To:

Members of the Children and Young People Scrutiny Panel George William Cameron (Chairman) Paul Fuller JP John Frederick Howe Julie Marie Jones-Evans David (Dave) Stewart Gary Taylor Margaret Webster Sara Sheath David Miller Tony Blackshaw Urszula Topp Members of the IW Youth Council

CC:

David Pugh Dawn Cousins Steve Beynon Janet Newton Isle of Wight Music Service Working Group

From:

Date: 9 July 2012 There is a huge, very possible risk of irreparable damage to the music service by setting up an unworkable model that will not attract investment, disincentivise the pupils, make music available only to the elite, put pupils health and safety at immediate risk, and lead to a mass exodus of quality music teachers to the mainland, collapsing the entire Music Service. Until 19 June 2012, the IW Council had not engaged the IW Music Service Working Group or provided the group with the accurate facts and figures in order for us to understand the true picture of what is happening so that we can help to provide and test out proposed and new potential solutions. Our next meeting was scheduled then for 9 July, two days before the Children and Young People Scrutiny Panel meeting that has allowed for no proper time to influence the information given to the panel. We have been kept in the dark about the exact nature of what is being discussed at the Scrutiny Panel, the intention of what is to go to Cabinet on 14 August, and the scope and content of the Consultation. This is unacceptable, and, therefore, we are submitting this letter in writing to you and appropriate IW Council officers. The IW Council should involve us immediately and intimately in the discussion of potential models, true tests of their viability, the consultation(s), the analysis of any consultation(s), as, depending on the eventual operating model, we may be the very people who will have to lead and/or support in the delivery in music education on the Isle of Wight.

This means that we, as the IW Music Service Working Group, now must be empowered to help the IW Council with funding models to see if they will work in practice, not just in principle on paper. We need to see if grants are available and winnable, review the three-tier to two-tier systems impact forecast on the Music Service (for this has had a negative immediate effect), amongst many other good business practices. We were alarmed to note the IW Councils Business Unit saying that they would review viability and budget AFTER the model was chosen, as this is truly topsy-turvy business practice! It is premature to make any recommendations on ANY models to go out to consultation in the autumn, as the viability of these models are completely untested at this point. With limited review, it is easy to see that they are not only unsustainable financially, but also will not provide for the quality teachers who can teach technique safely or the incentives to keep children interested and challenged in music. We have the excellent opportunity to get this right to teach the children safely, to keep the good teachers on the Island, to give children incentive to take up and continue with music, and to be an active career pipeline for the music industry as the Island always has been. But the current process is too rushed, and is leading to a horrible case of haste makes waste.

Situation: Arts Council

We understand that the Department for Education (DfE), the Department for Culture, Media and Sports (DCMS) and the Arts Councils timeline felt extremely pressured for many of the local councils, including the Isle of Wight Council. For those Councils which knee-jerked to this fast-track pace and lack of change management, they are already experiencing disastrous consequences for music services across the country, particularly for those which acted pre-emptively and prematurely of the funding changes. Music pupils are quitting playing in droves. Quality teachers lost their jobs and cant get new ones. Children from poor families and those who live in rural areas are being discriminated against as they cant afford or access quality lessons. And new instructors with little to no experience with teaching technique are putting childrens health and safety at risk. Make no mistake most of us on the Music Service Working Group are die-hard fans of the Arts Council, and we do not envy the task that they have been asked to take on by DfE and DCMS. However, the Arts Council traditionally has been a funding body, not educational experts. Their expertise has been aligned with funding projects and programmes, particularly for adults, where a cut in funding has meant fewer projects administered. This is different. This is not like reducing grants to adult artists we, with the Arts Council, need to deliver a whole, comprehensive education programme that functions and has a seamless transition so that we do not lose any pupils or teachers. Any cutting of corners risks the eradication of the whole Music Service, moreover, the delivery of safe, quality music education on the Isle of Wight.

