A Guide to Chetham's School of Music Admissions

Written By Tim Agent

Inchwise Research · Independent Schools Policy Unit

中文版

In brief

Chetham's School of Music in central Manchester is the largest of the four English specialist music schools, with 331 pupils on roll against a capacity of 355. It takes musicians from age 8 to 18 across eight departments, including organ, harpsichord, harp, guitar, saxophone, a jazz department and a historical performance pathway — the widest field of first studies of the four. Fees for 2026–27 are £42,024 day and £54,947 boarding, VAT included, but the school says over 90% of its pupils receive some financial support and around a quarter are funded in full through the Music and Dance Scheme; on the MDS scale a household with £100,000 of relevant income pays £17,957 for boarding. This guide sets out the entry ages, what the audition actually tests, the two application fees, the funding arithmetic and how Chetham's differs from Menuhin, Purcell and Wells.

  • Applications are welcome from age 8. Chetham's does not admit into Year 11 or Year 13, because those are exam years — the FAQ allows exceptions only in exceptional circumstances.

  • Chetham's publishes no grade standard at any age. It says graded exams are useful indicators but “not vital to you being accepted for a place”, and assesses potential alongside current ability.

  • There are two audition fees: £90 for the optional advice audition and £162 for the main audition. On acceptance a £216 non-refundable acceptance fee and a £900 refundable deposit fall due.

  • MDS eligibility turns on residence, not nationality. For 2026–27 entry the qualifying period was 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2025, and the boarding grant requires the pupil to board at Chetham's at least four nights a week.

Chetham's is the specialist music school that will take the instrument nobody else teaches. It is also the one that will not tell you how good you have to be.

01 What is Chetham's School of Music?

A specialist music school at Long Millgate in central Manchester (M3 1SB), next to Manchester Cathedral and Victoria station. The school says it was originally established as a charity school in 1653 and became a co-educational specialist music school in 1969; its full legal name is still The Hospital and Library in Manchester founded by Humphrey Chetham, Esq. and Incorporated by King Charles II. It is registered with the Department for Education under URN 105588 and operates as registered charity 526702.

It is the largest of the four English specialist music schools. The DfE's Get Information About Schools register, last confirmed on 23 July 2026, records 331 pupils against a capacity of 355. The Independent Schools Council directory gives the same roll and splits it 140 day and 191 boarding, with 130 in the sixth form. The school itself publishes no roll figure and describes itself only as “the UK's largest specialist music school”.

Note one discrepancy, because it affects how boarding-heavy the place feels. The school's own welcome page says over two thirds of students board. The ISC split gives 191 of 331, which is 58%. The two-thirds figure matches the 2020 inspection count, not the current one.

The school is led by Joint Principals Nicola Smith and Tom Redmond, both in post since September 2020. The most recent ISI routine inspection was reported in April 2024; the school described it publicly in June 2024 as an overwhelmingly positive report, citing curriculum breadth and careers guidance as a significant strength. Under the inspection framework in force since September 2023, ISI reports against standards and does not award grades, so there is no headline judgement to quote.

Chetham's runs its own public concert hall, the Stoller Hall, which opened in 2017 and programmes professional concerts alongside student performance.

02 How old do you have to be to apply?

The statutory age range on the DfE register is 8 to 19. The school markets itself as 8 to 18. Entry begins in the Lower School, which runs Years 4 to 8 and admits from age 8 — the youngest entry point of any of the four schools alongside Menuhin and Wells. Junior pupils are taught as a single class. Victoria House boards boys and girls aged 8 to 12, around 30 children.

Above that the structure is Middle School for Years 9 to 11 and Sixth Form for Years 12 and 13.

Two year groups are closed. The open days page states plainly that Chetham's does not accept admissions in Years 11 or 13. The FAQ words it more softly — as a general rule the school does not take pupils into Year 11 or Year 13, being halfway through GCSE or A level, though in exceptional circumstances it may consider it. Treat the hard version as the planning assumption: a child of 15 or 17 should be aiming at Year 10 or Year 12 and applying a year earlier than feels natural.

