Full Report for the Quality Monitoring Project of the Wider Opportunities
Music in Leicestershire and Leicester City Primary Schools
What is Wider Opportunities Music?
The main aim of the Wider Opportunities Music programme is to create
opportunities, over time, for every Key Stage 2 (KS2) pupil who wants to learn to
receive a sustained period of free specialist tuition on a musical instrument or to
receive specialist vocal tuition, usually in a large group or whole class setting. The
ideal period for the initial tuition is considered to be a year. At the end of that year,
the target is that at least 50% of these pupils will then continue with an enhanced
musical experience in their instrumental/vocal learning either on the same or a
different instrument. It is intended that this will also support pupils’ improved self
esteem, self confidence and social skills, with improved attitudes to schooling and
improved musicality.
By 2011, it is expected that nearly half of pupils who learn an instrument at school
will reach a level of performance skills at least equivalent to National Qualification
Framework Level 1 (which covers music grades 1 – 3) and that the majority of these
pupils will reach this standard whilst still at primary school. It is accepted that pupils
will not necessarily have taken the examinations, but will play or sing to these
standards. Charging and remissions policies should ensure that this choice is
affordable for all children. Funding for Wider Opportunities will continue at least until
2011.
Methodology
Evaluation of Wider Opportunities music in Leicester and Leicestershire was carried
out over a thirty day period during November 2008. 31 schools (22 county and 9
city) were selected to be involved in the monitoring project.
Selection was based on a 75%/ 25% split between schools’ own projects and
Leicester-Shire Arts in Education Projects. Schools’ own projects were selected using
information returned from schools and to ensure a wide range of schools’ projects
were seen, the following criteria were used:





Number of pupils who were learning beyond the wider opportunities initial
programme
The age-groups involved
Method of delivery of project
Instruments offered
Number of pupils involved in project relative to number of pupils at KS2 in
school.
Those schools undertaking Leicester-Shire Arts in Education projects were selected
to ensure that there were the following examples:
1




A string Sound Start Project
A wind and percussion Sound Start Project
Musicians in Residence for a variety of instruments
A Choral Project
27 full visits took place, usually lasting a day. One reduced visit took place (at the
request of the school due to school staff workload). Two visits could not be
organised due to school music staff’s long term absence. One visit was cancelled at
short notice by the school.
The Monitoring Project was commissioned by Leicester-Shire Arts in Education to an
Independent Consultant. Following a request from a Leicestershire Primary Heads
working group, four school music coordinators were selected to take part in the
county school visits in order to develop professional practice which could then be
utilised in future years by local schools. In addition to these, eight specialist staff
were selected from Leicester-Shire Arts in Education to undertake visits to both city
and county schools, again as a professional development opportunity. All staff on the
project undertook training led by the appointed consultant and each member of the
team undertook their first visit with the project consultant. Visits were usually
undertaken by two Monitoring Project staff.
N.B. Leicester-Shire Arts in Education and members of the Heads Working Group
recognised that the project should have been called an “Investigation into Wider
Opportunities Practice at KS2” in order to make a clear distinction between this
project and inspection visits. This project name will be adopted in future.
Each monitoring visit aimed to undertake the following:






Qualitative analysis by the visitors and the teachers involved of shared/
group/ class instrumental or singing lessons that formed part of the school’s
Wider Opportunity programme supported by the Standards Fund for Music.
Survey of parents whose pupils who were taking part in the Wider
Opportunities music.
Survey of pupils who were taking part in the Wider Opportunities music,
including questionnaires and group interviews in all the schools visited.
Quantitative analysis of data relating to instrumental and singing provision
within the schools.
Quantitative research of how schools had used their allocated funds and what
they had added from school budgets to achieve their projects.
Qualitative research with key stakeholders including Wider Opportunities
Coordinators, headteachers, other school staff, volunteers and peripatetic
music staff.
The above information formed the basis for case study research in the
schools which were visited.