Hub funding fallacy

Whilst we should be happy that we received an Arts Council Music Hub, there is no true rejoicing. The reality is that after the DfE clawed back Music Service funding from the IW Council and redistributed it to DCMS/Arts Council under the new guise, the Isle of Wight has now received a more than 60% reduction of funding in real terms; the 400K in 2010/11 becomes 144K in 2014/15 is on top of the reduction of Council Grant that was 135K only four years ago (2007/08). This is worrying. One of the reasons that we had had slightly more money (on a cost per head basis) than other Music Services is because we are an island and have to rely almost exclusively on what we have available on the Island we are limited in how we can partner because many teachers, pupils and performers on both sides of the Solent cannot afford to cross it. The Island has been beacon of excellence for the music industry, and has taught many, many great talents to go on to incredibly successful careers in music; music is one of the few industries that the Island can support easily and well through its educational system. The Isle of Wight also has a large rural and economically-challenged population. The Isle of Wight Music Service has been of great value to the thousands of children we reach from all socio-economic backgrounds and the culture of educational learning in schools, impacting on wider educational achievements and results. These three factors had been a part of music service funding calculations in the past. The Arts Councils strategy now to redistribute money more equitably, assuming amorphous county land boundaries, is unfortunately, inadvertently, disadvantageous to rural communities, including the Island. It does not account for travel costs that are prohibitive for teachers and/or pupils to travel. Therefore equal funding does not work.

Bad decisions by other music services

Whatever the model and operational structure of a music service, it needs to ensure that the delicate balance of supply and demand is right, otherwise the Music Service: be too expensive if lesson price go too high (driving down demand) become boring (driving down demand) become too centralised in activities, disadvantaging more rural pupils from participating (threatening equal access) and accessing quality teachers not pay the few quality teachers on the Island enough money for a liveable wage, therefore they leave the Island permanently for mainland jobs (reducing supply of quality teachers) not having enough teachers available (reducing supply of quality, grade-appropriate ensemble playing and pupils instrument choice) Under all of the current proposals that have been batted around, the Music Service would head directly towards the same dangerous tipping point that other music services are now experiencing. Some music services have replaced their quality peripatetic teachers with anyone who 3

has achieved a grade 8 on an as-needed basis. These instructors, often with little to no teaching experience, have not been schooled in how to teach music, even the basics such as bowing, and in particular do not know how to teach technique properly a huge concern for the long-term health and safety of the children. In the case of many of the Grade 7 and 8 pupils, the children are out-pacing their untrained, inexperienced instructors. For drastic cost-saving measures in ensemble playing, Grade 1 pupils are being lumped in to play in groups with Grade 8s, intimidating the younger children and boring the older ones, causing high drop-out rates in the music programmes. There are some mainland Music Services that are getting it right, though many of these tend to be in natural hubs often in or near larger cities where there is a plethora of professional music groups and quality music teachers who, also as good performers, are able to supplement their teaching income with concertising and other professional musician opportunities. Are we going to provide the Islands children with a substandard education in music or will they receive the same opportunities as the good mainland music services?

The price of partnerships

Partnerships always look good on paper, but in reality they can have all kinds of hidden costs and be difficult to plan, implement, govern, manage and generally execute in practice. Some of these new Music Hub partnerships (under the hub-like model) are over-centralising activities, which is affecting rural and poor communities from participating. They also can have high overheads as well as being able to potentially reduce costs. There are some excellent opportunities for partnerships, but this will take considerable time to guarantee that the limited funding currently available and the potential for getting other revenue streams under any other business models will be viable. With more time, we can explore cost savings on delivery of CPD, for example, which historically has been done in a cross-Solent partnership with Southampton and Portsmouth Music Services. It is also important that the partnership structure, depending on the business model of the music service, does not hinder, jeopardise or disqualify the music services ability to access other revenue streams (eg charitable status, CIC requirements, etc for grant access).

Why teach music

We need to clarify that teaching music is not about having a go on a musical instrument. This is about education. It is about instilling in children the qualities of hard work, persistence, discipline, patience, cumulative learning, team work, social skills, and body awareness, as well as maths and critical thinking skills, many of which are cross-curricular and to which, today, sometimes are missing in the traditional classroom experience. Music is a valuable part of the educational system. We all have benefited from music education, and our children deserve the same opportunities we had. Music has been 4

shown to improve academics, increase innovative thinking, and generally improve work performance. Good music teaching can and should evoke a life-long passion for music as a listener and/or a player, regardless of a pupils professional career choice. Poor music teaching results in frustration for the pupil, a disincentive for continuing in music, and a built-up, unnecessary resentment towards music making. There are also extreme health and safety risks associated with playing musical instruments, and these risks manifested in bad technique are of utmost concern. These poor habits start from the minute they pick up an instrument, and need to be corrected and supervised throughout their years of playing. Children who want to become professional musicians need access to the quality teachers on the Island just like any other profession, not only to provide them with good musicianship and technique but also with professional insight and tricks of the trade for career success (and survival) in a competitive industry.

