Schools’ Music Bulletin Board

July 2025

 

Schools’ Singing Festivals

‘We are thrilled to invite Wiltshire schools to participate in the renowned Voice Festivals 2025/26, proudly presented by Swindon Music Service in collaboration with Swindon and Wiltshire Schools.

A 30-Year Tradition of Musical Excellence

For three decades, our Swindon Voice Festivals have provided children across the region with an unforgettable performance experience. Each year, approximately 1,000 young voices take the stage across four performances per festival, creating memories that last a lifetime!  And we are now opening this up to Wiltshire schools.’ For more information, contact Lynn at lhawkins@smscio.co.uk

Key Dates

Key dates for applications can be viewed HERE

School Grants for First Access now open

We are opening the Portal for requesters but will not be able to confirm until we are made aware of the funding from DfE. Our intention is to continue with the same level of funding, but this will depend on the funding agreement from DfE. Access the Requester Portal HERE

(uploaded 23rd April 2025)

Dear Schools,

We would like to remind you about the process for receiving your First Access Subsidy payment.

Application Process for First Access

  1. Apply for your subsidy through our website:https://wmc-subsidy-portal.glide.page/  The website also outlines the eligibility criteria for subsidies – If you do not have a log-in as a requester, please email pclark@smscio.co.uk

Approval and Payment

  1. After you submit your request for subsidy, our team will review and either approve your request or send it back for more information.
  2. Lynn Hawkins will send mass emails to schools inviting you to invoice for the approved amount in two payments for First Access: one in November and the other in May.
  3. Once your school or trust submits an invoice, we’ll verify it against the approved amount
  4. Payment will then be processed to your school

See more HERE about First Access

Questions?

If you need any clarification, please email Lynn Hawkins at: lhawkins@smscio.co.uk

Instrumental & Vocal Bursaries HERE

See more about the changes

Important information about busaries:

You can apply for grants on our online Portal HERE

  • 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 Bursary 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

Tuition Bursary Payment Process

(uploaded 23rd April 2025)

We would like to remind you about the process for receiving your First Access Subsidy payment.

Application Process for Tuition Bursary Payments

Apply for your Bursaries through our website: https://wmc-subsidy-portal.glide.page/  The website also outlines the eligibility criteria for subsidies – If you do not have a log-in as a requester, please email pclark@smscio.co.uk

Approval and Payment

Approval:

  1. Once you have entered your request onto the Portal, we will be able to review it and take the following action:
    1. Approve the request
    2. Send it back to you for amendment, with an explanation
    3. Deny the request.  This is usually for the following reasons ( but the list is not exhaustive)
      • The request is unreasonable and doesn’t appear to be for the correct provision
      • You school has already had adequate funding to support the program(s)
      • All the year’s funding allocation has run-out

Payments:

  1. Lynn Hawkins will send mass emails to schools inviting you to invoice for the approved amount in three payments for Tuition Subsidy in October, January and March.
  2. Once your school or trust submits an invoice, we’ll verify it against the approved amount
  3. Payment will then be processed to your school

Questions?

If you need any clarification, please email Lynn Hawkins at: lhawkins@smscio.co.uk

If you need to apply for a log-in as a Requester for your school, follow these steps:

Email: pclark@smscio.co.uk

  • Your name
  • Your school email Address

We will then register you so you can access the portal.

Live Music Performances in your School

A limited budget has been made available for schools in Wiltshire to apply for match funding to provide live music performances in your school for the remainder of this academic year (2024-25). You can place a request using the link.  HERE

 

 

 

Letters of Assurance

See here the advice we offer to schools about letters of assurance and what schools need to do when working with Associates HERE

 

Bite Sized CPD Menu

Schools can see what CPD sessions / courses and conferences are available HERE