Brass Foundations: Future Leaders' Programme

The programme is designed to be flexible around your existing professional and personal life. As this is a formal RSL qualification, it carries a Total Qualification Time (TQT) of approximately 150 hours.

Don’t worry, this isn't 150 hours of ‘homework’. Rather, it is the total time an average learner spends on the course across the whole year. This includes:

Guided Learning: Our intensive Workshop Weekends and online mentor sessions.

Practical Application: The time you spend delivering to learners or preparing for delivery at home (which you may be doing already).

Independent Study: Reviewing resources and preparing your portfolio evidence.

On average, most candidates find that dedicating approximately 3 hours a week allows them to progress comfortably without feeling overwhelmed. However, it could be slightly more or less.

In a word, yes. It is not an RSL requirement, but it is a Brass Bands England/Brass Foundations requirement. With only three Workshop Weekends throughout the year, every hour is critical. These sessions are the heartbeat of the programme – a rare opportunity to step out of your usual environment to test new strategies, refine your delivery practice and collaborate with your peers in real-time.

Because the content is heavily practical and often peer-led, missing even part of a day puts you at a significant disadvantage. We view these weekends not just as ‘attendance requirements’, but as vital milestones where the most valuable learning and networking happen. We ask all candidates to prioritise these dates (26/27 September, 9/10 January, 17/18 April) from the outset to ensure they get the full value of the experience.

Candidates must be 18 or over to enroll on the Future Leaders’ Programme. Beyond that, we welcome applications from practitioners at any stage of their career or life.

Musically, we look for a proficiency level equivalent to Grade 5 (ABRSM/Trinity/RSL) or above. You should be able to play your brass instrument and read notation confidently at this standard. While you do not need to have passed a formal examination to apply, a functional understanding of music theory is essential as the programme involves practical tasks in transposition, score analysis and arranging. We value your real-world experience and current ability as much as any physical certificate.

The Future Leaders’ Programme is a heavily subsidised initiative. Our mission is to support the next generation of brass leaders, which is why the programme is priced at a significant reduction to its actual delivery cost.

To ensure we can maintain the high level of one-to-one mentoring and the RSL accreditation, we are unable to reduce the core price further.

The Future Leaders’ Programme occupies a unique space in music education. While many traditional Teaching Diplomas (Level 4 and above) focus primarily on one-to-one instrumental tuition, the FLP is specifically designed for the ensemble and bandroom environment.

In academic terms this is an RSL Level 3 Certificate, which is equivalent to A-level standard. It is an ideal entry point for practitioners looking to formalise their skills before moving towards higher education or professional diplomas. Or, just to have as evidence of proficiency in the bandroom learning environment.

It is important to note that the FLP is not an alternative to Initial Teacher Training (ITT), which are postgraduate Level 7 qualifications. Instead, it provides a rigorous, regulated benchmark for community music-making. It validates your expertise in a way that ‘certificates of attendance’ cannot, providing a solid pedagogical foundation for those who lead brass groups, workshops and youth ensembles.

Not at all. While conducting skills are central to our world, the FLP goes far beyond the podium. Our primary focus is the pedagogy (the method and practice of how we teach) around working with brass players during their formative months.

The programme is specifically designed to refine how we deliver learning to those in their first year of playing. It’s about more than just music; it’s about intentional engagement, practical strategies to strengthen understanding and the psychology of the bandroom. We ask big questions about learning theories, the impact of family dynamics and how to foster a genuine sense of belonging.

For an experienced conductor, the FLP offers a chance to ‘filter and condense’ your existing practice, ensuring your leadership is backed by modern educational theory and a rigorous understanding of the wider responsibilities inherent in leading young people today.

RSL offers a flexible approach to assessments. Because the FLP is about your practical ability, you can choose the submission style that best suits your strengths. Each unit has specific ‘evidence limits’ which can be met through written work, audio/visual recordings, or a combination of both.

You can present your evidence as an essay, blog, vlog, podcast or filmed presentation. Word limits and time limits are prescriptive but note that you can also combine styles. For example, for Unit 1, you could submit a 500-word blog and a 3.5-minute podcast to meet the requirement. Your mentor will help you navigate these options to ensure your portfolio meets the RSL criteria while remaining manageable for you.

In an ideal world, you would have access to an ensemble that you work with on a regular basis, such as a youth brass band or a school starter group. It is the ideal way to trial the programme's strategies.

You will need access to this learning environment for your practical assessments and to form the content of each unit’s assignments. Specifically, for Unit 3: Facilitating Learning, you must submit a 10–15 minute video of yourself leading an activity.

If you do not currently have a home band, please contact us before applying. We may be able to facilitate a placement or source a mentor band within our network to ensure you have the space and learners needed to fulfill these requirements.

In the Future Leaders’ Programme, we treat conducting as a tool for clarity, not just an art form. While 'baton technique' is essential, it is taught specifically through the lens of what a beginner ensemble needs to succeed. For example:

Practical Bandleading: Your physical presence and clarity feed directly into Unit 3: Facilitating Learning. You will be assessed on your ability to use these techniques to lead a highly engaging, 10–15 minute activity with your learners.

Behaviour Management: This is a core requirement of Unit 2: Planning Learning. You will explore how to create a positive environment, manage group dynamics and use specific questioning techniques to keep learners focused.

Rather than choosing between the two, you will learn how they work together to maintain an engaged room.

If you enrol on the Future Leaders’ Programme, you get the best of both worlds: a comprehensive curriculum with bespoke delivery.

