Music Scholarships

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As a music college, we are inclusive in promoting enjoyment across many platforms, encouraging students to participate in a wide variety of music making, fostering a sense of autonomy, self-discipline, empathy and confidence. Students are encouraged and inspired to develop a life long passion for, and appreciation of music not only as performers and composers, but also as audiences, technicians and critics.

We demonstrate and celebrate talent via our rich co-curricular provision and instrumental schemes. We believe that the symbiotic relationship between the academic and performance aspects of music ensure the development of high standards of achievement through learning, rehearsing and teaching.

Music scholarships are available for musically talented students entering the school’s Sixth Form.

 

Sixth Form Instrumental / Vocal Scholarship (External)

This will be awarded by audition, to an external candidate for Sixth Form entry.  The successful candidate is likely to have Grade 5 theory or be at a proven equivalent standard. They will be at or above ABRSM / Trinity Guildhall Grade 6 standard or equivalent and will show a high level of technical proficiency and interpretive control on their instrument. Enthusiasm, potential and aptitude for music are the most important considerations.

The candidate’s application should be accompanied by proof of qualification or equivalent standard and a letter of recommendation, where possible, from a music teacher, detailing the candidate’s contribution to their current school’s musical life and or general wider musical involvement. The scholarship will cover the candidate’s individual music lessons on their main instrument throughout the Sixth Form.

We have an expectation that students will also apply for A level Music or Music technology courses as part of their application. 

Music Scholarship (Internal) 

This will be awarded by audition, to an instrumentalist or vocalist going into Y12. The successful student is likely to have Grade 5 theory. They will be at a proven equivalent standard be at or above ABRSM /Trinity Guildhall Grade 6 standard or equivalent and will show a high level of technical proficiency and interpretive ability

 The candidate will already have a proven track record of contributing to school music making. The scholarship will cover the candidate’s individual music lessons on their main instrument throughout the Sixth Form. Enthusiasm, potential and aptitude for music are the most important considerations

Music Instrumental Scholarship (Internal)

This will be awarded by audition, to an instrumentalist going into Y10

The successful student is likely to be at or above ABRSM Grade 5 standard or equivalent and will show a good level of technical proficiency and interpretive ability on their instrument. The student will already have a proven track record of contributing to school music making.  The scholarship will cover the student’s individual music lessons on their main instrument throughout Year 10 and Year11.

Conditions

The successful candidates for all scholarships will be expected to maintain a good rate of progress and take a full part in any co-curricular music ensembles / choirs deemed appropriate by and in discussion with the Director of Music, attending designated rehearsals and performances.

All students awarded a Music Scholarship will be invited to join and take an active part in the Music Council, led by our Music Ambassadors. 

The school reserves the right to withdraw a scholarship should the pupil fail to maintain satisfactory progress or be unwilling to participate in agreed, designated co-curricular ensembles / choirs.

Individual music lessons would normally be expected to take place in school with our own visiting instrumental musicians and there is an expectation that students applying in Year 12 will take one of the A Level Music Courses.

Timetable

Letters of application, detailing reasons why candidates consider themselves suitable and of no more than 300 words, should be sent to Mrs Caroline Gale, Director of Music at Guildford County School cgale@guildfordcounty.co.uk by Friday 24th November 2023.

A closed audition will take place on Friday 3rd May 2024 from 3.30-5pm

Candidates will be invited to prepare a programme of music selected to demonstrate their musical character and personality, alongside their technical ability on a single instrument or voice of between 6 and 8 minutes duration.   A copy of the music to be performed should be sent to the Director of Music no later than two weeks in advance of the audition date.

Candidates should make it clear at this stage whether they will require an accompanist from Guildford County School or whether they will be using their own accompanist.

(For internal applications year 9 into year 10 - the programme will be two contrasting pieces)

Following the audition, candidates will have a short viva where they will have the opportunity to discuss the music they have performed and talk about how they would benefit from, and contribute to, musical life at Guildford County School.

Awards will be made entirely at the discretion of the school. The Director of Music is always happy to see prospective music students and their parents for an informal interview ahead of auditions.

