North East Music Hub: Remissions and Fees Policy
Introduction:
The North East Music Hub is committed to ensuring that all children and young people have access to high-quality music education, regardless of financial background or circumstances. Our unified goal is to remove barriers to music education by providing remissions and subsidies based on eligibility criteria, ensuring that music education is accessible to all.
Our Commitment
The North East Music Hub aims to ensure that cost does not act as a barrier to young people’s musical progress. Music education opportunities are made accessible through subsidised fees and additional financial support, with priority given to students from low-income households and those with specific eligibility criteria, such as those in receipt of free school meals (FSM) or Pupil Premium.
Standard Remissions Framework
While each hub partner has specific policies, standard provisions across the North East Music Hub include:
1. Ensemble and Workshop Fees
Many councils offer fully subsidised or "pay as you feel" models for ensembles and workshops to make participation affordable. Free or reduced concert admission is often available for families eligible for FSM or pupil premium.
2. Instrument Hire
Instruments are available free of charge or at reduced rates for eligible families. Where hire fees apply, councils offer subsidised rates for low-income families, and in some cases, a free loan option is available to support equitable access.
3. Tuition Fees
Tuition fees are subsidised for families on low incomes or in receipt of benefits, with some councils fully subsidising lessons for eligible students. Each council’s subsidy rates and application processes may vary.
4. Examination Fees
For students where exams are integral to musical progression, councils may cover examination costs through dedicated bursaries. Families can apply for remission if examination fees would otherwise act as a barrier.
5. Assisted Instrument Purchase Scheme (AIPS)
All Local Authorities offer access to the Assisted Instrument Purchase Scheme, allowing eligible families to buy instruments VAT-free, reducing the overall cost burden.
Common Eligibility Criteria for Remission:
Across services, remission or subsidy eligibility typically includes the following groups:
1. Children receiving Free School Meals (FSM).
2. Families receiving Income Support, Job Seeker’s Allowance, or similar income-based benefits.
3. Children in Care (Looked-After Children).
4. Families on low incomes (specific thresholds vary by service).
5. Asylum Seekers and Refugees.
Application Process:
Applications for remission can be made through the respective hub partner/Local Authority. Parents and carers may need to provide proof of eligibility, such as FSM documentation or evidence of relevant benefits. Annual reviews ensure continued eligibility. For families facing financial difficulties, North East Music Hub partners may also offer extended payment plans, where applicable, to support ongoing participation.
This unified policy statement, tailored by each service’s specific provisions, aligns with Arts Council England’s guidelines and aims to make music education inclusive and accessible for young people across the North East.
Specific Local Authority Policies
1. Northumberland and Newcastle
Who can apply?
A 50% remission of fees for instrumental / vocal lessons can be applied to applications that meet the following criteria: Applicants must satisfy both points 1 and 2 of the list below and at least one other:
1. Students must live in Northumberland/Newcastle or attend a Northumberland/Newcastle school.
2. Students must be in reception-year – year 13 and in full time education
3. Families are on Income Support
4. Families are in receipt of Job Seeker’s Allowance
5. Families are in receipt of State Pension Credit
6. Families are in receipt of Child Tax Credit but no element of Working Tax Credit and have an annual income (as assessed by HM Revenues and Customs) that does not exceed £16,190
7. Families are in receipt of Universal Credit (provided you have an annual net earned income of no more than £7,400 (£616.67 per month).
8. Asylum Seekers with Leave to Remain status in the UK
A 100% remission of fees can be applied to applications that meet the following criteria:
1. Asylum Seekers with no recourse to public funds and Refugees.
2. Children in Care (LAC).
Who can’t apply?
Remission of fees will not be applied:
1. If the student has instrumental and / or vocal lessons with an independent provider
2. If the student attends an independent school outside of Northumberland/Newcastle
3. If the student is younger than 5 years or over 18 years of age
4. On a second instrument / vocal lesson.
How to apply
Parents need to confirm they are entitled to Pupil Premium. MPN will either contact the school to verify the claim or we may ask for additional evidence.
