A Guide to Royal Academy of Music Junior Academy Admissions

Written By Dr Xiaoyun Peng

Inchwise Research · Conservatoire Admissions Unit

Data current to 8 October 2026. Applies to entry in September 2027.

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In brief

Junior Academy is the Saturday department of the Royal Academy of Music, taught at the Academy itself on Marylebone Road, London NW1 5HT.

The main course admits from age 12. Students usually remain until they are 18 or 19, subject to progress. Under normal circumstances there is no admission for a period of less than two years of study.

Course fees for 2026-27 are £1,415 a term, £4,245 a year. Second study at 30 minutes is £330 a term, £990 a year, and is not included in the course fee.

There is no application fee. The audition fee is £45, payable if the applicant is invited to a live audition.

Opening and closing dates and audition dates for 2027 entry are not published as of 8 October 2026. A Discovery Event is to be held in January 2027, with a registration form available from December 2026.

01 What the Department Is

A Saturday department of the Royal Academy of Music, teaching at the Academy itself — Marylebone Road, London NW1 5HT. The department's own wording is: “On Saturdays, the Royal Academy of Music transforms into Junior Academy.” No separate building is named.

Four further courses sit in the same department: Primary Academy, for school years five, six and seven; Junior Jazz, for ages 14 to 18; Junior Academy Musical Theatre, for ages 13 to 18; and First String Experience, for young children with no previous experience.

The 2026-27 Saturday year, as published on the course page:

  • Intensive Day: Saturday 12 September 2026, for all Junior Academy, Primary Academy and Junior Jazz students

  • Autumn 2026: Saturday 19 September to Saturday 12 December, 11 weeks; half term 24 and 31 October

  • Spring 2027: Saturday 9 January to Saturday 20 March, 10 weeks; half term 13 February

  • Summer 2027: Saturday 17 April to Saturday 10 July, 11 weeks; half term 29 May and 5 June

  • A Saturday morning welcome day takes place in September

The Academy's institution-wide term dates page covers the senior Academy only and does not mention Junior Academy. Saturday start and finish times are not published.

02 Ages and Entry Points

The main course admits students from age 12.

Students usually remain at Junior Academy until they are 18 or 19 years old, subject to progress. The level of study is given as “Junior (under 18s)”.

Under normal circumstances there is no admission for a period of less than two years of study.

Primary Academy covers school years five, six and seven. Junior Jazz is for ages 14 to 18. Junior Academy Musical Theatre is for ages 13 to 18.

No school-year equivalence is published for the main course; the range is given by age only.

03 Standard of Entry

The department states that it is “looking primarily for musical potential”.

For younger applicants the stated guide is ABRSM Grade 6–7 distinction level, or equivalent standard.

04 What the Saturday Consists Of

The course page lists:

  • a one-hour main-instrument lesson with a specialist teacher

  • second study lessons where appropriate, not included in the course fee

  • chamber ensembles

  • academic classes: aural, theory, musicianship, style and form

  • orchestral rehearsals and performances

  • SATB and chamber choirs

  • masterclasses and workshops

  • performance opportunities, from informal platforms to concerts in London venues

  • depending on first study and availability: keyboard skills, composition, theory, Alexander Technique

  • regular competitions judged by visiting musicians

Wellbeing provision is listed separately: techniques for managing anxiety, practice routines and memory; the “Confident young musician” programme for ages 12 to 18, including Alexander Technique workshops, led by wellbeing coach Helen Kuby; and individual one-to-one performance coaching.

05 First Studies Offered

Principal Study: violin, viola, cello, double bass, harp, guitar, flute, recorder, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, trumpet, trombone, tuba, percussion, piano, organ, voice, composition.

Second Study: the list above, plus saxophone and conducting.

Jazz is taught on the separate Junior Jazz course, for ages 14 to 18.

06 Fees, 2026-27

Course fees: £1,415 per term; £4,245 per year.

Second Study, 30-minute sessions: £330 per term; £990 per year.

Second study fees for lesson lengths other than 30 minutes are not published. 2027-28 fees are not published.

07 The Audition Fee

There is no fee to apply.