While your teaching modules are comprehensive, the RSL qualification structure itself is fixed. To achieve the Level 3 Certificate, you must successfully complete all three mandatory units:

TA-301: Safe Teaching

TA-302: Planning Learning

TA-303: Facilitating Learning

By fixing the curriculum, we ensure that every candidate has the specific evidence needed to meet these learning outcomes, as well as an enhanced experience that is directly relevant to learning brass instruments in groups.

However, we aren't rigid. We do read the room and adapt our delivery to meet the specific needs and experience levels of the cohort. This ensures that while the syllabus is complete, the experience feels tailored to you.

You are never left to navigate the programme alone. While the RSL qualification is designed for independent learners, the Future Leaders’ Programme provides a dedicated support structure to ensure you succeed.

Your mentorship package includes:

Regular Check-ins: You will have dedicated time with your mentor on a regular basis to discuss your progress and review your portfolio evidence. This might be an online meet up, phone call, email or message chat.

In-Person Observations: Your mentor will visit you in your own learning space twice during the year. This is a crucial opportunity to receive live feedback on your delivery.

Workshop Coaching: You will work directly with the mentoring team during our intensive Workshop Weekends, where the focus is on practical, hands-on development.

If you find you need additional support at a particular stage of the journey, we will always do our best to accommodate extra mentorship time. Our goal is to ensure you feel confident to deliver learning and prepared for every assessment.

First of all, you are not alone. Many of our successful candidates in the pilot year hadn't done any formal ‘studying’ for years. While that brings its own set of challenges, we work through them together. Learning at any level should challenge and affirm us, and we are here to ensure that the academic side doesn't become a barrier to your progress.

To support you, the Future Leaders’ Programme offers:

Academic Guidance: We provide templates and ‘how-to’ guides for all aspects of the RSL units, breaking down exactly what the examiners are looking for.

Flexible Submissions: If traditional essay writing isn’t for you, we encourage you to use the alternative evidence styles permitted by RSL. This includes blogs, vlogs, podcasts, recorded presentations and professional discussions.

Draft Feedback: Your mentor will review your work-in-progress, helping you refine your ideas before you submit them for final marking.

Remember, this qualification is designed to measure your competence as a delivery practitioner and leader, not your ability to write an academic assignment. We value your real-world experience and will help you translate that into the evidence needed for your Level 3 Certificate.

You’ll see above that RSL accommodates and promotes flexible submission styles. In addition, we at BBE are committed to adaptive approaches to our own delivery, the scheduling of tasks and assignments, and the support offered through one-to-one mentorship.

If you have further needs that will require ‘reasonable adjustments’ in the assessment process, we will act on your behalf to request that these be made. RSL’s Reasonable Adjustments Policy is available here, under VQ Policies.

Absolutely. We want you to leave the Future Leaders’ Programme with a toolkit you can use for the rest of your career.

As part of your enrolment, you will receive a personal folder of bespoke resources that belongs to you. We are also generous with physical resources, additional handouts and practical templates – anything we feel will benefit your teaching. These are yours to keep and refer back to long after the programme has finished.

Throughout the year, you will also have access to:

Curated Reading Materials: Recommended reading lists, pedagogical articles and research summaries specifically chosen for the brass band room.

The FLP Community: You will be invited to our private Brass Network community on Facebook, where we share great ideas, troubleshoot challenges and foster a community of good practice among brass educators.

Your Portfolio: Because your RSL evidence is created by you, you will have a permanent digital record of your growth and professional reflections to use for future endeavours. For example, to elevate the credentials of your group or for future funding bids.

The FLP brochure contains several case studies detailing our pilot year candidates’ experiences. While the programme is relatively new, you’ll see the impact on our graduates' careers is already evident. Achievements include:

Academic Progression: The RSL Level 3 Certificate carries UCAS points, providing a formal bridge for those looking to progress into higher education or more advanced Level 4+ Teaching and Directing Diplomas. Whilst our pilot year focused on immediate bandroom impact, this qualification ensures your credentials are ready should you choose to take the next step in your academic journey.

Refined Leadership: Improving player retention and engagement within participants’ own youth sections and community bands.

Secured New Roles: Utilising the formalised qualification to apply for peripatetic teaching positions or new conducting appointments with confidence.

Formalised Experience: Turning years of self-taught bandroom experience into a Level 3 Certificate that is understood by schools, hubs and employers nationwide.

The FLP is designed to move you from being a practitioner to a recognised professional. We help you build your profile in two distinct ways:

1. Formal Accreditation. By earning the RSL Level 3 Certificate, you gain a qualification that is recognised by schools, music hubs and local authorities across the UK. For those seeking peripatetic teaching work or formal conducting roles, this Level 3 status provides a clear benchmark of your pedagogical understanding, safety awareness and planning skills – making your CV stand out to employers who require regulated standards.

2. The Brass Network Community. Networking is at the heart of the programme. Through our in-person Workshop Weekends and our private Brass Network online community, you will:

Connect with Peers: Build lasting relationships with fellow conductors and educators who share your challenges and can offer ‘on-the-ground’ opportunities.

Access Mentorship: Benefit from the direct oversight of our experienced mentor team, who are deeply embedded in the UK brass and education sectors.

Showcase Your Work: Your Unit 3 assessment results in a professional-grade video of your teaching. This, along with your submitted evidence, forms a digital portfolio that you can use to demonstrate your leadership style to potential bands or employers.