SCHOOL PROVISIONS SLA
The SERVICE DESCRIPTION and SERVICE MANAGEMENT sections below describe EMS provisions for schools, how to request them, and their associated terms and conditions. Advice on charges and key dates for ordering and cancelling provisions can also be found in the School Menu.
Together these form the EMS Service Level Agreement for Schools. This SLA is also available as a downloadable PDF from EMS101 Service Level Agreement.pdf
Details of EMS services are also published on the Ealing Grid for Learning website.
For advice regarding the school billing process, see School Billing.
For information on how and where to report accidents and incidents, please see Accident Report.
For further advice please contact Lee Marchant, Assistant Head of Service responsible for school provisions.
SERVICE DESCRIPTION
Tuition to individual pupils and small groups for instrument and voice by EMS specialist music teachers in line with the needs of the school. Schools request teachers on an hourly basis (minimum 2 hours) and are charged directly by EMS. Schools recoup costs from parents as necessary.
For more details, see Individual and Small Group Tuition
Tuition to whole classes on one or more related instruments delivered in accordance with the requirements of the ‘National Plan for Music Education’.
The EMS WCET programme is called Spark! This is delivered as a programme of sessions delivered to a school class across the school year. For schools new to WCET, EMS also offers a shorter programme of classes which runs across a single term – Sparklite. This enables schools to experience and evaluate WCET.
These provisions are delivered by one lead teacher and one assistant teacher, and include the loan of the instruments selected for the programme. EMS provide either or both of these specialist music teachers in line with the needs of the school. Subsidises are available for the first WCET provision in each school (first access).
For more details, see Spark!
Leading of school ensembles (orchestras, bands, choirs) by EMS specialist music teachers in line with the needs of the school. Schools request teachers on an hourly basis (minimum 2 hours) and are charged directly by EMS.
EMS supports schools interested in starting a new ensemble through its Kickstart Ensemble programme. EMS will provide a teacher free of charge for an agreed period – typically one year – to help the school assess interest in the ensemble and get the ensemble established. After one year the Kickstart provision ceases or becomes part of the regular (chargeable) EMS School Ensemble provision.
EMS also offers Tutti Ensembles. These are delivered and administered by EMS directly within a school setting and are open to pupils in neighbouring schools. These provisions ensure that all pupils have the opportunity to play and sing together in an Ensemble or Choir.
Kickstart and Tutti Ensembles are free of charge, however, if the ensemble is cancelled without sufficient notice (minimum of a half-terms notice) then the school will be charged at the EMS higher rate to cover the cost of the teacher.
For more details, see School Ensembles
For more details, see Instrument Hire
These include: Double Bass, Bassoon, Oboe, French Horn and Tuba.
Participating pupils receive free tuition and instrument hire from EMS – the only conditions are the pupils commitment to learning and participation in Cadenza, the EMS Music Centre.
For more information Lee Marchant
EMS provides CPD regular opportunities for teachers and music co-ordinators through sessions delivered by EMS staff and in conjunction with partners.
Visit CPD for more details.
EMS provides regular programmes of events for schools. These include:
- The Event (Key Stage 1)
- ‘Have a Go’ Sessions
For more details, click the links above or visit Events
Purchased through EMS, Charanga costs £150.00 per year — the Musical School programme normally costs £195.00, but EMS is subsidising the cost as part of our support for all Ealing primary schools.
Alternatively, you can get Charanga for free by joining the Ealing Music Service membership scheme. For more details see Membership
To place a direct order for the Charanga Musical School programme;
- Enter the name of your school in the box then click confirm school.
- You will then have 2 options: select Order Now to place an order immediately.
- You will then be asked for some additional details after which you click the green button at the bottom and you will be issued with a school licence, user name and password. You can then register as many colleagues with user names and passwords as need them.
- Schools will be billed on a termly basis through the EMS School Billing Advice Invoice.
The Schools Membership programme is designed to encourage schools participation in the EMS programme by providing further discounts for EMS services and partner services.
School membership currently costs less than a basic Charanga licence (!) and includes:
- Charanga licence (Basic and VIP)
- A Free WMF event or a discounted KS1 Event
- Access to CPD events
For more details, see Membership
SERVICE MANAGEMENT
All of our teachers have clear DBS checks, Enhanced Vetting and have attended Child Protection training.
