News
Explore our new website layout
We’ve refreshed our HMS website to make it easier for schools, parents, and partners to find what they need. The new design is more user-friendly, mobile-responsive, and packed with updated content.
Introducing the new schools area
Our dedicated schools area is now live!
This section brings together everything you need on one easy to navigate page.
The building a high-quality music education tab takes you to:
- Curriculum support and planning tools
- CPD opportunities
- Music audit form and development planning templates
- Important publications and useful resources
Whether you're an Early Years, primary, secondary, special or alternative provision school, this is your go-to hub for music education resources.
County Youth Music applications are still open!
Missed the deadline?
Don’t worry late applications are now being accepted for County-level music activities in 2025/26!
Whether you're a new applicant or returning member, there's still time to join one of our exciting County Youth Music groups. While priority is given to on-time applications, late applicants are welcome and will be considered for available places or added to our reserve list.
- Same application and audition process
- No charge if placed on the reserve list
- Only pay for the courses you attend
If you're interested in auditioning for the Hertfordshire Schools’ Symphony Orchestra (HSSO) or Hertfordshire County Youth Orchestra (HCYO), you can still submit your video audition and be considered for a place.
Apply now to take part in a year of musical growth, performance opportunities, and ensemble excellence.
School support and CPD
For a full list of CPD from Herts Music Service as well as our partners, please visit the school music development toolkit page for details of all the available events: School support - CPD.
HMS and Lead Schools CPD collaboration
We’re delighted to announce that our lead schools have come together to develop an inspiring CPD (Continuing Professional Development) programme for educators across Hertfordshire.
This collaborative effort has resulted in a thoughtfully designed programme that reflects the needs and aspirations of our school communities. Drawing on their expertise and experience, the lead schools have created a diverse range of CPD opportunities aimed at supporting professional growth, enhancing teaching practice, and fostering collaboration.
The programme is now live on our website, with dates and details available for schools to explore and begin planning their participation. Whether you're looking to deepen subject knowledge, develop leadership skills, or connect with colleagues across the county, there’s something for everyone.
A huge thank you to all the lead schools involved for their commitment and creativity in shaping this offer. Your work is helping to build a stronger, more connected education community in Hertfordshire.
For a full list of CPD from our Lead Schools as well as our partners, please visit School support - CPD for details of all the available events.
Music support networks available
To support your school, HMS continues to host a series of networks to bring teachers from similar schools together.
If you have not joined a network yet, click on the relevant options below to join colleagues in learning new skills and finding solutions to challenges – all fully funded!
Register your interest to become part of the Hertfordshire SEND School Music Network
Register your interest to become part of the Hertfordshire Primary School Music Network
Register your interest to become part of the Hertfordshire Secondary School Music Network
Music support networks 2025 – 26: Led by Regional Music Lead Schools
We’re pleased to announce that the Music Networks for the 2025–26 academic year will be led and hosted by the designated Music Lead Schools.
These schools will play a key role in bringing together music leads, teachers, and practitioners to share best practice, explore new ideas, and strengthen music education across the county. Our lead schools will host termly network meetings, providing a valuable space for collaboration, professional development, and support.
This initiative reflects our continued commitment to empowering schools to lead and shape the future of music education locally. We’re incredibly grateful to the lead schools for their enthusiasm and leadership in taking this forward.
We encourage all schools to take part and make the most of this opportunity to connect and grow together. For more information, please visit: School support - CPD.
Local updates
We manage our relationship with schools through a team of four Regional Managers. Each ‘region’ has a Regional Manager who is supported by a team of teaching specialists and support staff to understand local needs and create relevant events and opportunities for your students to participate in musical activities.
You can find the contact details for your Regional Manager here by clicking on ‘Contacts for schools – Regional Managers’.
Partner updates and resources
We work with a wide range of partners to bring a diverse range of musical opportunities to Hertfordshire schools. This includes both national and local partners to ensure that local needs are met whilst ensuring opportunities across the country and beyond are available to students at your school.
Music Mark school nominations – what’s new
- Eligibility: Schools can be nominated by their local Music Hub or Service to become a Music Mark School for one academic year, free of charge.
- Purpose: This recognises schools committed to providing high-quality music education and engaging with their local music education hub.
- Benefits:
- Access to national resources and CPD
- Invitations to Music Mark events and conferences
- Recognition as part of a national network of music education advocates
- Opportunities to showcase best practice and collaborate with other schools
Curriculum for music from ISM Trust
Elevate your teaching with the new and revised frameworks for curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment in music education from the ISM Trust.
Designed to support the delivery of music education in primary and secondary schools, these frameworks will help you plan and assess musical learning in your classroom.
They can be used in a number of ways: for individual lessons, for medium-term planning, for long-term planning and supporting and evidencing children’s musical learning and development over time. They are constructed upon sound research-based principles and evidence into effective teaching, learning and assessment in music.
Music and Mental Wellbeing
We are excited to announce Just Talk’s upcoming campaign, Music and Mental Wellbeing. As you may be aware, Just Talk is our Hertfordshire mental health and wellbeing programme, steered by young people, and delivered in partnership by over 50 agencies including Hertfordshire schools. We invite schools across Hertfordshire to get involved in Music and Mental Wellbeing by encouraging the conversation around mental health and taking part in activities to help young people explore what it means for them through music.
The campaign stems from feedback from young people in Hertfordshire which listed ‘music’ as the number one coping mechanism for CYP and their mental health. This campaign will acknowledge the positive impact music has on our wellbeing and link it to the NHS "5 Ways to Wellbeing".
Running from Monday 17 November – Friday 21 November on social media and our website, the campaign will include information on music groups and sessions for CYP to join, advice for schools on embedding music and mental wellbeing in lessons and break times, top tips on how to boost confidence when performing, and more. And this will all link back to mental health support available for CYP in Hertfordshire.
If you have some time with your students, you could encourage them to take part in the upcoming song-writing/ lyric writing competition (more information to come), or encourage them to explore the music options available in the county. Stay tuned for further updates on the Just Talk Herts webpage: https://www.justtalkherts.org/just-talk-herts.aspx and on our social media platforms @JustTalkHerts
If you have any questions, please get in contact via justtalk@hertfordshire.gov.uk
Music education meets climate action
Episode 7 of Music Mark’s Notes on Music Education podcast explores sustainability in the sector, featuring our own Ruth Roberts!
Free creative careers webinar - Artwork
Artswork’s The Power of Creativity (Thursday 30 October) is a free webinar that challenges preconceptions about creative careers and reveals how creativity is shaping exciting workplace opportunities for our young people.
BBC Young Composer 2025 is open!
A chance for 12–18s to share their own music, from classical scores to beats and songs. Winners will work with professional musicians and have their work performed. Entries close Thursday 25 September.
London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) Pathways
Mentoring for emerging orchestral musician: A two-year programme with residential weekends, one-to-one mentoring from LSO players, and career support for young musicians facing barriers. Applications close on Friday 10 October.
Useful resources, publications and organisations
As part of the HMS curriculum music toolkit, we have collated a range of resources and links to publications and organisations that could help your school become more musical. Click here to view the resources.
Pictures sourced and used from Unsplash - Beautiful Free Images & Pictures | Unsplash.