Chetham's School of Music 8+, 13+ and 16+ Admissions: Auditions, Funding and Fees

Chetham's School of Music admissions work by musical audition: an optional advice audition, in person or by video, comes first, and applicants who progress are invited to a main audition. The school educates pupils aged 8 to 18, takes Cathedral choristers at 8 to 10, accepts singers as a First Study from Year 9 and admits to the sixth form in Year 12. There is no written entrance test.

Musical audition is the only criterion for entry, and funding for UK residents usually comes through the government Music and Dance Scheme, so the audition decides the place and family income decides the contribution. The sections below set out each stage, the documents the admissions office asks for and how fees are structured.

Entry points and places

Entry is by audition at every stage, and the published entry points are Cathedral choristers at ages 8 to 10, singers from Year 9 and the sixth form in Year 12. Pupils are aged 8 to 18, and the school states that it generally does not accept students into Year 11 or Year 13, although exceptions may be considered. No number of places is published for any year group, so availability is a question for the admissions office.

The school describes musical audition as the only criterion for entry, and graded music exams are a useful indicator of ability but are not vital to being offered a place. Voice is normally accepted as a First Study from Year 9 onwards.

• Choristers: ages 8 to 10, Lower School, auditions run by Manchester Cathedral
• Singers: voice as First Study from Year 9
• Sixth form: Year 12 only

How the audition works

The assessment is a musical audition in two stages, an advice audition and a main audition, with no written papers and no external test provider. The audition panel looks at current ability on the chosen instrument or instruments, understanding of repertoire, creativity and potential to mature.

The advice audition is optional and can be taken online with one of the instrumental tutors, who advises whether to apply now or to develop further first. Families who cannot visit can send YouTube links to recordings of at least two pieces on the principal study instrument, plus scales or arpeggios at a matching level, each video beginning with a short spoken introduction.

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Registration and the admissions timeline

Applying starts with an advice audition request through the online form or by emailing admissions@chethams.com, and the school recommends applying by December for entry the following September. No fixed closing date is published, and one of the school's own articles says applications can be made at any time during the academic year.

The admissions steps follow a fixed order, beginning with an in-person advice audition or video recordings, then an invitation to a formal main audition for successful candidates, then help from the admissions team with documentation and the full application form, and finally, once a place is accepted, payment of a non-refundable acceptance fee, with a returnable deposit added to the first invoice after the student starts.

• Arrange an in-person advice audition or send video recordings
• Successful candidates are invited to a formal main audition
• The admissions team helps with documentation and the full application form
• If a place is accepted, a non-refundable acceptance fee is paid, and a returnable deposit is added to the first invoice once the student starts

Interviews, references and supporting documents

The main audition is played in front of the audition panel, and applicants who progress reach an interview with that panel. The school's article describes the audition as a chance to share music and says the panel is looking for passion and potential, with no expectation of perfection.

A form signed by the current headteacher, copies of relevant exam certificates, references from instrumental tutors through the tutor reference form, and video links (usually two pieces on the main instrument and one on any other instrument played) make up the full application. Families should disclose any additional needs before auditioning so that adjustments can be made.

Scholarships and bursaries

The school lists no scholarships, and funding for UK-resident students comes mainly through the Department for Education's Music and Dance Scheme, a means-tested grant under which around a quarter of students receive full funding. Over 90% of students receive some form of financial support, and the school's guidance is that the place depends on ability to play, with payment arranged separately.

Parents complete a grant application and an income declaration each year, normally in the early summer, and the Director of Finance calculates the contribution for the Department. The school also holds a small Bursary fund for extreme hardship with some expenses, such as field trips. The scheme does not apply to choristers or overseas students.

Fees and what they include

Fees are published as a per-term day fee and boarding fee for UK students, with separate lower rates for choristers, in the fees and financial information booklet linked from the school's fees page; the figures sit in the key facts above. Fees include VAT and are revised each September by the Department for Education and the Governing Body.

The school says fees cover far more than lessons, including small to medium class sizes, pastoral and medical support, daily meals, trips, co-curricular activities and boarding facilities. Extras listed in the booklet include a third-study instrument, overnight stays for day students and one-to-one language tuition. Monthly payment is available through School Fee Plan.

Where pupils join from

The school has its own Lower School, which includes the choristers of Manchester Cathedral, who join between ages 8 and 10 and usually sing with the choir until around 13. Chorister auditions and funding are led by Manchester Cathedral, and no prior experience is needed to audition. Families can meet the music team at Be A Chorister For A Day events.

Choristers can later re-audition as instrumentalists or first-study singers and then join the Music and Dance Scheme. No feeder or partner schools are named, and sixth form applicants come from Chetham's itself or from other schools. Overseas applicants follow the same audition route and can arrange a trial boarding stay of up to a week after a successful main audition.

Sixth form entry

Sixth form admission is in Year 12 only, and the audition is the entry criterion, with Associated Board Grade 5 Theory described as desirable. The school also considers choice of subjects, general level of academic ability, and instrumental needs and commitments.

Students choose up to four subjects including music, with five hours of teaching per subject each week. The A-level list includes Art, Biology, Chemistry, English Language, English Literature, French, German, Geography, History, Mathematics, Music, Music Technology, Physics and Theatre Studies. No GCSE grade requirement is published, so admissions@chethams.com is the contact for that detail.

How to prepare

Preparation centres on the recordings and the live audition, since no written paper is set. A sensible starting point is the advice audition, where an instrumental tutor can say whether to apply straight away, and a short spoken introduction at the start of each video follows the school's own instruction.

Pieces that show repertoire understanding and creativity suit the panel's stated criteria, with scales or arpeggios at a matching level included for remote applicants. Sixth form applicants can add Associated Board Grade 5 Theory, and families who need adjustments should tell the school before the audition.

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