2
Overview
It was clear from the school visits and the outcomes of the project, that a large
number of schools did not have a grasp of the full aims of the Wider Opportunities
Music fund, particularly the aims for 50% of pupils to continue their learning after
the initial free access year and to play in ensembles/sing in choirs. At this time, only
a few schools in the monitoring project had met all the desired outcomes
recommended by the Department for Children, Schools and Families’ (DCFS) criteria
for successful practice, although a significant amount of outstanding practice was
observed for fulfilment of the statements when taken individually.
A number of schools had not looked closely enough at their project to ensure that it
at least met a number of the desired outcomes and others had not run a distinct
project, but had used the money to support the instrumental tuition already on offer
in order to provide opportunity to more pupils. In the most effective cases, this had
actually had a significant impact on the number of pupils learning instruments either
due to the loan of an instrument or by reducing parental contribution to a low level
to ensure that take-up of instrumental music lessons was very high. However, it
does not meet the Wider Opportunities criteria of free tuition for a year.
In the least successful examples, the Wider Opportunities money had been used by
schools to deliver national curriculum music (as part of their Planning Preparation
and Assessment time (PPA) for teachers) without incorporating any specific
programme for the teaching of singing or instrumental tuition. This is not an
acceptable use of the money.
Outcomes of the projects
Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCFS)
Criteria for successful practice
Statements
a) All pupils have a meaningful experience of learning to play an
instrument/sing with a vocal specialist, normally this would last a
year.
Meaningful experience:
The quality of tuition across the city and the county was very variable. There were
instances of good musicians without the skills or methods to teach large groups of
pupils and instances of musicians or class teachers with the ability to teach larger
groups of pupils, but where there was insufficient focus on correct technique for a
particular instrument or for singing to be taught effectively.
Where large group (6+ pupils) teaching was most effective, was where the tutor had
musical and large group teaching skills and where the programme of study was
specifically written for large group teaching, rather than adapting individual or paired
tuition to a larger group. Where pupils had been able to choose the instrument they
played, they appeared to enjoy the experience more and had significantly more
3
commitment to continue on that same instrument into a second year.
Sing with a Vocal Specialist:
A number of the projects seen were not with a vocal specialist and too often this was
a session where instead of teaching singing, the pupils were simply taught ‘to sing
new songs’. Where singing was taught by a specialist, music skills were high amongst
pupils and there was a huge increase in the number of pupils who said that they
enjoyed singing.
This would usually last a year:
Only a few of the schools visited had projects set up where whole classes of pupils
would play an instrument that lasted a year. These included whole class recorder,
whole class ocarina, some choir projects and the string and wind/ percussion Sound
Start projects offered by Leicester-Shire Arts in Education.
The Musicians in Residence Arts in Education project, observed in two schools (for
brass and guitar) lasts either one or two terms for each child. One school was using
Steel Pan tuition, using the organisation of the Musicians in Residence package, but
not the programme of study.
b) All pupils enjoy making music in their peer groups normally as a
whole class.
Pupils’ enjoyment of music was not always linked to the quality of the project seen.
For example, there were pupils receiving tuition that was either only just satisfactory
or less than satisfactory, but the pupils said that they enjoyed and appeared to enjoy
their music, even if exceptionally limited progress was being made. Likewise, there
were examples of pupils receiving tuition of good or outstanding quality, but where
one or two pupils were not enjoying their music tuition either because they said that
they had no interest in music, or because they did not like the specific instrument
they had been allocated.
However, generally pupils in the schools visited were very keen on their music. Many
could explain why it was important to them and how they felt it helped them
emotionally.
c) The skills of class teachers and specialist instrumental/vocal
teachers are maximised by ensuring they work closely and learn
from each other ensuring greater sustainability.
Sustainability of projects is a key issue for many schools and small schools in
particular highlighted this as a challenge. Where practise was best, a number of
school staff were involved in projects and had undertaken training to support their
professional development. Where sustainability was of greatest concern was where
one member of the school staff undertook all of the work for the project, where there
were significant parental contributions required for continuation (the current
recession in the country could have a significant impact on the number of parents
funding instrumental lessons) or where the school was adding a large sum of money
4
to an initial project, resulting in it being unable to support/ subsidise pupils from year
2 onwards.
