Tuition Financial Bursary requests Access the Portal HERE

Tuition Financial Bursary Requests for 2024-25

Swindon Music service has inherited the new online portal for gathering instrumental / vocal tuition subsidy requests from January 2025. This portal is now available to schools by using the application process above.

Information required to complete a request

A Quick Guide to completing the form can be downloaded HERE

Key dates

View the key dates you need to be aware of HERE

Instrumental & Vocal Bursary

We are not getting any announcements for funding allocations from the DfE  until July which is not very helpful for setting out budgets.  This coupled with the latest data we have for the region:

“While swaths of this region are generally considered relatively affluent, it is important to acknowledge the presence of pockets of deprivation.  These can be found in certain urban areas and, to some extent, within more isolated rural communities.  Data from sources like the Indices Multiple Deprivation (IMD) highlights that while the region may not be as uniformly deprived as some areas, disparities exit.”

As a brief insight: Swindon saw an increase in open EHCPs from 2022 to 2573 in 2023, while in Gloucestershire, only 35% of EHCPs were provided within the statutory 20-week timeframe in 2023.  This growing trend is further underscored by Wiltshire Council’s ongoing SEND Transformation Programme, which includes expanding special school places and resource base.

Important context when looking to deliver for young people in school settings is the well documented rising number of children with Educational, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs).  This indicates an increase prevalence, or understanding, of special educational needs (SEN) and disabilities among the young population, placing a greater demand on support services and SEN educational provision to be genuinely fit for purpose in supporting all young people reach reach their potential.

Pressure on the Subsidies budget is increasing.  This coupled with the lack of announcement as to the level of funding from DfE has made us re-look at the support package:

• We are changing the name to reflect more accurately its purpose to: Tuition Bursary
• The Bursaries are aimed at those facing financial barriers as the overarching criteria – This is a hardship fund!
• Due to there being an increase in demand and budget limit, the Bursary will continue to support the following categories:
  • Those C&YP in receipt of Pupils Premium/free school meals
  • Those categorised by the Local Authority as SEND with financial hardship (Pupil Premium/free school meals)
  • Look After Children (50% from the Hub and 50% from the Looked After Team in the LA)

• Lessons attracting Bursaries are:
  • 15-minute individual lessons
  • 20-minute individual lesson (NEW FOR A/Y 2025-26)
  • 20-minute shared lessons
  • 30-minute shared lessons

Associate tutors will demand their own fees, but the hub’s recommended range is from £30.40 to £41.50 per hour.

Bursary amount on all categories above is: £5.60 per lesson.  For paired lessons, the lesson attracts the Bursar and not each individual pupil.

Associates can still state in the Portal their chosen cost for tuition ranging from £30.40 – £41.50 p/h.  However, no matter what they charge the Bursary amount is fixed at £5.60 per lesson. 

Important information about Financial Bursaries:

• Financial Bursaries are available when one of our associates is providing the tuition and they are being paid the equivalent of £30.40 – £41.50 p/h, . This is not to include a school’s admin fee, if there is one.
• Regardless of the hourly rate the Associate tutor charges,  the Bursary is capped at £5.60p per lesson.
• Financial Bursary requests need to come from schools, using the on-line Portal
• Financial Bursaries cannot be made retrospectively.
• Sessions are not to be compressed or doubled up.  We expect lessons to be spread out across the academic year (e.g. 1 session per week)
• We do not currently require proof of a pupils SEND – no EHCP is required.  Schools will however need to click a box on the portal to say the pupil has an EHCP if they are continuing tuition beyond last year.
• A pupil can only be supported to learn with ONE associate Tutor per academic year.

We have a limited budget for tuition bursaries – we encourage schools to apply early to avoid disappointment.

The deadline for requesting tuition financial bursaries for AY 2025-26 is Friday November 7th 2025

For those Pupils already receiving Instrumental Bursaries under the category SEND, the school should contact pclark@smscio.co.uk to discuss this so the pupil can look to continue with their instrumental lessons.

For schools wishing to claim for pupils who continue from previous years support, requests received after 22nd September cannot be guaranteed