One discipline has its own age rule. Voice is normally only accepted as a first study from Year 9 onwards. Younger singers join as cathedral choristers, take voice as a second study, or sing in ensembles. The choristers programme covers ages 8 to 10.

03 Which instruments and disciplines does Chetham's take?

Eight departments — strings, woodwind, brass, percussion, keyboard, vocal, jazz and historical performance — and this is the school's real distinguishing feature. Menuhin takes strings, piano and guitar and nothing else. Chetham's teaches almost everything.

Strings: violin, viola, cello, double bass, harp, guitar, viola da gamba. Woodwind: flute, clarinet, saxophone, bassoon, oboe, recorder. Brass: horn, tenor horn, trumpet, cornet, trombone, baritone, euphonium, tuba — the full brass-band range, not just the orchestral instruments. Percussion: orchestral, tuned, drum kit, Latin and jazz percussion, including congas and cajones. Keyboard: piano, harpsichord and organ. Vocal: opera, musical theatre, choral, solo and choristers. Jazz is a department in its own right. Historical Performance covers recorders, baroque flute, harpsichord, viola da gamba and continuo, with historical brass and baroque bows available.

Composition, music technology and accompaniment are offered as programmes. The school does not present them as first-study departments in the way it presents the eight above, and it does not state on its website whether composition can be a formal first study. If that is the route you want, ask before applying rather than assuming.

Pupils may study up to two instruments. A third is occasionally allowed with the permission of the relevant Head of Department, and carries additional fees.

For a family whose child plays organ, harp, saxophone, euphonium, recorder or viola da gamba, or who wants a serious jazz route, Chetham's is often the only one of the four that can take them at all.

04 What standard do you need to be?

Chetham's publishes no indicative grade standard, by age or by instrument. There is no table anywhere on its website. This is the opposite of Purcell, which publishes an expected grade range for each instrument at each entry point.

What the school does say, in its own words on the admissions FAQ, is that the panel looks “not only at your current ability on your chosen instrument/s, but your understanding of the music you play, musical creativity and the potential to improve and mature as a musician”. On graded exams it is explicit: they are useful indicators but “are not vital to you being accepted for a place”.

The single numeric standard published anywhere is for Sixth Form entry, where ABRSM Grade 5 Theory is described as desirable — desirable, not required.

The practical consequence is that the advice audition, not the grade certificate, is how you find out where you stand. That is what it exists for, and at £90 it is the cheapest diagnostic available on a decision of this size.

05 Is Chetham's hard to get into?

Nobody outside the school knows, and the school does not say. Chetham's publishes no applications figure, no offer figure and no audition-to-offer ratio, and none appears in the DfE register or in any published inspection report. The DfE records the school as selective in its admissions arrangements, without numbers.

What can be said factually: the roll is 331 against a stated capacity of 355, so the school is running with places unfilled at register level, and it recruits across eight departments and eleven year groups rather than competing for a single narrow intake. A double bass player and a harpsichordist are not competing with each other.

Anyone quoting you an acceptance rate for Chetham's is quoting something the school has not published.

06 What happens at the audition?

There are two stages, and the first one is optional.

Stage one, the advice audition. A diagnostic session offered year-round, arranged by emailing the admissions office or booking through the school's advice audition form. The school describes its purpose as giving the candidate professional feedback on their playing and musical ability. It is optional but encouraged, and given that no grade standard is published it is the only reliable way to learn whether a child is close.

Stage two, the main audition. Candidates who apply formally and are judged suitable are invited to a formal audition. The application requires the full application form and a tutor reference form; both current forms are dated October 2025.

Overseas candidates can audition by recording. The school accepts YouTube video submissions consisting of at least two pieces on the principal study instrument, scales and arpeggios reflecting the level of that repertoire, and a short spoken introduction to yourself and the pieces. Check the current requirements when you apply, and ask what is wanted for a second instrument. There is no evidence of Chetham's holding auditions physically overseas.

