Our Classes

Here you will find information about our core classes for children aged birth to Primary 7

Our Core Classes

Our progressive Creative Music Classes are aimed at children from birth to primary 2, preparing them for Beginner Group Instrumental Classes in flute, clarineo, violin, cello, piano, guitar and drums which are offered to children in primary 3 & 4.  If your child is in primary 5 or above and has had a year or more of instrumental lessons elsewhere then please contact us as we may be able to allocate them to one of our primary 4 to 7 non-beginner classes.
Babies

Baby & Toddler Classes

Age: birth to 3 years
Day: Saturday
Time: 12.15pm
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Creative Music Classes

Age: Preschool to P2
Day: Saturday
Times: 9.00am, 9.45am, 10.30 & 11.30am
Portobello Music School WEB 001

Group Instrumental Classes

Age: Beginners P3 and P4
Day: Saturday
Times: 9.00am to 1.00pm

Baby & Toddler Classes

Birth to 3 years
Saturdays
12.15pm

Babies are never too young to begin learning through music. Research has shown that exposure to music education from an early age positively impacts upon a child’s cognitive, physical and emotional development. In our classes, children take part in weekly, themed musical adventures using well known nursery rhymes alongside new material for you and your child to enjoy. We use lots of props and instruments to make the adventures fun, colourful and engaging.

Our baby and toddler classes focus on experiencing a beat, listening to songs and sounds, sensory touch, movement, interacting with other children and building confidence and relationships. They also have the opportunity to listen to a variety of different musical instruments, such as the flute or ukulele, played live as part of the class.

As the children develop, we introduce songs and games which help with the acquisition of language, numbers and colours, and the development of fine motor skills. They will also be introduced to musical concepts such as high and low pitch, rhythm-clapping and musical terms such as Allegro, Lento, Forte and Piano. Watch as your child begins to recognise certain songs and rhymes and eventually join in with the actions and words by themselves. You may even be serenaded on the way home!

Enrolment details

Enrolment is now open for the Autumn Term starting on Saturday 2nd September

Fees

Weekly Fees
(after £25 booking fee)

Autumn Term
 
£7.28

Musical Pathway

These classes are the start of your child’s musical journey and progress naturally into the Creative Music Classes at Preschool, P1 and P2 level. From this beginning, instrumental lessons follow in P3.

Creative Music Classes

Preschool to P2
Saturday
9.00am to 12.15pm

Creative Music Class: Pre-school (2 years)

These classes engage children’s natural enthusiasm for exploring and playing with sound. The main aim is to create a fun atmosphere and positive association with participating in music games and exploring simple musical instruments. Using rhymes, songs and music games and activities, the building blocks of music – rhythm, pulse and singing – will be developed throughout the year.  We have classroom concerts at Christmas and at the end of the summer term.

Parents and guardians are encouraged to join in the sessions for the first few weeks until their child feels suitably settled in.

Preschool 1 is for children starting P1 in August 2025.
Preschool 2 is for children starting P1 in August 2024.

Enrolment is open for classes starting on 2nd September 2023.  Please check our enrolment page for availability.

Creative Music Class: Primary 1

These classes will include participating in musical games, stories, rhymes and songs which are aimed at developing a firm musical foundation. Motor and listening skills are developed using simple musical instruments in story telling, and children learn to sing confidently using puppets and response games. The building blocks of music, pulse, rhythm and singing, are taught using Kodály musicianship principals, and simple music notation and concepts are introduced as the year progresses. There are lots of opportunities for creative music making, and children develop their musical creativity and understanding in a fun and playful environment.

Parents are invited to our Primary 1 Classroom Concerts at Christmas and at the end of the summer term.

Enrolment is open for classes starting on 2nd September 2023.  Please check our enrolment page for availability.

Creative Music Class: Primary 2

In these classes we will continue to develop basic musical skills in pitch, rhythm and dynamics. Using musical games, songs from all over the world and taking inspiration from many styles of music, children will have direct involvement in making and creating music. Using voice and an array of percussion instruments is part of every session, working individually, in pairs or as part of the group. Children will continue to develop listening skills and performing skills with the instruments available, as well as being encouraged to explore creative possibilities.

