School Musical Instrument Loans

- If a beginner woodwind, brass or bowed string instrument is available, it will be loaned to the Year 7 pupil at their first lesson.

- If a beginner instrument is not currently available, the Year 7 pupil will be given access to an instrument during their initial lessons, allowing them to begin receiving tuition. However, for the purposes of practice, participation in ensembles and future lessons, they will require their own instrument, hired or purchased commercially.

- At the end of the academic year, the loan will come to an end. At this time, the pupil will be expected to return the school instrument to the Music Office and hire or buy their own from one of the many retailers which offer very reasonable rates. Click here to find out more.

*School keyboard instruments, percussion instruments and guitars are not available to loan (although, of course, all piano and drum kit teaching rooms will be equipped with these instruments for each pupil's weekly lesson).

*It is recommended that pupils who do not have access to a purchased, hired or loaned instrument at home do not take up individual instrumental music lessons: their progress depends on regular (preferably daily) practice at home in addition to their weekly lesson.

When requesting individual music lessons for their child, parents kindly agree to the following terms and conditions concerning school instrument loans:

• The instrument will be loaned to the pupil for approximately the first year of his beginner instrumental lessons. 

• There is no charge for borrowing an instrument but, whilst on loan, the instrument becomes the responsibility of the pupil, and parents must arrange insurance to cover the cost of loss or damage.

• Whilst on loan, the instrument should be labelled clearly with the pupil’s name (using a luggage tag for example).

• Whilst at school, the instrument should be kept in the musical instrument store (Room 87a, music department ground floor). It is expected that the instrument will be taken home regularly to practise.

• Although the instrument will be provided, parents will be responsible for purchasing expendable items such as replacement strings and reeds.

• At the end of the year, the loan will come to an end. At this time, the pupil will be expected to return the school instrument to the Music Office and hire or buy his own.

• Many musical instrument retailers offer very reasonable hire and/or purchase rates, especially those participating in the Assisted Instrument Purchase Scheme (AIPS), offering VAT free instruments to schoolchildren. Search ‘Assisted Instrument Purchase’ to find participating retailers.