Schools
Swindon Music Service exists to provide the best possible music opportunities for children and young people within Swindon and the surrounding areas. As a newly formed charity, we can now also offer our services to schools in the surrounding areas outside the Swindon catchment area.
We offer high quality music tuition and events in a range of styles and genres.
Our flexible Music Membership offers increased savings, partnerships and high quality opportunities to help schools achieve a broad and balanced curriculum.
We are also the lead organisation of the Make Music Swindon Hub which was launched in 2012. There are 123 Music Education hubs across the country, which consists of groups of organisations working together to create a joined-up approach to music education.
What’s on offer?
What’s on offer to schools
Introduction
Swindon Schools are music hub partners
We offer schools a wide range of music programmes which meet the requirements of both Arts Council England and the National Plan for Music Education (DfE 2011). These include:
- Whole class ensemble tuition (WCET) - First Access
- Group and individual instrumental and vocal tuition
- Leadership of ensembles and choirs
- Class music curriculum support
- Advice and support
- Music learning audit
- Professional Development
- Music learning resources - Including Charanga (Free to Infant, Junior & Primary schools through the Hub membership scheme)
- Music Mark membership - Free through the Hub Membership scheme
- Access to concerts and projects
- Signposting to partner projects and events
- Termly e-newsletter
- Instrument hire
Hub Membership
Hub Membership of Swindon Schools - How does it work for my school?
Show that you share our belief in the importance of music education and sign up as a member in our Hub - it's easy!
- On-line access to music resources and curriculum templates
- Free help line from qualified music education specialists
- Free Charanga annual licence for swindon infant, junior & primary membership schools
- Membership of Music Mark
- Access to subsidised prices for whole class, large, small and individual tuition
- Access to the subsidised additional menu Buy-as-you-go.
Infant, Junior, Primary & Special
Bronze membership
gives you the core support package outlined above, including:
- access to subsidised prices for music provision on a yearly basis
- access to the buy-as-you-go menu on a yearly basis.
- WCET Celebration concert.
- Free Charanga licence.
- Membership of Music Mark (national organisation)
- The subsidised offers are:
- IN2MUSIC at KS1
- MUSIC4U (WCET)
- Large/small and individual tuition Buy-as you-go menu
Silver membership
- as above plus:
- 1 staff CPD session at your school
Gold membership
- as above plus:
- 2 staff CPD session at your school
Secondary
Bronze membership
gives you the core support package outlined above, including:
- access to subsidised prices for music provision on a yearly basis
- access to the buy-as-you-go menu.
- Membership of Music Mark (national organisation)
- The subsidised offers are:
- MUSIC4U (WCET)
- Large/small and individual tuition
Silver membership
- as above plus:
- Attendance at our GCSE workshop provided by Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
- Access for your pupils to the SMS secondary schools gala concert
Gold membership (Swindon Schools only)
- as above plus for silver & bronze membership:
- 30 weeks x 45 minutes whole class, or large group instrumental tuition
Early Years - EYFS
A comprehensive Early Years Music resource
We offer a well-developed, unique music programme for early
years and foundation stage. The three elements to
the programme are:
Sounds Fun:
Each school/setting receives 6 x 30-minute sessions delivered in your school/setting by a music service early years specialist.
First Steps:
This programme assist settings and schools by up- skilling your staff to deliver musical activities through CPD. Your school/setting will be able to access resources through our website to assist you when delivering your sessions. You will also receive free entry into the Make a Noise Festival
What is the Make a Noise Festival?
This is an annual festival that runs over a two-week period. After your teachers/practitioners have learnt the songs and received a resource pack at the First Steps CPD season, they will coach their children in readiness for them to join together with other schools and settings.
At this festival the young children will experience their first public performance in an informal setting under the direction of the music service early years specialist. Parents and family members will be able to attend and witness their child's very first music performance in public.
Individual Tuition offer in schools - Core Role 2 NPME
Individual Tuition in School
"The instrumental tuition gave pupils a hands on experience of music making that has inspired many to learn an instrument of their own"
Swindon Music Service offers high quality individual tuition in a range of styles and genres. Standards are outstanding and tuition id delivered by highly skilled, DBS cleared instrumental tutors.
Instrumental lessons available:
We offer instrumental & vocal lessons in a flexible way to meet your busy schedules, either at school, at the music centre or at home through online Zoom platform
Download the Instrumental Brochure here
How does it work?
- A school can buy in a block of time to allow their students to access tuition. The schools can then either:
- offer tuition free to students, or
- claim fees directly form parents themselves (Pupils Premium can also be used for those pupils who qualify
- a minimum of 1-hour per tutor for 10-sessions spread over two terms (6-term system - further blocks of 10 sessions can be purchased on a Buy-As-You-Go approach) must be purchased.
- Parents Direct Pay
- parents/carers can be directed by the school to the music service to register through the e Parent-Direct-Pay scheme.
- an easy process has also been developed to allow for those students who receive free school meals can access the music service remissions fund and receive up to 60% discount on the fees and 100% for those pupils who are categorised as Looked After Children (LAC) by the Local Authority. (subject to funding being available).
- again, the school will need to have a minimum of 1-hour's tuition per week per tutor to take place in the school. Alternatively, lessons can be undertaken online or at the music centre (The Platform, Faringdon Road).
