Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy
Wolverhampton Music Service is part of Wolverhampton City Council
We share the Council’s Commitment to bringing Equity, Diversity and Inclusion to every part of our work.
We share the Council’s policies on areas of inclusive practice and ensure that we are aligned in our understanding of these, our training and our values. We work closely with the Council’s data team to access City-wide data to inform the reach of our offer. The Music Service is part of the Educational Excellence team and we work together to understand priorities for embedding inclusion in our teaching and learning. In addition to our work with the Education Excellence Team, the Music Service has its own staff EDI Champions group, formed in 2020.
Wolverhampton Music Service staff member Diana Velichko talks about their work in the EDI Group.
Wolverhampton Music Service staff member Rob Craner talks about Green Park’s ‘Making Music’ Week.
Who is responsible for EDI in Wolverhampton Music Service?
We believe that Equity, Diversity and Inclusion is everyone’s responsibility. Developing more inclusive practice is everyone’s business and we should all feel empowered to make change. The Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Lead for Wolverhampton Music Service is Sarah Tulley, Assistant Head. Sarah is a member of the WMS EDI Champions Group and the City of Wolverhampton Council Cultural Competence Champions Group. Our Hub Development Lead for Inclusion is Daryl Pardesi. They are one of the founding members of the WMS EDI Champions Group. The Head of Wolverhampton Music Service is Ciaran O’Donnell. Ciaran is a member of the WMS EDI Champions Group.
Wolverhampton Music Service and Music Education hub Engagement
- In 2024-25 The Music Service taught 5642 children and young people across all wards of our City. Our offer includes a mix of whole class, small group and 1-1 teaching delivered by specialist Western Classical, Contemporary Music and traditional Indian Music teachers. All our teachers are committed to widening access to more diverse repertoire, relevant and inspiring for all our young musicians.
- 415 children and young people were members of a Music Service out of school group. We do not charge parents/carers for their child’s membership of these groups.
- WMS staff gave a week of over 50 free performances across all settings in May 2025
- Children and young people from 98 Wolverhampton schools engaged with a music event led by our Music Hub or partners (Art Council Data Return 2024-25)
- We worked in partnership with mainstream, special and Wolverhampton Virtual School to deliver 1-1 instrumental teaching to 25 Children and Young People in Care. We worked with our Hub partner, Inclusic, to lead Playing Together events for these children and young people who learn in a special school setting.
Wolverhampton Music Service staff member Clare Lock talks about their work in the EDI Group.
Understanding our Communities
• Wolverhampton is the 24th (out of 317) most deprived LA in the country
• Over 50% of the population fall into the most deprived 20% nationally
• Almost 60% of all 0-15 year olds living in our city live in a deprived area
• Nearly a third of children in the city live in poverty
• 39% of dependent children in Wolverhampton live in a lone parent household (compared with national average of 22%)
• Approximately 25% of the city’s population are children and young people aged 0-19
• 2% of 0-19 year olds in Wolverhampton are of “other” ethnicity
• 8% are from Black/African/Caribbean/Black British heritage
• 11% are from mixed heritage
• 20% are from Asian or Asian/British ethnicity
• 59% are from a white ethnic background
• 5% (conservative estimate) of 11-16 year olds in Wolverhampton identify as LGBTQ+
• 17% of the school population (1 in 6 children) has special educational needs and/or disabilities