The number of Key Stage 2 pupils learning an instrument in school other than the
recorder, ranged from 0% to 59% in the schools visited.
Standards achieved by pupils varied considerably. Some pupils had already learnt
since the beginning of term (approximately 8 sessions) more than other pupils were
likely to have learnt by the end of all of their sessions, even if they were to continue
for a whole year (assuming the same pace of progress). For pupils who continue to
learn an instrument after their Wider Opportunity music experience or who learn a
musical instrument in school using a specialist instrumental teacher, examination
grades varied greatly (this often did depend on the emphasis given to examinations
as well as the levels achieved by pupils). The grades also depended on the proportion
of pupils receiving individual tuition and the dedication and organisation of the Wider
Opportunities or school music coordinator, either with or without practical support
from other school colleagues. In one school 25% of its KS2 pupils had achieved a
grade within the last year, including 2 pupils at grade 2, 2 at grade 3 and 6 at grade
4.
In schools where music provision was outstanding, pupils exhibited high self esteem
and self confidence. They had excellent attitudes to music and to schooling in general
and discussed musical issues with maturity and knowledge.
In the most successful schools, there were dialogue and strong links between the
school’s Wider Opportunities/ music coordinator and peripatetic music staff.
Sometimes this included joint planning and team teaching using the strengths of
each teacher. A number of schools had used their own staff following training, which
enabled sustainability taking into account both expertise and financial commitment.
d) Programmes are developed as an integral part of the pupils’ whole
musical experience, building on previous work and extending beyond
the programme ensuring continuity for pupils.
Only a limited number of schools offered opportunities for Wider Opportunity Music
pupils (or previous Wider Opportunity pupils plus those receiving peripatetic tuition)
to play as a group in an ensemble or orchestra although playing in an ensemble or
singing in a choir have a significant impact on enjoyment and motivation to learn.
Pupils undertaking Sound Start projects are expected to have the opportunity to play
in front of other pupils or parents, but this can vary between schools. Pupils involved
in Wider Opportunity programmes on the recorder or ocarina were sometimes offered
the opportunity to continue the instrument free of charge, but during the lunchtime
or after school rather than during the lesson time. This dramatically reduced the
number of pupils who continued from previous years or who intended to continue
after this year.
5
e) Programmes are based on well planned progressive experiences that
clearly complement national curriculum requirements and ensure
pupils know how well they are doing and what they need to do to
improve further.
Observations of Sound Start projects and Musicians in Resident projects from
Leicester-Shire Arts in Education usually achieved this very well, as did some
individual school projects.
f) Programmes contain appropriate strategies for supporting pupils
who initially do not have the encouragement or support from their
parents/carers, or who need additional support for other reasons.
Some of the projects loaned a musical instrument for free to the child for practice at
home, although a few required a parental contribution. Those projects where the
pupils were not allowed to take an instrument home, made significantly less
progress. There were plans in some schools to set up practice sessions in school,
although this was a recent idea.
For continuing pupils, many schools provided subsidised tuition and some also
offered reduced rates for children on free school meals or where there was a need
identified for a reduction in cost. A few schools offered free instrumental tuition on
particular instruments.
Impact upon the Pupils.
This report has not attempted to measure the long-term impact of pupils’
participation in music. However, it has been clear from the surveys and discussions
that there have been significant personal and educational gains to the pupils which
can in part be attributed to their involvement in the Wider Opportunities projects
and to their music education in general.
For example, in the most successful schools, the survey of parents showed overall a
noticeable number of positive comments from parents and pupils: for example:
‘Her confidence has improved. She is now happy to stand up in front of lots of
people and talk and perform.’
‘She has become more confident in large groups’
‘Less likely to say, ’I can’t do that’ More confidence in own ability’
‘Self esteem raised considerably. More confident. Always looks forward to lessons/
concerts and feels proud of his own achievements.’
