COVID-19 Schools guidance

During the Covid-19 pandemic Kent Music has strived to keep access to music education available as much as possible through a combination of online provision and working closely with our colleagues in schools.

Following the government’s new roadmap to easing lockdown in the UK announced in February, we are pleased to let you know of our approach to teaching music for the coming weeks and months, and how we can continue to support you.

We are planning on a return to face-to-face teaching in schools from after the Easter holidays, not from March 8th. We believe that leaving these extra few weeks will allow you, your staff, and students, to settle into the new system and finalise guidance, allowing for a smooth return to face-to-face lessons for everyone.

Your local Area Manager should be in touch with you in the lead-up to the Easter holidays and the new term to discuss plans, risk assessments and your needs.

During the last lockdown easing in December 2020, we were successfully teaching over 50% of our lessons face-to-face in schools. With your cooperation, we hope to be able to return to, and then beat that achievement before the end of this academic year.

We have come to the below decisions about our tuition services. Each section contains information on our approach to that service, and answers to any relevant FAQs you may have.

Tuition

Our general approach is to ensure we can continue to teach as many students as we can, as much as we can. We are working with schools and teachers to return to face-to-face activities in a safe manner from the start of the summer term.

In the meantime, we will be continuing to register online teaching until we can return to teaching in schools and other venues.

As you know, this is a fast-moving situation, and so we are talking to each school we work with individually to ascertain the best way to return while keeping you, students, and school and office staff as safe as possible.

We have a set of criteria for schools which needs to be met before we can return:

The school is allowing external staff to enter and teach.
The school is able to comply with our own guidance and we are able to comply with theirs.
We are able to provide a workable timetable for the teacher(s) going into that school.

Where we are not able to access a school, we will continue to offer high quality online lessons outside of school hours or when appropriate.

Your local Area Manager should be in touch with you in the lead-up to the Easter holidays and the new term to discuss plans, risk assessments and your needs.

When will Kent Music resume 1-1 lessons in schools?

We are working with schools and teachers to return to face-to-face activities in a safe manner from the start of the summer term.

Will we be able to resume Woodwind, Brass & singing 1-1 lessons?

Yes, provided that schools can adhere to the appropriate guidance regarding the teaching of these instruments in accordance with the social distancing guidelines. More information can be found on the Music Mark website here.

Is financial assistance still being offered?

We have continued to offer financial assistance throughout the pandemic to both existing and new beneficiaries.

At Kent Music we offer financial assistance for children and young people aged 5 – 18 years, living in Kent (not Medway), which can assist with the cost of music lessons, instrument hire, Kent Music ensembles, Kent Music County Group Courses and Kent Music Summer School Courses. You should have an offer of a confirmed lesson, ensemble, or activity before making your Financial Assistance application.

Existing beneficiaries from the autumn 2020 and spring 2021 terms do not need to re-apply for summer 2021, their award continues for the rest of the academic year.

Applications may be made throughout the academic year but are only awarded from the term and academic year when the application is received and are not backdated.

To find out more or make an application, please refer to our dedicated Financial Assistance page or contact our financial assistance administrator Gail Batty via email gbatty@kent-music.com or via phone 01622 358413.

Agency Projects

If your school or venue has engaged Kent Music through an agency project, we will be approaching you on a case-by-case basis to comply with your Risk Assessments for opening to outside agencies.

We have a set of criteria for schools which needs to be met before we can return:

The school is allowing external staff to enter and teach.
The school is able to comply with our own guidance and we are able to comply with theirs.
We are able to provide a workable timetable for the teacher(s) going into that school.

Please contact your local Area Manager to discuss current or future Agency Projects.

MusicPlus tuition

For those with a Kent Music teacher:

Kent Music will begin to teach face to face Music Plus lessons after the Easter holidays. However, we will only do this in schools where our Music Plus Risk Assessment for the relevant activity has been signed by the school.

We had a number of schools ready to go in January 2021 with a Kent Music teacher and these schools will start after Easter with no need for any adjustments to existing arrangements. If you are one of these schools who has already signed our Risk Assessment and you find that you need to make changes to your provision, please contact our Customer Services Department.

