The MU is pleased to see funding for Music Hubs moving in the right direction. Image credit: Shutterstock.
Arts Council England has informed Music Hubs of the Department for Education’s decision to provide a new grant that will contribute towards employers’ contributions to the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS).
Specifically, the grant will be provided to Hub Lead Organisations and delivery partners that have permanent or contracted teaching staff enrolled on the TPS, and that do not receive a TPS contribution through a local authority.
The grant will cover the period from September 2024 to March 2025, after which there will be a Spending Review to determine future funding.
Chris Walters, MU National Organiser for Education, said:
“We are delighted that the new government has paid attention to the pressing issue of support for the TPS in Music Hubs, which we raised repeatedly under the previous administration. Music teachers in Hubs are just as deserving of access to the TPS as any other teacher, which this decision recognises.”
The grant should mean that Hub employers that are currently consulting to leave the TPS will now be able to halt these consultations and continue to offer the TPS to their teachers.
Advice to members
Some MU members work for Hub employers that are currently consulting to leave the TPS because of the previous government’s decision to end the original TPS grant to non-local authority Music Hubs. The MU will now work with these employers to ensure where possible that these consultations are halted and the TPS is retained.
While the government’s decision is good news, members should be aware that many details are yet to be provided, so we cannot guarantee the outcome of any TPS negotiations at this stage.
Other MU members work for Hub employers that have already left the TPS because of the previous government’s policy position. Because the new grant offers support only to employers that are still part of the TPS, we do not anticipate that employers that have left the TPS will look to rejoin it because of this development.
Longer term considerations
The MU is pleased to see funding for Music Hubs moving in the right direction. Looking ahead, the forthcoming Spending Review is a vital opportunity to ensure that music education funding is sufficient to deliver high-quality music education for all children and young people, and to ensure that all teachers are paid fairly, including access to the TPS.