Musical Routes
The Music Education Hub for Wirral with Cheshire West and Chester
Wirral Schools' Music Service has been awarded funding from the Arts Council as the lead organisation in the new Music Education Hub covering Wirral and Cheshire West & Chester local authorities. 122 music education hubs across the country will play a key role in ensuring that every child has the opportunity for high quality music education.
The core roles that each Hub must deliver are:
1. Ensure that every child aged 5 to 18 has the opportunity to learn a musical instrument (other than voice) through whole-class ensemble teaching programmes for ideally a year (but for a minimum of a term) of weekly tuition on the same instrument
2. Provide opportunities to play in ensembles and to perform from an early stage
3. Ensure that clear progression routes are available and affordable to all young people
4. Develop a singing strategy to ensure that every pupil is singing regularly and that choirs and other vocal ensembles are available in the area
There are also a number of extension roles that Hubs are encouraged to carry out, including instrument loans, training for school staff and access to professional music performances.
Wirral Schools' Music Service and Cheshire West & Chester Music Service will still run as separate organisations. The Hub is an umbrella organisation, working to co-ordinate music education and activities across both areas to ensure our children access as many opportunities for music making as possible.
Schools are the primary partners in the new Hubs, as the place where music education starts for most children. The Hub will also involve private teachers, community and voluntary groups, professional musicians and a range of other partners delivering high quality music education both in and out of school.
The Hub funding replaces the Music Education Grant provided by the Department for Education to local authorities to run music services. This is not new money, but does provide opportunities for organisations to work together and run more efficiently. | 
