A Guide to UK Conservatoire Junior Departments

Written by Dr Xiaoyun Peng

Inchwise Research · Conservatoire Admissions Unit

Data current to 26 September 2026. Applies to entry in September 2027.

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In brief

A junior department is a part-time specialist music programme attended one day a week during school terms, alongside full-time schooling elsewhere. It is not a boarding school and not a specialist music school.

Six English conservatoires run one: the Royal College of Music, the Royal Academy of Music, Guildhall, Trinity Laban, the Royal Northern College of Music and Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland runs one in Glasgow. The Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama discontinued weekly junior provision in September 2024.

Published annual fees for 2026/27 range from £2,760 to £5,188. Entry is by audition, held in March and April in most cases, for entry the following September.

The Department for Education funds means-tested places at the English departments through the Music and Dance Scheme. That funding requires three years' ordinary residence in the British Islands. The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland is not in the scheme.

01 Definition

A junior department is attended one day a week during school terms. Students remain registered at their ordinary school.

The standard components are an individual first study lesson, a musicianship or theory class, a choir, and chamber or orchestral playing. Second study is charged separately at every department that offers it.

Junior Trinity was founded in 1906 and states that it was the first junior department of a UK conservatoire.

The Department for Education classifies the English junior departments as Centres for Advanced Training. None of the six uses that term on its own website.

02 Institutions, Locations and Days

Royal College of Music Junior Department — Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2BS. Saturdays, 9am to 5pm. 30 teaching weeks, three terms of ten.

Junior Academy, Royal Academy of Music — Marylebone Road, London NW1 5HT. Saturdays. Overall hours for the main course are not published.

Junior Guildhall — Silk Street, Barbican, London EC2Y 8DT. Saturdays, 8am to 6pm. Around 290 students on the Music Course.

Junior Trinity — King Charles Court, Old Royal Naval College, London SE10 9JF. Saturdays, approximately 09:00 to 17:00. Over 400 students across all programmes.

Junior RNCM — 124 Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9RD. Saturdays, 9.30am to 4.30pm. Around 200 students.

Junior Royal Birmingham Conservatoire — 200 Jennens Road, Birmingham B4 7XR. Saturdays, approximately 9am to 5pm, 30 Saturdays a year.

Junior Conservatoire of Music, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland — 100 Renfrew Street, Glasgow G2 3DB. Saturdays, 9.00 to 17.00. Session runs September to June.

Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama — no weekly junior provision. The College stated on 19 July 2024 that the current model of weekly activity with Young RWCMD remains financially unsustainable and therefore will not continue in September 2024. Weekend workshops, free instrument days and production arts holiday courses continue.

Centre for Young Musicians — Morley College, near London Waterloo. Part of the Guildhall Young Artists network. Ages 5 to 18. Entry is not by audition. Fees are published per term.

03 Ages

Royal College of Music Junior Department: 8 to 18. Singers from 14. Normally admitted for a minimum of two years. Gap-year students not normally admitted.

Junior Academy, Royal Academy of Music: main course 12 to 18. Primary Academy covers school years five to seven. First String Experience covers Reception to Year 3. Junior Jazz is 14 to 18. Junior Academy Musical Theatre is 13 to 18.

Junior Guildhall: Music Course 8 to 18. Singers from mid-teens; treble voices not offered. Brass, String and Wind Training Programmes cover Years 2 to 6. Kindergarten covers Reception and Year 1. Jazz Programme from 14. Electronic and Produced Music 16 to 18. Drama 13 to 18.

Junior Trinity: Main Programme 10 to 19. String Time and Band Time cover ages 3 to 11.

Junior RNCM: 8 to 18, with a Foundation Section for younger students whose age range is not published. Year 12 is normally the last entry point.

Junior Royal Birmingham Conservatoire: 8 to 18. Young Strings Project takes beginners from age four. Primary Winds Programme covers primary Years 3 to 6; the minimum age is stated as eight on one page and seven on another.

Royal Conservatoire of Scotland: Junior Conservatoire S1 to S6 and above. Pre-Junior P4 to P7, by audition. Primary Instrumental Programme P2 to P7, allocated by ballot, on Sundays. Early Years Music covers ages 1 to P1.

04 Entry Standard

Junior Guildhall: candidates will normally have attained a standard of about Grade 5 distinction at the age of 10 and Grade 8 distinction by the age of 16. Grades need not have been taken.

