Federation of Music Services (FMS)

A Response to Ofsted's Triennial Report on Music Education

The Federation of Music Services (FMS) welcomes this comprehensive and clear report from Ofsted. The report describes some excellent practice and FMS is committed to ensuring that this practice is shared and developed. It highlights challenges for music education but it also provides recommendations for overcoming these. The FMS is already rising to meet these challenges.

The report stresses a need for better partnership working between Music Services and schools for more music making in classrooms, better integration between outside initiatives such as whole class teaching programmes and continuing class music, and for planning for pupils' musical progression.

The FMS, through the proposed development of a new organisation with the National Association of Music Educators and through its members working locally with schools and other partners in hubs, is already committed to overcoming these challenges.

The 'Relationship Framework', which will be used by the Arts Council England (ACE) in their monitoring of Music Education Hubs, the FMS believes, can be used as a key driver to help address the issues raised in the report. The FMS looks forward to continuing to work with ACE to ensure that this framework is as effective as possible.

The report demonstrates a need for hubs to prioritise the role of CPD to ensure the best musical experience for all our children and the FMS will work with partners to ensure relevant opportunities for this are provided.

The FMS supports this report which brings rigour to the profession by pinpointing exactly what is required, providing genuine clarity on driving this forward and calling for all to work as a collective profession to raise standards of music in schools.

Maureen Hanke, Chair of the FMS, said:

'The strength of successful hubs will be their ability to work together to embrace the recommendations of the report - especially making music musical, reducing the gender gap and challenging poor quality.'