Each teacher is given access to a list of Designated Child Protection officers in every school in the borough. All teachers employed by partner organisations are also subject to DBS checks by their respective employers.
All teachers (whether employed by EMS or our partner organisations) have signed up to Ealing Music Service’s Child Protection Policy.
In addition to DBS checks, EMS require all staff working with children to complete a Childcare Disqualification Declaration (EMS807).
Schools that wish EMS staff to undertake their own Safeguarding training will need to pay for it.
EMS has a legal obligation to comply with the Data Protection Act 1998. It sets out the rules for processing personal information and applies to most paper and computer records. REPLACED BY GDPR!?
EMS aims to be the preferred provider of music education support to schools and to be the preferred employer for musicians working in education in Ealing. EMS measure progress towards this in the following ways:
Performance Management
All EMS teachers are frequently observed and assessed by members of the Senior Leadership Team and external partners Primary Achievement. This ensures that judgements of teaching and learning are mutually validated.
Any teachers deemed to be inadequate in any element receive a programme of support which will enable them to be judged as at least good by their subsequent observation.
Planning and Preparation
All EMS teachers are expected to plan and prepare lessons and where the lesson is shared with a member of school staff to make those plans available. All teachers are expected to submit term plans to EMS in advance.
EMS work in partnership with schools to ensure that all EMS teachers have consistent professional standards. This is achieved through the implementation of a range of policies and procedures which ensure teachers and schools know what is expected of them.
EMS expect all staff deployed into schools to be committed to delivering high quality learner experiences to all pupils, regardless of their socio-economic backgrounds, any special educational need or which Ealing school they attend.
The Head of Ealing Music Service is responsible for effective deployment of resources and will ensure that all staff work in a range of schools in line with EMS core values and commitment to children. It is not appropriate for staff to select or reject work linked to individual schools.
EMS invests in their teachers through an effective recruitment and retention strategy and ensures that their skills are updated by a comprehensive CPD offer. They manage their school teaching schedules so that they have a range of experiences to bring to all of their work in Ealing. For this reason, we discourage teachers and schools from entering into private arrangements. However, if one of our teachers is employed by a school that they are currently providing EMS music tuition in or have done so in the past 12 months, the following contribution to our costs will apply:
WCET/Small Group/Individual/Ensemble provision:
- Up to 5 hours of weekly contact: £1600
- More than 5 hours of weekly contact: £2500
Music Curriculum Teaching:
- A charge equivalent of 12 weeks teaching at the prevailing weekly rate.
The Charges for Music Tuition (England) Regulations 2007 came into force on 1 September 2007. They apply to music tuition in state schools during the school day, such as:
schools which engage their own instrumental / vocal teachers
schools where the EMS charges the school and the school passes on charges to parents/guardians
schools where EMS charges the parents/guardians directly
Accordingly:
it is legal to charge for instrumental and vocal tuition during the school day, subject to the parent/guardian requesting the tuition.
There is no restriction on group size, however, EMS recommends group sizes of no more than seven.
Exceptions
Charges may not be made for:
Tuition which is part of National Curriculum provision
Tuition which is part of key stage 2 whole class ensemble tuition
Tuition for children in care
Restrictions
Remissions policies should make tuition, including incidental costs of instruments and music books, affordable for all pupils.
Schools are expected to review their remissions policies in relation to children who are in receipt of free school meals and also for siblings
Charges should not result in a surplus, i.e. a school should be making a profit from music tuition provided by EMS
Schools are required to provide free instrumental / vocal lessons to looked after children
Compliments
EMS welcomes positive feedback of the quality of service that are delivered for the benefit of children and young people in schools.
Please use the website tell us about this at YDattani@ealing.gov.uk
Complaints
Any areas of concern linked to the quality of work delivered by an EMS teacher at a school should initially be raised with the teacher concerned or EMS officer concerned.
If your concern remains unresolved or it is felt that the nature of your concern is more serious, please contact the Head of Ealing Music Partnership at YDattani@ealing.gov.uk or 020 8843 9121.
Complaints will be acknowledged within four working days and should be fully replied to within 10 working days. Some complaints can be complicated and may take longer than the stated period to resolve.
If EMS cannot give a full reply within the stated period, EMS will advise what actions are being taken, giving an expected date for a response.