SEND Musical Access, Inclusion and Belonging

Inclusion Strategy

Our Inclusion Strategy can be found HERE.

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

The aim of the EDI strategy is to demonstrate evidence that our strategy for ensuring equity, diversity, and inclusion is embedded across all areas of Hub delivery, including our commitment to ensuring equality of opportunity for all pupils, regardless of race, gender, where they live, their levels of talent, parental income, whether they have special educational needs or disabilities, and whether they are looked after children.

Inclusion covers all protected characteristics and we have demonstrated how we ensure we meet the expectations. With a specific remit in SEND, Emily Stratford is the SEND Strategic Lead Consultant for TBMH. This role steers our SEND Musical Access, Inclusion and Belonging Programme 2023-25/26, as outlined below:

SEND Musical Access, Inclusion and Belonging Programme 2023-25/26:

The overriding goal of this programme is ‘to create new and innovative opportunities that will form part of meaningful pathways for SEND pupils’. The principal aims of this programme are:

1. To appoint a Strategic Lead for SEND to spearhead best-practice inclusion

2. To identify SEND young people (LBHF, RBKC, WCC) and address their musical needs by providing progressive, engaging, and appropriate musical learning opportunities which raise the bar for pupil achievements.

3. To turn opportunities into meaningful pathways for SEND pupils by working collaboratively with our partners and meeting identified need

4. To provide needs-based financial support for families of SEND pupils, where finance is a barrier, to support access to the activity

5. To upskill the workforce and increase the understanding of those working with the SEND young people to ensure that musical and additional needs of the young people are met

NB: There are 10 SEND settings and 15 resource provisions in the three LAs 

Outcomes:

1. Increased numbers of SEND pupils participating in musical learning activity

2. Increase number of SEND CYP taking part in annual high-quality performance events

3. Workforce and partner organisations demonstrate an increased awareness and knowledge of SEND best-practice and the barriers to music-making that CYP may experience.

4. *Professional musicians from under-represented SEND groups are engaged and employed in delivery.

*Challenges Faced By Visually Impaired Musicians in Orchestras

As part of our commitment to growing representation we have been fortunate to work with Paula Chavez (and her sister, Fabiana) for the past two years, both of whom are blind musicians and music educators. They teach curriculum music in schools, piano lessons at our Saturday Music School, and support our out of school ensembles. Paula has written a really candid and insightful piece of work which we feel is important for us to share more widely in order to raise awareness and build inclusivity in the work of music education. You can read Paula’s article by clinking on the links below:

• Word Version

• PDF Version

Activity:

1.      Instrumental and vocal learning: Inclusive programmed musical activity and opportunity for SEND CYP (ensembles/choirs/Saturday Music School); plus c.5 SEND pupils to benefit from needs-based “access fund” support. 

2.      Performance and celebration: High-quality inclusive performance events showcasing and celebrating what young people can achieve

3.      Improving and sharing best practice: Programme of training for the wider workforce (music tutors, schools, TBMH/TBMT, partner organisations) led by SEND experts with opportunities to share knowledge and experience

4.      Workforce diversity and inclusion: 
   - SEND students will work in a peer-to-peer model alongside fellow young musicians to share their experiences and help develop inclusive approach
   - Under-25s mentor programme for students (e.g. from RCM) to work alongside practitioners and pupils
   - Positive role models - professional musicians from a range of backgrounds and circumstances to lead masterclasses with pupils to showcase different approaches
   - Enhancing existing work of TBMH's Youth Voice council by hearing from and working with SEND young people and their families regarding needs and barriers.

This programme has only been made possible due to core funding from John Lyon’s Charity over 3 years, and we are grateful to them for their support and belief in the SEND Musical Access, Inclusion and Belonging Programme. The fund holder is the Tri-borough Music Trust - the sister charity of the Tri-borough Music Hub.