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2. Children will be admitted from the age of 7+ and be of school age.

3. Children from beginner upwards will be considered for entry to Trafford Music Centres. No previous musical qualification is required for entry.

4. Provision of places will be dependent on the resources and time-tabling options available for Music Centres tutors.

5. No child will be discriminated against on grounds of gender, ethnicity, or creed.

6. Places will be allocated on the following basis:

(1) Age. Emphasis will be placed initially on the 8-10 years age range. (Years 4 and 5). This will be reviewed on a regular basis.

(2) Parents and pupils comply with the Trafford Music Centres policies on:

i) Attendance: a minimum attendance of 24 sessions per year, apart from notified absence through illness. This includes music centre ensembles, where appropriate.

ii) Progress: formal assessment will be made at the end of each year, to establish pupils' levels of application and attainment. Parents are also invited to consult their childs teacher during the spring term.

iii) Support: pupils are expected to attend events and concerts arranged at the Music Centres and to participate in activities specifically provided as part of the broader educational programme within the Borough.

7. Priority will be given to children attending schools where there is no provision for instrumental tuition. Children who are both resident in Trafford and attend a Trafford school will be given priority over children who either live or attend school in another Local Education Authority.

8. Children may be offered lessons in an instrument other than their first choice. This will be dependent on the availability of teaching and instrumental resources, and is in line with the policy to target instruments in short supply.

10. Lessons will be organised in groups according to experience and confidence rather than age. The size of the group will be dependent on the type of instrument and accommodation. This should not normally exceed 6. This will be reviewed on a regular basis.

11. Trafford Music Centres aim to provide musical tuition and opportunities to as many children as possible. It may, however, prove impossible to accommodate all applications, in which case names are put on a waiting list, and should places become available at the time of the next registration, priority will be given to those children on the waiting list according to the criteria listed above.

12. There is an annual, non-refundable subscription, currently £54.00, paid to Trafford Council, to cover the cost of additional equipment for the music centres. This is collected by Trafford Council at the start of the school year in September, or at the first lesson for new pupils.

13. Application to register as a new pupil will normally take place at the start of the autumn term at each music centre.

14. Parents of those children who register at the music centres will be required to sign an agreement form which will be issued before lessons start.

15. Pupils may continue to attend Trafford Music Centres up to the end of the school year in which they are 14 years old. Where possible, pupils who continue to study music as a GCSE subject will be permitted to receive tuition at Trafford Music Centres.

There is an Appeals Procedure for parents of children who are not allocated a place.