Information on music education hub funding for 2015/16 released from ACE

The Department for Education has asked us to contact you all today to give you further information on Hub funding for 2015/16.

We are aware how important it is to know your funding allocations for planning purposes. Although we are not yet in a position to let you know your exact figure, I am able to confirm that all £75 million available for Hubs next year will be distributed directly to Hubs via the existing formula (90 per cent based on the number of pupils and 10 per cent based on the number of pupils eligible for free school meals). Individual allocations will be circulated as soon as they are available early in the New Year.

Thanks to the Department for Education’s decision earlier this year to increase funding for Music education hubs by an additional £17 million for 2015/16, each Hub will receive a significant increase. At this time of continued pressure on public funding the scale of this increase is unprecedented.

We look forward to making the most of this funding opportunity, and for all Hubs to challenge themselves to be as excellent as possible. Our recent publication Ensuring quality will help you to make sure you are basing the offer of the Hub on the needs of all children and young people in your area, developing exciting partnerships across the hub, utilising new technologies, diversifying income streams, exploring new business models, increasing your reach and ultimately developing high quality, inspiring musical and progression opportunities.

If you haven’t already, you will soon receive an invitation to a series of workshops called What a good Hub looks like. We would like these workshops to bring Hub leaders together to discuss the balance between high-quality teaching and learning and a broad, inspiring and inclusive overall Hub offer. We would also like to discuss opportunities for collaboration across boundaries and partnership working that would improve outcomes for children and young people.

Thank you for all of your hard work and achievements over the last year. I know you are all currently very busy with Christmas concerts and drafting all the documents required for the funding agreement process. I hope that you are all able to have a restful festive break and I look forward to working with you in the New Year.

Best wishes

Laura

Laura Gander-Howe
Director, Children Young People and Learning