Questions to be answered by the IW Council 1. Health and Safety of the pupils

What is the Council going to do in order to ensure that the teachers are up to a proper teaching standard to protect the health and safety of the music pupils? Music requires body contortion into unnatural positions with long, sustained periods with repetitive motions. Children who are self-taught or taught music poorly are at great risk of serious, debilitating, life-long injuries, affecting all kinds of future employment - from bricklaying to desk work not just becoming a profession musician. There is a liability and health and safety risk for hiring substandard teachers, for they do not know how to convey proper technique on musical instruments to children and monitor precise postural positions. NOT ALL GREAT PERFORMERS OF MUSIC CAN TEACH AND/OR TEACH SAFELY. Like teachers who teach sports, not all musicians even if they themselves play with safe technique - cannot necessarily explain to children how to replicate their own good techniques and postures. Conveying safe, proper technique and posture as ergonomic as instrument playing can be - is something learnt with teaching experience and with teacher training. These special technique-teaching skills are even more challenging to demonstrate effectively to pupils with the various restrictions on touching children in place. Much of the 5

body positioning has to be explained verbally, which is very difficult and relies on the excellence of a trained, experienced teacher. Children must be taught properly from the beginning when bad ergonomic habits form and monitored throughout their music academic progression. Injuries include but are not limited to: String Instruments: back, shoulders and neck injuries and repetitive strain injuries. Wind Instruments: ear, nose, throat, mouth, lips, neck, shoulder and arm injuries, including laryngoceles and retinal hemorrhages, as well as tendinitis and carpal tunnel syndrome. Percussion Instruments: back, shoulder, neck, hand, wrist, fingers and arm pain and tension, including tendinitis and carpal tunnel syndrome.

There are many more potential injuries that are related to playing an instrument. Common risks to most musicians: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Tendinitis Bursitis Quervain's Tenosynovitis Thoracic Outlet Syndrome Cubital Tunnel Syndrome

*** Treatment for these injuries and conditions will be an increased burden on the NHS and Disability, as well as severely limit pupils eventual employment/career choices. ***

2. Liability risk to the IW Council and/or Music Service and Partners

What is the Council going to do to prevent liability for the Council and/or the Music Service and its partners for hiring substandard teachers? The teachers employed must know how to show children how to play in a safe way that will prevent injuries. Could the Music Service and/or Council be liable for providing substandard music instructors who, by not teaching technique properly, are putting the pupils at a great health risk? 6

3. Supply and demand

What is the Council going to do to ensure that the model will: 1) Service the same, if not increasing, number of pupils in education in music in future? 2) Ensure that the pupils are inspired to take up music and/or continue in music and prevent discouraging (boring and/or intimidating) learning and performance opportunities, such for example, groups of pupils too broad a range of abilities playing together, which is threatening to pupils in lower grades and boring Grade 7s and 8s)? 3) Deliver on the promise that all children, regardless of economic background or geographical area, are given fair opportunity to be exposed to playing and learning music and to play their instruments of choice? 4) Continue to be excellent Music Service that the Island has always demanded it to be, and provide the same opportunities, if not better, and above-par quality of education that the good music services on the mainland provide to their pupils? 5) Guarantee that enough, quality teachers of the multiple musical instruments required to teach all of the pupils - in the Wider Opportunities, in age- and levelappropriate ensembles, in classroom and one-to-one lessons, and other group and individual experiences - will be available on the Isle of Wight and that they will be able to make a liveable wage? If you do not pay a liveable wage, teachers cannot supplement their income with professional performing gigs as there arent any real paying gigs on the Island, and it is very expensive to cross the Solent for gigs in London, etc, especially when having to take a car with musical instruments in it.

