At minimum: proof that teachers are DBS-checked and qualified, a clear safeguarding policy, genuine performance opportunities, honest answers about class sizes, and other parents or students willing to vouch for the experience.
Anyone can put together a professional-looking website. What separates a genuinely credible school from a good marketing page is whether it can back up its claims with specifics when you actually ask, rather than general reassurance.
Safeguarding and Qualifications, Confirmed Directly
This is the single most important thing to check, and it should never feel awkward to ask. A credible school will confirm, without hesitation, that every teacher working with children is DBS-checked and appropriately qualified, and will be able to describe its safeguarding policy in specific terms, not just claim to have one.
If a school is vague or defensive when asked directly about checks and qualifications, that’s worth taking seriously as a warning sign. It’s an entirely reasonable question, and any established school should be used to answering it clearly.
A Track Record You Can Actually See
Credibility isn’t just a claim, it’s something you should be able to observe. Ask how long the school has been running, how long teachers typically stay, and whether there’s a visible history of student progress, exam results, performances, testimonials from families who’ve been there for more than a term or two.
Genuine performance opportunities are a particularly useful signal. A school that regularly gives students a chance to perform, whether that’s an informal recital or an annual concert, is one that’s investing in real progress rather than simply collecting fees. It’s worth asking specifically what performance opportunities exist across a typical year, not just whether they exist at all.
| What to Ask | What a Credible Answer Sounds Like |
|---|---|
| Are teachers DBS-checked and qualified? | A confirmed, specific answer, not a vague reassurance |
| What’s your safeguarding policy? | A clear, describable process, not just “we take it seriously” |
| How are classes grouped? | A specific method, based on ability or starting point |
| What performance opportunities exist? | Concrete examples across the year, not a single annual event |
| Can I speak to another parent or student? | A willingness to point you towards genuine testimonials |
Ask Other Families, Not Just the School
The most reliable evidence often comes from people who aren’t trying to sell you anything. Genuine testimonials from long-standing families carry more weight than any prospectus, particularly when they describe specific details, a teacher’s name, how a child’s confidence changed over time, rather than generic praise.
A school confident in its own credibility will usually be happy to point you towards real testimonials or even put you in touch with a current family, rather than asking you to take everything on trust.
What This Looks Like at Excelsis
Every teacher at our London music school is highly qualified and DBS-checked, and we’re happy to talk through our safeguarding approach with any parent who asks. You can read more about our background on our about us page, meet the teaching team on our our team page, and hear directly from other families on our testimonials page.
A genuinely credible school should never make you feel like you’re pushing when you ask these questions. If it does, that answer alone tells you something.
See What a Credible Music School Looks Like
Ask us anything about our qualifications, safeguarding policy or teaching approach, we’re glad to answer directly.
Ask Us a Question