Federation of Music Services

Music Services Continue To Lead Music Education Across England

The Arts Council has today announced the successful bidders for the 122 new ‘Music Education Hubs’ that will provide instrumental lessons, bands, choirs, orchestras and other music-making opportunities in and out of school for all children in their local area.

Music Services are leading the majority of these hubs and involved in all of them. FMS is delighted that the leadership skills of Music Services have been so clearly recognised. The new hubs will build on the work of Music Services which have been providing children with these kinds of opportunities since 1935. Hubs will be the focus of local partnerships which aim to give all children a chance to be young musicians and are part of wider government reforms to music education which promise fairer distribution of funding. As part of the changes, the Department for Education has devolved management of this funding to Arts Council England.

Hub bidding has been a competitive process and FMS has an important role to play supporting Music Services who have not been successful. The reduced funding available for Music Services may lead to some job losses across the 12,000 employees. However, the demand for instrumental tuition remains very high and children need to be taught in their local areas.

Virginia Haworth-Galt, Chief Executive of FMS, said:

Virginia Haworth-Galt

'FMS celebrates the fact that so many Music Services have been successful in their bids to lead hubs and that all hubs will benefit from the skills and expertise of Music Services. Leadership by Music Services will guarantee a quality local music education giving all children a chance to learn to play an instrument, sing, play in a band and perform. We are disappointed that some Music Services' bids to lead hubs have been unsuccessful but they will continue to play an essential role within hubs in supporting children in their areas. The work all Music Services do every week in providing ensembles and tuition means they continue to be the backbone of children’s music education in England. There is a great deal of hard work to be done between now and September to shape up the hubs and FMS has a key role to play in helping Music Services lead the way.'