Brilliant Connections – A short film about music hubs and special schools

This film is called ‘Brilliant Connections’ and discusses how music hubs can best support special schools (NB: if you experience ‘buffering’ issues, click on ‘Pause’ button and wait approx. 45 secs before clicking ‘Play’)

In November 2013, an Ofsted report suggested that Music Hubs were largely failing to engage effectively with their local schools.

Ofsted visited 31 schools but they failed to visit a single special school. The reason for this omission was explained as simply an oversight, but an important opportunity was missed to gain further insights into SEN/D provision and to raise the profile of special schools’ generally .

Through speaking to teachers and musicians working in special education, as well as a music hub leader, this short film aims to shine a spotlight on the relationship between music hubs and special schools.

It makes suggestions about what quality – alongside statistical data – might look like for music making in special schools and how Music hubs can make an impact.

The feedback from this modest sample of special schools is that music hubs are slowly but surely making progress in an area where, historically, many music services were hesitant to tread.

A deeper knowledge of the needs of each special  school is the key. In return, special schools themselves need to ensure they engage with music hubs and utilize the opportunities on offer. Leadership from head teachers is crucial in this respect.

I think we need to continue listening to the experts – the teachers, teaching assistants and musicians who make music with SEN and Disabled young people on a daily basis – in order to get a more secure understanding of what the needs are and to ensure that resources are deployed strategically.