CO - CURRICULAR MUSICAL ACTIVITIES 2022 - 2023

Music Scholarship 1

Music Scholarship 2

News

24th August 2023

GCSE Results 2023

We are really pleased with today’s news of some great results at GCSE.  Results that will open many doors for the students and results that buck the national trend this year of grade deflation.  These results are amongst the best that the school has seen at GCSE level and are so as a result of the hard work and dedication of the staff team and also as a result of the work ethic shown by so very many of the children themselves.  Results distribution today went smoothly as a result of the work of the Exams and Sixth Form teams, but we must also thank the many other staff who attended earlier on this morning in order to help with the distribution of results and to offer their congratulations and support to the students themselves.  This is not an obligation by any means, but it is hugely warming when colleagues choose to give up some of their holiday time so as to see the children through to the next stage of their life journeys. Whilst much of the early part of our outgoing Year 11s’ secondary school studies were mired by the pandemic, it has been wonderful to watch them grow and develop into such wonderful young adults.  We look forward, next, to the national level data analysis that will enable us to accurately assess the amount of progress that each child has made and that we have made as a whole school.  That said, with attainment a useful proxy for progress we feel quietly confident that we have performed well as a school at GCSE level. Over the five year story that we have jointly told together, each and every student is now able to take forward something that they can feel incredibly proud of and I am delighted to be able to share with you some individual stories of success. With 40% of all grades awarded at 9-7, it is difficult to single out individual students.  Deserving of a special mention, though, are Shiv, Jasmin, Erin, Koby, Isobel, Joseph, Amelia, Bishesta, Rose, Evie, Emma, Veronica, Jack and Rebecca for achieving exceptionally high results.  We are especially proud also of Freya, Daisy and Ethan for achieving 10 or more GCSEs at grade 9 – a fantastic achievement.  In total, 30 students achieved on average 2 grades or higher than expected – Hannah, Rose, Madeleine and Freddie achieved well above their target grades – a massive well done to them.  Today represents the end of one phase of each student's education and is a terrific opportunity to recognise and celebrate what they have all achieved. We are delighted to be able to congratulate the Year 11 Class of 2023 for their fantastic results and also to wish them well as they move on to the next phase of their lives with our full support and our very best wishes for the future. For many, I am thrilled to say that this will be here at Guildford County Sixth Form and we cannot wait to welcome them and a large number of external recruits through the doors in September. Please see below some headline data for your interest.   2017/2018 2018/2019 2019/2020 2020/2021 2021/2022 2022/2023   # % # % # % # % # % # % EM5+ 103 67.32 100 62.5 98 62.82 112 68.71 123 68.33 119 66 EM4+ 122 79.74 131 81.88 135 86.54 132 80.98 152 84.44 145 80 E5+ 121 79.08 123 76.88 123 78.85 125 76.69 145 80.56 132 73 M5+ 106 69.28 107 66.88 107 68.59 120 73.62 129 71.67 136 75 S5+ 101 66.01 99 61.88 109 69.87 123 75.46 120 66.67 122 67 Grade 9 to 8 (Inc A*) 403 26.72 285 19.09 365 25.03 427 27.35 409 24.91 402 24 Grade 9 to 7 (Inc A*-A) 631 41.84 507 33.96 621 42.59 674 43.18 677 41.23 648 39.34 Grade 9 to 5 (Inc A*-B) 1057 70.09 1039 69.59 1128 77.37 1122 71.88 1244 75.76 1180 72 Grade 9 to 5 (Inc A*-C) 1112 73.74 1039 69.59 1128 77.37 1122 71.88 1244 75.76 1180 72 Grade 9 to 4 (Inc A*-C) 1240 82.23 1246 83.46 1309 89.78 1299 83.22 1430 87.09 1364 83 Progress 8 0.56 0.37 0.66 0.68 0.51 +0.43 (subject to autumn confirmation) Attainment 8 59.15 57.06 60.45 59.73 60.48 58.17 Total grades 1508 1493 1458 1561 1642 1644   This coming year, we will once again work on our genuinely held ambition to be leaders in secondary education and we will have a laser sharp focus on literacy, on leadership and on learning; delivering all of this with the love that sets us apart from many in our field and delivering it by working now on the marginal gains that will make all the difference and that will give rise to truly effective learning experiences for every single child. Read Full Article
17th August 2023

A Level Results 2023

Today we are celebrating the hard work and multiple successes of our Sixth Form students here at Guildford County School. Our sincere thanks go to the Sixth Form and Exams teams for making sure that the preparation for today and the results distribution morning itself ran so smoothly and also to the many other staff who attended earlier on in order to help with the delivery of results and to offer their congratulations and support to the students. We are pleased that the build up to and delivery of the summer examinations season felt once again this year as we would hope, as we continue to emerge from the pandemic.  It has also been interesting this week to read the commentary from experts in response to Ofqual’s move to return to a grading regime similar to that seen in 2019. With the politics of education put to one side, then, I am really keen for us all at County to choose to look today at the personal stories of the individual students for whom this occassion represents the culmination of this chapter in their educational journeys.  We should once again adopt the narrative of resilient learners, dedicating themselves to their studies under the leadership of exceptional colleagues from across the school – teachers, support staff and governors alike.  These are students who have worked tirelessly over a great number of years and they are now able to move on to the next stage in their education with the sense of achievement and recognition that they so richly deserve.  Before we look at the results of the cohort as a whole, I am delighted to be able to share with you some individual stories of success. Individual successes were many in a range of subject areas.  We are particularly proud of several outstanding results from these high performing students.  Joseph (A*, A*, A*, A), Eleanor (A*, A*, A*, B), Hannah (A*, A*, A*), Max (A*, A*, A*) and Daisy (A*, A*, A*). At the time of writing, 72% of all of our departing students have secured places at Universities from Aberystwyth to Edinburgh to Plymouth with 44% of those students going to university accepting places at prestigious Russell Group universities.  Three County students who held Oxbridge offers have been successful.  Joe has secured a place at Cambridge to read Engineering.  Josh is going to Oxford to read Philosophy, Politics and Economics and Isabelle has secured a place at Cambridge to study Modern and Medieval Languages.  As a Music Specialist College, we are also thrilled to celebrate with Jim as he accepts a place at the Royal Academy of Music conservatoire.  We also congratulate Thuan for securing a place at the University of the Arts of London, at the Jimmy Choo Academy. Today represents the end of one phase of each student's education and the opportunity to recognise and celebrate what they have achieved. We are delighted to be able to congratulate the Sixth Form Class of 2023 for their many achievements and also to wish them well as they move on to the next phase of their lives with our full support and our very best wishes for the future. I am hopeful that many will choose to become members of our ever growing alumni community and that we will then be able to continue to watch their successes over the years to come. Please see below some headline data for your interest. A Level Grades % A*/A 27 A*/B 52 A*/C 73 A*/D 91 A*/E 97      Read Full Article
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