Cambridgeshire Music – Service Information 2011-12
All the following are available to the schools either within our packages or on a pay as you go basis. If you are interested in a mixture of provision it is most likely that a package will be the cheaper option in the end. Pay as you go rates are at the end of this document.
Small group Instrumental and Vocal Lessons
Size of Group:
Lessons are provided in groups of 2 to 6 or individually depending on the following:
- number of pupils wishing to learn an instrument
- standard of pupils wishing to learn
- space available for teaching
- appropriateness of size of group for the instrument and pedagogical approach
- parent or school choice
Length of Lesson:
Normally group lessons are a minimum of 30 minutes and individual lessons are 20 minutes in length in order for progress to be possible. Where schools manage their own tuition, this is our recommendation but the final choice is up to the school.
Benefits and bursaries:
- All learners can have access to portable instruments from the County Instrument Bank at no additional cost (subject to availability). For larger instruments the service will provide support to the school by provision for example of keyboards, double basses and drum kits to support learning.
- All learners can attend bands and ensembles at the Area Music Academies at no additional cost
- Full bursaries are provided for students in receipt of free school meals support or for looked after children
- Other reductions on courses and projects are offered for learners with the service from time to time
- Extensions to individual lesson time are provided for students at G5 standard or by teacher recommendation due to their progress in lessons at earlier stages. This enables them to have a 30 minute lesson at the normal 20 minute individual lesson rate.
Area Music Academies
We know that the best way for young musicians to develop and progress quickly on their instrument is to play regularly every week apart from in lessons and have fun playing alongside others. This is enhanced when they receive additional specialist support in their ensembles alongside students playing at the same standard whilst hearing and seeing more experienced players in concerts. In our tuition packages all our students are offered access to these complementary weekly opportunities, worth at least another lesson a week. School partners are expected to encourage pupils to make use of these opportunities as part of their learning programme.
The service provides Area Music Academies on a weekly basis throughout term time. Pupils of all standards can access bands and ensembles across different styles and musical genres plus theory musicianship support. This is provided free to all learners with the service, including those involved in classroom or KS2 programmes. Under our packages, schools can extend the access to all their students in school though discount schemes. Students not eligible for free access through their school can still attend by subscribing as a member.
County Music Academies
For the most advanced students it would not be possible to provide access to the high level opportunities they need at a local cluster level. Therefore Cambridgeshire Music provides holiday programmes to support advanced students beyond Grade 4-5 standard in their development.
County Music Projects
A number of projects across different instrumental and vocal types and genres are being planned for the next academic year. These are open to individual students and also in some cases school groups. To see the list of projects click here. For further information about them please contact .
County Instrument Bank
Subject to availability instruments can be borrowed either individually or in class sets from our Instrument Bank. Loan can be from a minimum of a term up to a maximum of a year. To order instruments please contact us via .
County Music Library
Our music library is extensive and has materials for choirs, bands of all kinds and orchestras across the whole range of experience levels. Our catalogue is being updated but can still be accessed via our website and browsed.
Ensembles and Music Theory support
If you have learners in school who would benefit from a new ensemble opportunity or need specialist input into an existing band we can provide music and guidance from teachers in that instrumental field. Theory sessions are also possible.
Classroom and KS2 (Wider Opps) instrumental learning
Schools often approach us for support for their classroom curriculum sometimes for maternity or ill-health cover or when recruitment is proving difficult. We are fortunate to have a number of class teachers with extensive experience at primary and secondary level and can usually help.
Our KS2 programme has been revised this year to take account of audit and evaluation – please look at the new options available here.
Music Therapy
Our large music therapy team can provide support for children with SEN or behavioural difficulties or with specific statemented requirements to national therapeutic standards.
Extended Services and Early Years
A number of schools have approached us for after-school music clubs and groups. These can be set up for leisure and informal learning opportunities including “world music” or popular music groups, or first bands on more traditional instruments.
Additionally we can provide early years sessions to expand your community provision or link up with nursery groups. This provides a good basis for developing musical learning in young children which supports their transition to primary school and further skill development more quickly on instruments at a later stage.
