"Hubs & Music Services"
"High quality, inclusive musical instruments and teaching resources for Music Hubs and Music Services. Expand ensemble provision, enhance whole class instrumental offerings, and keep Ofsted happy."
High quality, inclusive musical experiences to engage ALL children and young people.
Our instruments and teaching resources will help you expand your ensemble provision, enhance your range of whole class instrumental offerings, increase the skills and productivity of your instrumental teachers, extend your budget, and keep Ofsted happy.
Why choose our approach?
High Quality Engagement
The instruments and teaching resources are top quality, and the culturally diverse new styles present a level playing field for pupils. They all enjoy these hands-on music-making sessions, and their rapid musical progress, regardless of their age, ability or background.
Increase Productivity
Your instrumental teachers will quickly become proficient in these styles and, using the provided schemes of work, they'll be able to deliver successful programmes right away. It's all so accessible that your teachers will be able to start each term with a new musical speciality under their belt.
Extend your budget
The relatively low cost and high durability of our instruments will make your instruments project and budget go much further. Class sets start from just a few hundred pounds and the instruments will last for years and years. They're also quick to set up and easy to maintain.
Keep Ofsted happy
Our teaching resources and approach will help you and your schools meet Ofsted's features of high-quality music education\ and their latest Recommendations for Music\\*.
\* from the Music Subject Research Review 2021
\\ from the Music Subject Report 2023
Class Music Sets | Musical Instruments
A high quality, low cost approach
Instrument sets for delivering whole class instrumental and curriculum teaching at early years, primary and secondary levels. The range of different sets allows you to build a diverse, inclusive and progressive offer, introducing children to a wide range of musical styles.
Everything you need
There are sets suitable for every Keystage and each set includes a selection of high quality musical instruments and teaching resources to enable your instrumental teachers to teach each style authentically, regardless of individual teachers' musical backgrounds.
Diverse
Sets include West African Djembe Drumming, Brazilian Samba, Caribbean Steel Pans, Japanese Taiko, Indonesian Gamelan and World Percussion. Perfect for broadening pupils' exposure to the music of other cultures and traditions.
Inclusive
These sets can form a key part of your inclusion strategy. The materials are accessible and inclusive for every child, no matter their previous experience with music or any learning challenges they may face.
Progressive
These sets can form the backbone of your progression strategy. Each set includes enough resources for 5-6 terms of learning, and by adding several different styles you'll have enough material for a 5 year progression.
Return on Investment | Progression
It's easy to put into practice
The benefits are wide-ranging, but implementation is simple. It will slot easily into your existing timetable, and our library of teaching resources will support your teachers every step of the way. Dovetails neatly with singing and online resource providers, and your local Music Hub or Music Service will be able to lend you additional support.
Plan
Careful planning will ensure success. Make this a truly collaborative exercise and involve pupils and teachers right from the start.
How to plan: Consider starting with a single year group (one that's not already benefiting from weekly Music Hub lessons), and extend to other year groups from the second term onwards. Get everyone on-board by sharing links to our Primary or Secondary solutions and our free teaching resources. Decide which music style to start with and plan where and when classes will happen. Our experts are available to help you with your planning -- schedule a consult or contact us.
Prep Lesson
All the teaching resources you'll need are provided and lesson prep shouldn't take more than 30 minutes for most lessons.
How to prep: First lesson preparation will take around 60-90 minutes. Listen to the audio track, familiarise yourself with the instruments and teaching guide, play through warm-up exercises, and review the Scheme of Work. Subsequent lessons need only about 30 minutes of prep.
Perform
After just 10 lessons your class will be ready to perform their first piece. Assembly is great for this, but the class may want to make a bigger splash and perform for parents.
Getting performance-ready: The Scheme of Work and lesson plans take you step by step to the performance. Make it an event -- invite parents, dress up, share food, and celebrate the group's achievements. Then take it further by performing at local care homes, health centres, and community venues.
Progress
The pieces in the teaching guide are progressively more challenging and there's enough material for 5 terms. New musical styles will give you up to 7 years progression.
Term 2 and beyond: During the second term, master new pieces while revising the first. From term three onward, add two or more new pieces each term. Introduce new musical styles like Brazilian Samba or Indonesian Gamelan for additional years of material. By adding a new style and year group each year, you'll quickly transform into a truly "Musical School."
The approach works because...
The styles are intuitive and fun
So everyone is engaged right from the start, and looks forward to the sessions -- teachers too! The styles are new to everyone so no one has a head start or is left behind, and the collaborative approach means that everyone learns together.