Supporting evidence
You may be asked to provide evidence to support your application. The following are acceptable sources of evidence:
· Employment and Support allowance
· Free School Meals Award
· HMRC Tax credits*
· Housing Benefit
· Income Support
· Job Seekers Allowance
· Self-Assessment Tax Calculation*
· Universal Credit*
* These must include annual household income
Please provide the most recent evidence. Screen captures are accepted but evidence must be dated and include the name of the parent and guardian.
Evidence that is more than 12 months old must be supported by a recent bank statement confirming that you are still in receipt of the benefit.
Period of support
The remission of fees is reviewed annually. Parents must inform the school / Music Partnership North immediately if your entitlement to benefit changes.
2. Gateshead Music Service
Schools buy into SLAs for a range of services. Charges are subsidised through the Music Hub fund with further subsidies in place for schools with high levels of Free School Meal pupils.
Schools who purchase Whole Class Instrumental Tuition through the service do not charge pupils.
GMS charges schools direct for small group and individual tuition. Schools offer a range of charges and remissions to parents, depending on the demographic of their children, and their own school setting. All schools also subsidise individual and small group tuition, at a range of levels, in line with their own school charging and remissions policy. Parents are advised to contact their school setting for more information.
Individual tuition through the music service is charged at a subsidised rate for all parents (currently £23.50 per half hour).
All pupils taking part in GMS tuition are provided with an instrument Free of Charge, on signing an Instrument Loan Agreement.
We offer the Instrumental Purchase Scheme with no charge for administrating purchases.
All children are invited to join our ensembles for which there is currently no Fee – fully subsidised through the Music Hub funding.
We offer high quality workshops in schools which are very popular – these are also subsidised through the Music Hub fund, keeping charges down so more pupils can enjoy performances.
Where possible, we do not charge pupils and schools for large-scale performances and events. These are either funded through the Music Hub Fund or ticket sales. Prices for tickets are considered for every event to keep costs down and all events have a free option for low-income families. Partnerships and fundraising supports keeping charges free for additional projects – such as International Guitar Foundation performances in school.
GMS offer additional bursaries through the Gateshead Music Trust.
Contact Barbaramurray@gateshead.gov.uk if you would like more information regarding our charges, remissions, and subsidies.
3. South Tyneside
South Tyneside Music Service operates Pay As you Go service with tuition requests submitted by schools on a termly basis.
Infant, Junior, Primary and Special schools are offered one FREE term of Whole Class tuition each funding period.
STMS charges schools direct for small group and individual tuition. Schools may offer a range of charges and remissions to parents, dependent on the demographic of their children, and their own school setting. Schools may also subsidise tuition in line with their own charging and remissions policy. Parents should contact their school setting for more information.
Individual small group tuition through STMS is charged at £32/£35 per hour pro- rata.
Whole class tuition beyond the FREE term is charged at £41/£45 per hour pro- rata.
All pupils taking part in STMS tuition have access to instruments Free of Charge, a signed Instrument Loan Agreement is required for those instruments used in individual/small group tuition
We offer an Instrumental Purchase Scheme with no charge for administrating purchases.
Children are invited to join our various ensembles for which there is currently no Fee – these are fully subsidised through the Music Education Hub funding.
We offer access to high quality workshops/music opportunities – these are often subsidised through the Music Education Hub fund, keeping charges down so more pupils can enjoy performances.
Where possible, we do not charge pupils and schools for participation in large scale performances and events. These are either funded through the Music Education Hub Fund or via programme sales. Any ticket price levied for parents/performance guests is carefully considered to keep costs down (usually £3 for adults and £2 for children/concessions) or often a donation dependent of the event.
Contact lynn.freer@southtyneside.gov.uk if you would like further information.
4. North Tyneside
Ensembles and out of school activities
All NTMEH weekly out of school hours activities are completely free of charge. To support the continuation of these free activities, there will be a small charge for concerts and performances. Families eligible for free school meals or pupil premium can request free admission.
