Our Scheme

The Music for Schools Foundation aims to give your school all the benefits of an instrumental music programme without any of the drawbacks.  The scheme runs without any financial or contractual involvement from schools.  All we need to do is timetable a convenient time with you for our tutor to visit each week.

OUR TEACHING METHOD

Our lessons are taught in small groups, typically between 2 and 5 pupils.  We believe that this has many benefits - it is fun, it develops listening skills, ensemble skills, with mutual support for the pupils, and a healthy dose of competition in there too. Group sizes may be smaller due to varying pupil and ability levels. Lesson times are adjusted to reflect the number of pupils in a group, with the longest lesson running for 30 minutes.

Our tutors use the Standard of Excellence tutor book, which utilises a band method to enable different instruments to learn together. Lessons feature a variety of music and incorporates elements of music theory and composition, which support the Keystage 1 and 2 curriculum.

One of the most popular features of the Standard of Excellence system is the accompanying backing tracks which can be used to make both lessons and practicing at home more fun. Also, by using the backing track with small ensemble performances, it ensures a fuller and more melodic sound even for pupils beginning their musical journey.

Integrated within the Standard of Excellence is a reward scheme, with bronze, silver and gold certificates which can be presented to pupils in a school assembly or celebration event. We always reward good work with stickers and our tutors are happy to liaise with schools to work with any reward system you may have in place.

OUR TUTORS

Our tutors are a multi-talented group from a variety of backgrounds including former teachers, professional musicians and the armed forces. What ties them together is a passion for music and a desire to share this with their pupils. Each of our tutors is able to teach all the instruments we offer, meaning there are less individuals coming into your school to teach separate instruments.

All our tutors are carefully selected and undertake rigorous training including level 2 Safeguarding and Prevent Duty. We ensure that our tutors are fully DBS checked and insured before commencing any work in schools. They also receive ongoing training in the form of continued professional development.

Click HERE to read our Child Protection Policy.

OUR HEAD OFFICE TEAM

We know that schools are very busy and that is why our highly trained and friendly head office team handle all administrative aspects of the scheme, from scheduling new pupils to fee collection. For more information about the administration of the scheme, please click here.

OUR PARENTS

We understand that enrolling a child for music lessons can be a big undertaking for parents, particularly if they are not musical themselves.  We always make sure that right from the very beginning, everything is explained carefully and clearly.  Our tuition uses a system that is easy to follow for both pupils and parents, plus we make sure that we are always available should parents have any queries about their child's lessons, progress or even the instrument. 

We are proud to offer flexible enrolment options so that parents to get their children involved without the need for large upfront payments or commitments.

We also offer a reduction in the price of lessons for pupils from low income families (evidence required) and can work with schools wishing to make use of Pupil Premium funding for music tuition.