Most Music & Art Schools care deeply about inclusion. The challenge is making it visible in everyday practice - in communication, teaching, registration, leadership decisions and the way people experience the school.
In our latest Inspirational Webinar, we spoke with Sam Stimpson, Founder and CEO of SLS 360 and Founder of the IDEAL Network. Sam works with leaders in music, arts and culture to help them build more inclusive, diverse, equitable and accessible organisations.
This article brings together the key reflections from the conversation as well as few practical starting points for music services and schools.
We looked at:
Diversity is often understood as the presence of difference: different backgrounds, ages, cultures, genders, abilities, experiences and ways of seeing the world.
Sam described this as a starting point. For diversity to become meaningful, those differences need to be recognised, respected and valued in everyday life.
Inclusion is about how people experience the environment they are part of. It grows through access, participation, communication, trust and the way an organisation responds when someone’s experience does not match its ambition.
For Music & Art Schools, this makes diversity and inclusion very practical. They are shaped in the way lessons are offered, programmes are planned, families are welcomed, staff are supported and decisions are made.
The key point: diversity and inclusion are created through everyday choices.
Sam challenged a well-known idea:
“Diversity is being invited to the party. Inclusion is being asked to dance.”
Her point was simple: someone still planned the party.
Real inclusion starts earlier. It means involving people before decisions are made - when new courses are developed, concert programmes are planned, registration processes are designed and communication with families is prepared.
For schools, this means: feedback is useful, but involvement has to happen early enough to shape the outcome.
Many organisations want to be inclusive. Still, there can be a difference between what a school intends and what people actually experience.
A registration process may feel simple to one family and confusing to another. A message may be sent to everyone, but not understood by everyone. A programme may be open to all, but still feel out of reach for some.
Sam encouraged leaders to look honestly at that gap. Inclusion becomes stronger when the people affected by decisions are closer to the conversation and have real influence before final choices are made.
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'Sam’s key message
"You do not have to have all the answers. You just need to stop pretending that nothing is wrong. Be honest about where you are and be willing to find the answers..."
Music & Art Schools already have useful data: registrations, attendance, retention, waiting lists, financial support, locations, subjects and progression.
This data can show patterns. It can help schools see who takes part, who continues and where students may drop out.
But numbers need context. That is why it is important to both look at the quantitative data as well as qualitative data, indicating the experience, barriers and real stories.
While a report can indicate where to look, it is the actual conversations with students, families and staff that help to explain what is really happening. This symbiosis of data and lived experience provides schools with a clearer picture of where support is effective and where changes may be needed.
A useful approach: let the data show the pattern, then let people explain the experience behind it.
Sam also spoke about equity: giving people the support they need to participate and progress.
In music education, this can relate to learning needs, neurodiversity, accessibility, language, financial barriers, transport, confidence or communication.
The important step is to review the outcome. Support should make participation easier, clearer and more meaningful for the people it is meant to help.
If the experience has not improved, the process needs another look.
The practical reminder: support is only effective when it makes a real difference.
Inclusion can feel sensitive. Many people are afraid of saying the wrong thing.
Sam’s advice was to create ‘space and grace’: space to learn, and grace when people make honest mistakes.
For school leaders, this means creating a culture where staff can ask questions, share experiences and talk about difficult topics with care. It is also about responsibility - listening properly, learning from feedback and improving practice over time.
In daily work: this can be as simple as making inclusion part of regular staff conversations, not only something discussed during campaigns or awareness months.
Inclusion work does not have to start with a large project. For many schools, the best starting point is to choose one area, look at it honestly and make one practical improvement.
A few places to begin:
Map who takes part - and how people experience the school
Look at the data you already have, such as registrations, retention, financial support, instrument choices, locations and attendance. Combine this with feedback from students, families and staff to understand both the numbers and the experience behind them.
Look for gaps, not just totals
Overall numbers can look fine while some groups, areas or programmes tell a different story. Breaking data down can help schools see where students drop out, where participation is lower, or where support may be needed earlier.
Start with one programme
Choose one course, ensemble, centre or registration flow and review whether it is accessible in practice. Small adaptations around communication, timing, cost, learning needs or transport can make a real difference when they are followed up.
Share decisions earlier
Involve the people affected by a decision before everything is already planned. This could be students, families, teachers or community partners. Real influence is more valuable than feedback at the end.
Keep the conversation alive
A simple one-page plan with a few priorities, clear ownership and a review date can help turn good intentions into steady progress.
The main idea: start small, learn from what happens and build from there.
Good digital tools can support schools by making it easier to understand data, communicate clearly and create smoother workflows for families, staff and students.
This links closely to many of the themes discussed throughout the webinar. If schools want to understand participation, identify barriers, involve people earlier and review whether support is working, they need systems that make information easier to access and act on.
At SpeedAdmin, these are areas we actively support through our platform. Features such as registration, communication, attendance tracking, reporting and student data management are designed to help Music & Art Schools gain better insight into participation and make informed decisions that support students throughout their journey.
Accessibility is also an important part of how we develop our product. We work with recognised accessibility standards such as WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) to help ensure that our system can be used by as many people as possible, including those with impairments.
In practice, this means focusing on clear layouts, easy-to-read content, logical navigation, easy-to-understand forms, an adequate contrast ratio, and other design choices that make digital experiences simpler.
Just as inclusion in music education is shaped by everyday decisions, accessibility is often built through many small choices that reduce barriers and make participation easier for more people.
Inclusion begins with honest reflection and everyday choices.
For Music & Art Schools, it is about creating learning environments where more people feel seen, heard, valued and able to take part.
And that work can start with one small step.
Watch the full conversation on YouTube.