Application for Musical Aptitude Listening Test

Application is via an online form only which will be accessible from Tuesday 3^rd January 2023. No  previous knowledge or experience of musical practice or theory is necessary.

Please do not email the school with additional material to show your child’s achievements e.g. grade certificates or letters from music teachers as the aim is to provide a fair process for all applicants, therefore supporting documents cannot be considered.

Previous Musical Aptitude papers are not available, however a small amount of information will be provided with your response to the application informing you of the time of the test, what to bring etc..

Attendance to Musical Aptitude Listening Test

Children who are unable to attend on the above set date for a compelling unavoidable reason (for example, compulsory religious observance, medical or disability related reasons or the loss of a close relative) should contact the Academy and will be offered one alternative date. Parents should notify the Academy of the reasons for the inability of their child to attend as soon as possible, and provide supporting evidence where relevant. It will be for the Governing Committee to decide whether it is satisfied that the reasons stated are compelling and that one other date should be offered. The Governing Committee will make decisions fairly and consistently and having regard to the need to make reasonable adjustments for disabled pupils as required under equalities legislation.

After the listening test

After the listening test has taken place, parents of all candidates will receive a response letter. Candidates who achieve a mark of 45 or above will be invited to attend an audition during which they will need to sing or perform a piece on a musical instrument of their choice.

Should fewer than 100 pupils achieve a mark of 45 or above, the Governing Committee will invite the next highest scoring children to attend the audition until 100 pupils have been invited to attend the audition. In the event of a tie that results in more than 100 pupils qualifying to be invited to attend the audition, all the pupils subject to that tie will be invited to attend the audition.

Audition

Candidates will be free to choose the piece they perform, which should last no longer than three minutes. The performance will take place in front of a panel of three music professionals which consists of the Academy’s music teachers and an independent music specialist.

If the piece chosen runs up to three minutes, the child will be asked to stop the performance at that point. Each child will be given their own appointment for their audition, which will not take place in front of any other pupils. Again, the purpose of the audition is not to assess the child’s ability to sing or play the musical instrument, but rather to determine whether the child has the potential to learn or develop musical skills as a student of the Academy.

After all of the auditions have taken place, each child’s aptitude for music will be graded in relation to their performance at the audition. The pupils will then be ranked and the top 20 highest ranked candidates (who apply) will be allocated an aptitude place.