Music Lesson Safeguarding ADVICE PLEASE

[Musix]

Please could any Music Instructors working in schools take a minute to answer a few questions? I am from an International school and we are improving our safeguarding in all areas.

How are Music lessons in other schools kept in line with safeguarding training? Do you keep the practice room door open? How do you ensure the pupils (and you) are safe while still keeping the quality of the lesson? It would be so helpful to hear from as many Music teachers as possible, so we can find the best solution for our pupils and teachers.

Currently teachers are working with doors closed as all of the rooms lead onto the school assembly hall which is often used for drama lessons. If we open the doors, the drama lessons will be ruined. I'm sure we are not the only school who have faced this problem, and I'd love to know how to best resolve this. Thanks.

I am not a music teacher but a specialist peripatetic teacher and often take children off to work with them away from the classroom ( it's the sort of thing where it needs to be quiet.)

I have never been as asked to keep the door open or been supervised in these situations as I have an enhanced DBS. Surely a peripatetic music teacher would also be required to have this?

Though I understand where you're coming from @BrigitsBigKnickers I was sexually abused by a music teacher as a child. He of course had an enhanced DBS in order to hold the position. Unfortunately, there will be a small number of people that just haven't been caught yet.

On the other side of things, I would imagine protecting teachers from false allegations should also be a concern.

Our doors had glass windows so teachers and pupils were very visible but noise was contained! I think that’s the best solution if feasible.

We had a new school building. A couple of years ago. All of our music practise rooms have clear glass windows on both sides (one leading to the corridor, one leading to the music classroom).

Many children are also now taught in small groups rather than individually.

As above, in a room with big glass door, and windows on the other side. No blinds.
Many are group lessons, but 1-1 are also available.

I am a peripatetic piano teacher in a primary school. The door to my music room is a fire door so cannot be left open but it does have a toughened glass panel so it is easy to see the lessons taking place.

I’ve only just been told I need to undergo safeguarding training - I am self-employed and actually pay the school to rent my room. I was invited to a training session which I couldn’t attend as I was teaching, so have now been given access to an online safeguarding training programme which includes an assessment that I need to complete and score 100% on.

Even if I didn’t have a fire door it would be far too disruptive to have it open - large groups of children are continually filing past and also the noise we produce in our lessons would disturb nearby classrooms!

Thanks so much everyone. There is one room at our school which is quite unsuitable. How would you feel about having a camera in the corridor and in the room until a more suitable room can be found? We really need to do something quickly but there is no other room available. This is only an idea.

Cameraas should be a reasonable in a chool. The nursery where i work has cameras, at first I hated the idea. (don,t think you get the ful picture just by a camera.) But you get used to them.

Do the doors not have glass in so anyone can check on the room at anytime?

We have cameras in all of our corridors and some of our rooms. It's fine, you don't even think about them until you need them.

Only possible downside; on our system, footage is only kept for 30 days, so if you received an allegation from more than 30 days ago then you would have no way to check.

All staff should have at least basic safeguarding training as well as an enhanced-disclosure. The area I work in, adults without these are not allowed unsupervised contact with pupils.

I would recommend seeking a suitable room as soon as possible, and in the mean time, see if an extra member of staff can 'sit-in' on the lessons (not interacting or involved, perhaps marking books or completing admin while the lesson goes ahead).

Remember that there is not only a duty to safeguard children, but also a duty to safeguard adults from potential allegations.

All lessons must take place in rooms with glass panels in the doors so people can be seen at any time. Some of our practice rooms also have internal windows into the corridors. All teachers have enhanced DBS and have to attend safeguarding training every year and do an online refresher each September. All are briefed on who the DSL within school is and are regularly reminded of procedure. They all have lanyards with their name and photo on, and have to sign in and out of school every time they come in.

It is a bit gruelling (very sad content) but if you look at the IICSA music schools evidence there is lots of advice for safeguarding in music classes discussed there.

Some of the points raised were doors open to practise rooms/lesson rooms for peri teachers

A no touch policy for all instrumental teaching

No blinds down on practice room/lesson doors / windows

Some of the schools seemed to have made physical changes to rooms so they could be seen into now, from memory. This was after the very sad historic abuse cases

Can you not replace the door on the unsuitable room with one with a glass panel?

That would be much better I think

Glass panels. An open door policy ie people COULD come in at any point and training and legal protection for you.