Royal College of Music Junior Department: aged 11 and under, your first study will need to be at least Grade 5 level when you join JD; our sixth formers are almost always at or beyond Grade 8 standard. On viola, bassoon, horn, trombone, tuba, harp, organ and double bass a lower level of attainment may be acceptable.

Royal Academy of Music: Junior Academy, we expect ABRSM Grade 6–7 distinction level (or equivalent standard) from our younger applicants. Primary Academy, at least ABRSM Grade 5 distinction. Junior Jazz, Grade 6 or 7 and above.

Junior RNCM: as a rough guide we are looking for at least ABRSM Grade 5 with distinction, though we appreciate that some of our younger applicants may not yet have attained this.

Junior Trinity: applicants are expected to be at least Grade 5 standard or equivalent on their first study instrument. The department also states that being of the right standard alone is not a guarantee of acceptance.

Junior Royal Birmingham Conservatoire: no grade standard published. The stated criterion is exceptional potential and the ability to achieve it.

Royal Conservatoire of Scotland: we do not ask for any minimum grade — instead the panel will be looking for applicants of great potential who demonstrate they have the commitment and ability to work hard. Applicants must already be receiving lessons on the chosen principal study.

05 Fees, 2026/27

Fees are published on different bases. The Royal College of Music, Junior Guildhall, Junior Trinity and Junior RNCM publish annual figures only. The Royal Academy of Music and Royal Birmingham publish termly and annual figures. The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland publishes a figure for 30 weeks.

Royal College of Music Junior Department, 2026-27. Core curriculum £5,188 a year: first study 45 minutes a week, musicianship one hour, choral training one hour, orchestra one to two hours, ensemble one hour. Additional individual study, 30 minutes a week, £1,272. Individual study extension, 15 minutes a week, £636. Mini-bass course £2,043.

Junior Guildhall, 2026/27. Music Course £4,359 a year: 40-minute first study lesson, Musical Awareness class, ensembles. Jazz £4,875. Electronic and Produced Music £4,875. Brass, String and Wind Training £2,565. Kindergarten £945. Extensions and extra studies, per 20 minutes, £1,080. Invoiced annually; payable in one payment or three equal termly instalments.

Royal Academy of Music, 2026/27. Junior Academy £1,415 a term, £4,245 a year: one-hour first study lesson, chamber ensembles, academic classes, orchestras, choirs. Primary Academy £780 a term, £2,340 a year. Junior Jazz £580 a term, £1,740 a year. Musical Theatre £690 a term, £2,070 a year. First String Experience £390 to £1,290 a year by year group. Second study £330 a term, £990 a year.

Junior Trinity, 2026-27. Main Programme £4,212 a year: 40-minute first study lesson, musicianship 50 minutes, choral ensemble 40 to 60 minutes, chamber and large ensembles 40 to 60 minutes. Main Programme including GCSE or A Level £4,834. First study extension to 60 minutes £891. Second study £1,352. Alexander technique £676.

Junior RNCM. Published figures are headed 2025/26: Junior Standard £4,751, Junior Foundation £3,368. Payable annually, termly, or by standing order over ten months. One term's notice to withdraw. ABRSM entry fees invoiced separately.

Junior Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. Published figures are headed 2025-26. Classical, principal study only, £1,086 a term, £3,258 a year. Classical, principal and second study, £1,407 a term, £4,221 a year. Junior Jazz, classes only, £449 a term, £1,347 a year. Young Strings Project £399 a term, £1,197 a year. Primary Winds £338 a term, £1,014 a year. Chamber music fee not published.

Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, 2026/27. Junior Conservatoire course fees begin at £2,760 for 30 weeks. Pre-Junior begins at £1,525. Primary Instrumental £855 to £1,560. Subsidiary study and extended lesson time are charged additionally at a rate that is not published. Music Centres in the west of Scotland are free.

Centre for Young Musicians, 2026/27, per term. Full Programme £935. Core Programme £627. Taster Course £532. Prelude Strings and Youth Brass £232.

No junior department has published a 2027/28 fee.

06 Application and Audition Fees

Royal College of Music Junior Department: audition fee £45, non-refundable whether or not the candidate is selected for the second round. Waivers must be agreed in writing before the application is submitted.

Royal Academy of Music: no application fee. £45 payable if invited to a live audition.

Junior Trinity: £35, non-refundable. Applicants from String Time and Band Time are exempt.