Full class instrumental lessons
Schools are funded through a service level agreement with NTMEH to ensure that every child has access to a full class instrument lesson for at least one term during key stage 2.
Small group instrumental tuition
NTMEH does not employ small group instrumental tutors but works with schools to advise and support in engaging self-employed teachers. Each school has their own arrangements for small group and individual tuition with the music hub supporting to provide training and CPD for these self-employed teachers.
For children receiving instrumental tuition in school, it is responsibility of individual schools to ensure a remissions policy is in place to provide access to in-school instrumental tuition. This can include the use of Pupil Premium funding to support to it.
The hub can signpost schools and parents to other sources of funding for example the charity ‘Awards for Young Musicians’ who support young people facing barriers to music progression.
Educational and residential visits
Where groups are taken on educational and residential visits, costs will be passed on to parents/carers.
NTMEH will assist families with more than one child wishing to take part in any given activity and those in receipt of Free School Meals and pupil premium. NTMEH can offer extended payment plans where these have been agreed in advance.
Instrument hire
Schools in North Tyneside can access free instrumental hire subject to availability.
Assisted Instrument Purchase Scheme
The Assisted Instrument Purchase Scheme (AIPS) enables students of local authority and academy schools to purchase musical instruments through their school free of VAT providing the sale to the student meets the criteria below:
· The instrument or item must be purchased by the local authority or school
· The student must be receiving state education.
· The instrument must be used as part of their musical tuition.
· The instrument must be appropriate to the student’s needs; and
· The price charged to the student for the purchase of the instrument must be at or below cost. For more information, please contact your child’s school directly.
Music Exams
It is expected that all fees associated with music exams will be met by parents/carers and schools. In exceptional circumstances, NTMEH will support families unable to fund music exams which are integral to a young person making musical progress.
5. Sunderland
Ensembles and Workshops
Sunderland Music Hub delivers a range of workshops and ensembles across the city that operate on a ‘Pay As You Feel’ model. The intention of this model is to ensure our ensembles and workshops are affordable to families and carers, whilst supporting us to pay for the musicians’ time to deliver these sessions. A suggested fee is made for each workshop or event and families or carers are invited to sign up, either for a term or for individual workshops, paying the amount for the activity that is affordable to them. If families or carers are unable to afford to make a contribution to ensembles and workshops, they are invited to discuss this with the Music Hub team and the fee will be waived.
Where Sunderland Music Hub devolves funding to ensembles provided by Hub partners – e.g. Young Musicians Project and Sunderland Youth and Community Orchestra – we work with partners to ensure ensembles are affordable, ensuring the opportunity to attend for free is possible for children in challenging circumstances.
Music Activity in School
In Sunderland, schools engage directly with peripatetic music teachers or agencies delivering peripatetic tuition, providing a music education offer that is relevant to their students’ needs. Therefore, any payments made by families towards music education opportunities in schools goes directly to the school who have their own policies for fees and remissions.
Sunderland Music Hub devolves funding to schools, called the Music Hub Subsidy, to support the delivery of music activity for children and young people in school. This funding is allocated to schools based on a formula that takes into account the number of pupils in each school and the needs of children and young people within the pupil population that may create a barrier to accessing music education, including: children in receipt of Free School Meals; children who are eligible for Pupil Premium; children who have English as an additional language; and children who are cared-for. The funding provided to schools may be spent on: Classroom Instrumental Learning (CIL); small, medium or large group lessons; and ensembles. The intention behind this funding formula, and the purposes for which the funding is allowed to be used, is to encourage schools to use the Music Hub Subsidy to ensure all children and young people have equitable access to music education opportunities in school
Schools are also in receipt of additional pupil premium funding from the DfE to improve educational outcomes for disadvantaged pupils, and we encourage schools to make additional financial contributions to music activity for children who face disadvantage. Families and carers are encouraged to discuss the fee remission policies with schools and ask what financial support is available for their child should they wish to engage with a music education offer but cannot afford the school’s fees. Families and carers are also welcome to contact Sunderland Music Hub to discuss fees for music education in schools, and the Hub team can broker the conversations with schools on their behalf.