What the school does not publish is as important as what it does. It does not state how many rounds the main audition has, whether there is a written academic test, whether there is a formal interview, or whether aural and theory tests are set on the day. Do not prepare on the assumption that any of these is or is not part of it — ask the admissions office directly.

07 What does it cost to apply?

£90 for the advice audition and £162 for the main audition. Both figures appear on the applications page and in both of the school's 2026–27 fee documents, the UK one and the overseas one. If you find £150 quoted anywhere, that is the superseded 2025–26 audition fee.

Application fees are paid by bank transfer. The school says families for whom the fee is a barrier can raise it with the admissions office, and that support is available.

On acceptance of a place, two further charges fall due under the 2026–27 fee schedule: a £216 acceptance fee, non-refundable, and a £900 refundable deposit. The deposit is worth noting because it has moved sharply — the 2025–26 figures were £210 and £480, so the refundable deposit has nearly doubled in one year.

So the full cost of getting from first enquiry to a confirmed place, if you take the advice audition, is £90 + £162 + £216 + £900 = £1,368, of which £900 comes back.

08 When are the open days, and when should you apply?

Two open days are published: Saturday 17 October 2026 and Saturday 13 February 2027. Attendance is limited to prospective students and their families, and booking is required — the school sends the full schedule in advance to those who reserve a place.

The open days page does not label which entry year each date serves. Read straightforwardly, both fall within the recruitment cycle for September 2027 entry.

There is no published deadline. The only guidance the school gives is that it recommends applying by December for entry the following September, and elsewhere, to apply early, ideally before Christmas. For September 2027 entry that points at December 2026 — but the school states no date, so do not treat any specific day as a cut-off, and do not assume a late application is automatically too late.

09 How much does Chetham's cost?

The 2026–27 fee schedule states plainly that all fees listed include VAT at 20%. That is worth noting, because Menuhin publishes its fees exclusive of VAT and any comparison between the two has to normalise first.

Full fee, no MDS grant: £42,024 a year day, £54,947 a year boarding (£14,008 and £18,316 a term). These are the rates overseas families pay.

For pupils on the Music and Dance Scheme the school publishes a lower headline rate — £35,437 day and £45,738 boarding — against which the parental contribution is assessed.

Cathedral choristers are charged on a separate and much lower scale: £14,061 a year day, £24,469 a year boarding.

Fees are invoiced termly. Monthly instalments are available through School Fee Plan.

10 How much does the Music and Dance Scheme cover, and who qualifies?

Chetham's is one of the eight schools in the government's Music and Dance Scheme. The school states that over 90% of its students receive some form of financial support and that approximately a quarter are funded in full through the Scheme. On any realistic reading, the published fee is not what most British families at Chetham's actually pay.

Eligibility is about residence, not nationality. The school's 2026–27 fee document words it as follows: for UK residents aged between 8 and 18 who have lived in the UK for the prescribed period, a grant should be available; and for the academic year 2026/27 the prescribed period of residence in the UK, including the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, is from 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2025. In other words, two full calendar years ending on 31 December before the September you start.

The boarding grant has a further condition, and it is narrower than at some other schools. To claim a boarding grant from the DfE, the pupil must board at school for at least four nights each week, and preferably more. This is tied to boarding at Chetham's — it is not a general concession based on distance from home.

Cathedral choristers are specifically excluded from the Scheme, though the school notes that a former chorister who passes the mandatory audition can subsequently join it.

Music and Dance Scheme 2026–27, Chetham’s published scale — relevant income, then the annual parental contribution for a day place and for a boarding place. Contributions are nil below about £20,000.