Junior RNCM: £30, one-off.

Royal Conservatoire of Scotland: £45.

Junior Guildhall: an application fee exists. The amount is not published. The fee is refunded where a first study piano candidate cannot be offered an audition.

Junior Royal Birmingham Conservatoire: no application, audition or registration fee is published.

07 Dates for September 2027 Entry

Junior Guildhall: applications open in January and close at 11.59pm on 1 March. The apply page states Apply by Monday 1 March 2027. Main audition period March to April. Applications for entry at other times of the year are considered if spaces are available.

Royal Conservatoire of Scotland: the 2027/28 application form is available from Tuesday 27 October 2026. Auditions commence in March 2027. Initial auditions normally fall between late February and early April. Open Day Saturday 14 November 2026.

Royal College of Music Junior Department: information about applications for September 2027 will be published in January 2027. As at 7 October 2026 the department invites late applications from viola players of all ages and violin players entering Year 12, by email to jd@rcm.ac.uk with the subject line Late application enquiry. Auditions are held in March and April; the department states this is its only audition period. In the 2026 cycle applications closed 1 March 2026, recordings were due 6 March, live audition invitations were issued 14 March, live auditions ran 23 March to 18 April, results were issued 20 April and offers were answered by 1 May.

Junior Trinity: applications for 2027 entry open in early autumn. Auditions in person during March and April. The 2026 deadline was 28 February 2026.

Royal Academy of Music: 2027 dates for the main Junior Academy course, Primary Academy and Junior Jazz are not published. Junior Academy Musical Theatre opens its taped-audition portal in early January 2027 and closes it in early March 2027, with live auditions in mid-March 2027. First String Experience forms are available from early November 2026. A Discovery Event is to be held in January 2027, with a registration form available from December 2026.

Junior RNCM: 2027 dates not published. The 2026 cycle opened 30 January and closed 6 March 2026. Auditions are held each March and April. Students are re-auditioned annually to retain a place.

Junior Royal Birmingham Conservatoire: no application deadline is published. Closing dates are obtainable from the Junior Conservatoire office. The main audition session is held during April and May.

08 Audition Format

The common format is two contrasting pieces on the first study, scales and arpeggios, sight reading, aural tests and a short interview.

Recorded first rounds. The Royal College of Music holds a first round by video and portfolio — an introductory video of two to three minutes and two short contrasting pieces to a maximum of ten minutes — with second-round auditions in person at the College. The Royal Academy of Music holds a video submission followed by a live recall for selected applicants.

No recorded route is published by Junior Guildhall, Junior Trinity, Junior RNCM, Royal Birmingham or the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Junior Trinity states that auditions are in person.

Accompanists: Junior RNCM requires the use of the official accompanist provided. The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland provides a pianist and accepts a candidate's own. Junior Guildhall provides an accompanist unless the candidate prefers their own.

Junior Guildhall reviews first study piano applications on paper before inviting candidates to audition.

Composition is assessed by portfolio at the Royal College of Music and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland's Primary Instrumental Programme allocates places by ballot. Junior Trinity's Band Time allocates Nursery places by random selection, 15 a year. Junior Guildhall's Kindergarten is not auditioned. Royal Birmingham's Young Strings Project and Primary Winds Programme are not auditioned.

09 The Music and Dance Scheme

gov.uk describes the scheme as providing grants and help with fees at 8 schools and 20 Centres for Advanced Training. Eligibility is 8 to 19 for music schools and music CATs, and to 25 for disabled students at CATs.

The music CATs named on gov.uk are: Advanced Young Musicians; Centre for Young Musicians; Guildhall School of Music & Drama; Royal Academy of Music; Royal Birmingham Conservatoire; Royal College of Music; Royal Northern College of Music; Sheffield Music Academy; South West Music School; The Glasshouse International Centre for Music; Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance; Yorkshire Young Musicians.

Applications are made to the school or centre, not to the government.

The Royal Academy of Music states that bursaries are means-tested on Music and Dance Scheme household income criteria and that students selected for scheme support are sent a further form. Junior Guildhall refers to this money as National Grants. Royal Birmingham states it holds 45 Music and Dance Scheme National Grants and 40 Leverhulme Trust Scholarships. The Royal College of Music states that eligibility for its bursaries is judged in accordance with the scheme's criteria. Junior Trinity names the scheme among its bursary funders. Junior RNCM lists the scheme among its supporters.

