Music Education in England

[mibbelucieachwell]

Hi English MNetters. I'm a private instrumental teacher in Scotland. I'm about to start teaching a ten year old who has just moved here from England and was telling her mum about music services/providers in Scotland. I was having a quick google about English music services and it seems quite different from the state sector in Scotland. Music Hubs for example?

So I was wondering do children who get instrumental lessons at school get them in their own school? Are there usually opportunities for performing and playing with others from an earlyish stage?
Is there plenty of feedback from instrumental tutors?

I’m not sure how much info you want so have just dumped everything I can remember here
We are in the south and have a local Music Hub. It seems to be a mix of charity and Lea funded.
They provide a mix of services. They provide paid for music lessons in schools (usually as small group but some are individual depending on the instrument) plus subsidised instrument loans (ie: £25 for loan of an instrument for one year inc insurance and if you switch instrument they just swap it). Exams cost extra as do accompanists etc. Each child has a report book and the music teachers record homework and report back to parents in that.
For one year group (I think it was year 4) all the children in the city got taught a year of group lessons on 3 instruments, one per term. I think it’s one string term, one wind, one brass or something like that. There is no parental charge.
They also run the local ensembles. There’s a range of ensembles covering all the different instruments at grades from pre-1 up to 5 (wind, percussion, brass etc) and then full bands and orchestras for grades above that. These are all after school and held in various locations. They perform regularly (or used to pre-covid). They also tour the orchestras and ds did one as an international trip. There is a termly charge (not a lot but can’t remember the amount, maybe £30 but reduced if can’t afford it) for the membership, for which you can attend any/all ensemble you’re eligible for.
Our state primary school also had a full orchestra and rehearsed weekly with regular performances, but we were unusual and there was a particularly high uptake of music at that school. Quite a few other schools have specific instrument ensembles though.

I wasn’t clear, yes the paid for instrument lessons are all in the child’s school during the school day (taken out of lessons for 20mins).

We pay for music lessons which take place once a week during school time.

However, we live in a village where brass bands are a big thing so most of the kids attend the youth band and learn a brass instrument from around age 6/7 which is free .... well paid for via membership to the Band Club.

Thank you.

It sounds like the hubs are similar to the local education authority Scottish Instrumental Music Services . Though they're totally funded by the education authorities.

Yes. The hubs essentially took over from the LA music services. They are funded primarily by DfE but some local authorities contribute financially too.