MU Column: Supporting the VMT workforce

At a recent Westminster Education Forum policy conference entitled ‘Next Steps for Music Education in England’, which took place online on 10 November, I gave a brief address on the challenges faced by VMTs (visiting music teachers, or peripatetic teachers, as they are variously known). Speaking to an audience of cultural leaders and policy makers, I felt it was important to clarify that VMTs are the backbone of the National Plan for Music Education (NPME), in that it is they who primarily deliver the work of England's music education hubs.

In my experience, there is still some lingering confusion among policy makers about how VMTs differ from classroom teachers, so I reminded the assembled group that VMTs are usually performing musicians first, with a degree in music or some other significant training as a performer. This makes them highly qualified as musicians, but it's rare for them to have had access to initial teacher training or any recognised teaching qualification. Depending on who engages them, they may have access to continuing professional development, but this is often quite sporadic and limited.

The fact that the VMT workforce is largely under-trained in this way becomes increasingly challenging as more is asked of them. For example, the whole class ensemble teaching used by music education hubs demands some quite advanced classroom management and differentiation skills, which teachers really need training for. And that's before you consider safeguarding, inclusion, and the many other areas that all teachers need to be skilled in today.

Musicians who teach

One result of this lack of training is that VMTs don't always see themselves as ‘proper’ teachers – rather, they might feel more like musicians who do some teaching, which touches on the complex issue of professional identity. Some policy makers might feel that it's up to teachers to find training opportunities – and there are certainly some very motivated VMTs who do just that – but most are busy making ends meet with hectic portfolio careers. So, if we want children and young people to access the highest quality music education, we can't just wait for VMTs to develop themselves.

In terms of contracts and pay, many VMTs are paid hourly on zero-hour contracts at a rate of about £25–30 per hour, often with no pay for breaks, travel, planning or preparation. Typically, VMTs have few opportunities for development and progression, both in terms of their roles and their pay. This is an obvious reason why hubs are struggling to recruit VMTs; we are losing many good teachers to better paid positions in independent schools or in private teaching.

Steps in the right direction

Going forward, we must be able to attract and retain excellent VMTs in music education hubs, which means giving them a level of pay and status that at least comes close to independent school rates. If we fail to do this, access to good teaching will become the preserve of the wealthy.

How, then, do we make the changes that are needed? Firstly, we need to think seriously about training and remuneration for VMTs. The first NPME called for a new qualification for VMTs, which was duly developed as the Certificate for Music Educators, but with no funding behind it and no link to earnings, it never really took off. In my view, just as classroom teachers receive initial training that leads to qualified status and a uniform teachers' pay scale, we need to think creatively about how something similar could be provided for VMTs that fits their particular role and context.

We also need to recognise that many VMTs are directly engaged by maintained schools and academies, bypassing hubs completely. We need to understand the reasons for this, and how there could be greater oversight of how VMTs are engaged to minimise some of the fragmentation and inconsistency we see now. Directly engaged VMTs often face additional challenges to those engaged through hubs – most commonly ‘fake’ self-employment and having to pay exorbitant room rental charges – and we need to tackle this too, even though it's currently beyond the influence of hubs.

A career with progression

Fundamentally, working as a VMT should be part of rewarding career that develops and goes somewhere, not just casual work in a precarious gig economy. Those developing the next NPME should engage with the Musicians' Union and others to consider these issues, and for specific funding to be allocated to initiatives that will support VMTs.

Finally, I reminded the conference that supporting the workforce is a win-win strategy, because a supported workforce leads to the best educational outcomes for children and young people. The Musicians' Union is committed to supporting teachers and contributing to the development of policy that supports both teachers and learners.

musiciansunion.org.uk