The audition fee is £45, payable if the applicant is invited to a live audition.

08 Applying: the Two Rounds

Admission is in two rounds: a video submission, then a live recall for selected applicants.

First round, by video:

  • first study instrument: a 2–3 minute introduction and two contrasting pieces, 10 minutes maximum

  • composition as first study: an introduction, a portfolio of three compositions with scores and recordings where available, and two contrasting pieces on a second study instrument, 10 minutes maximum

  • optional second study: one video of 5 minutes maximum, submitted as a separate file

  • backing tracks are not allowed; an accompanist is optional

Second round, live:

  • performers: two contrasting pieces on first study only, plus sight-reading and aural tests; second studies are not heard live

  • composers: a collection of recent compositions submitted in advance, and a second study instrument offered at the audition

  • the panel discusses why the applicant wishes to attend and their future goals

  • candidates may need to be excused from school; specific audition dates cannot be requested

The deadline for September 2026 entry has passed. The course page states that information for 2027 entry is to be posted later. A Discovery Event is to be held in January 2027, and a registration form will be available from December 2026. Opening and closing dates and audition dates for 2027 entry are not published as of 8 October 2026.

09 Bursaries and Government Funding

Bursaries are available each year, awarded in cases of financial need and subject to means-testing.

A full bursary covers basic fees and the core timetable only. Extra individual lessons, such as a second instrument or an extended lesson, are not covered.

With a full bursary there is no termly invoice. With a partial bursary the award is deducted from the termly invoice and the balance is paid when invoiced.

A bursary covers one academic year. A new form is completed each subsequent year. Income is assessed on the previous financial year.

Separated or divorced parents each complete an individual form. A single parent is asked to show that the absent parent has no financial responsibility for the child.

Supporting documents are uploaded electronically: for example a P60, a recent payslip, a self-assessment return or a benefits letter, together with a copy of the child's passport photo page.

The published bursary deadline is Monday 1 June 2026, with decisions emailed in mid-June 2026. These are the dates currently published and relate to the 2026-27 cycle; the 2027-28 bursary deadline is not published.

Junior Academy is supported by the Music and Dance Scheme Access to Excellence programme. Eligibility follows the household income criteria set by the government's Music and Dance Scheme. Students selected for Music and Dance Scheme support complete a more detailed scheme-specific form; the department states that this is not an additional application. Income thresholds and award amounts are not stated on the department's pages.

Named funders and benefactors: The Leverhulme Trust, The Wolfson Foundation, Musicians Benevolent Fund, Susan Lawrence Travel Bursary Fund, Julian Bream Trust Scholarships, Benslow Musical Instrument Loan Scheme, ABRSM, and anonymous benefactors. Junior Academy Musical Theatre is supported by the Signatur Programme and The Mila Charitable Organisation.

10 The Language Condition

No language requirement is stated on any Junior Academy page.

11 What the Department Does Not Say

Not published as of 8 October 2026:

  • opening and closing dates for 2027 entry, and 2027 audition dates

  • 2027-28 Saturday term dates

  • 2027-28 fees

  • Music and Dance Scheme income thresholds; bursary award amounts; the number of bursaries available

  • the bursary application deadline for the 2027-28 cycle

  • Saturday start and finish times

  • a school-year range for the main course

  • any language requirement

  • second study fees for lesson lengths other than 30 minutes

12 Points to Confirm Before Applying

With the department, before an application is made:

  • the 2027-entry application window and audition dates, once published

  • the 2027-28 course fee and second study fee

  • the Saturday start and finish time for the applicant's first study and year group

  • the 2027-28 bursary deadline and the documents required

  • whether the applicant's instrument is taught as a first study or only as a second study

  • whether the applicant would be considered for Primary Academy, Junior Academy or Junior Jazz

Sources

About This Guide

Inchwise is a London education consultancy working with families whose children study music seriously. This guide records what the institution publishes, and the date each fact was retrieved. Inchwise is not affiliated with the institution and does not predict admission outcomes.

Where a decision depends on something this guide records as not published, the institution’s own admissions office is the only source that can confirm it.

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