The instruments are easy to play
So it all sounds great from day one, boosting everyone's self-confidence, and ensuring rapid progress. The instruments are specially adapted for the classroom, easy to look after, quick to set up and built to last.
It's easy to teach
The approach is highly intuitive and teachers are supported every step of the way by resources designed for non-musicians, so no prior music experience is needed. Teaching guides, Schemes of Work, Lesson Plans, Video and Audio clips, Cultural background...
It's affordable
30 player World Percussion class sets start at just £317, West African Drumming from £695 and the same set can be used with every class and year group, as well as with extra-curricular groups, so it really can cost as little £1 per pupil to get started.
It boosts wellbeing and life skills
This is the BIG added bonus -- learning these musical styles collaboratively in a group results in a rapid increase in togetherness and wellbeing. At the same time everyone acquires a wide range of social, emotional and physical skills, and it all happens naturally and enjoyably.
Our class sets tick all the boxes
- For non-specialists as well as music teachers -- Our teaching resources are designed to be used and understood by non-specialist and cover teachers. The collaborative approach is intuitive and gets pupils and teacher learning together by playing together.
- Deliver a progressive, high quality music education -- Meets curriculum requirements, brings diversity into the curriculum and impresses OFSTED. And parents will love the show-stopping performances, starting at the end of the first term and continuing year after year.
- Upskill and revitalise teachers -- Class teachers who previously dreaded music lessons will develop into inspired music leaders, giving you self-sufficiency in music delivery. Specialist teachers will broaden their knowledge of different musical styles.
- Include and empower EVERY pupil -- This is an intrinsically inclusive and accessible approach. It engages children of every ability and background, and it's brilliant at developing social, emotional and life skills.
- Boost wellbeing and attendance -- Having fun playing together, helping one another, and making a great sound from day one is the recipe for success. The lessons leave everyone feeling good, that they're part of a real team, and keen to come back for more...
- Highly affordable -- Our 30 player class sets start at just £317 and the same set can be used with every class and year group as well as for extra-curricular clubs. There really isn't a better use of limited funds than this.
Making a difference in thousands of Schools
Drums for Schools class sets and instruments are in use in Primary schools in the UK and all over the world, helping tens of thousands of class teachers and music teachers to include, empower and transform hundreds of thousands of pupils.
What our customers say
> "I'd not only purchased drums from you at my last school, I'd also bought drums for the feeder primary schools to use and share (which worked out really well), so I had no hesitation to use you again when I moved to my new school. Everything went swimmingly and we have just been using the drums as part of our summer school activities -- thank you very much."
> -- Charlotte, Ecclesfield School
> "The drums are great -- the pupils love using them in their music lessons and we have started a djembe club on a Wednesday lunchtime as well. The quality of the drums is better than I had expected and they are excellent value for money."
> -- Ruth, Dame Elizabeth Cadbury School
> "I had people of all shapes and sizes, young and old and more touchingly 2 severely disabled participants all taking part in my impromptu drum circles. One lady, unable to speak and confined to a wheelchair led a call and to see her laughter and hear her squeal with delight when we followed with the response beat everything I have ever done in my years of drumming."
> -- Ian, Beating Heart Promotions
> "The drums we've purchased from you are wonderful. They were a great price, they look great but most importantly they sound great. They've had a lot of use this past half term with visiting African drummers who used the drums with every class in the school (300 children+) as well as a visiting music teacher who did a drumming project with the Y6 children -- the children and their parents have loved them!"
> -- Kelly, Bielefeld School
> "The drums are fantastic, the children are very much enjoying using them. It is amazing what even very young children can achieve in a very short space of time with African drums. Our Year 2 children are loving it."
> -- Emma, South Petherton Infants
> "Thank you very much for all your help and support. The instruments have arrived and the children are fascinated, Year 6 can't wait for their lesson on Monday! The Gamelan is a great addition to our department and adds greatly to our steps to becoming more culturally aware and diverse."
> -- Emma, Belmont Grosvenor School
> "We love the instruments and they are already getting a lot of use, the children responding ever so well to the different styles of music. The teaching guides to accompany both are also very helpful. We have been delighted with the service from everyone we have dealt with at Drums for Schools."
> -- Emma Marshall, Havelock Academy
> "I'm making good use of the drums with my Year 5 and 6 children at the moment but the plan is for everyone to use them. Everyone can do it so it's inclusive and engaging. Even my head teacher joined our drumming circle yesterday and loved it!"
> -- Teacher, St Thomas of Canterbury School
> "The children love the African rhythms and are never absent on drumming day."
