thought) I feel like there's so many opportunities at this school down the road and my eldest especially is so talented it's a shame if they don't get to try, whereas other friends we know are there just because they have rich grandparents footing the bill. ( I know that's ridiculous and my kids are so fortunate and there are many more deserving)

We have 2 children, both very different in terms of interests and abilities.
DC1 has ALN. Because of issues she experienced at our local state school, we opted to move her to an independent school, knowing that we probably couldn’t send DC2 to one; we felt that we needed to treat both DCs according to their own needs.
In the event, DC2 got a music scholarship and bursary so we were able to send them, and when DC1 changed school for 6th form, they too got a scholarship (not music or sport) and a bursary.

For is, it worked out and was life-changing for both DCs.

When I was growing up, my parents applied for my twin and I to go to a private girls school. I was awarded a music scholarship but my twin wasn’t, so my parents decided it wouldn’t be fair to send only me ( even though my twin was happy to go to the local comp), so neither of us went.
I have never quite got over being denied the opportunity, even though I went on to music conservatoire.

Thank you, I really appreciate your perspective. I had something similar growing up so am keen to make sure I give them opportunities to stretch.

But I am also wary of thinking private schools on a scholarship are without problems.

Our lifestyle would take a hit, but I know millions of parents world wide would kill for this opportunity.

I'm just so conflicted!

DC2 was expected to play in an orchestra, a couple of ensembles and sing in the choir, all of which took place before or after school.
Tbh, we always saw playing in those groups as opportunities, not a chore; the standard of playing was good, and DC2 was given lots of solo opportunities.
He never felt he was being made to ‘ earn his keep’.

DS has a music scholarship and we've been blown away by the opportunities it has offered him. The fee reduction is small (but still welcome!) and the commitment is significant, but the benefits outweigh the busy-ness, for us. He has developed as musician in ways that we wouldn't have imagined. He has access to a wide range of ensembles and styles of music, and we wouldn't have changed it for the world.

Both my children are tolerably musical (one just graduated from conservatoire , now at NOS, the other reading Music at Oxford with an organ scholarship).

Both fully state educated. Their musical education took place outside school.
Just a reminder that private school scholarships are not the only way for musical children.

Wow to both of those responses, sounds like your kids are doing brilliantly. It's reassuring to know that there's no one right answer though!

I think it also depends a bit on where you are. We're quite rural, so not a huge choice of state secondary schools, and I know for a fact that had our son gone to the local state school, he wouldn't have had anything like the opportunities he has been lucky enough to experience where he is. Yes, there are local (10 miles away) choirs, orchestras etc that he might have been able to take advantage of, but his first instrument (G8+) is actually now something that he didn't really play at age 11 - because of the opportunities at his school. I suspect that in bigger cities and towns things might be rather different.

Thanks, that's a good point. We're in an urban area, so all of our current activities are within a ten minute drive. Although to be fair, most of them are populated by private school kids which does make me wonder what you're paying for!

If things are tight now, have you factored in annual 3-5% fee increases and the possibility that if Labour get in, they may follow through on their pledge to tax these schools further which will be recouped via fees. Are you eligible for bursary assistance to 'top up'?

There is a state music academy near where we live (6 miles away) that kids travel to if they're particularly musical, but a lot of state schools also have orchestras and any number of wind, brass etc bands. We're not in a wealthy city - it's very mixed by every marker. State schools are not an obstacle to musical talent and in urban areas especially there are usually lots of opportunities in schools and the wider community. My daughter receives tuition at school, belongs to two bands there, then goes to a community orchestra on Saturdays. She plays a second instrument taught by a local music school, which holds its own concerts - that has opened her up to still more people and influences.

Accessing initiatives in the community means kids meet kids from other schools, from other parts of the city - there are wider benefits that need to be offset against, for example, the social circle being reduced to children of rich parents. I teach in a (RG if it matters) university and it's pretty accepted that state school pupils are more self-sufficient and have a better understanding of the wider social world, which feeds into their academic work. I think it's partly because of experiences I mention above - being part of a wider community and meeting people from all walks of life.

Also worth weighing up paying for private school and the effect on your overall lifestyle (i.e. including your second child) vs the effect of one child spending Saturdays at JC (potentially not for their entire schooling if they currently prefer sports and that may take over). The latter might seem like a more immediate source of disruption but it's the former that will have longer-term effects. The second child may also develop a weekend hobby at some point, so the focus may not always be on the first child. Things change.

I would also think carefully about the effect of investing in first child over the second - I appreciate that you feel regret over your parents' decision about your schooling, however an alternative interpretation is that they chose to treat you and your sibling equally, which is admirable parenting and will have brought pay-offs in other ways that are not reducible to achievements on paper for one sibling.

I appreciate that it can be hard to live near a private school and see the resources pupils enjoy, but there are rewards for double down on state schools, getting involved, and appreciating the broader benefits kids get from going there.

@Turmerictolly yes I know re the fees, it would be tight, we're definitely in the middle. Some wouldn't consider fees on our income and others would think nothing of the sacrifice!

@tresleches

What amazing, thoughtful and comprehensive advice. Please can you come and run my life for me? I will pay you....

Hi OP,
Music is my son's thing and it is not a high priority in our closest secondary school (e.g. there is no music provision at 6th form).

We looked at the entrance criteria of another local secondary that was very big on music - encouraging all pupils to learn an instrument and lots of 6th form choices.

We were able to apply for the school under a "social need" I think it was. It said it had to be the closest or only school that could meet the need.

We talked about how my son wanted to do music and this was the closest school where he would be able to stay on and do music. Otherwise he would have to choose to drop music to stay with friends or leave and go to a new college. His piano teacher and certificates provided "proof" of his interests.

He got in and it has been great. He is year 8 now and stays several days a week after school to use music practice rooms, practices at friends houses, has school music lessons on a second instrument (we kept up his first instrument out of school) and practices with a band at the weekend.

So in short if there are local secondary schools that offer great music or sport provision (even though not your catchment school) look at their entry criteria and apply.

Depending on where you are in the country, have a look at what is on offer in state schools for music.

DD sat music scholarships for every school in London that we could feasibly get to by opening time and that awarded music places on merit and not distance.

The secondary she opted for has enough taking music GCSE in her year to run 3 full classes, plus a huge programme of choirs, orchestras, ensembles, master classes etc.

I didn't think before OP - have you looked at music schools offering means tested funding with the government's Music and Dance scheme?

Only not sure when you said they may not want to be a musician so might be too much?

www.gov.uk/music-dance-scheme

E.g. www.purcell-school.org/

Thanks I have looked at music schools but the issue is we would be liable to pay full fees. This would take nearly all our spare income and we'd have little left for our youngest. Plus oldest is also really into sport so I don't think they'd want to specialize.

Actually looking at Purcell the fees support is pretty generous!

If not sure if they want to be a musician Wells Cathedral School is a good option. They have non-music specialists alongside the music school and so have a really broad curriculum including strong sports and performing arts offerings. Lots of the musicians there end up going in other directions later on.