Each school with a Kent Music teacher employed for MusicPlus will be charged £50 per form entry for the summer term delivery.

If you would usually have a Kent Music teacher for MusicPlus tuition and you have not yet signed a Risk Assessment you need to do this before we can send a teacher in. Please contact your Area Manager to complete this paperwork and arrange your tuition for the summer term.

For those who engage other agencies/teachers:

If you engage a different music agency or a private peripatetic teacher, you will need to make contact with them to find out what their offer will be in the summer term and September. Music Mark are continually updating their guidance on safe music delivery which can be found here. Any agency you engage should adhere to this guidance.

As usual, Key Stage 2 funding for MusicPlus stops at the end of March and restarts again in September. You will receive communication soon with regards to carrying over any funding that you received this academic year and were unable to use due to school closures.

Ensembles and Music Centres

We are currently exploring the options for out-of-school activities and will update this page as soon as more information is available.

If you have hosted a Music Centre or other Kent Music course in the past and have specific questions, please contact your point of contact for the booking to discuss them.

In the meantime, our popular Online Music Centre will continue to run weekly ensemble courses for learners of all ages. New applicants are welcome! Find out more and apply on the webpage.

Our creative composition course for 8 – 18-year-olds, Orchestra ONE, will be running its 26^th project (and second online project) looking at Communication from April 12^th – 16^th online. Applications close Friday 2^nd April. Find out more and apply on the webpage.

Area Managers and Networks

Will Area Managers still be working with schools?

Yes, absolutely. Area Managers will be working as usual and will be in contact with you in the lead-up to the Easter holidays and the new term to discuss plans, risk assessments and your needs.

We also encourage you to get in touch should you require support about:

– General questions

– School resources

– Workshops and network meetings

– Funding guidance

– Useful contacts

– Support and resources for school events

– Information and ideas

You can find out more about Area Managers and find your local contact on their webpage.

Will school network meetings still be running?

Yes. Our school network meetings have been running online with great success to date, and we look forward to continuing to facilitate these local networks.

Please visit our Network Meetings page and talk to your local Area Manager to find out more details.

Will I still receive updates from Kent Music?

The Kent Music Area Manager team runs termly newsletters with school-specific information and updates. In it you can expect more resources to support you in the classroom and information about activities in your area.

If you haven’t been receiving these newsletters and think you should, please contact your local Area Manager who can add you to the mailing list.

Kent Music also sends a monthly newsletter with more general news and updates. If you would like to receive this, please sign up here.

Funding

Will I still receive Arts Council funding from Kent Music for my school?

We will be sending out communication very soon to schools detailing the arrangements for funding in the financial year 2021/22. Please look out for this email and read the Terms and Conditions for use.

Terms and Conditions for the financial year 2020/21 can be found on our dedicated schools funding page.

Guidance

Government: Department for Education

Actions for schools during the Coronavirus outbreak

Protective measures for holiday and after-school clubs, and other out-of-school settings during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

Government: General

Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance

Guidance for people who work in performing arts, including arts organisations, venue operators and participants

Music Mark

Music Unlocked: Guidance for Schools and Music Providers

Kent Music

Guidance – Teaching In Schools, 2021 Update

Resources

We have created the below ‘Lockdown Resources’ document to support music teachers in both primary and secondary education at this challenging time.

There are hundreds of online resources that are free or have been made available to teachers to support music teaching during the pandemic. This document outlines a few of the many online resources available to primary and secondary teachers and aims to provide teachers with ideas and ways of implementing different online resources for the varying approaches to online learning during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Lockdown Resources

Lockdown Resources pt. 2: no IT required

Mental Health and Wellbeing Resources

Further resources can be found here:

Resources for at-home music learning

In response to questions raised, we have also collated information on the ABRSM and Trinity College London exams during COVID.

> Trinity College London Exams Information 2021

> ABRSM Information 2021

If you need additional support or ideas in regard to remote learning you can contact your Area Manager or feel free to email CPD Manager Liv Edwards at oedwards@kent-music.com

We appreciate all the hard work being done in and out of school to ensure a safe and productive return to face-to-face learning. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if we can be of further assistance in bringing music to your school.