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

Conclusion

7. As a result of the evidence gathered and analysed against all UNCRC requirements, what is the potential overall impact of this proposal on children’s rights?

Overall, there will be a positive impact on children’s rights, with financial support available to eligible families via the Scheme to access specialist musical education in Scotland. The increase to fees will also help the School to maintain its financial viability and meet its costs, therefore ensuring the school experience for pupils is not impacted. There will be a marginal negative impact on families resulting from the increase to tuition fees.

8. If you have identified a positive impact on children’s rights, please describe below how the proposal will protect, respect, and fulfil children’s rights in Scotland.

As discussed above, the Aided Places funding to the School promotes access to specialist musical education to talented young musicians regardless of their ability to pay. In line with Article 29 on the goals of education, the funding aims to contribute to the development of the child’s personality, talents and mental and physical abilities to reach their fullest potential. The Aided Places funding supports access for children based solely on talent to be able to access specialist education to this end.

9. If a negative impact has been identified please describe it below. Is there a risk this could potentially amount to an incompatibility?

As discussed above, there is a marginal negative impact on families resulting from the increase to tuition fees. This increase is necessary to maintain the school’s financial viability and to ensure it can continue to maintain its world-class standard of music and academic education for its pupils. It is not considered that this negative impact poses a risk of incompatibility.

Mitigation Record

What options have been considered to modify the proposal in order to mitigate a negative impact or potential incompatibility?

Please summarise mitigation actions taken below

Issue or risk identified and relevant UNCRC requirement

Increase in tuition fees may render payment of fees unattainable for some families.

Action Taken/ To Be Taken

An increase in tuition fees is necessary to ensure the School maintains its financial viability. Analysis of various uplift options has been undertaken to seek a balance between ensuring the School can meet its costs and maintaining affordability for parents as far as possible.

Date action to be taken or was taken

March 2025

10. As a result of the evidence gathered and analysed against all wellbeing indicators will the proposal contribute to the wellbeing of children and young people in Scotland? (Guidance Section 2.3.2, pages 20-22).

Safe: Not Applicable

Healthy: Not Applicable

Achieving: Yes

Nurtured: Not Applicable

Active: Not Applicable

Respected: Not Applicable

Responsible: Not Applicable

Included: Not Applicable

If yes, please provide an explanation below

The proposal contributes to a child ‘Achieving’ at the School as the fee uplift will enable to the School to meet its costs and maintain its high level of education provision to its pupils.

11. How will you communicate to children and young people the impact that the proposal will have on their rights?

Primary engagement with parents/carers and pupils studying at the School will be through the School, through their engagement with parents/carers of prospective and current pupils. Officials will maintain regular contact with the School’s Bursar to understand any impacts the changes have on the School. The CRWIA will be published on the gov.scot website to ensure that those wishing to access it can do so. The CRWIA has been written in accessible language as far as possible to ensure that those reading the CRWIA can understand its content and the potential impacts identified.