As children reach this stage in their musical development it is important that we are sensitive to their musical preferences as they are almost ready to begin learning a musical instrument. Towards the end of the second term we take children and parents on a tour of our instrumental classes to meet our instrumental students and teachers so that they are better informed when it comes to choosing an instrument to study in Primary 3.

Parents are invited to our Primary 2 Classroom Concerts at Christmas and at the end of the summer term.

Enrolment is open for classes starting on 2nd September 2023.  Please check our enrolment page for availability.

Fees

Termly Fees
(after £25 annual booking fee)

Term 1 (14 wks)
Term 2 (11 wks)
Term 3 (10 wks)
Monthly x 10
£102
£80.14
£72.86
£25.50

Musical Pathway

After completing our Primary 2 Creative Music Class, children will be offered Beginner Group Instrumental & Musicianship Classes from P3 to P7 where we offer annual exams including ABRSM & PMS Music Medal Exams and Rockschool Grade Exams.

Group Instrumental Classes

P3 to P7
Saturday
9.00am to 1.00pm

Beginner Group Instrumental Classes are offered to children for 5 years starting in Primary 3 or 4 with the majority of students being graduates of our Primary 2 Creative Music Classes.  Children can study flute, clarineo (beginner clarinet), violin, cello, piano, guitar and drums.  As well as attending weekly group instrumental lessons, children also attend weekly 45-minute Musicianship Classes where they learn music theory and develop Kodály-based singing and aural skills.

It is important to note before enrolling in these classes that we require at least 10 month’s commitment as we cannot offer places to anyone else should someone drop out once term is underway.  Another thing to note is that children will be expected to practice their instrument for between 15 and 30 minutes most days between lessons.  Parents are required to attend the last 5 minutes of each lesson so that they know what their child has to practice for the next lesson and so that teachers can provide advice to parents in how best to support their children’s home practice.

Performance is an important part of musical life at Portobello Music School.  Even from Preschool to Primary 2, children get used to performing in front of each other and for families at our end of term classroom concerts.  Performance practice is continually developed as children progress through the school with informal classroom concerts leading to larger in-school concerts and for some, to performing annually in the Edinburgh Competition Festival.

We have a some spaces available in our piano, violin, flute and guitar beginner classes and still have a few spaces for new students who have studied for a year or more elsewhere.  Please check our enrol page for availability.

Fees

Termly Fees for combined Group Instrumental Classes, Musicianship Classes (both 45 minutes) and our NEW on-demand ABRSM Music Theory Lessons in our Learning Management System, MusicFirst Classroom.
(after £25 annual booking fee)

Term 1 (13 wks)
Term 2 (12 wks)
Term 3 (10 wks)
Monthly x 10
£325
£300
£250
£87.50

Musical Pathway

After completing our 5 ABRSM Music Medals which normally occurs in Primary 7, children can either go on to have individual lessons with us at Portobello Music School on Saturday afternoons or apply to study full-time at Edinburgh Music School or St Mary’s Music School.   We can also help students prepare for auditions to study on Saturday mornings at the junior departments of Edinburgh Napier University or the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow.

Some of our students have gone on to study at the prestigious Yehudi Menuhin School in Surrey.  You can read more about the Music Pathways taken by some of our past and present students below.

More about Musical Pathways

No matter what age your child joins us, Portobello Music School will be able to provide a Musical Pathway to the next level whether it be from Toddler Music Classes to Preschool 1; Primary 2 to Beginner Group Instrumental Classes or from Advanced Group Instrumental Classes to part-time music studies at the junior music department of Royal Conservatoire of Scotland or to prepare for entry to full-time studies at universities or music colleges at home or abroad. Please see below for some examples of current and past students’ Musical Pathways.

Find our more about the Musical Pathways followed by some of our current and past students