DfE Funded Instruments for Secondary Schools

Last chance to apply for your free instruments! Deadline 30th September 2025

Good news, all secondary schools can order £1000 worth of musical instruments or equipment!

What’s the process?

A condition of our music hub funding is that we report on all of our activity, including engagement with each school in the borough. This year we are requesting that you provide the information we need before we process your instrument order. Those questions are included in the form below.
Deadlines: Please complete the form by the 30th September.

For schools that miss the deadline, your funds will be re-allocated to other projects in the borough.

Order options (you will be asked to select one).

  1. Click this link to use our bespoke website.
    Password: Croydon
    We have added several items following the responses you provided in June, including more world music percussion and a Yamaha P-145 bundle. You can spend up to 200 points. 

  2. Select either of the Drums for Schools packages:
    1. The 30-piece djembe and percussion set, 15 of each, plus teacher djembe (16 djembes total)- see information below the form.
    2. Order the Drums for Schools djembes only set, giving you a 17-piece djembe set, plus teacher djembe (18 total).
  3. Bespoke order: If you have a clear idea of other instruments or equipment you need for your school, email that request to our office team. Include as much detail as possible, including a supplier. We will need to seek quotes from the suppliers on the approved DfE framework and check items do not exceed our budget. List more than £1,000 (inc. VAT) worth as suppliers will offer discounts, but list them in order of need so we can select what to order without too much back and forth. This process will take longer so our preference is that you use the options above if possible.
  4. Not ready to order: We understand you may need more time to consult with colleagues or complete your plans for next year before being able to identify need. If so, please select this option but still complete the rest of the online form.

Secondary 30 Player West African Drumming Set

The 15 djembe drums in this set have 10” and 11”” overall head diameters, so they’re all big enough for proper, two-handed playing by secondary pupils and even adult players. They’re Pro Wide Top quality with sustainable hardwood mahogany shells, medium thick goatskin heads and made by hand using top quality traditional techniques. They’re also quite compact (10 x 40cm and 5 x 50cm high), so relativel little storage space will be needed and they’ll be quick and easy to set up. The 15 percussion items are supplied in high quality storage/carry bags and allow teachers to split the class into “buddy” pairs, each sharing a djembe and a piece of percussion. This is a very effective way of teaching and each pupil will learn how to play both djembe and percussion over the course of a term’s lessons.
Full teaching support is included: Andy Gleadhill’s African Drumming Book 1, plus a KS2-3 Scheme of Work, “how to play” videos, audio tracks and other online support materials, all designed for non-specialist teachers. There’s enough material for several terms of teaching, and there’s plenty of scope for progression to African Drumming Book 2.