Useful Links:
E-Application form. https://smscio.org/central-music-school/e-application-form-for-lessons/
On-line Individual Tuition offer - Core Role 2 NPME
Online Music Tuition
You can gain additional UCAS points for entry to higher education
Music exams taken through the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM), Trinity College of Music and Rockschool from grades 6-8 can attract 5-75 UCAS Tariff points. Trinity College London also award 35 UCAS Tariff points for Gold Arts Awards. Many higher education course providers use a UCAS Tariff points total in their entry requirements achieved by converting qualifications such as A levels (and many others) into points to allow them to compare applicants.
'Playing an instrument' can be used to achieve a Duke of Edinburgh Award (DofE)
Playing an instrument is one of the most popluar activities used by students to achieve their Duke of Edinburgh Award. A DofE Award is an excellent way to demonstrate the skills developed through extra-crricular activities, particularly when applying to universities.
Online music tuition can be a cost-effective and practical way of reaching young people in schools and at home during this difficult time. Providing you have broadband, we can offer you instrumental tuition for those children and young people in your own home.
For those children and young people attending school because their parents/carers are considered essential workers, we can offer on-line tuition through your school.
So whether you have to stay at home or you are attending school, the following applies to you.
Parent Guide to online tuition
Prices:
Application form
Click theLink for an e-Application form. Once we receive your application, we will contact you to arrange lessons.
Click the link to see our Safeguarding support for on-line tuition. It is important that we all apply good practice in terms of safeguarding when delivering on-line tuition
Click here to view teaching videos (These videos will give you additional learning tips that will be generic for wind instruments).
How do I pay?
Swindon Music Service offers an on-line paying system. You can sign up to Parent Mail once we send you the link and you will receive electronic invoices and pay on-line. Additionally, you can pay over the phone through iZettle.
What if I need an instrument?
As long as we can, we will arrange a courier service to deliver the instrument, but there will be an additional cost for this service. There is a deposit required that is refundable when the instrument is returned.
Click here to download the Instrument Hire Brochure
Parent Guide for Online Tuition
This brochure contains many tips and advice when considering online lessons
Click here to Download the Parent Guide
Singing with schools - Core Role 4 NPME
"The only thing better than singing is more singing” - Ella Fitzgerald
Swindon Music Service
Swindon Music Service (SMS) is committed to giving every child the opportunity to sing. We believe singing is a healthy activity and enables children and young people to express themselves by accessing making music activities. Often with little or no musical experience and without prohibitive financial outlay.
Singing can promote team work in a social setting similarly promoting self-confidence and self-esteem. MMS believes that all children and young people should be able to access high quality opportunities for singing in school and the community as an entitlement.
The Benefits of Singing:
Physical benefits:
Very young people have been shown to increase the amount, quality and understanding of speech development through singing activities such as counting games, nursery rhymes and finger play
Singing increases blood flow and lung capacity
Combined with movement or dance, singing helps combat obesity and increase general physical fitness
Social Benefits:
Singing can lead directly to whole-school improvement, particularly through creating a greater sense of community and increasing social cohesion within the school
Music lessons in school can help foster individuality, improve social skills and help create more positive attitudes in general. In studies, these effects have been particularly marked in low-ability, disaffected pupils.
Developmental benefits:
Singing can be used to prepare to start or finish routine activities such as setting down to take the register or signifying the end of the school day. Choose a well known song or create a new song with your whole class
Music can be used to reinforce mathematical development through the use of finger and counting games and exploration of musical; instruments and sound-makers through sequencing and patterning.
Studies have shown that school music lessons can benefit reading and language skills. Very young children have been shown to increase the amount, quality and understanding of speech developed through singing activities.
“Once schools get the singing habit, in my experience, they never want to let it go” - Howard Goodall
What’s offered to schools:
- We will make you fully informed about how to sign up to Charanga resources
- We will show you around the resources available online for your schools through our website
- We will help teachers to understand and work through setting a singing strategy in your school.
- We can help you to undertake a singing audit to enable us to help you plan for ‘Singing Schools’ programme in your school.
- Provide tuition for whole class or whole school singing in your school (At full cost recovery)
- Invite your school to take part in our annual voice festivals for infant, junior and Christmas concerts
- Give you details of CPD and resources which are available to you to support singing
Useful Links:
To access the Festival resources (password protected for members) click here
To access Singing Strategy Top tips and developing a school singing strategy (password protected for members) click here
To access the Song Bank through the buy-as-you-go menu. click here. password protected
This Christmas, we will replace the usual voice festival held at the Wyvern theatre with an online option. click here to view the Promo and to get more information. You can also book on to the Virtual Big Christmas by clicking here and placing your order.
Out of the Ark Music
Singing Resources
You can purchase singing resources by following the links below:
Cinderella & Rockerfella and Aladdin – these are musicals for ages 7 – 11 http://www.outoftheark.co.uk/products/nativities/pantomimes/
I Love Music and It’s Christmas for you to show. http://www.outoftheark.co.uk/series/my-world-series/
Staff CPD - Extension Role 1 NPME
Instrument Loan/Hire - Extension Role 2 NPME
Live Music Roadshow - Extension Role 3 NPME
Swindon Music Service offers live music Roadshows throughout the year to your schools
Sample Promo videos are available to view by clicking the link
Term 1 & 2 Rock & Pop
Term 3 & 4 World Music; String
Term 5 & 6 Wind
Once you have ordered your Roadshow, you can book your slot (day and time) by clicking on this link