The 2026/27 means-tested scale for a Centre for Advanced Training place, as published by the national centre network: no parental contribution where relevant income is £35,262.46 or less, after deducting £2,440 for each dependent child; maximum grant £4,344; nil grant at relevant income of £77,578.92 or more.

No conservatoire junior department publishes a maximum or typical bursary award. Junior Guildhall publishes a scholarship range of £250 to £1,000, awarded at audition with no application.

Bursary deadlines fall after the audition. The Royal College of Music Junior Department's deadline for 2026-27 was 1 May 2026. Junior Guildhall asks for applications by 1 May for entry the following September. Royal Academy decisions for the 2026 cycle were expected in mid-June.

10 Residence Conditions Attached to Funding

The scheme's rules measure residence in years of ordinary residence in the British Islands, defined as the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands.

For a place at one of the four specialist music schools the period is two years, measured to 1 January of the year the place is taken up. For a place at a Centre for Advanced Training the period is three years, immediately before the grant is taken up. The national centre network states the rule as having been living in the UK for at least three years.

A funded student at a Centre for Advanced Training should be a full-time registered pupil at a maintained or independent school or college in the UK, or home educated.

On first entry to Centre for Advanced Training training a pupil should not be over 16 on 1 September of that school year.

The application requires evidence of income for all relevant parents and proof of address in the UK. gov.uk states that no grant is awarded where acceptable evidence of income is not submitted.

These are conditions of the funding. No junior department publishes a residence requirement, a travelling-distance limit, or any statement about applicants living outside the UK. The published condition on attendance is attendance in person on every Saturday of term.

Junior RNCM states that its students travel from Northumberland, Cumbria, North and South Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, the Midlands, Wales, the Isle of Man and Guernsey. The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland states that more than 350 young people travel from across Scotland and the north of England. Junior Trinity states that a late start may be possible for students travelling long distance.

11 Scotland and Wales

The Music and Dance Scheme applies to England. No Scottish or Welsh institution appears on its list.

The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Junior Conservatoire offers the Agnes Allan Bursary, ABRSM Junior Scholarship UK, Wolfson Foundation Scholarship, Stevenson Scholarship, Miss Nancy Williamson Bursary, William R MacFarlane Scholarship and Savoy Scholarship. Whether these are means-tested, and their value, are not published.

The Scottish Government funds an Aided Places Scheme at St Mary's Music School, Edinburgh, reaching up to 100% of tuition and boarding fees. The school states the residence condition as two years' residence in the British Islands preceding 1 January of the year the place is taken up.

Scotland's state-sector specialist provision is hosted at local authority schools: Douglas Academy Music School; the City of Edinburgh Music School at Broughton High School; Aberdeen City Music School at Dyce Academy; Sgoil Chiùil na Gàidhealtachd at Plockton High School. Education Scotland directs enquiries to the local authority.

Wales has no conservatoire junior department and no equivalent individual grant scheme. Welsh Government music funding runs through the National Plan for Music Education and the National Music Service. The Royal Welsh College stated that it receives no direct funding for pre-College education from the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales.

12 Programmes With Similar Names

RNCM Young Artists is a programme for pop musicians aged 11 to 18 from the North West, delivered by the RNCM's Popular Music Department, across bass guitar, drums, guitar, keyboards and vocals, at £1,250 a year for 2026-27. The RNCM's classical Saturday programme is Junior RNCM.

Trinity Laban's Centre for Advanced Training is the dance programme: ages 12 to 17, at the Laban Building, annual cost £4,344. Trinity Laban's music provision is Junior Trinity. gov.uk lists Trinity Laban once under music CATs and once under dance CATs.

Junior Guildhall teaches at Silk Street, Barbican, is entered by audition, and publishes annual fees. The Centre for Young Musicians teaches at Morley College near Waterloo, is not entered by audition, and publishes termly fees. Both sit within Guildhall Young Artists, and gov.uk lists both as music CATs.

Junior Academy at the Royal Academy of Music is five separately priced courses with different ages and deadlines: the main Junior Academy course, Primary Academy, First String Experience, Junior Jazz and Junior Academy Musical Theatre.

13 Items Not Published

2027/28 fees, at all seven departments.

2027 application deadlines, except Junior Guildhall and, from 27 October 2026, the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

Any application deadline at Junior Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.

