Only one in five teachers is confident about music teaching compared with 85 per cent who feel at ease teaching maths and 80 per cent English, according to a TES poll of 500 primary teachers in England.

Bill Milligan, president of the Association of Head Teachers in Scotland, conceded the refrain is similar north of the border. “I would happily concur. It’s a difficult subject to teach for those not musically inclined and I speak for the staff in my school on this. We were discussing it this week,” Mr Milligan said.

The survey shows that teachers feel least confident about teaching music, with almost half of those polled doubting their abilities. The finding applies across all age groups.

Mr Milligan said the 5-14 curriculum ensured at least half an hour a week for music, plus assemblies, but it was what went on in classrooms that concerns staff. His South Ayrshire primary is about to buy a CD-based programme for the non-specialists to improve singing, playing and harmonising.

Janet Mills of the Royal College of Music in London said: “There is no reason why teachers cannot be as confident in music as they are in maths if they had the same amount of help. But it is so difficult for teachers when confronted with specialists with particular skills to see how they can get the same results from children.”

A JOLLY BUNCH, AFTER HOURS

The poll shows that teachers are a sociable bunch, managing to spend an evening out with colleagues at least once a month. Just 7 per cent say they never socialise with each other.

But that is possibly because they have no time to meet during the day. Two out of five teachers say they are up against it in class and have no time to chat.