FAQs

Each Trust school offers a slightly different list of instrument lessons - to be sure what's on offer at your school, please check our 'Our Offer' page.

The Trust employs specialist tutors of the following instruments:

• Cello
• Double Bass
• Clarinet
• Flute
• Oboe
• Bassoon
• Saxophone
• Drums
• Piano
• Keyboard
• Singing (Voice)
• Viola
• Violin
• Guitar (acoustic, bass, classical and electric)
• Ukulele

If you want to learn an instrument which is not currently on offer at your school, or an instrument which is not on the list above, please let us know. Expanding our provision relies on knowing what people want, so we'd be very pleased to hear from you. Please email music@inspirationtrust.org

We aim to respond to new registrations via email within two weeks during term time. Once availability has been assessed, we will be able to confirm a space for your child on either a timetable, or a waiting list. Please note that lessons are assigned to pupils on a first come, first served basis.

From September 2025, our charges for music lessons will be as follows:

• Additional financial support is available for those who are eligible, i.e Pupil Premium (check with your school music leader). We believe that no pupil should be excluded through lack of financial means.
• Payment is required before music lessons can begin.
• The cost stays the same, regardless of how many weeks there are in a half-term. 
• A minimum of 30 lessons will be offered during an academic year (or a pro-rata equivalent for those starting mid-year).

Payment Method

• Invoices will be issued via the My Child at School app in advance. 

Lessons are almost always scheduled throughout the school day, meaning that pupils will sometimes miss part of a curriculum lesson in order to attend their music lesson. The music lesson times rotate and change each week. This means that pupils shouldn't miss the same part of the same curriculum lesson too often. 

There are limited opportunities to have lessons at fixed times such as before or after school, or during break times. If you'd like to explore this option, please email music@inspirationtrust.org with your request. Please note that pupils in Year 11 and Year 13 take priority for these slots. 

It is the pupil's responsibility to check timetables in school before lessons begin on a Monday morning. As new pupils join, timetables will change, and this is why we ask that timetables are checked at the beginning of every week.

In addition to this, lesson times are sent to your email address by our online music lesson management software, Involve. Lesson times can also be found in the Involve app. 

You do not need an instrument at home at the outset. Lessons can start before you have an instrument. We will supply the instrument at the beginning if you do not have one.

Pupils do need access to an instrument if they are to make progress between lessons. If you do not have an instrument, please let us know and we'll aim to lend you an instrument as soon as possible. We have a large number of portable instruments available and can lend them to you for free while our stocks last.

If your child plays a large instrument such as the piano or drum kit and do not have one at home, they can speak to their teacher and school music lead to arrange practice time on the instruments in their school.

If you are able to purchase your own instrument, we encourage you to do that, especially once the pupil has been learning for a while and is ready for their own instrument. The government approved Assisted Instrument Purchase Scheme allows pupils having lessons in school to purchase an instrument through their school at a reduced cost. You can learn more about the scheme here.

Yes. Pupils that have portable instruments will need to bring their instrument to their lesson each week.

Lesson cancellations must be notified by parents or carers via email (music@inspirationtrust.org). Please note that we require half a term's notice of any cancellation in line with our terms and conditions.