Instrumental Teaching In Specialist Schools: Getting it Right
Learn how to develop expertise in specialist school settings and build confident, inclusive workforces capable of responding to diverse and complex learner needs.
Music Hubs across the country report an increase in demand for instrumental tuition from specialist schools, inclusion bases and alternative provision. We need to make sure that the tutors we provide to these settings have the specialist expertise and confidence to engage and inspire learners with diverse interests, abilities and needs.
This session explores two questions. Firstly, what are the skills, knowledge and mindset needed to work effectively in specialist settings? Secondly, what professional development opportunities can hubs put in place to support this development? We will present a ‘map of practitioner expertise’ and discuss various evidence-based approaches to practitioner development.
Attendees will leave with a clear pathway to increasing their workforce’s inclusive capacity.
Who should attend?
- Hub leadership
- Inclusion leads
- Instrumental teachers interested in working in specialist settings
- Arts organisations
Presenters: Ben Sellers & the UpRising Team
Ben Sellers:
Ben Sellers is the programme lead of MEHEM UpRising, and is curating the NDIM series. He works closely with music and arts organisations nationally and internationally to support the development of their inclusive offers. He is currently undertaking a UKRI-funded PhD at the UCL Institute of Education, exploring approaches to music teacher development in specialist settings.
Ruth Montgomery:
Ruth Montgomery is a professional musician, consultant, educator, and workshop facilitator who delivers her pedagogy at various institutions including The Royal College of Music. Beginning her 12 year career at Essex Music Services and now leading a programme of music education for Deaf children commissioned by Music of Life, she works to ensure that deaf children receive the full benefits of high quality, specialist music education. Her delivery of Music of Life’s Deaf Teacher Training Course at RCM has allowed her to train the next generation of music teachers for deaf children.
Tim Smith:
Tim is an instrumental tutor and ensemble coach for Northamptonshire Music and Performing Arts Trust, delivering small group and individual guitar tuition in schools across Northamptonshire. In 2025/26 he participated in the MEHEM UpRising Musician-in-Residence project.
Accessibility
- Technology: Zoom
- Captioning: AI-generated
- Breakout rooms: To be confirmed
- Recording: No
If you would like to request presentation slides, questions and provocations in advance of the session, please get in touch with us by emailing info@musicmark.org.uk. Speakers may decline sharing this information on the basis of protecting their intellectual property or for other reasons and we cannot therefore guarantee availability for all events.
Attend this event
Members Ticket: £16+VAT
Non-Members Ticket: £32+VAT
Those who work within MEHEM will receive direct communications from UpRising offering access to a special rate.
About the Provider
Music Mark
We are a membership organisation, Subject Association, and an Arts Council England Investment Principles Support Organisation (IPSO) advocating for excellent musical learning in and out of school.
