Our mission at The Purcell School is to provide young musicians who demonstrate the potential to become exceptional (irrespective of background) with outstanding teaching within a supportive school environment and to equip them with the self-confidence, adaptability, maturity and perspective to sustain their professional development and personal fulfilment throughout their lives.

As far as is practical, we aim to minimise the financial barriers to a student’s music education through the means-tested bursaries we offer – the Government’s Music and Dance Scheme (MDS) for UK residents and our School Bursary Fund for international students.

A summary of fees, as well as information relating to both the MDS Scheme and the School Bursary Fund, can be found below. For further information about our fees or bursaries, please contact admissions@purcell-school.org.

Summary of School Fees

School fees from September 2025:

Annual (Inclusive of VAT) Termly (Inclusive of VAT)
Boarding £52,175 £17,391
Day £40,864 £13,621

Information about our bursary schemes can be found further down this page.

Music and Dance Scheme

At our school, the majority of UK students (around 75%) benefit from reduced fees or pay no fees at all, thanks to the Department for Education’s Music and Dance Scheme (MDS). This means-tested scheme helps make a high-quality music education accessible to talented students from a range of financial backgrounds.

Eligibility:
To qualify for the MDS, students must have been UK residents for at least two years prior to January 1st of the academic year they are applying for. For example, for entry in September 2026, the student must have lived in the UK continuously from January 1, 2024, to December 31, 2025.

Fee Contributions:
Parental contributions towards fees are based on gross household income, with a sliding scale applied. As a general guide:

  • Families with a gross household income below £15,000 per year will pay no school fees.
  • Those with higher incomes will contribute according to the sliding scale.
  • For families receiving support through the Government’s Music and Dance Scheme (MDS), VAT will apply as part of the fees.

A detailed fee contribution table is available below for reference.

Approximate fee contributions for MDS students for 2025/26:

Gross Family Income/Annum Annual Contribution to be made by Parent (Inclusive of VAT)
Day Boarding
£10,000 £0 £0
£15,000 £0 £93
£20,000 £333 £567
£25,000 £888 £1,122
£30,000 £1,443 £1,809
£35,000 £1,998 £2,475
£40,000 £2,553 £3,279
£45,000 £3,729 £4,903
£50,000 £4,413 £5,925
£55,000 £5,140 £7,070
£60,000 £6,033 £8,215
£70,000 £7,858 £10,519
£80,000 £9,792 £12,931
£100,000 £13,654 £17,956
£120,000 £17,521 £23,022
£150,000 £23,317 £30,618
£185,000 £30,078 £39,481
£190,000 £31,042 £40,744
£195,000 £32,011 £42,012
£200,000 £32,976 £43,279
£207,500 £40,864 (Full fee) £52,175 (Full fee)

School Bursary Fund

This is a limited, means-tested bursary scheme. 

Eligibility:

Students who are not eligible for the Government’s Music and Dance Scheme (MDS) may be considered for support through the School Bursary Fund. 

Bursary Awards:

  • Awards are based on individual household financial circumstances, as well as the overall number and strength of applications received in a given year.
  • Please note that the income bands and parental contributions outlined in the MDS fee table do not apply to the School Bursary Fund.
  • A 20% VAT charge applies to the fees paid by all non-MDS families. Where the School awards a bursary from the School Fund,  the VAT is applied solely on the fee contributed by the family (for example, where a student receives a 25% bursary, the annual boarding fee payable by the student’s family would be £32,609 plus £6,522 VAT, totalling £39,131).

If you would like to be considered for bursary support through this fund, please indicate this clearly in your application.

Application Fees

Please see How to Apply for information about the fee to apply.