This article has been brought to you by Slough Borough Council's Community Projects Manager for Music Service, Rebecca Richardson, for the attention of Headteachers, Music teachers and Music coordinators.
Slough Music Service is part of Slough Borough Council (working under Children Learning and Skills service), and is subsidised by Arts Council England. Schools can be sure that we have strict service and safety standards and our grant funding means we can keep fees as low as possible. All our staff are subject to regular enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks and safeguarding training, and also receive regular training to update and enhance their skills.
Instrumental music lessons are proven to help children’s overall development – enhancing learning outcomes in school as well as improving wellbeing, team work, perseverance and confidence.
Peripatetic lessons are arranged with each school according to their needs. Mostly, parents contract directly with the Music Service and then we liaise with the school to develop a mutually suitable timetable. Alternatively, a few schools prefer to do their own administration and pay us on a termly basis for the service we have provided..
All children who take lessons are also eligible to join Slough Music Centre where they can learn to play and sing with others and perform in regular concerts. Currently there are no fees for music centre.
We can provide lessons in piano (keyboard), violin, viola, cello, flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, saxophone, drum kit, ukulele and guitar.
Under normal conditions we offer group lessons which are excellent value and work well for many beginners but, due to COVID-19 restrictions and the difficulty of avoiding mixing class bubbles, we are not offering them until restrictions are lifted. In the meantime we are offering 7 individual lessons per term to those who feel they cannot pay for 10 and have extended our subsidised rates for lower income families to this 7 lesson per term option.
For more information email music.service@slough.gov.uk.
