Survey results for part-time music teaching in schools

– self-employed

Two hundred and eighty one respondents had worked in schools as a self-employed visiting teacher since September 2022. This was 42% of the total number of people completing the survey, up from 34% last year. Sixty one percent of these said they chose to be selfemployed, while 39% would prefer to be employed by the establishment but this option was not available

School type for self-employed music teachers

Hourly rates for self-employed teachers by school type

Bottom 20% Median Top 20% Independent School £35 £42 £46 State-funded school (incl. academies) £30 £34 £39

Music Hub/ music school £26.90 £30 £36.40

Hourly rates for self-employed teachers by region

Bottom 20% Median Top 20%

Inner London £33.40 £43 £54.80

Outer London £39.40 £43 £48

Elsewhere in South East England £34 £40 £45

East England £36 £36 £39.48

As in previous years, the sample of self-employed teachers is spread more evenly between state and private schools than those employed by the school. Fifty six percent reported that they had worked in state-funded schools with a further 48% reporting activity in independent schools. Just under 10% of the sample worked in a music hub/music school. Some of the respondents in this category will have worked in more than one type of establishment.

Hourly rates

Fifty six percent of respondents said that their rates had increased since September 2021, the median increase being around £2 per hour. Statistical testing shows that hourly rates continue to be significantly higher in independent schools, a median rate of £42 compared to £34 in state schools and £30 in music hubs. Just two respondents reported a fee reduction.

Only 7% of the sample were located in Inner London. Outer London and the South East of England made up 37% of respondents. The samples for North East England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland were too small to give reliable results.

South West England £29.80 £34.25 £40

West Midlands £30 £35 £40.40

East Midlands £30 £33 £36

Yorkshire £30 £33 £36

North West England £28.10 £31.75 £36.80

As with other categories, London and the South East enjoy much higher median rates. The average rate in Outer London is more than £11 higher than North West England.

Room hire and administration fees

Very few respondents were paying for room hire or administration fees – just 55 and 16 respectively. The results do not offer a pattern for the rate of fees.

Comparing employed with self-employed

Survey results for accompanists and examiners

Of the 663 survey respondents, 156 reported that they had done accompanying work across the below categories, in either one or more areas.

As with previous surveys, hourly teaching rates are higher for self-employed contracts than employed. There is still a statistically significant difference between average hourly rates of £37.30 for self-employed teachers compared with £33.66 for employees.

Median rates have increased in most categories, some by as much as £5 per hour.

Comparison of

Examinations

Grades 1–4 £27 £35 £45 £33.50

Grades 5–6 £30 £40 £50 £35

Grades 7–8 £34 £40 £50 £38.10

Diplomas £35 £45 £59 £40

As with last year’s survey, numbers working as examiners were very small. Just 3% of respondents reported activity in this area and therefore the data will not be considered other than to summarise. In total 22 people had worked for one of the below organisations with 18 doing so on a self-employed basis.

Self-employed

Festivals and competitions (incl. rehearsal fee) £28 £38 £50 £35

Amateur choir or operatic society £25 £35 £40.60 £35

School or college choir £28 £38 £50 N/A

Dance lessons £19.20 £28 £36.40 N/A

Auditions (incl. rehearsal fee) £28.40 £43 £50 £40

Organist in church £30 £50 £78 £50

Which organisation did you work for as an examiner? Frequency

Associated Board for the Royal Schools 12 Trinity College London (TCL) 4 London College of Music (LCM) 1 MTB 2