Additional funding support for schools

As part of the provision and support to schools, and thanks to our partnership with Essex Virtual School, we are able to provide funded delivery in school settings to support in the engagement of vulnerable young people within music in the following ways.

Weekly lessons in school

For all DfE funded schools, we can provide support through setting up regular music lessons for vulnerable students in your setting. Provided your lessons are delivered through one of our Essex Music Service tutors, we can offer:

  • 66% discount on weekly lessons for Free School Meals (FSM) or PPG (Pupil Premium) students. To qualify for this, please contact us by email detailing their names and dates of birth so that we can verify their eligibility through County Council data systems.
  • 100% discount for Looked After Children and Post-Looked After children (adopted from care). All such eligible children are able to access 10 x 15-minute lessons each term with funding kindly provided through Essex Virtual School. Contact us by email with their names and dates of birth and we will verify their eligibility with the Virtual School before setting up lessons.
  • 100% discount for children who have (or have ever had) a Social Worker. This is a limited offer for up to 100 children in the 2024-2025 academic year. You can apply for this limited funding

Musical Projects and Interventions

The Virtual School kindly provide funding for a range of music offers to Looked After Children and their peers. Funding also extends to previously looked after children and children in need who have, or have ever had a social worker. Fully funded offers are as follows:

Nurture Groups
2 x 30-minute OR 1 x 60-minute sessions for 9 weeks, for 3 to 6 children per session.
Nurture groups are child led music sessions with a focus on wellbeing and personal development. Content is flexible and depends on children’s interests and tutor specialisms.

Full Day Workshop (Drum-It!, Rap-It!, Sing-It! or Create-It!) 
1 day of Drumming, Rap, Singing or Song writing workshops.

Up to 30 children per session – several sessions can be fitted into one day, depending on your timetable.

Small Group Learn It!
2 x 30-minute sessions for 10 weeks with 4 to 6 children per session.
Instrumental lesson in a small group setting with one of our peripatetic music tutors. We can lend you a set of instruments for the term free of charge or work with a set of instruments you already have in school.

Whole Class Play It!
1 x 45-minute session for 10 weeks, with up to 30 children per session.
Instrumental lesson in a whole class setting with one of our peripatetic music tutors. We can lend you a set of instruments for the term free of charge or work with a set of instruments you already have in school.
Please note that while the Music Service already fund a free term of Play-It! for all KS2 children, the offer of Essex Virtual School-funded Play-It! is offered in addition to this, and can be a great way to extend learning over two terms or introduce a different instrument.

Something Else
We have a small pot of funding to cover bespoke musical interventions. If you would like to request something specific, or if you feel that a young person would benefit most from a one-to-one music offer, please choose this option and we can discuss this further with you.

To apply for any of the above, please fill in our short application form here.