> -- Paul, St Pauls Primary
> "We received the drums and they are fantastic, I have already put them to great use with years 3, 4, 5 and 6 classes."
> -- Gary, Stanley Grove Primary Academy
> "The kids absolutely love drumming and has built confidence and put smiles on faces which is fantastic!"
> -- Joanne, Wikidz Workshops
> "Our drums are amazing and the children love them. We are just about to start a drum club and plan to perform to parents at the end of the summer term."
> -- Jude, The Learning Academy Trust
> "I am absolutely delighted with the drums and so are my Form V pupils who have been the first to try them! I am particularly impressed by the storage cases and the book that you sent as it has enabled me to begin teaching techniques even though I have only attended one drumming workshop before."
> -- Lesley, Seaton House School
> "The instruments were for two ethnic minority groups for a course that we delivered to enhance their health and wellbeing by meeting together to sing. It was a huge success and they are sustaining the courses by using the instruments and singing what they learnt in the course."
> -- Linda, Southampton City Council
> "Thoughts from our Year 5 children on playing the Gamelan: 'It's good because you get to experience what people play in other countries.' 'I feel special when I do it.' 'It calms me down in a way, makes me feel happy and special.' 'It makes you forget everything and concentrate on the sound.'"
> -- Mary, King Edward's Junior School
> "We are very pleased with our Samba kit and it has been used a lot since our purchase in KS3 class music lessons as well as a Samba band parade at our School Sports day."
> -- Samantha, The Petersfield School
> "We could not fault any aspects of our interaction with you, from ordering to delivery. Everything was great and correspondence really prompt with any queries."
> -- Helen, Gwent Music
The Drums for Schools approach is completely different
Inclusive
Based on accessible world music styles and a learning approach that has evolved naturally over hundreds of thousands of years.
Engaging
The instruments are pick-up-and-play and the styles are intuitive and fun, so ALL pupils (and teachers) are engaged right away.
Collaborative
Unlike classic, one-to-many teaching, teachers and pupils learn together and benefit together. It upskills and invigorates teachers while they teach!
Fast-Acting
It takes just a term to get everyone to performance level (vs several years for classical instruments). And it sounds good from day one.
Progressive
Each class set includes enough resources for 5 or 6 terms of learning and by adding new styles you'll have enough for 7 or more years of teaching!
Transformative
By developing everyone's social, emotional and life skills, the approach empowers and transforms individuals, teachers and community.
Cost-Effective
There really isn't a better educational investment. One class set can be used for all year groups, so it costs just a few pounds per pupil. It's a tiny price for a massive educational return.
Ticks the boxes
As well as covering the music syllabus the approach delivers the engagement and results that OFSTED and parents are looking for.
Backed by Drums for Schools
And it's all backed by Drums for Schools, a completely different kind of supplier.
We're a small, family firm and our speciality and focus is inclusive group and whole class music making. Our mission is to make the power of music available to everyone.
Ready to take things further?
Browse solutions
Have a look at these ready-to-go music sets for groups and classes of from 5 to 30 players. There are sets for every budget.
Read more
Download this pack of insights, articles and reviews to find out more about how you can use the power of music to include, empower and transform pupils, teachers and the whole school.
Talk it through
Book a chat with our founder, Andy Gwatkin. He'll be happy to answer your questions about the practicalities of implementing this approach.
Common questions
We don't have the budget
The cost per pupil is tiny compared to other music resources: whole class (30 Player) sets start from £277 and can be used with every class. And we've found that PTAs are often very keen to support music initiatives like this, and there are also grants available from EMI.
We have no space in the timetable
Be creative -- these are not just music lessons -- they develop wellbeing, social and emotional skills too, so you're not limited to using existing weekly music slots. And they also work really well as lunch time or after school sessions.
We don't have a music teacher and our class teachers dread music lessons
Don't worry! You don't need a music teacher and your class teachers don't need any music experience. The instruments are easy to play, the styles are intuitive, and the collaborative approach, with teacher and class learning together, is great fun and means that class teachers, or any teaching professional, can be just as effective as music specialists. Music lessons may quickly become your class teachers' favourite lessons!
We already have a music teacher/existing provision
Perfect -- use the approach to supercharge current provision, extending it to all year groups, and have your music teacher lead the way, mentoring class teachers and championing your arrival as a "Musical School."
We're already getting free Music hub support and don't want to complicate things
Great, and you won't. You'll find that hub specialists are brilliant for providing CPD and to assist in sessions. And they'll love that they don't have to lug van loads of instruments around, and that they can get stuck into some real music-making and see rapid results.
