Stay up to date with the latest news for schools from Hertfordshire Music Service.
East area
01438 843363
Schools: eastareaschools@hertfordshire.gov.uk
HMS teachers: eastareateachers@hertfordshire.gov.uk
Send any HMS teacher DBS requests to these details.
Rebecca Kelly (East Area) rebecca.kelly@hertfordshire.gov.uk : 01438 845421
West area
01923 225531
Fax: 01727 844699
Schools: westareaschools@hertfordshire.gov.uk
HMS teachers: westareateachers@hertfordshire.gov.uk
Send any HMS teacher DBS requests to these details.
Angela Gilby (West Area) angela.gilby@hertfordshire.gov.uk : 01438 843631
Music curriculum support and schools CPD courses
Deena Day
01438 843050
deena.day@hertfordshire.gov.uk
Safeguarding / child protection: MusicChildProtection@hertfordshire.gov.uk
Rachel Curson: rachel.curson@hertfordshire.gov.uk
Nick Denham: nick.denham@hertfordshire.gov.uk, 01438 844 556
Sue Pettitt: susan.pettitt@hertsmusicservice.gov.uk (county courses only)
Help with music fees
All pupils that HMS bills directly have been uploaded to Musictutors.co.uk and teachers offered lessons online to most pupils during the spring term.
These lessons can continue online if both the teacher and the pupil’s parent/carer agree, however, most lessons have now returned face to face.
Our school manage instrumental lessons – how can pupils access online lessons?
HMS teachers have been asked to liaise with schools in this scenario to use your own school’s online platform for lessons. G Suite for Education and MS Teams are the two main platforms and we would ask that you provide HMS teachers the required access they need to teach online.
Your school will retain the scheduling responsibility and ensure HMS teachers are made aware of your school’s online safety policy. The HMS online safety policy is available here for reference.
HMS cannot take on any further schools for direct billing at this time.
HMS is delighted to announce that the next Hertfordshire Schools' Gala will take place on Sunday 30th April 2023 at the Royal Albert Hall.
Click here to go to our dedicated Gala webpage for updates.
The fully subsidised HMS First Access programme has been oversubscribed for 2021-22 and allocations have been made based on the responses submitted as part of the application process schools completed.
If your school was not chosen for the fully subsidised programme, you may have been offered First Access as a paid for service if your school indicated that it would be happy to pay the relevant fee.
In September 2021, HMS staff will confirm the exact time and day of the First Access programme with successful schools. In some instances, a teacher may not be available at the specific times a school can accommodate, or availability may have changed since allocations were made. In these cases, HMS will follow the process below:
- HMS has allocated teachers with morning availability to successful schools who requested morning slots.
- HMS has allocated teachers with afternoon availability to successful schools who requested afternoon slots.
- Where the HMS teacher availability and successful school requests don’t match, HMS will offer you alternative choices to those on your request form. This may be a different instrument or an alternative day/time slot.
- For schools who are not able to offer enough flexibility in choice, HMS will send a final offer.
- If no agreement, the slot will be offered to the next school on the waiting list.
Please contact your Area Head for any further clarification or if you have further queries about scheduling a First Access programme.
First Access sessions are due to begin from w/c Mon 20th September 2021. This allows HMS time to deliver instruments to your school and for the HMS teacher to meet your school team to discuss any specific needs of the pupils in the class/es they will be teaching and the class reward/discipline policies.
HMS cannot offer specific advice on licensing of music or materials for music making, however there is detailed guidance on the Copyright and Schools website.
Students living or attending school in Hertfordshire may be able to get financial support for instrument or vocal lessons. Details of the financial support we offer parents for music tuition, who is eligible and how to apply are available on our 'Help with fees' page.