Maximum or typical bursary awards, at all seven departments.

Per-term fees at the Royal College of Music, Junior Guildhall, Junior Trinity and Junior RNCM.

Junior Guildhall's application fee amount.

The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland's charge for subsidiary study and extended lesson time.

Junior Trinity's list of first study instruments.

Junior RNCM's Foundation Section age range.

Any statement, at any of the seven, that attending the junior department assists entry to the senior conservatoire.

14 Frequently Asked Questions

These answers restate what this guide records, each with the department’s own page as the source. The figures and dates in this section were re-read on 17 October 2026.

What is a conservatoire junior department?

A junior department is a part-time specialist music programme attended one day a week during school terms, alongside full-time schooling elsewhere. It is not a boarding school and not a specialist music school. Each department publishes its own attendance day and programme content. Read 17 October 2026. Sources: Junior Guildhall, Music Course; Royal College of Music, Junior Department apply.

Which UK conservatoires run a junior department?

Six English conservatoires run one: the Royal College of Music, the Royal Academy of Music, Guildhall, Trinity Laban, the Royal Northern College of Music and Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland runs one in Glasgow. The Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama discontinued weekly junior provision in September 2024. Read 17 October 2026. Sources: Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, outcome of the Young RWCMD consultation, 19 July 2024; Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Junior Conservatoire, Classical Music.

What are the published junior department fees for 2026/27?

Published annual figures for 2026/27 run from £2,760 to £5,188. The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland publishes £2,760, covering 30 weeks of tuition. The Royal College of Music Junior Department publishes £5,188 a year for its core curriculum. Junior Guildhall publishes £4,359 a year for the Music Course. Fees for 2027/28 are not published at any of the seven departments. Figures re-read 17 October 2026. Sources: Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Junior Conservatoire, Classical Music; Royal College of Music, Junior Department fees and funding; Junior Guildhall, fees, bursaries and national grants.

What are the application dates for September 2027 entry?

Junior Guildhall opens applications in the first week of January and closes at 11.59pm on 1 March 2027. The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland makes its 2027/28 application form available from Tuesday 27 October 2026. The Royal College of Music Junior Department states that information about September 2027 applications will be published in January 2027. Dates re-read 17 October 2026. Sources: Junior Guildhall, Music Course; Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Junior Conservatoire, Classical Music; Royal College of Music, Junior Department apply.

When are junior department auditions held?

Entry is by audition, held in March and April in most cases, for entry the following September. Junior Guildhall gives a main audition period of March to April. The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland states that auditions commence in March 2027, and that initial auditions normally fall between late February and early April. Dates re-read 17 October 2026. Sources: Junior Guildhall, Music Course; Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Junior Conservatoire, Classical Music.

What ages do junior departments take?

The ranges differ by department and by programme. The Royal College of Music Junior Department admits from age 8, asks that first-study singers be at least 14, normally admits students for a minimum of two years, and does not normally admit gap-year students. Junior Guildhall’s Music Course is 8 to 18, with singers typically joining from their mid-teens. The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland’s Junior Conservatoire classical music programme is 11 to 18. Junior Trinity’s Main Programme is 10 to 19. Read 17 October 2026. Sources: Royal College of Music, Junior Department apply; Junior Guildhall, Music Course; Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Junior Conservatoire, Classical Music; Junior Trinity, Main Programme, ages 10–19.

Is there government funding for a junior department place, and who do you apply to?

The Department for Education funds means-tested places through the Music and Dance Scheme. GOV.UK describes the scheme as providing grants and help with fees at 8 schools and 20 Centres for Advanced Training, and gives eligibility as 8 to 19 for music schools and music Centres for Advanced Training, and to 25 for disabled students at Centres for Advanced Training. Applications are made directly to the school or centre, not to the government, and the school or centre asks about household income to set the funding amount. Read 17 October 2026. Source: GOV.UK, Music and Dance Scheme.

What do the junior departments not publish?

As at 17 October 2026 none of the seven publishes 2027/28 fees, and none publishes a maximum or typical bursary award. Application deadlines for 2027 entry are published by Junior Guildhall and, from 27 October 2026, by the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland; Junior Royal Birmingham Conservatoire publishes no application deadline. Read 17 October 2026. Sources: Royal College of Music, Junior Department fees and funding; Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, how to apply.

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.

Application dates for the current cycle are collected separately, with every unpublished item stated: application dates published for September 2027 entry.

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