Does your school offer discounted music lessons for low income families ??

[nutcracker]

Just wondering if anyones dc's primary school offers cheaper music lessons if families are on a low income, single parent etc ??

Mine don't and tbh I am fuming. It's ok for them to go on and on about learning to play a musical instrument, get the kids interested enough to ask for their name to be put down, but they don't even consider the fact that parents like me cannot afford £73 X2 a term for the lessons, which means I end up with two kids in tears after I tell them it's a no go

I am majorly pissed off. My kids work so hard in school, they don't get into trouble, are polite, friendly etc etc but because of circumstances that are not of their making they will miss out on doing something they would get great pleasure from.

Does anyone think it would be OTT to write to the head and ask that in future, they don't parade the lessons/instruments in front of the kids before finding out from their parents, wether learning to play one is an option ?

anyone

I don't think it would eb unreasonable to write. Perhaps there are alternatives such as group instrumental lessons or "voice" ie choir which could be offered in the first instance. Have to say though , our instrument lessons are £16 a time so they may say your rates are already subsidised.

That is for a group lesson LIZ.

If they do any other music lessons as part of their school day then I have never heard either of mine mention them.

I don't expect the, to say 'oh there you go, have them for free', but to get the kids interested without checking with the parents first is just not on IMO.

You can't even pay weekly either, has to be the whole £73 up front each term.

yes, it is unreasonable. not sure how old your dcs are but mine do know that money is incredibly tight and that it will be unlikely that they can do some things because of our circumstances. that said I've gone over my income with a very fine toothed comb and cut out anything even slightly frivilous so that my boys can get an afterschool activity each per week.

how do you propose the school subsidises children who can't afford it though? I wouldn't be happy cutting back to the absolute minimum to subsidise other parents who say that tehy can't afford it, but who drink/smoke etc ( sorry, I'm not saying that you do - but how do you means test this kind of thing.

in the past my dd has gone on trips that i didn't think i could afford at first by raising money at boot sales/ebay/stopping smoking/cutting back my alcohol consumption/shopping in LIDL etc etc etc. if you really want your DCs to do something, you normally find a way (although i agree £73 x 2 a term is steep! - it works out as around £5.60 a week each - you could save that by swapping from school dinners to packed lunches)

( I do hope I'm not being overly critical here - i obviously don't know you from eve and you may already cut all the corners that can be cut..)

I honestly could not cut corners anymore than I already am at the mo. My kids have free dinners, as I am a single mum on benefits struggling to get a job.

My kids are pretty good at understanding that, money is tight and don't complain often, but this is something that they both really wanted to do.

If I could pay weekly from now then I could possibly do it, although i'm not entirly sure how, but they have said no, termly only, and that it's first come first served, so basically, tommorow most of the kids will waltz in with a cheque and that will be it.

Oh, I don't smoke, and have a £3 bottle of wine once a fortnight if that

seems unreasonable of school to raise their expectations

thanks nutcracker - I'm sure you are doing the best you can for your kids - i'm a single mum too, i know how tough it can be.

how about contacting your local orchestra (again, no idea where you live) and write a begging letter? try to get sponsorship for them?

i wouldn't bother with the school, i'd try the local education authority.

it's so unfair. i do agree.

Unfortunatly, the school is located in an affluent area, and this is often a problem. They just don't seem to realise that not everyone who's dc's go to the school are loaded.

I live in Sutton Coldfield in Birmingham.

Not sure how i'd go about finding an orchestra, will go google, thanks for that idea

www.bpo.org.uk/concerts.htm

birmingham philharmonic. good luck!

Oh thank you, will have a look now

my school offers free music lessons. And I do appreciate it.

Our council (Brighton) offers music lessons in primarys and does do reduced fees for those who receive free school meals (think those are on income support)

dd2 was given her violin today. Sigh

does your school have a PTA? I think the PTA at our school will fund this sort of thing if the head asks. I don't know for certain as it's all kept very confidential for obvious reasons - might be worth asking

Our school doesn't subsidise for lower income families, but group lessons are 'only' £40 a term.

I do think it's unfair to apply too much pressure to children who in turn pressure their parents for lessons. At our school the head of music will mention at school concerts if there are vacancies in instrumental lessons, and they do pop it in the newsletter from time to time, but that's all.

The only other thing I can think of is that in some towns, mine included, there are bands that incorporate tuition for very reasonable prices. We have a brass band which runs for a couple of hours once a week. It takes children from total beginners and can often lend them instruments too. I think it charges something like £2 a week in term-time, so not free but cheaper than you're talking about. I don't know if there's somewhere/someone you could ask about this sort of thing.

What annoys me is the patchy nature of provision and the 'postcode lottery' effect. Some schools/areas provide tuition for free or almost nothing, others charge the earth.

Just look at the costs for instrumental lessons from Tees Valley Music Service

Tuition costs £4.27 a week, but those receiving free school meals are exempt. There are also discounts for siblings - 25% for second child and 50% for third and subsequent children. And instrument hire is reasonable too. So a child on free school meals but without an instrument could pay £17 a term in total for the instrument and lessons.

Now I know Stockton is a relatively deprived area, I'm from that way myself, but there are pockets of deprivation everywhere, and even in more affluent areas there are parents who still cannot afford music fees. I'm thinking in particular about friends in Berkshire where they have the Berkshire Maestros music service - very very professional and great teaching but horrendous fees even given the supposedly well-off nature of the area. It just means so many children will never have the chance to play an instrument.

portonovo, it would be great if the subsidised lessons you mention were available everywhere. I started a thread a while back on this issue here; sadly, in many deprived areas, the schools are so sensitive to the problems of low-income families that there isn't any musical instrument tuition available (other than perhaps one year of recorders); at least in the affluent areas those children whose parents wouldn't automatically have considered the idea but can afford the lessons are getting a chance. All very .

I'd chase up the brass/wind/military band idea others have raised, nutcracker; it sounds like your best hope. Good luck.