‘My son had reading problems but took to the flute easily, which really helped his
self confidence.’
6
Pupils:
‘It’s helped me learn that you can’t learn things all at once. It takes time, patience
and lots of practice.’
‘Music makes you calm when you are angry, when you are worried or stressed it
helps.’
‘Music makes you feel happy and want to dance.’
‘I think music helps with other things, for example, discipline when you focus on a
music exam. In class, it makes you want to get better at everything else. You’ve got
a talent and I like showing it off.’
The Wider Opportunities funding has enabled some schools to considerably expand
the range of music they offer.
Promoting Wider Opportunities Music
Over 30% of schools in the county and the city have not yet taken advantage of
Wider Opportunities funding. It is hoped that those schools will be able to use the
case studies to help them either design a suitable project that would suit their own
school or to choose what project they would like to buy in from a provider.
Sustaining Wider Opportunities Music
Some of the most effective projects were quite simple and did not cost a significant
amount of money. In fact, some schools were running a project that fitted the remit
of Wider Opportunities Music without realising it.
Often, the most effective projects were delivered by class teachers, with an interest
or expertise in music.
One school in the project had succeeded in obtaining a Lottery Grant (together with
its village community) towards music. Schools should consider this idea seriously
(perhaps an area where Governors could lead the application and paperwork
involved). The website link for details and an application form is
www.artscouncil.org.uk. However, schools should consider one of the criteria for
eligibility; ‘Individual educational establishments are not eligible where the activity
does not provide benefits to the wider community’. Therefore schools would be best
to consider innovative projects that also benefit their community and might like to
consider applying as a family of schools. Grants are available from £1,000 to
£100,000. According to the Arts Council 50% of bids submitted are successful.
Case studies of good or outstanding practice.
During the visits, it was not possible to observe all that some schools did that fitted
the Wider Opportunities remit. Therefore some of the practice described here is also
from documentary evidence supplied by the school. Schools are listed in alphabetical
order. Please note that where similar projects were seen in more than one school,
only one example is given here.
7
Case Studies.
Blaby, Thistly Meadow Primary School.
Previously the school has taught glockenspiel and metallophone to all pupils from Y1
– Y6 as a discrete section within pupils’ national curriculum music lessons. The pupils
learnt a variety of techniques including how to play in a group, listening to each
other and how to read notation. Large group teaching techniques were used. The
school also arranged for every Y4 pupil last year to learn the ukelele for a period of
time, in a small group, taught by a volunteer parent. A large percentage of KS2
pupils at the school continue to play an instrument through peripatetic teachers. All
parents pay £5 per week for a lesson regardless of whether the lesson is shared or
individual. The school’s Wider Opportunities coordinator manages this budget with a
variety of group lessons and individual lessons for pupils who have achieved higher
standards so that the whole peripatetic budget balances to zero. The school also
offers tuned percussion, guitar and recorder clubs (taught internally) for free. Within
the school there is a choir and orchestra.
Burton on the Wolds Primary School
All of Y2 learn the recorder for free taught by a volunteer. This is followed by a
significant choice of instruments taught mainly individually, but occasionally in small
groups from Y3 onwards. 59% of KS2 pupils learn a musical instrument other than
the recorder and many achieve grade 4 and even 5. Overall Burton on the Wolds
had the largest number of pupils of the schools visited achieving grades. What was
particularly noticeable was the ethic that the pupils had for practising their
instruments and for achieving the highest grades possible. According to the
peripatetic staff this was mainly due to parental support and the expectation as well
as the ethos of the school. The school has a choir and small orchestra, which pupils
join once they have achieved grade 1. The school had benefited from a Lottery
Grant for music as well as accessing the Wider Opportunities fund, which has
enabled the school to offer lessons at significantly reduced rates.
Christchurch and St Peters Primary School, Mountsorrel
Christchurch and St Peters Primary School, Mountsorrel, String Sound Start project,
of which there are two groups, one of 26 children and the other of 29 children.