Examinations
For some students, examinations can support with their musical progression. However, the costs of examinations can often be prohibitive for children and their families or carers.
Sunderland Music Hub has a ringfenced pot of funding to support children from low-income families to access exams. Families or the child’s music tutor or teachers are invited to complete an application to access our exam bursaries. Bursaries may cover the cost of exam entries as well as the fee of an accompanist and travel, if necessary. Criteria for exam bursaries are:
100% Fee Remission
· Child in receipt of Free School Meals
· Income Support
· Income based Job Seeker’s Allowance
· Income related Employment and Support Allowance
· Guarantee element of State Pension Credit
· Child Tax Credit (provided you are not eligible for Working Tax Credit and have an annual income, as assessed by HM Revenues & Customs, that does not exceed £16,190)
· If you are supported under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
· Working Tax Credit (provided you have an annual net earned income of no more than £7,400/£616.67 per month)
· Cared-for child
50% Fee Remission
Family household income of less than £31,129 or less once £2030 has been deducted for each dependent in the family, including the child in question.
Children engaged with our Young Sounds Connect Programme are able to access music exams for free using their annual Young Sounds Connect bursary.
Instrument Purchase – Assisted Instrument Purchase Scheme (AIPS)
The Assisted Instrument Purchase Scheme (AIPS) enables pupils of local authority and academy schools to purchase musical instruments through their school or Music Hub net of VAT providing the sale to the pupil meets the criteria set out here: AIPS_GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
If you would like to purchase an instrument for your child using the AIPS and/or if you would like further information, please contact: james.hayes@togetherforchildren.org.uk
Instrument Hire
Families in Sunderland can hire instruments from Sunderland Music Hub on a short-term (a term) or long-term basis (up to 4 years). Families pay for the hire of an instrument termly. The termly hire cost = Price of the instrument net VAT divided by 12 (number of terms in 4 years). For example: Instrument net VAT costs £300 | £300 / 12 = £25 | A family pays £25 per term to hire Instrument. If during hire period term 1, the family decides they no longer wish to hire the instrument, they will receive a full refund. This enables families to let their children explore playing an instrument without the financial pressure of hiring the instrument.
If a family hires an instrument for a period of 4 years, the instrument then becomes the property of the family and Sunderland Music Hub will no longer collect termly hire payments. This is because, after a period of 4 years, the family will have paid the full cost of the instrument net VAT. Sunderland Music Hub does not add interest to instrument hire agreements.
An instrument hire agreement will be drawn up between the child’s family/carers and Sunderland Music Hub, with the family liable for the cost of repair or replacement should the instrument sustain unreasonable damage during the hire period.
Children are eligible for free instrument loans on the condition that:
· Family household income of less than £31,129 or less once £2030 has been deducted for each dependent in the family, including the child in question.
· Family or teacher can demonstrate that without a free instrument loan the child would be unable to continue with their music education.
Instruments can also be hired through a child’s school or through an ensemble or community music group they attend.
How to apply for fee remissions to apply for a fee remission for any of the above activity, contact us on:
sunderland.music@sunderland.gov.uk.
Sunderland Music Hub c/o Culture House Sunderland
Washington Town Centre Library
Washington
NE38 7RZ
07810 856 893
6. Durham and Darlington Schools
Standard termly prices for lessons 2024-25 Academic Year:
Tuition £64.00
Hire £42
There are some secondary schools where lesson prices are different.
REMISSIONS If your child is eligible for free school meals prices are subsidised:
Schools in County Durham Free School Meal Prices Tuition £44.00 (may be fully subsidised in some schools)
Hire £11.00 (may be fully subsidised in some school Schools in Darlington
Free School Meal Prices
Tuition – Fully subsidised
Hire – Fully subsidised
Children looked after (Cared for Children) receive fully subsided lessons and hire.