In this section we have compiled information for parents who are considering sending their daughter or son to the Falun Conservatory of Music. For instance, you can read about the curriculum and our social responsibility, comments from other parents and about the difference between the Conservatory and other schools. Click on the link you are interested in!

• General information to parents

Parents’ thoughts about the Conservatory and sending their teenager to a new town

Students enter the upper secondary programmes at the age of fifteen or sixteen. We know that many parents hesitate and feel anxious when thinking about sending their son or daughter to a new town. In fact, some parents consider it impossible. This is not difficult to understand; you are not that old at sixteen. What about accommodation; what if my child falls sick or falls into bad company; who will check on my son or daughter living alone in Falun? We hope this information will be useful to you as a parent as well as to your child. Here you can learn about our safety net and how you can get more information and comments from parents whose children recently have finished their upper secondary education at our school.

Vi hoppas här kunna ge information som ska vara till nytta både för dig som förälder och för ditt barn. Här kan du läsa om hur vårt skyddsnät fungerar, hur du kan få ytterligare information och även kommentarer från föräldrar som nyligen haft sina ungdomar hos oss under tre års gymnasietid.

We have taken care of young people since 1967

The Falun Conservatory of Music will soon turn forty. Over the years we have learnt a lot about music, pedagogy and guidance but also about young people’s needs. From the start we realized that people cannot develop without feeling good about themselves, and this insight has grown stronger. The desire to play music and the joy of growing as a musician and as a person are key aspects of the pedagogy at the Falun Conservatory of Music.

The students spend a lot of time at school since there is a kitchen, a laundry room, a computer room and showers, which are open for the students between 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Usually some of the teachers are present in the evenings too. A day at the Conservatory involves much more than schoolwork between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. Ordinary schoolwork, music practise, social life and spare time are woven together.

Teacher/Student ratio – a matter of safety

There are about 30 teachers working at the school, not including core-subject teachers, and 15 of them are permanently employed. The number of students is approximately 70. In other words, teacher/student ratio is very high, actually we dare say that it is higher than in any other pre-secondary school in Sweden. This means that each student get more attention than in the other national programmes.
A daily dialogue between students and teachers as well as amongst teachers ensures that senior teachers as well as school management are familiar with every student’s situation. Discussions with each student, in which parents are invited to participate, and student-welfare meetings are held each term. If there are questions concerning a student’s wellbeing we get in touch with the family.

School Health Care

There is a nurse and a doctor at the school. If necessary they can help the students contact a specialist, a welfare officer, a psychologist or a physiotherapist.

Students’ influence has always been important at the Falun Conservatory of Music. Teaching and the school in general are regularly evaluated in student polls and in a large annual inquiry. Representatives of the students and teachers discuss the issues brought up.

Quality Report of the Swedish Agency for Education

During the period 2004 to 2005 the Swedish Agency for Education carried out an inspection of Swedish upper secondary schools. All schools were visited by inspectors who observed the work and requested to see documentation about health care, contingency plans, students’ influence to mention a few examples. School management, teachers and students were also interviewed. For the Falun Conservatory of Music this inspection resulted in a summarizing comment that made us very proud. No one had ever received such a positive judgment before we were told when the report was presented to us.

Accomodation

Bostadssituationen är gynnsam i Falun. Det är lätt att få bostad och det är inte dyrt. Musikkonservatoriet har inget eget elevboende, men sedan många år finns ett väl upparbetat nätverk som står till anländande elevers förfogande. Vi hjälper gärna till att förmedla kontakter.

Health Promoting Activities

Knowledge of ergonomics and health is a central issue for musicians in general; for young music students it is a necessity. We arrange seminars on ergonomics and knowledge of the body. In addition our students have more lessons in sport than required by the National Agency for Education. We believe that physical and psychological wellbeing play a very important part in a young music student’s development. Our doctor and the school nurse, a physiotherapist and one of the teachers (Inge Hällkvist) have continuously updated their knowledge of ergonomics for musicians through visits to and collaboration with CMM (Centre for Musicians’ Medicine).

Alcohol and Drugs

Despite the fact that we rarely have any alcohol or drug related problems at the school, we have an action programme for dealing with these important issues. Naturally, drinking alcohol and smoking is not allowed at school. We arrange special anti-drug days where guest lecturers inform about alcohol, drugs and their effects, and we are always sensitive to these problems. The Custom Department’s pamphlet No Drugs is one example of the information material we use.

Queries

If you want to give your child a first-class education - a time of joy and personal development as well as the best possible basis for a life as a professional musician – then send him or her to Falun. Do not hesitate to contact us if you have any queries! We will be more than pleased to answer. Click on “Teachers” in the menu to the left to get in touch with anyone of our teachers.

Please feel free to visit us whenever you like to form your own opinion. Just let us know when you are coming. You are also welcome to our Open House, held one Saturday in October every year.