Music Tuition

Music lessons

Southampton Music Services are delighted to be able to offer music lessons at Shirley Junior School. Lessons can be offered (subject to availability) on the following instruments:

Drums, Guitar, Keyboard, Violin, Singing, Flute, Clarinet, Trumpet, French horn, Violin, Cello, Double bass

We can offer a group, paired or individual lessons. Options available are:

Group Lessons (4 per group)

Learning in a small group can make learning music more social and collaborative. This approach works well for younger learners and those just starting out, and also helps to make lessons more affordable (up to 50% cheaper than 2023).

20-minute group lesson: £60 per term

Shared Lessons (usually pairs)

Learning in a shared lesson is a great balance between learning in a social and collaborative way, whilst also getting a more individualised programme. This approach works well for many learners at every stage of their journey, and can also help to keep lessons affordable (£5 cheaper than 2023 prices).

20-minute shared lesson: £110 per term

Individual Lessons

Learning individually is a great way to get a personalised programme of study which matches each learner’s needs and ambitions. This approach works well for learners further along in their musical journey, as well as those who may benefit from a more individualised approach.

20-minute individual lesson: £165 per term (£41.25 per month over the year)

30-minute individual lesson: £250 per term (£62.50 per month over the year)

Payment

We will be offering the opportunity for parents to pay for these lessons on a monthly basis rather than termly via Southampton City Council’s in-house system in order to support you to spread the costs more evenly throughout the year. For any student who wishes to continue playing but is unable to do so due to financial hardship please contact the Music Service office directly to discuss support options available.

Please note that:

We cannot always guarantee that group lessons will be available for every instrument in every location. We will always try our best to meet requests where we can, but may offer other lesson types, or other locations, if group lessons are not available. Group lessons are currently not possible for drum lessons, so if your child wishes to continue with these then you will need to select shared or individual lessons on the sign up form.

This year’s lesson agreements will be for a full academic year (September 2024 – July 2025) and there will not be an option to stop lessons during the year. You will only commit to this when you sign up in August — at this point you are just expressing an interest to continue, but please make note of this change.

If you would like your child to receive a music lesson then please complete the expression of interest form below by 30^t June to guarantee a place.

https://forms.office.com/e/JeUyMzUFeG

If your child is in Y6 and wishes to continue with lessons at secondary school then please email me, and I can let you know what options are available as they differ slightly per setting.

If you have any questions or queries about music lessons, please get in touch with myself or the team at Southampton Music Services (music@southampton.gov.uk) rather than your school — we’re always happy to help.

Choir

Our amazing choir is open to ALL children from Year 3 - Year 6 and meets once a week at lunchtime. We love to sing, dance and, most importantly - have fun! We learn songs just for fun, but also for events such as Young Voices and the JEP Festival.

Orchestra

We also have a school orchestra at Shirley Junior School. If your child has been playing an instrument for a term or more, or is confident, they are encouraged to join the school orchestra, which meets every other Tuesday afternoon. This is led by staff from another Trust school, Upper Shirley High.