Altogether there are 8 double basses, 11 cellos and 20 violins and 16 violas. This
project has been extremely successful for the past two years; this is their 3rd year
using a string Sound Start as their Wider Opportunities project. There is about a
40% continuation. The team of teachers work together very successfully. Each knew
their role. This was down to the planning (done each week by the school music
teacher and emailed to the string staff). The team works well and uses the expertise
of all the staff. All pupils have additional support during the lesson even though it is
a large group. All the staff take part in equal measure, including the school music
teacher. The pupils will take their instruments home to enable individual practice,
after Christmas.
8
Desford Primary School
Musicians in Residence for cornet, French horn, trombone and baritone for Y5. Pupils
are taught in groups of 6, grouped by similar instrument. The excellent group
techniques used by the peripatetic teacher were extremely effective in engaging the
whole group and achieving a good standard of tone and general musicianship. Pupils
are loaned their instruments to take home and set work to practice.
Greenfield Primary School
A large scale Djembe drumming project has been initiated with support from Folville
Junior School in the city who have provided the workshops. Pupils have two initial
workshops which include rhythm, song/ pitch work and listening skills. Lunchtime
and afterschool clubs currently cater for 60 over pupils. Feedback from pupils and
parents was exceptionally positive, with parents commenting on the positive effect
on their children’s confidence of the workshops. Within the schools visited, it was
unusual to gain this amount of positive feedback from parents following such a short
musical initiative. A number of the school staff are also taking part in the project
with the intention of taking a greater role in the future to support sustainability. A
large number of parents have attended concerts. The project has enabled the school
to significantly raise the profile of music in the school to pupils and parents in a very
short space of time. In this way it hopes that following instrument demonstrations, a
large percentage of children will be encouraged to learn a musical instrument next
year.
The school has also noted the significant impact that the Djembe drumming has had
on a number of its special needs pupils, who have been able to achieve the same
outcomes as their peers, some for the first time. Percussion instruments were also
used by children with special needs in Forest Way Special School where a
specialist is employed. She has very successfully combined the tuition of a number
of percussion instruments into national curriculum music lessons.
Highfields Primary School (City)
Small group tuition on the keyboard or the Tabla is offered free for any pupil who
would like to learn for as long as they want to have lessons. Although only limited
numbers are involved, during pupils’ time in KS2, the school has enabled all pupils
who have shown an interest, to have free lessons on one or other of these
instruments at no cost to parents. Practice sessions in school are being arranged so
that pupils who do not have access to a keyboard at home can practice at school.
Measham C of E Primary School
This school has divided their Wider Opportunities in two phases. Phase 1 took place
last year, when through the Wider Opportunities music fund, all Y3 & 4 pupils were
taught the recorder. This year, in phase 2, the school is supporting those pupils who
wish to continue. This project is particularly successful due to the high quality of
recorder tuition given by the school’s Wider Opportunities coordinator. Pupils show a
good ability in their understanding of notation, in their good posture, breathing and
tonguing. A number of pupils who started on the recorder, are now also learning
woodwind instruments with a peripatetic tutor.
9
Montrose Primary School (City)
All KS2 pupils are taught the recorder as a discrete part of their national curriculum
music lesson, taught by the class teacher. The school provides a recorder for each
child. This has been achieved by the Wider Opportunities Music teacher (who is also
an advanced skills teacher for music) delivering training on recorder teaching to all
staff. 50% of pupils at KS2 learn a musical instrument (excluding the recorder).
Tuition is subsidised by the school to enable parents to be able to afford the
contributions of just £5.50 for an individual 15 minute lesson. Many pupils have
these individual lessons enabling them to achieve a good standard and a number
achieve grades 1 and 2, some higher. The school offers string and wind ensembles,
an orchestra and a choir. All Y5 pupils also learn to play the Steel Pans during
lessons and they have the option to continue into Y6. School staff have also had
training in Steel Pans to enable them to use the Steel Pans (as well as the recorder)
in their national curriculum music lessons. The school also offers parents the
opportunity to learn an instrument in school.
