14 boarding schools with music in London 2025

London Music Academies have schools that provide excellent academic preparation for future performers:

• Junior Royal Academy of Music;
• Junior Royal College of Music;
• Guildhall Junior School;
• Trinity Junior.

The leaders of this four in prestige are RAM and ROM, but Guildhall has an excellent tradition.

The foreign students can get into Saturday schools by passing a strict selection — most gifted young musicians in England strive to get into these institutions. Those who have received special approval from the commission are offered a scholarship, thanks to which they can compensate for part of the tuition fee. In the history of the Royal College of Music, there have been cases when the level of a twelve—year-old musician significantly exceeded the eighth level of the ABRSM commission - such students were awarded a full scholarship.

For those students who would like to speed up their musical preparation and reach great heights, there are closed private institutions in London where only particularly talented children get to.

There are several Russian-speaking schools in London, because for many children, the language barrier prevents them from establishing contact with teachers, which is extremely important in a music lesson:

• Musica Nova Academy (near King's Cross Station) opened in 2001. Classes are held individually and collectively, the schedule is made taking into account the wishes of parents and children. The school participates in the Albion Stars Festival every year.
• The branch of the Sot tempo Piano Academy has been in existence since 2012. Music is taught here in the traditions of the Russian academic school and according to the ABRSM system. A special skill that can be acquired only here is staging a musical for children.

When a child achieves 9 years old, he can try to enter a school at the conservatory. Upon admission, it is expected that he plays at a level not lower than grade 3. It should be understood that what is meant is not the presence of a certificate of passing the exam, but the level of knowledge. There are four such schools in London: Junior Royal Academy of Music, Junior Royal College, Guildhall Junior School and Trinity Junior. They are all paid, classes are held once a week on Saturdays and last all day. It is forbidden for students to study music outside the walls of this educational institution.

The studying there is very intensive, in the Guildhall, for example, a child who has passed all the stages of the Saturday music school, including the 6th form college, can finish a special course and immediately enter the second year of the conservatory.

Also, it is necessary to participate in competitions — thanks to this, the foreign students can understand at what level of studying they are. There are a huge number of contests, they are held in each district, the level, respectively, is very different. But here, unlike grades exams, fortunately, in most cases pianists are judged by pianists, violinists by violinists, and singers by singers.

It is better to choose contests according to the composition of the jury. For example, the North London Music Festival is judged by conservatory teachers and department heads. Participation in such a competition helps to be noticed by the right people, and it is also a good chance to get to know representatives of their profession.

If your child shows great promise as a musician, then he can continue his education at a specialized private music school. There are three of them all over the country: Pursell School, Yehudi Menuhin School and Chetham's School of Music. These are closed private boarding schools where the best of the best gifted foreign students study. The schools are international in nature and prepare professional musicians. Upon admission to such a school, it is assumed that the child plays at the grade 8 level. Saturday Junior School students often get into these schools, as well as those who work a lot individually.

Tuition at a private specialized school in London costs about £32,000 per year. Although there are a huge number of charitable organizations and foundations in the UK. If your child is talented, and it is noticed, then you will be helped. Even at Eton there are grants for musically gifted people. All music schools at the Conservatory, for example, actively participate in the selection of scholarships for their students. For parents, the most important thing at this stage is to learn English well and get in close contact with the educational institution.