Camden School for Girls – Music Aptitude Places Explained

9 Sept

Camden School for Girls offers a small number of specialist music places each year for students transferring from Year 6 into Year 7. These places are designed to recognise children with a natural ear for music and/or strong performance ability.

For September 2026 entry, 8 music places are available: 

🎵 3 places awarded for musical aptitude only 

🎵 5 places awarded for musical aptitude and performance ability

This means every applicant will sit a listening test, and the very highest scorers will either be offered a place directly or invited back for a short performance audition.

Register for Banding and Music Assessment

Parents must complete the school’s banding registration and the music application by midday, Tuesday 23rd September 2025.

Applicants must also complete the eAdmissions secondary transfer form by the national deadline (31st October 2025).

📌 Banding Assessment

Dates: Wednesday 24th September 2025 (1:30pm) OR Saturday 27th September 2025 (8:30am, 8:45am, 10:00am, or 10:15am)

Every applicant sits this test to ensure a balanced intake at the school.

It does not affect music place selection.

Round 1 - Music Aptitude Listening Test

📅 Thursday 2nd October 2025 (4:30–6:00pm)

📅 Friday 3rd October 2025 (4:30–6:00pm)

All music applicants will sit a multiple-choice listening test.
Focus areas: Pitch, Rhythm, Melody, Texture
Duration: About 60 minutes
No instruments, no singing, no theory knowledge needed

This test measures natural musical aptitude, not previous training.

What happens next?

The top 3 scorers will be offered a place based on aptitude alone.
The next 50 highest scorers will be invited to Round 2 (performance audition).
A waiting list will be created for aptitude-only candidates, ranked in order of scores.

🎧 Round 2 – Aural & Performance Test

Invitation only (for top scorers from Round 1)
Takes place on a Saturday morning in early October
Involves:
A second short listening test (aural skills)
A short performance on ONE instrument of choice

Step 3 – Performance Audition

📅 Thursday 16th October 2025 (4:00–6:30pm) 

📅 Friday 17th October 2025 (4:00–6:30pm)

The top 50 from the listening test will be invited to perform.

Students perform 1–2 pieces on one or two instruments/voice
Maximum length: 5 minutes
Repertoire: could be self-taught, learned at school, or through lessons
Focus is on musicality, style, and communication, not just technical difficulty

No accompanist is provided, but families may bring their own if they wish.

The top 5 scorers in this stage will be offered the remaining aptitude + ability places. A waiting list will also be created in ranked order.

Results and Offers

Families will be informed by Friday 10th October 2025 if they have been successful or invited to audition.
Final results will be confirmed before the 31st October 2025 eAdmissions deadline, so parents can make an informed decision.
On National Offer Day (2nd March 2026), families will be formally notified by their Local Authority if their child has secured a Camden music place.

Quick Overview

Total music places: 8 (3 aptitude only, 5 aptitude + performance)
Stage 1: Listening test (multiple-choice, no prior training needed)
Stage 2: Short performance audition (for top 50 candidates)
Deadline to register: Tuesday 23rd September 2025
Banding test dates: 24th or 27th September 2025
Listening test: Thursday 2nd or 3rd October 2025
Auditions: 16th & 17th October 2025
Results released: By 10th October 2025 (for Round 2), and final offers confirmed on National Offer Day (2nd March 2026)