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Yorchestra Summer Course 2018 – how to apply

Quick links:  Click on the following links to go straight to:

• Application timetable and process
• Course application forms
• Editing your application at a later date
• Course fees
• How to pay
• Our new 25% “Bring a friend” discount
• Bursaries
• Bursary application form

Application timetable and process

Applications are dealt with on a first-come-first-served basis, and early application is recommended.  The key dates to note are:

• Applications open on 14 May 2018
• To qualify for the Early Bird Discount, applications and payment need to be received no later than 15 June 2018
• Closing date for applications is 20 July 2018

Places may still be available in some sections (particularly for string players) after applications have officially closed – so even if the closing date has passed, please do feel free to contact us to find out if we have a place for you.

Applications are now all being taken online.  Note that payment for course fees should be made at the same time as you apply for a place: your application is not treated as complete until we have received payment.  Bursary applications should also be made at the same time as you submit your main course application form.

Confirmation of places will be sent out by email following the closing date.  If we are not able to offer you a place, we will contact you as soon as possible after receiving your application.  So unless you believe that your application form has not been successfully submitted, there is no need to be concerned that you have not heard from us before the closing date.

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Course application forms

Note: the clarinet and trumpet / cornet sections for Y2 are now provisionally full.  Please contact us before applying for a place in these sections.

Not sure which Yorchestra is right for you?  More about the orchestras ▶︎

If you experience technical problems with any of the online application forms, please contact us giving details of the problem, and we will do our best to assist.

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Editing your application at a later date

You may find that you need to change some of the information on your application after you have submitted it – for instance, if you need to provide a different emergency contact number, or realise you have entered something incorrectly.

If you’ve received the response email which is sent automatically when you submit the form, you will see that there is a link at the top of the form marked “Edit Response“.  Simply click on this link, and it will take you to your completed application.  Use the “Next” button to get to the section(s) of the form which you need to edit, and fill in your updated response.

Once you’ve made the changes you need to, click on the “Next” button until you get to the final section of the form, and click “Submit” to confirm the changes.  You will then get a fresh automated response email, by way of confirmation that we have received your changes.

If you haven’t received the response email, please contact us giving details of the changes which need to be made, and we will ensure that the information we hold is updated appropriately.

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Course fees

Yorchestra courses cost £50 per full day, or £45 if you qualify for the Early Bird discount.  Total course fees are therefore:

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How to pay

Payment for course fees should be made at the same time as you apply for a place: your application is not treated as complete until we have received payment.  If we are unable to offer your child a place, you will receive a full refund.

If you are claiming the Early Bird rate, we must receive both your application form and payment by 15 June 2018.

If you are applying for bursary funding, you should send payment initially for the amount of the applicable course fee less the amount of the bursary applied for.  If your application for bursary funding is unsuccessful, or if you are granted a lower bursary than the amount applied for, you will be notified of the balance due, which will need to be paid in order to confirm your child’s place.

If you are claiming our new 25% “bring-a-friend” discount, this is provided by way of a refund, once we have confirmed that you have met the qualifying conditions.  You should therefore pay the full amount of the applicable course fee (less the amount of any bursary applied for, if relevant) when you apply for a place, without deducting the discount at this stage.

If you have opted to pay a voluntary donation when completing the application form (thank you!), please include your chosen donation amount with your payment for course fees – you don’t need to send it separately.

You can pay either by direct bank transfer (BACS) or by cheque.  Where possible, please consider paying by BACS, since we incur bank charges for cashing cheques.

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25% “Bring a friend” discount – how it works

We think that the best people to let the world know about the great experience offered by Yorchestra are players who have already been on one of our courses.  So, if you’ve been to Yorchestra before, and you bring along a friend who hasn’t, we’re offering a 25% discount to both of you, as a way of saying “thank you” to you for your support.

Key points to note

• The discount is available to a returning Yorchestra player and a player who is new to Yorchestra when they apply together for the same course.
• The two players do not need to be applying to play in the same orchestra on the course.
• The discount is only available if both players are successful in gaining a place on the course – so early application is strongly recommended.
• Only one discount is available per returning Yorchestra player, and it’s a one-for-one discount (so even if you bring lots of new friends, we can only offer one of them a discount).
• The discount can be claimed in addition to the Early Bird discount, if your application and payment are received by the Early Bird deadline.
• The discount will be given by way of a refund of the relevant amount, which we will pay after applications have closed and we are able to confirm whether both players have gained a place.  So when applying, please pay the applicable rate (full / Early Bird) based on the date of your application, without deducting the discount.

To claim the discount, both players need to fill in the name of their friend in the relevant section of the application form – this will allow us to match up the two applications and check whether you qualify.

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Bursaries

Yorchestra has a bursary fund to enable us to offer some financial assistance to those who would not otherwise be able to participate in the course. This fund is limited, and we therefore need to consider each application carefully. Most bursaries will be for a maximum of 50% of the course fee.  Bursary applications are limited to three children from a single family address and are awarded at the sole discretion of Yorchestra.

Criteria for awarding bursaries

We do not apply rigid criteria when considering bursary applications, but by way of guidance, some examples of the kinds of cases when a bursary would normally be awarded (subject to available funding) are:

• child is eligible for free school meals / pupil premium
• child is being looked-after by the local authority
• parent qualifies for benefits intended to assist those on low income, such as income support, housing benefit or universal credit
• total household income is limited and more than one child is attending Yorchestra

This is not an exhaustive list, and we will always seek to assist deserving cases.

Some of our current bursary funding has been generously provided to us by The Feoffees of St Michael’s Spurriergate, a charitable trust which exists to benefit the inhabitants of the city of York. Because of this, bursaries from this source are only available to those resident within the former limits of the city, as shown on this map (opens in new tab). If you are applying for a bursary funding and live inside the area shown on the map, please confirm this on your application, so that we can ensure that your request is considered by reference to this fund.

If you have any queries about bursaries and eligibility for financial help, please contact us.  Any information given will be treated in the strictest confidence.

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Bursary application form

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