Stokes Wood Primary School (City)
Y3, 4 & 6 have all had the opportunity to sing with a specialist for a term, which will
result in a joint performance. The singing was taught particularly well with significant
focus on pitch, rhythm and enunciation. The enthusiasm of pupils for singing was
particularly evident and much higher than in schools where singing was not taught
by a specialist. The standards achieved in singing in the school were good due to the
specialist provision. The Wider Opportunities coordinator leads a choir.
Waltham on the Wolds Primary School
Every child from Y2 onwards has recorder lessons. Y2 – Y6 all learn the recorder,
taught by the class teachers, but because all these age-groups learn the recorder at
the same time, pupils can be grouped by ability. Recorder teaching in this way, has
taken place for 3 years, free to all pupils, with recorders loaned to those who do not
have their own. One teacher from the Foundation Stage with musical knowledge,
swaps with a KS2 colleague without such expertise for this session. The children see
learning and performing on the recorder very much as part of ‘usual school activities’
and some also learn other instruments taught by peripatetic tutors. Peripatetic tutors
noted that pupils’ musical skills were high due to their lessons on the recorder.
Whitehall Primary School (City)
The Wider Opportunities coordinator provides individual support to class teachers to
enable them to deliver whole class ocarina. This takes the form of demonstration
lessons, recommended programmes of study and ongoing support and discussion.
The school purchases sufficient ocarinas for the whole class (£8 each including a
book for each pupil). The project currently takes place in Y3 - Y5. As the class
teachers are used to deliver the opportunity, sustainability is ensured.
Overall Conclusion
The evaluation concludes that the Wider Opportunities Music in Leicestershire and
Leicester has had a significant impact on the range of music-making opportunities
10
for pupils. In many schools, there is overwhelming enthusiasm and quality music
provision, with good outcomes in the form of pupils’ enjoyment of school, the
improvements in their self confidence and the new music skills learned, many at a
good level and some at an outstanding level. However, generally, schools need to
plan their projects with more focus on the DCFS objectives, especially in relation to:
1) A period of free tuition that would normally last a year
2) Large group or class teaching
3) The choice of instrument/s (this has a significant impact on the cost and
expertise required to teach)
4) Sustainability of their projects so that children who want to continue their
learning are able to do so into a second year and beyond
5) Playing in ensembles/singing in choirs with performance opportunities.
There is concern over the lack of understanding of many of the principles of the
Wider Opportunities music initiative seen in schools. Many headteachers and Wider
Opportunities coordinators were aware of this lack of knowledge and it was partly
due to the huge number of initiatives currently being undertaken by primary schools
with which school staff need to be familiar.
There was evidence that many pupils in Y5 and below had the intention to continue
with their music tuition in their next academic year (although obviously many did not
take into account the cost to their parents, if relevant). However, of those Y6 pupils
surveyed, there was significant evidence that fewer intended to continue into Y7,
their reasons being related to not seeing a correlation between music at primary
school and music at secondary school. It could also be that so early in their Y6 year,
they have not yet had the chance to find out about specific musical opportunities at
their potential secondary school.
A number of schools who have not yet achieved full success with their projects, have
good plans for improvement. Feedback from schools, as a result of being involved in
the monitoring project, indicated that they now have useful feedback to enable them
to improve their projects, or ideas to change their current direction.
Overall pupils’ take-up following Wider Opportunities music in Leicester and
Leicestershire is below the DCFS target of 50% continuation although higher than
the national average. Based on information provided by all schools undertaking
Wider Opportunities programmes 30% have continued learning after their initial
access project in 2007-08. Nationally this puts the two local authorities in the second
quartile of national achievement. As previously stated, specialist music tuition for
ALL KS2 pupils (not just take-up following Wider Opportunities) in the schools visited
ranged from 0% – 59%. Schools therefore need to consider the opportunities for
continuation and ensembles/choirs as a key part of provision when setting up their
Wider Opportunities projects.
