St Mary's Music School - Aided Places Scheme Funding 2025/26: child rights and wellbeing impact assessment

Child Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment

1. Brief Summary

Type of proposal (Please delete as necessary):

• Decision of a strategic nature relating to the rights and wellbeing of children

Name the proposal, and describe its overall aims and intended purpose.

St Mary’s Music School Aided Places 2025-26. Scottish Ministers fund the remission of fees for eligible pupils at St Mary’s Music School, under the St Mary’s Music School (Aided Places) (Scotland) Regulations 2015.

St Mary’s Music School is Scotland’s only independent specialist music school, offering music and academic education to musically gifted children and young people aged 9-19 years. It attracts both day and boarding pupils from across Scotland and beyond.

Scottish Ministers provide financial support towards fees for eligible pupils at St Mary’s Music School (“the School”), under The St Mary’s Music School (Aided Places) (Scotland) Regulations 2015 (“the 2015 Regulations”). Scottish Government funding, up to 100 per cent, is available through the aided places scheme (“the Scheme”) to assist with the cost of tuition and boarding fees of up to 51 pupils at the School. Other pupils are supported by bursaries offered by the School. Administration of the Scheme is undertaken by the School, and Ministers have no part in the selection of pupils. Admissions to the School are on the basis of musical ability, regardless of financial circumstances or background.

In consultation with the School, Scottish Ministers can prescribe the number of aided places that are available and allow the School to apply an increase to its fees, as agreed. Under current arrangements, the Scottish Government has no role in the recruitment of students at the School and has no oversight in the assessment process. The 2015 Regulations provide that Ministers must approve the maximum fees which the School can charge for pupils who hold aided places, with any changes considered annually. In practice this is achieved by Ministers setting the percentage change to be applied.

In reviewing the School’s fee increase, we have worked with the School to determine the most favourable approach, which would look to reduce any negative impact on pupils as far as possible, whilst looking to maintain the School’s viability and ensuring this public spending delivers value for money.

Start date of proposal’s development: February 2025

Start date of CRWIA process: February 2025

2. With reference given to the requirements of the UNCRC (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024 which aspects of the proposal are relevant to/impact upon children’s rights?

The Scheme gives musically gifted children, regardless of their family’s financial circumstances, the opportunity to benefit from a world class standard of music and academic education, following entry based on their musical ability and potential. As St Mary’s is an independent school, fees are charged and the Scheme provides financial income-based support to families with the aim of ensuring those musically gifted pupils can benefit from this specialist education. This aligns with Article 29 of the UNCRC (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024 on the goals of education which includes the development of the child’s musical talents; and also Article 31 on Leisure, play and culture, promoting the right of the child to participate fully in cultural and artistic life.

3. Please provide a summary of the evidence gathered which will be used to inform your decision-making and the content of the proposal

Due to the possibility of any increase to school fees having an effect on a parent/carer decision to send their child to the School, we considered it important to engage with children and young people who currently attend the School in order to more fully understand the importance to them of their specialised musical education, and to understand the potential impact of any increase in fees.

It should be noted that this will be the first full school year where VAT is charged on school fees, following the removal of the VAT exemption from 1 January 2025, which will place an additional financial pressure on parents/carers.

Exact costs to the Scottish Government of the Scheme for 2025-26 are as yet unknown, as this will depend on pupil type and parental income (and thus the proportion of the contribution due from Scottish Government in each case). However, estimated costs have been calculated based on these factors in 2024-25. These estimated costs must be balanced with the Scottish Government’s responsibility to ensure that public spending continues to deliver value for money, particularly given the current challenging economic environment and pressures on public finances.

Below are quotes from pupils currently attending the School. These were gathered during focus groups held at the School where a selection of junior and senior pupils receiving funding via the Scheme were chosen at random to take part in sessions to discuss their experiences at the School.

What does studying at St Mary’s Music School mean to you?

• The opportunity to do more music
• The best music teaching – teachers know us individually and know what we need to improve
• Sets us up for a career in music
• Better academic education – smaller class sizes - excellent as you get more attention, and teachers know you very well
• Unique environment
• Healthy competitive environment to help us improve as musicians
• High standard of music making
• Ability to study music at a high level without cost being a barrier

What opportunities have you had at St Mary’s Music School that you think you would not have had anywhere else?

• 1 to 1 Music Lessons – do not miss any academic lessons to attend music lessons
• Amazing performance opportunities
• Academic teachers know individual pupils needs – whether you need challenged or supported
• Opportunity to develop skills to help become a professional musician:
• Lots of performance opportunities
• Instrumental teaching time that is timetabled
• Ability to borrow top-quality instruments
• Specialised music classes (aural, chamber music, harmony, etc)
• Masterclasses with sector leading professionals
• Smaller class sizes lead to more in depth study, both musically and academically

What impacts on pupils might there be from an increase in parent’s contributions to school fees?

• Worrying – not having enough money to attend school
• Not fair – don't want to worry parents or make my family sacrifice for me to be a good musician
• Being unable to afford the increased contributions which would lead to many having to leave school or make huge sacrifices.
• School would become elitist (only available for those who are wealthy).

4. Further to the evidence described at ‘3’ have you identified any 'gaps' in evidence which may prevent determination of impact? If yes, please provide an explanation of how they will be addressed

Focus groups were carried out with a selection of junior and senior pupils at the school. These opinions therefore are not necessarily reflective of the views of all pupils in attendance at the School. Nonetheless, officials consider that the evidence gained from the focus group sessions can inform the assessment of any potential impact of changes to school fees.

5. Analysis of Evidence

Following the evidence gathered, including the feedback from children and young people, we consider that any increase in tuition fees could potentially impact the following articles:

Article 29 (goals of education)

The Scheme gives musically gifted children the opportunity to benefit from a world class standard of music and academic education in a “unique environment”, regardless of their family’s financial circumstances. This contributes to promoting pupils’ wellbeing, inclusion and ability to learn and thrive in a “healthy”, “competitive”, “bespoke” and nurturing learning environment to reach their full potential.

Calculations for increases to tuition fees are designed to ensure the School’s ongoing viability in a challenging financial climate. This in turn contributes to supporting the School to continue to offer the benefits of this specialist education, and aims to ensure that children (in particular those from lower income families) can continue to benefit; therefore positively contributing to Article 29.

Article 31 (leisure, play and culture)

The School provides a world-class standard of music and academic education, which allows pupils to participate freely in cultural life and the arts. Pupils have noted that they are offered many unique opportunities, such as attending “masterclasses with sector leading professionals”, “cathedral choir” and “amazing performance opportunities,” performing in notable venues. Changes to tuition fees are important in ensuring Scottish Government’s aim of maintaining the School’s viability, so that it can continue to provide these valuable cultural benefits for those children enrolled at the school.

6. What changes (if any) have been made to the proposal as a result of this assessment?

Further consideration has been given to the impact of a proposed increase to tuition fees in 2025-26 on the accessibility of specialised music instruction. A number of different options were explored, with the goal being to maintain the School’s financial viability to ensure pupils’ experiences were not impacted, whilst limiting increased financial pressures on both parents and the Scottish Government as far as possible.

An increase to fees was considered necessary, given increasing costs faced by the School. Ministers gave consideration to all impacted parties and subsequently approved a 4% increase to tuition fees.