  • £20,000 — day £335, boarding £569

  • £30,000 — day £1,444, boarding £1,807

  • £40,000 — day £2,552, boarding £3,280

  • £50,000 — day £4,414, boarding £5,926

  • £60,000 — day £6,034, boarding £8,215

  • £70,000 — day £7,859, boarding £10,519

  • £80,000 — day £9,792, boarding £12,931

  • £90,000 — day £11,725, boarding £15,426

  • £100,000 — day £13,655, boarding £17,957

  • £120,000 — day £17,521, boarding £23,022

  • £150,000 — day £23,317, boarding £30,619

  • £200,000 — day £32,976, boarding £43,279

Read the table against the full fee. A family with £100,000 of relevant income pays £17,957 for boarding rather than £54,947 — a reduction of about 67%. At £200,000 the contribution is £43,279, still below the full boarding fee.

One caution on the public funding behind all of this. The Department for Education confirmed £36.5 million for the Scheme in 2025–26 in a written answer of 11 March 2026, and in a Commons debate on 18 June 2026 the funding was confirmed to continue into 2026–27 with an increase of £1.3 million. No settlement for 2027–28 has been announced. Families applying now for 2027 entry are applying into a scheme whose funding beyond next year is not yet fixed.

11 What if you do not qualify for MDS?

Then the position at Chetham's is thin, and the school says so directly. Its 2026–27 fee document states that the school does not offer any other bursary, scholarship or financial support to students who receive MDS funding, and that it operates a small Hardship Fund used to support low-income students in exceptional circumstances with things like school trips.

This is the same structure Purcell operates, and families frequently misread it. The Scheme is not topped up by the school. There is no second tier of awards to apply for.

For international families the position is specific. Overseas pupils cannot access MDS and pay the full rate: £42,024 day or £54,947 boarding. Against that, the school offers what it calls a very small number of bursaries each year to exceptional students from overseas, assessed on declared parental income. These awards are for one year only — they are not a multi-year commitment, and a family should not build a five-year plan on one.

The practical mitigation available to everyone is monthly payment through School Fee Plan.

12 How good are the academics, and where do leavers go?

Chetham's publishes results year by year. The most recent published year is 2025.

A level 2025: 157 entries, 155 passes, a pass rate at A*–E of 98.7%. Grades were 7.6% A*, 17.2% A and 36.9% B — so about 62% of entries at A*–B. This is a school where pupils practise several hours a day; read the academic profile in that light rather than against a selective academic school.

GCSE 2025: 341 entries, of which 43 were in Music. 24.6% at grade 9, 59.5% at 9–7, and 92.7% at 9–4. The school's long-run average pass rate at 9–4 since 2014 is 95.5%. Note these are exam entries, not pupils.

Leaver destinations 2026, the most recent published: to the conservatoires, 8 to the Royal Northern College of Music, 7 to the Royal College of Music, 6 to the Guildhall School, 6 to the Royal Academy of Music, 4 to Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and 2 to Trinity Laban, with single placements to the Royal Welsh College, the Conservatoire of The Hague, Vienna, Berlin, Germany and Belgium. To universities, 4 to York, 3 to King's College London, 2 each to Newcastle, Glasgow and Birmingham, and single placements including Cambridge, Bristol, LSE, SOAS, Surrey, Sheffield and Lancaster.

One oddity to note if you are reading the school's destinations page: 2026 is published but 2025 is still marked as coming soon, so the published series is not continuous.

And if you are comparing exam results with Wells, the years do not line up: Chetham's most recent published year is 2025, while Wells has published 2026.

13 How does Chetham's compare with Menuhin, Purcell and Wells?

  • Chetham's School of Music — location Manchester; pupils on roll 331; stated entry ages 8–18; wind, brass, percussion Yes; voice as first study From Year 9; 2026–27 boarding fee £54,947 inc VAT; published grade standards No, but a £90 advice audition; application timing Recommended by December, no deadline.

  • The Purcell School — location Bushey, Hertfordshire; pupils on roll 192; stated entry ages 11–18; wind, brass, percussion Yes; voice as first study Yes; 2026–27 boarding fee £54,262 inc VAT; published grade standards Yes, by instrument and age; application timing No deadline.

