Issue - meetings

This report builds on the report brought to PDS in January 2022. It proposes further changes to the Music Service, ensuring it meets the DfE’s new delivery model for music education, protecting music education in B&NES.

The Director of Education & Safeguarding introduced this report to the Panel and was accompanied by Simon Lock, Music Service and Education Hub Lead. They highlighted the following points to the Panel.

This report builds on the report brought to PDS in January 2022. It proposes further changes to the Music Service, ensuring it meets the DfE’s new delivery model for music education, protecting music education in B&NES.

In July 2022, the DfE released its refreshed vision for the governance and delivery of music education in England. This new vision requires a significantly different delivery model to the present and signals the need for music services to radically transform to be viable in the future.

The DfE’s model for music education is to fund Music Education Hubs to deliver the National Plan for Music Education (NPME). Hubs are informal partnerships of local music and education organisations operating as a network of providers.  Hubs have a Lead Organisation, which receives the DfE grant, and is held to account by Arts Council England (ACE) for the delivery of the NPME. Locally, B&NES, North Somerset and South Glos Council Music Services are all Lead Organisations of the local Hub.

Since 2020, North Somerset and South Glos Music Services have been working in partnership, with a shared management team and increasingly homogenised strategy, development and operations, alongside greater sharing of resources. In March 2021, B&NES Music Service joined this partnership.

The result is that a broader, more universal offer is being achieved because of

the efficiencies and knowledge gained by working together. Through partnership, the services are beginning to realise their potential to deliver a bigger and better offer for all young people from the most vulnerable to those who are gifted and talented.

The bidding process will be different to the past in that:

·  The grant application process will be open and highly competitive. ACE are proactively encouraging and enabling a wide range of education and arts organisations to bid against us.

·  Small LA music services (such as B&NES) are unlikely to be eligible to apply. DfE/ACE are expecting mergers/partnerships, and that organisations will apply for a larger grant representing a wider geographic area.

The future delivery model and therefore fund-holding organisation will also be very different to the present model. DfE/ACE expect to see:

·  The grant being allocated to non-LA strategic organisations, largely volunteer led, whose role is to decide strategy.

·  This strategic body will then commission other organisations to deliver services.

·  DfE/ACE do not wish to see funding being used to support the

employment of a teaching workforce.

Establishment of a new organisation outside the LA, becomes the only route we believe is viable to ensure a future youth music provision in B&NES. This new organisation will have LA representation at Board level and will take forward existing services, deliver an aspirational growth plan and ensure a Service which is influenced by, and dedicated to, B&NES’ needs and aspirations.

The Proposal

·  For B&NES to merge  ...  view the full minutes text for item 61