Workshops for Schools
Our workshops programme covers almost anything you might want to do in a class or school scenario – from Samba to Gamelan, Steel Pans to Recorders, Music Technology to Singing days. We can fix up a session for you for an hour, half a day, a day or a week. Tell us what you need and we will give you a quote. We can usually link it to a topic, celebration or special event with enough notice.
Training Programme for musicians
We provide opportunities for music training for educators, musicians and teachers through our INSET programme. Additionally we can come to your school and provide in-house training on instruments, singing approaches, curriculum music or other art forms. Again – tell us what you need and we will source a training opportunity for you.
Things you need to know:
Our teachers:
Suitably experienced and vetted music teachers will be provided for lessons. They will keep their own records and plans, assess progress and communicate with parents via our record notebook. They will liaise with schools with regard to progress and school events, concerts and performances. Where gaps are available in timetables they will provide opportunities for potential new students to try out instruments or provide demonstrations.
School spaces and responsibilities
Schools will provide suitable spaces for teaching that meet requirements for the nature of the activity. Schools will act as a distributor of information on occasion to the service. This will most often be via electronic means, links on websites, schools newsletters or other efficient mechanisms. Schools will encourage students to play and practise and to take up the other music-making opportunities available both in school and at Area Music Academies.
Invoicing:
Charges are raised according to the package selected by the school. Except under pay as you go, charges are made for instrumental lessons only cover the cost of teaching time and travel to the school. Our teachers are employed according to national regulations – this is why we are able to maintain a high quality of teaching in schools and good retention of staff and therefore continuity.
Absences:
Pupil absences, school closures and trips cannot be refunded. Where notice is given to our teachers, many will try and reorganise their visits to schools in order to avoid any loss of teaching time.
Teacher absences resulting in less than 30 sessions across the academic year to the school (not including school closures) will result in a refund to parents or via the school to parents for the sessions below 30 not delivered. This is reviewed at the end of the academic year and invoices are adjusted accordingly in the autumn.
In the case of a long-term absence due to illness the service will try (and in most cases is successful) to put in place a cover teacher as soon as possible. However it should be recognised that the service is neither a supply agency or able to retain inactive staff for occasional cover purposes so this cannot be guaranteed. If not possible, discussion will be held with the school as to whether to suspend lessons in that instrument for a period or recruit a further teacher.
Example Activity Rates and Pay as you Go information:
* = further benefits through schools partnership scheme with packages.
Subscription level (scaled to level of activity/size of school) / No subscription / £278-£940 / £543-£1893 / £921-£3246Type of activity (examples for comparison only – please contact us for up to date quote) / Pay as you go / Resources Package* / School charged Package* / Directly charged Package*
Instrumental /Vocal Tuition (per 30 min session, group size 2) / £12.28 / Not applicable / £9.66* / £9.66*
Area Music Academies (per week) / £4.60 / £3.00* / Free* / Free*
County Music Academies (per day) / £20.00 / Not applicable* / £18.00* / £18.00*
Projects / Variable / Variable* / Variable* / Variable*
County Instrument Bank each instrument/class set (per term) / £20.00/£50.00 / Some free provision / Free* / Free*
County Music Library each set (per term) / £20.00 / Some free provision / Free / Free
Ensembles and Music Theory (per 30 min session) / £29.15 / £23.64 / £23.64 / £23.64
Classroom Teaching (per hour) / £61.87 / Not applicable / £56.37 / £56.37
KS2 Programme / £50.66 / Not applicable / £45.16 / £45.16
Music Therapy / £49.95 / Not applicable / £44.45 / £44.45
After-school clubs and Early Years sessions (per 30 min session group of 10 children) each paying / £2.91 / £2.36 / £2.36 / £2.36
Music Workshops (by the hour) / From £46 / From £35 / From £35 / From £35
Training /INSET (per 2 hour session) / £40 / £20* / £20* / £20*
E-learning site access / £95 / Included / Included / Included
Live Music Week opportunities / £250 / Included / Included / Included
Normal invoicing is for a minimum of 10 weeks or 1 term