Teach Secondary Issue 14.2

Inequality inmusic education is widening. Every child deserves access to high quality musical instruments, but a widespread lack of resources has meant that one in five primary schools aren’t able to offer regular music lessons as part of their curriculum. State-funded secondary schools find themselves in a similar position, with almost 40%unable to offer compulsory music lessons in Y9. This needs to change. Music provides children and young people with unique opportunities for expressing themselves, exploring their creativity, working hard at something and being able to shine. These experiences can stay with them and can shape their lives – yet sadly, more children than ever are being denied such opportunities. FALSE ECONOMY Chronic underfunding has prevented many schools from being able to purchase quality musical instruments. Traditionally, musical instruments were made to last for decades and be repairable, making them inherently sustainable. In recent years, however, some areas of production have become less sustainable, giving rise to instruments that are lacking in durability, and which can’t be repaired with easily available spare parts. These cheaper instruments can be more attractive due to their cost – though the impact of importing fromhalfway round the world can entail a significant environmental cost. The incremental carbon cost of using an existing instrument could save an estimated 97% of the carbon footprint that shipping a new one from another continent would entail (based on government calculations available via tinyurl.com/ts142-CC5 ) . The piano, in particular, should be the centrepiece of any music department – yet many teachers and students are having to rely on old, neglected instruments that are barely functional (if, indeed they even have one at all). Simultaneously, there are thousands of quality pianos sitting idle in homes across the UK. Pianos are generally perceived as being expensive items that are difficult to move, and which require specialist knowledge to repair – but they also have the potential to last for decades. By way of bringing about a long-lasting positive change, we believe that unwanted pianos should be recycled, repaired and donated to schools, to ensure they possess the resources needed to provide a quality music education for their students – and so that those resources can remain in place for future generations. ANECESSITY, NOTA LUXURY The potential impact of this shouldn’t be understated. Overnight, schools and teachers could be empowered to deliver a curriculum that supports students as both learners and people. An in-depthmusic education can help students understand the theory of music, while also giving them a hands-on experience that’s been shown to improve social and emotional skills. Music itself shouldn’t be seen as a luxury, but rather as a necessary part of a well- rounded education. Every student deserves the chance to learn and play music – which an effective piano donation programme can bring about. Schools and students can no longer simply wait for their economic fortunes to change. By the time adequate funding arrives, a generation of musicians will have been lost, which we can’t let happen. Through piano donation programmes, schools can finally be offered an alternative to the financial burden of outspending their budgets, by working with organisations to ensure that they receive the high-quality resources needed to once againmake music accessible to all students. HOW TO... OVERCOME UNEQUAL ACCESS TO MUSIC Needto know The House of Commons’ Public Accounts Committee (PAC) last month delivered a withering assessment of SEN provision across England, stating that it, “Is reaching, or, arguably, has already reached, crisis point.” According the Committee’s ‘Support for children and young people with special educational needs’ report, the past decade has seen a 140% increase in the number of children with Education,Health and Care plans (EHCPs), hugely outpacing a 58% rise in the DfE’s high needs funding over the same period. The report’s authors note that in 2023, half of all EHCPs were issuedwithin the statutory 20-week turnaround period,with significant regional variations between those having their needs met, and those for whomSEN support was delayed or denied. Just 2.5%of local authorities’ EHCPdecisions were subject to appeal that same year – but of those, 98%were ultimately decided in favour of parents and carers. The report recommends that the DfE set out a costed plan for measuring progress, acquire better data so that funding can be targetedmore accurately, and collaboratemore extensivelywith other areas of government – such as harnessing the expertise of officials within the Department for Health and Social Care, as part of efforts to reduce waiting times for SEN support. The full report canbedownloaded via tinyurl.com/ts142-LL6 27% of parents admit to ‘lying, bending rules or playing the system’ to ensure their children gain admittance to their preferred schools Source: Mortar Research survey commissioned by Zoopla, carried out amongst 1,019 individuals who applied for a school place for their child(ren) within the last five years SIMON POLLARD IS MANAGING DIRECTOR ATMILLERS MUSIC; FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT THE COMPANY’S PIANO DONATION PROGRAMME CAN BE FOUND ATMILLERSMUSIC.CO.UK 78 teachwire.net/secondary