School Subsidies for Whole Class Ensemble Tuition (First Access)

This programme is offered predominantly to KS 2 schools when attracting Hub Funding.  The reason in any change is due to the New national Plan for Music Education (NPME).

The Hub will continue to subsidise WCET (First Access) at Key Stage 2 and MUST be delivered by one of our specialist Associate tutors, which is inline with the new NPME. We will continue to support other Key stages with instrument hire, and resources.   If schools wish to deliver the program themselves at any key stage with their own teaching staff, we can support you with resources and CPD.

Criteria for First Access Subsidies:

• Your WCET First Access programme must be delivered by one of our Associate tutors.
• If you are using an Associate then he/she must be paid the equivalent of £43.30 per hour.  (Subsidy will not be agreed for lower rates of pay.)
• Your WCET First Access provision must take place on the equivalent of a weekly basis over a minimum of one term (minimum of 10 sessions). We will not fund First Access that takes place in an intense block.
• First Access must be delivered during the school timetable and not at lunchtime or afterschool enrichment time.
• Subsidy is available for up to 33 sessions / weeks of sessions.
• Pupils must be able to access the WCET First Access provision for free and without needing to buy an instrument.
• You must provide time to introduce options for continuation to pupils / parents.
• Schools must provide some feedback to Swindon Music Service in relation to pupils’ continuation – we will provide an accessible template.

How much subsidy is available?

We can subsidise First Access (WCET) tuition delivered by one of our Associate tutors.  We encourage schools to think about how incoming expertise can be linked to wider agenda such as literacy & numeracy.

For academic year 2025-26 the amount of subsidy we can offer is calculated on the size of your Year 3 intake (or Year 7 for secondary schools):

Up to 30 pupils – £5.55 per session (Plus £2.50 per week for Early Bird offer)

31-60 pupils – £8.33 per session (Plus £2.50 per week for Early Bird offer)

61+ pupils – £11.11 per session (Plus £2.50 per week for Early Bird offer)

You can request subsidy for a maximum of 33 weeks.

We have a limited budget for WCET First Access subsidy and will close the scheme once we have allocated all the money in the budget. We therefore encourage schools to apply as early as possible to avoid disappointment. Please note that retrospective requests will  NOT be approved.

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 Bursary’s are aimed at those facing financial barriers as the overarching criteria
• 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.

You can apply for grants on our online Portal HERE