11
Recommendations for Wider Opportunities Projects
When choosing your project give special consideration to:
1. Choose a project within your budget that has the full involvement of your
school staff, or at least those in a complete year group. If you are buying in
musicians, ensure that the project includes training for your school staff
(which can take place simply by observing the sessions) so they can support
the project initially and perhaps lead it in future years to support
sustainability. If team teaching is to take place, ensure that time for planning
and evaluation is built into the plan. You can then use the ‘bought in’
musician to enhance other areas of music in the school in future years.
2. Lessons should be planned with the same detail as other lessons and follow a
skills progression that complements national curriculum music. Like other
lessons there should be quality learning objectives and pupils should know
how well they are doing and what they need to do to improve.
3. Ideally schools should choose a project that will last a year to enable skill
progression, for skills to be embedded and for pupils to have significant
musical opportunity to include playing with their peer group in an
ensemble and in a concert. Ensemble playing is a key part of the Wider
Opportunities Project.
4. Ensure where possible that pupils have the opportunity to either take the
instruments home or to practice in school.
5. Give the pupils significant opportunities to perform in front of their peers, the
whole school and in front of their parents. This does not need to be a full
concert, but could simply be one tune played to the class after registration or
in assembly. Discussions with pupils showed that performance and
playing/singing with others has a significant impact on their enjoyment,
positive self esteem and on parental support. Pupils also expressed their
enjoyment at listening to others play (many recalled that performances heard
whilst in the infants had instilled a desire to play an instrument themselves).
Visits from secondary school bands and orchestras also appeared to have had
a significant positive impact on many pupils (more impact than adult bands or
orchestras), encouraging them to either take up instruments or to practice
harder in order to achieve a higher standard. For children involved in choirs,
large scale performances with other schools and at e.g. De Montfort Hall had
also have a very positive impact.
6. Make sure that as a school you have a plan to enable pupils to
continue after the period of free tuition (which ideally lasts a year)
has ended. Continuation is a key part of the Wider Opportunities Project.
This may involve some parental contribution for most pupils, but some
schools have shown that with careful choice of instruments (consider offering
12
‘endangered species’ instrumental lessons) and a mix of group and individual
tuition, large numbers of pupils have the opportunity of tuition at low costs.
7. If your continuation project in year 2 is dependent on parental contributions,
consider a way to ensure that pupils whose parents will not or cannot
contribute still have access to music tuition, even if it is offered on different
instruments. Note the updated LA charging regulations for instrumental and
vocal tuition (and note that children in care are entitled to free tuition).
School budgets do include an amount for instrumental tuition, dating back to
when this used to be handled centrally but was then devolved to schools. This
can be used to subsidise music tuition.
8. Regardless of which Wider Opportunities project schools choose to undertake,
consider using a specialist singing teacher to deliver training to your school
staff so that singing practice becomes a quality musical experience where
new musical skills are taught and all pupils (and staff) leave the session
feeling inspired and enthusiastic. Where possible use a piano (or guitar etc.)
rather than CD backing, to accompany singing so that the session can be
interactive and teaching points can be reinforced and revisited. Schools who
have not yet registered to be part of the National Singing Programme
(www.singup.org) are encouraged to do so. This provides a song bank, which
if linked to high quality singing tuition training for teachers, can have a
significant positive impact on singing in the primary school. An Area Leader
for Sing Up, the national singing programme works within Leicester-Shire Arts
in Education and is able to offer free CPD mainly to large clusters of schools
over time. 127 schools with primary aged pupils have already taken
advantage of this.
9. If you are a school with a number of skilled musicians who are committed to
ensuring a very high profile for music together with excellent leadership
support, consider your initial wider opportunities project to be for the lower
junior pupils, so that the school can build on this experience. This will enable
the development of school orchestras, ensembles and high quality choirs.
