Chair of IW Music Centre Friends Association Warns Panel About Music Service Changes

Earlier in the week we broke the news about the proposed changes to the Isle of Wight Music Service, several people have been in touch with VB expressing their concern at the changes.

Louis Henry, Chair of the IW Music Centre Friends Association, shares a copy of an email he has sent to all members of the Children and Young People Scrutiny Panel who will be considering the proposals next Wednesday. In his own words. Ed

Dear members of the Children and Young People Scrutiny Panel

This is a musical Island, and most Island musicians, whatever their style of music, will have benefited from the tuition, concerts in schools, advice to school staff, loan of instruments, provided by the IW Music Service, a high quality Music Service that until the previous round of cuts was amongst the best in the country both in the quantity and quality of its provision(1), in stark contrast to Island schools.

Changes will make it difficult to attract professional teachers
Casualising the teaching staff will make it very difficult to attract professional teachers who may be teaching a class of 30 8-9 year old beginners, teaching small groups on a range of instruments at a higher level, organising bands in and out of school, preparing sixth formers about to go to music college, all in the course of a day’s work.

The current Wider Opportunities scheme introduces whole classes of KS2 pupils to learning an instrument. Even if only a proportion of them want to continue into a second and third year there are likely to be many more pupils in the future. The demand is there if it is affordable.

Ofsted recommend more musical activity in schools
The Brenda James Trust is a small charitable trust; the IW Council is the sole trustee. Its income last year was £969(2). It is very useful as a safety net but can only help a few children.
Secondary school music departments are just getting to grips with the new year groups and new schools.

The Ofsted report published last week(3) called for more musical activity in schools and the school music teachers will need backup from instrumental teachers, loan of instruments, in-service training, provided by the Music Service: a need for more services not less.

The IW Music Centre’s four orchestras, five bands, choirs, keyboards, recorders, and scores of other Island bands in many styles ALL largely rely on the instrumental music tuition provided in schools by the IW Music Service.

Key questions include:

• How will the new arrangements raise standards?
• How will poorer families be able to access instrumental tuition?
• How will the new arrangements help teachers in schools?
• How will new high quality staff be recruited?
• Why have other options ( Charitable Trust, Community Interest Company, continued central employment of teaching staff) not been included?
• Why will the consultation be AFTER the consideration of the options?

Louis Henry, retired since 2008, previously Senior Teacher, Assistant Head, Acting Head of IW Music Service, currently (since 2010) Chair of the IW Music Centre Friends Association

References
(1)

(2) Charity Commission

(3) “Local authority music services made good contributions to the musical and personal progress of particular groups of pupils. However, there were considerable inequalities in funding and provision between local authorities, and between schools within local authorities.”

“Too much music teaching continued to be dominated by the spoken or written word, rather than by musical sounds.”

“The Department for Education should:
– support sustained music-making opportunities for pupils in schools beyond national advocacy, structures and strategies by:
− rigorously and independently holding all publicly funded music education initiatives, including music hubs, to account for the quality and effectiveness of their work
− ensuring that headteachers are better informed about funding and organisational arrangements for the delivery of additional music education provision, particularly through local music hubs, and that they are encouraged play a full part in evaluating and challenging the quality of this provision.”

Ofsted: Music in schools: wider still, and wider. March 2012

Detailed Response to Paper B, Children and Young People Scrutiny Panel,
14th March 2012

1. It is true that there are expected to be fewer music hubs than music services, but there are not expected to be fewer music services. Music services are expected to take on the role of lead organisation in hubs.
2. The report describes only one alternative – it is also possible to subsume the music service into trusts, become an independent trust, become a community interest company, etc. The report also does not show how the recommendation will sustain the music service in the long term. There has not been a full analysis – there are examples of commissioned services where National Insurance contributions are still payable, depending on local tax inspectors.
3. Is this a genuine opportunity for consultation bearing in mind the time frame between the end of April (expected Hub announcement) and May (resignation dates)?
4. Schools do have a responsibility to deliver a broad and balanced curriculum satisfying individual learning demands. In addition, though technically feasible, the award of a high grade at GCSE requires tuition beyond the classroom. OFSTED’s current round of subject inspections for Music expect to see a wider opportunities lesson and small group instrumental/vocal lessons. It is Music Service staff that are the professional providers of these activities as well as ensuring quality control, professional development, etc.
5. It should be stated that all schools receive service of some kind at present. The Brenda James Trust only provides extremely limited support – a maximum of 50% of the tuition cost (currently £72 per term at secondary level) and at the current rate will soon be depleted.
6. All primaries are offered first access (wider opportunities) classes but two schools are not taking it up because of space grounds during reorganisation.
7. The Saturday Music Centre provides 4 orchestras, 5 bands, keyboards, recorders, choirs and music theory.
8. Staffing levels have reduced in line with Council’s savings policy over several years, but there is a consequent loss of income as a result.
9. The DFE and DCMS have in addition commissioned a review into Cultural Education which reported last week.
10. It is true that there are expected to be fewer music hubs than music services, but there are not expected to be fewer music services. Music services are expected to take on the role of lead organisation in hubs. The arts Council is not a provider of services but merely passports the Grant and will monitor value for money, etc.
11. From the Government’s response to the more recent Cultural Review, there is the expectation that schools and LAs draw on the experience of music services operating through the music hubs.
12. The Music Education Grant only falls 10% for 2012/13 and then 20% in 2013/14 with (for Isle of Wight ) the largest drop in 2014/15, thus it does allow a longer lead in time for the change. The lack of “lead in time” the IW Council has allowed is rather more challenging
13. Many of us involved in music education have strong doubts as to the proposal that the service becomes wholly commissioned. These include:
    · doubts over long term stability within the island’s culture and financial environment
    · an introduction as soon as September introduces a new risk to stability
    · where there are commissioned music services on the mainland (eg Wigan, several London Boroughs, West Midlands ) these succeed because there is a substantial pool of staff available which we do not enjoy on our island
    · a change for 01/09/2012 seems very early – the largest drop in Grant funding will occur in 2014/15 allowing preparation and lead-in time.
14. The staffing model would be different depending on the type of commissioning model considered.
15. What new provider?
16. The loss has more reasons that include:
    i. Redeployment of musical equipment – the Music Service took responsibility for the significant time involved in redeploying musical equipment from Middle schools scheduled for demolition/closure; the Music Service also moved offices and stores in September, but telephony was only available after the Autumn term finished, and IT was only established during late January.
    iii. The addition of administration staff into the budget after fee levels set (£44K)
    iv. The demand to provide £25K profit to the Council
    v. The operating loss is much less when based on current service costs – reductions in staffing, mileage allowances, etc
17. This substantial cost needs to be taken into account before deciding options.
18. Options 2 and 3 may be available even if the Council is unsuccessful – though dependent on an as yet unknown host organisation.
19. Loss of current activities are rather more than a New Year’s concert – the Music Centre alone provided 8 concerts, in addition to many other events, sometimes raising significant amounts to local charities. In addition Staff presented approximately 30 concert/workshops to island schools.
20. This option removes or limits options including professional development for school as well as music service staff and its immediate introduction may catastrophically destabilise provision.
21. This option does allow time for preparation to a viable future avoiding knee-jerk ‘solutions’.
22. Disagree
23. The Panel should indicate if it is able to support any of the available options.

Image: © Used with the kind permission of Isle of Wight Music Centre