Music Tuition 2025-2026

Instrumental Tuition

For students interested in learning to play an instrument or being taught to sing, or for those who have had lessons in primary school and wish to continue at The Gilberd School, then tuition can be arranged. Please sign up with our external music tuition provider Essex Music Services by registering on their website: https://ukessex.speedadmin.dk/registration#/

There are weekly lessons for voice, piano, keyboard, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, drums, violin, viola, woodwind (flute, clarinet, oboe, saxophone) and brass (trumpet, trombone, horn, tuba). The school owns a wide variety of instruments which can be loaned to students taking up lessons at no cost (with the exception of guitar, piano and/or drums). If you are interested in borrowing one of our available instruments please email [email protected] where we can arrange a temporary loan. Alternatively, and we strongly encourage, students to buy or hire their own instruments. Essex Music Services offer instrumental hire schemes.

Tuition

The tuition is organised into individual sessions of 15 or 30 minutes per week with our peripatetic instrumental tutors. The lessons will be on rotational times within the hours of 8.30am - 4.00pm. Timetables will be provided on many platforms prior to lessons starting.

Practice

Regular and frequent practice is vital to the achievement of a satisfactory level of proficiency for any instrument. The school has various ensemble groups and choirs which are an invaluable aid to personal musical development as well as providing great enjoyment. It is expected that students who receive tuition, or are admitted via our selective aptitude tests, will participate in one of these activities.

Fees and Payment

Lessons are 15 or 30 minutes long and are charged at £91.50 or £183.00 per term respectively. Please note this is the cost at the time of printing. There are 10 lessons per term.

Essex Music Services will send you an invoice for each term. Please be aware that both you and the school enter into a financial commitment and employs the peripatetic tutors a term in advance for the forthcoming term. Should your child be offered a place, you will be liable for the full tuition fee. If your child wishes to stop instrumental lessons during a term, you will not be entitled to a refund of any fees paid. Lessons missed due to school exams, illness or a trip, cannot be made up as a matter of course. However, we will try to reschedule lessons wherever possible, provided enough notice is given. If you wish to make a change to your lessons or stop lessons, please contact Essex Music Services and inform the peripatetic tutor.
Instrumental tuition places are limited, so it is advisable to get your request in early. Students who cannot be placed immediately will be put on to a waiting list and will be contacted about lessons once a place becomes available.

Deadline

Online applications for music tuition are now open for this academic year. If you want to start tuition next academic year, you must submit your application by Friday 12th June 2026.