4. Quality
Given that many quality teachers wont move to the Isle of Wight because of limited performance opportunities to supplement their income, how is the Council planning to employ (with a realistic, liveable wage), teachers who: 1) can teach technique safely to prevent life-long injuries? 2) inspire pupils to start and to continue to progress in music? 3) are better than their students so that the older, more advanced students do not outpace their teachers? 4) prepare pupils who wish to go into music (as performers and most like also teachers) with the education and preliminary teacher training (such as training in how to teach proper, safe technique to pupils)? 7

IWMS Overview
1 The current situation As part of the national Music Plan all children have an entitlement of access to instrumental tuition in school. Arts Council England has given the IWMS the responsibility of delivering this for Island children and, through the IW Council, has awarded a Music Education Grant worth a little more than 600K being awarded between August 2012 and March 2015. We were awarded 1.2m between April 2007 and March 2010. (ACE has judged the suitability of IWMS for this role, and for the wider responsibilities of a music hub, on their current infrastructure, staffing provision and track record, where IWMS has scored above the national average on a number of performance indicators over several years.) IW Council has, over the last few years, turned IWMS into a deficit service by reducing and finally withdrawing funding, knowing that alternative funding streams do not exist and that charging pupils at full cost for this part of their education would be prohibitive. IW Council is now seeking to change the necessary infrastructure and staffing provision in ways which could deprive Island children of their entitlement and of the ACE funding. No financial details or implications of the current options, below, are available. Once an option is chosen we (Business Development Unit) can cost in detail. The Music Education Grant is to be reduced over the next three years Most schools do not contribute to the core music provision for children in their schools

2 The current options: Paper B Model 1- Restructuring: including reduction in range of instruments taught Benefits Savings in unit costs Risks Narrowing of the range of instruments would not satisfy the hub criteria for inclusion Curtailing of ensemble opportunities and standards for Island children Lowering of attainment standards through cost effective large group tuition Loss of Music Education Grant 8

Any savings in unit costs would make little impact on deficit Model 2- LA to cease trading Benefits Solve the councils funding problem Risks End of the long established public provision of childrens entitlement on the Island Loss of Music Education Grant Reliance on private tuition as part of childrens education Loss of current specialist teachers Unlikelihood of a new lead organisation for IW hub being found on the mainland Model 2a- Commissioning through a core administration Benefits Some financial savings but not yet costed Model is in operation in some mainland hubs- but where part time teachers can be drawn from a wide area Could qualify for Music Education Grant Risks Loss of specialist staff Scarcity issue identified by ACE Difficulty of recruitment of staff in island setting Loss of control of deployment and professional development of staff Loss of quality control of provision including health and safety issues Unlikely to address deficit issue estimate not yet available Model 3-Externalisation of the service Benefits Could be means of retaining existing levels of staffing If established through the council it could be eligible for Music Education Grant Risks Complex to introduce would need adequate time scale Loss of control of LA responsibilities e.g. health and safety No apparent financial advantage to the service deficit not addressed No details of process, costings etc., currently available

3 Provisional Conclusions From the point of view of Island children the best option is the continuation of the present level and quality of provision. None of the options above guarantee that that would continue. The process and timing of the review of the music service to date does not instil confidence that a well planned, carefully timed development in the interest of Island children will be managed. Much further investigation and procedural and financial checks are necessary. It is difficult to see any viable way forward being found until the deficit service situation created by the council has been tackled.

Recommendations
The Music Service Working Group recommends the following: 1. That the IW Council use part of its underspend to support the Music Service for a period of one (1) year to allow for the essential time necessary to properly assess the true viability of various business models. 2. That the timetable of action for changes to the Music Service be revised accordingly (for the one-year delay) so that there is time to test the business models and potential funding streams and plan for change management for a smooth transition. 3. That the Council work closely with the Working Group to assess which funding models will work in practice that is to say, roll up sleeves and pound the pavement to search out real funding options with grants, etc. 4. As suggested by IW Council Leader David Pugh, that the Council, with messaging help from the IW Music Service Working Group, have a meeting with Arts Council to discuss Islands unique position and potential inequities in funding reduction, with the aim to incur additional revenue. Anything less than these measures will put the Islands future of education in music in unrecoverable jeopardy and risk an increase in health problems and permanent injuries to pupils.

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