Music Colleges were introduced in 2004 as part of the Specialist Schools Programme

Specialist school

The specialist schools programme was a UK government initiative which encouraged secondary schools in England to specialise in certain areas of the curriculum to boost achievement. The Specialist Schools and Academies Trust was responsible for the delivery of the programme...

 in England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

. The system enables secondary schools to specialise in certain fields, in this case, music

Music

Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...

. Schools that successfully apply to the Specialist Schools Trust and become Music Colleges will receive extra funding from this joint private sector and government scheme. Music Colleges also act as a local point of reference for other schools and businesses in the area, with an emphasis on promoting music within the community.