Criteria for First Access Subsidies:
- Your WCET First Access programme must be delivered by one of our Associate tutors OR a designated member of your school’s staff.
- If you are using an Associate then he/she must be paid the equivalent of at least £43.30 per hour. (Subsidy will not be agreed for lower rates of pay.)
- Your WCET First Access provision must take place on the equivalent of a weekly basis over a minimum of one term (minimum of 10 sessions). We will not fund First Access that takes place in an intense block.
- Subsidy is available for up to 33 sessions / weeks of sessions.
- Pupils must be able to access the WCET First Access provision for free and without needing to buy an instrument.
- You must provide time to introduce options for continuation to pupils / parents.
- Schools must provide some feedback to Swindon Music Service in relation to pupils’ continuation – we will provide an accessible template.
How much subsidy is available?
We can subsidise First Access (WCET) tuition where it is delivered but one of our Associate tutors and /or a designated member of your school staff. We encourage schools to think about how incoming expertise can be linked to wider agenda such as literacy & numeracy.
For academic year 2024-25 the amount of subsidy we can offer is calculated on the size of your Year 3 intake (or Year 7 for secondary schools):
Up to 30 pupils – £5.55 per session (Plus £2.50 per week for Early Bird offer)
31-60 pupils – £8.33 per session (Plus £2.50 per week for Early Bird offer)
61+ pupils – £11.11 per session (Plus £2.50 per week for Early Bird offer)
You can request subsidy for a maximum of 33 weeks.
We have a limited budget for WCET First Access subsidy and will close the scheme once we have allocated all the money in the budget. We therefore encourage schools to apply as early as possible to avoid disappointment. Please note that retrospective requests will NOT be approved.