Some schools (although not necessarily those in the project) have even
started large scale recorder and ocarina projects in year 1 or year 2. This
means that by the time pupils are in year 3, they already have an excellent
knowledge of rhythm, pitch and sometimes even musical notation.
10. Enthusiasm and commitment from a good classroom practitioner is more
important than being a musician in running many projects. New music skills
can be learnt through training and teachers can work in partnership with
skilled musicians either from Leicester-Shire Arts in Education of from other
sources. Sadly many primary teachers do not get involved with music in their
school because they assume (wrongly) that they are not skilled enough
musically because they do not have high level musical qualifications. Wider
Opportunities involves teaching large groups of pupils, and primary school
teachers already have this skill. The skills and commitment that schools have
from their staff, not only with regard to supporting the project during its first
13
year, but also with a view to sustainability for next year and beyond is vital.
Ask your staff who plays an instrument or sings in a choir; many schools
during the project were very surprised to find that colleagues, whom they had
taught with for years, actually had skills they did not previously know about.
11. Where possible, give pupils a choice of instruments. Our monitoring showed
that those pupils who had been given their choice of instrument were far
more likely to be committed to learning the instrument and to continue into
their second year of tuition. Schools who arranged demonstration and trial
sessions for their pupils generally had children who felt happier with their
chosen instrument and were generally less inclined to give up after a few
weeks or months.
12. Music can provide fun for all and that includes school staff. It is acknowledged
that a primary teacher’s workload is huge, but half an hour with a recorder
group or a school choir can provide welcome relief and enjoyment for the
teachers as well as the pupils! Schools should also investigate the possibilities
of musical volunteers from their parents and their school staff. Some schools
are particularly good at utilising the willingness of volunteers – just as
parents, governors and the school cleaner may be willing to help out with
listening to children read, you will also find some who are musicians and are
more than happy to either take groups or support other teachers by helping
within a group. Spread the workload and get as many people involved with
delivering music in your school as possible.
13. Think about how best to let your secondary colleagues know about the extent
of musical opportunities you provide in the primary school so children can
continue and extend their learning at points of transition.
Including Wider opportunities Music and Instrumental Teaching in Self
Evaluation
With the strong focus on English, mathematics and science in the primary school, it
was clear from a number of schools visited that music had not had significant
monitoring time, despite the fact that music can fulfil a significant amount of the
Every Child Matters Agenda. Some peripatetic staff reported that no member of staff
had ever watched them teach (or even spoken to them about the pupils they taught)
and some had not met the headteacher of many of the schools where they taught.
Musical instrument tuition should form part of a school’s self evaluation and schools
should ensure that any visiting teachers are quality assured. Schools should not
assume that because an instrumental teacher they employ has an instrumental
teaching diploma that they will deliver good quality lessons (especially to a large
group), nor should they presume that one who does not have particular
qualifications will not deliver high quality lessons. Obviously some organisations such
as Leicester-Shire Arts in Education carry out their own observations to ensure the
quality of their teachers, although this does not mean that schools should exclude
14
these staff from their own periodic monitoring. Schools are urged to quality assure
independent musicians employed in their school. They should also talk to them to
ensure that as many of their requirements as possible are met with regard to
suitability of room, equipment and organisation of pupils so that they can have
maximum impact on the attainment and progress of the pupils that they teach.
January 2009
Report written by Angela Kirk: Independent Consultant for the Leicestershire and Leicester Wider
Opportunities Monitoring Project.
The teachers seconded to take part in this project were:
Carole Atkinson (Newcroft PS, Shepshed)
Deborah Fiddaman (Fleckney c of E PS)
Victoria Hodges (Water Leys PS, Wigston)
Kate King (Mountfields Lodge PS, Loughborough)
Leicester-Shire Arts in Education staff who took part were: Russell Parry, Andrew Bound, Alan
Holford, Patrick White, Alex Crutchley, Sophie Pascall, Su Robinson and Sally Smith.
Should you have any questions regarding information in this report, please contact Leicester-Shire
Arts in Education (01162700850 or artsined@leics.gov.uk)
15