  • Yehudi Menuhin School — location Cobham, Surrey; pupils on roll 95; stated entry ages 8–18; wind, brass, percussion No; voice as first study No; 2026–27 boarding fee £60,677 inc VAT, derived from a published £50,564 ex VAT; published grade standards No; application timing No deadline.

  • Wells Cathedral School — location Wells, Somerset; pupils on roll 670 whole school, specialists about a third; stated entry ages 8–18 for specialist places; wind, brass, percussion Yes; voice as first study Yes; 2026–27 boarding fee £52,224 plus a £20,586 specialist supplement, £72,810 in total, inc VAT; published grade standards No; application timing No deadline published.

On size. Chetham's at 331 is the largest dedicated specialist music school, roughly three and a half times Menuhin. Wells's 670 is not a comparable number — Wells is a full 2–18 mainstream school in which the specialist musicians are a subset, put by its 2026 inspection at around a third of the school.

On breadth. Chetham's, Purcell and Wells all take wind, brass, percussion, voice and jazz. Menuhin does not — it is strings, piano and guitar. Organ is available at both Chetham's and Wells, though at Wells it sits inside the keyboard department rather than among the headline routes, so it is easy to miss. For a tuba, a viola da gamba or a historical performance route, the field narrows to Chetham's very quickly.

On price, once VAT is normalised. Chetham's boarding at £54,947 and Purcell's at £54,262 are within £700 of each other. Menuhin's £50,564 is quoted exclusive of VAT and becomes £60,677 inclusive — a figure we have derived, since the school publishes the exclusive one — making it materially the most expensive of the three dedicated schools. Wells looks cheapest on its headline boarding fee of £52,224 for Years 9 to 11, but specialist musicians pay a further £20,586 a year on top, which takes the real figure to £72,810.

On what the school tells you before you spend anything. Purcell publishes grade standards; Chetham's, Menuhin and Wells do not. Against that, Chetham's offers a £90 advice audition that does the same job in person.

14 Three mistakes applicants make

One: treating the absence of a published standard as either a closed door or an open one. Because Chetham's publishes no grade bar, families do two opposite things — assume a child without Grade 8 has no chance, or assume the audition is a formality. Neither follows. The school assesses potential alongside attainment and says graded exams are not vital, which means the only way to find out where a child actually stands is the advice audition. Book that before the main application, not after.

Two: planning around the wrong year group. Years 11 and 13 are closed. A family that decides in the spring that their 15-year-old should transfer in September has already missed the entry point; the target was Year 10, a year earlier. The same trap catches singers, for a different reason — voice is normally only a first study from Year 9, so an eight-year-old singer is applying for a chorister place or a second study, not a vocal specialism.

Three: assuming that living in the UK means MDS eligibility. It does not. The test is two full calendar years of UK residence ending on 31 December before entry — for 2026–27 that was 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2025. A family that moves to Britain in 2026 and applies for 2027 entry will not qualify for 2027, and will pay £42,024 or £54,947 in full. There is no school bursary behind the Scheme to fall back on, and the overseas awards that do exist run for one year at a time. The residence clock is worth starting deliberately, and early.

15 What to do next

Inchwise advises families on UK specialist music school entry. We start with an assessment: one of our teachers hears the child play, we establish the realistic standard and the viable entry year, and we set out the route from there. See programmes, or get in touch.

Our guides to the Yehudi Menuhin School and The Purcell School cover the other two dedicated specialist music schools. Longer analysis of UK education and music education is published in Essays and Field Notes.

Compiled by the Independent Schools Policy Unit at Inchwise Research. The Unit tracks admissions policy, public funding and compliance requirements across UK independent and specialist music schools. Every figure is sourced and reviewed annually.

Last updated: September 2026. Fees, funding levels and school policy change every year; this page is reviewed annually.

This is an information guide. It is not an offer or a guarantee of admission. The school’s own admissions pages are authoritative: chethamsschoolofmusic.com/apply.

Sources

Tim Agent
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