Safety
How Drums for Schools ensures all instruments are safe for use in schools.
What We Test For
Our musical instruments are designed and made to be safe for use by players aged 3 and older. We carry out extensive risk analyses and testing of both the materials used and the instruments themselves.
Materials
Non-toxic finishes, natural materials, and rounded edges — all tested to ensure they are safe for young hands.
Durability
Stress-tested to withstand enthusiastic classroom use, ensuring instruments remain safe even with heavy, repeated play.
Age-Appropriateness
Size, weight, and playing technique are carefully matched to the age group to ensure safe and enjoyable use.
Compliance
All products meet the relevant UK safety directives for musical instruments — specifically the General Product Safety Regulations (GPSR).
CE and UKCA Marking
Because our instruments are musical instruments for use in educational settings, they fall outside the toy safety regulations and so cannot legally carry CE or UKCA markings.
Instead, all our products meet the requirements of the GPSR — General Product Safety Regulations, the UK's main framework for ensuring consumer products are safe. This is the correct and legally appropriate standard for musical instruments supplied to schools.
All Drums for Schools instruments are safe for children of 3 years and older.
Safe for children of 3 years and older
All our instruments have been tested and rated for use with players aged 3 and over, in educational and supervised settings.
Guidance for Early Years (ages 3–5)
When using instruments with young players aged 3 to 5, please always follow our Good Practice Guide.
Not suitable for under 3s
Our musical instruments are not toys, and should not be used with children under the age of 3 because of the risk of small parts becoming loose and potentially presenting a choking hazard.
Key guidelines for ages 3–5
- 1 Bring the instruments out just for music sessions, and put them away afterwards. This keeps them "special" and avoids any risk from unsupervised play.
- 2 Make sure music sessions take place on a soft surface, whether inside or out.
- 3 Never allow children to play with any instrument unless closely supervised — don't let any child suck or bite any part of any instrument.
- 4 Don't let a child of any age play aggressively, especially close to the ear — constant loud volumes can damage hearing.
- 5 After each session, wipe instruments with a damp cloth and check for loose parts or cracks. Remove any damaged instrument from use immediately.
Some History
Until April 2018 we had been supplying musical instruments and kits to all age groups, including the under 3s. However, following a report in April 2018 of a very young child swallowing a seed from one of our shakers, we carried out a full safety review of all our instruments and changed the age rating for all instruments to “3 Years or over”.
Questions about safety?
Contact our team at care@drumsforschools.co.uk and we'll be happy to help.
