Blog

By Lee Spink

Music education plays a vital role in fostering creativity, enhancing cognitive abilities, and building social skills among students. The DfE are now requiring schools to publish on their website, their Music Development Plans. Here are some tips to help with that:

1. Assess the Current State of Your Music Programme

Before you begin planning, it’s crucial to understand where music provision currently stands. Conduct a thorough assessment by:

• Evaluating existing resources: Take inventory of musical instruments, sheet music, and digital tools.
• Reviewing the curriculum: Analyse the current music curriculum to identify strengths and gaps.
• Gathering feedback: Speak with music teachers, students, and parents to gain insights into their experiences and expectations.
• Assessing facilities: Check if your music rooms and performance spaces meet the needs of your program.

2. Define Your Vision and Goals

Based on your assessment, articulate a clear vision for your music programme. Ask yourself:

• What do you want to achieve with your music programme?
• How do you envision the role of music in your school community?

Set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals. For example:

• Increase student participation in music activities by 20% over the next two years.
• Introduce a diverse repertoire that includes classical, contemporary, and world music within the next academic year.
• Enhance professional development opportunities for music teachers by the end of the current school year.

3. Develop a Comprehensive Curriculum

A well-rounded curriculum is the backbone of any successful music program. Consider the following:

• Incorporate diverse musical genres: Ensure the curriculum includes classical, jazz, rock, pop, and world music to expose students to a wide range of styles.
• Balance theory and practice: Combine music theory lessons with practical sessions where students can play instruments, sing, and compose.
• Integrate technology: Use music software and digital tools to enhance learning and creativity.

4. Invest in Teacher Training and Development

Your music teachers are key to the success of your program. Provide them with opportunities to:

• Attend workshops and conferences: Enable teachers to stay updated with the latest teaching methods and trends in music education.
• Participate in peer learning: Encourage collaboration and knowledge sharing among music teachers within your school and with other institutions.
• Access professional development courses: Offer online and in-person courses to enhance their skills and expertise.

5. Secure Funding and Resources

Adequate funding is essential for a thriving music programme. Explore various funding options:

• School budget allocation: Advocate for a dedicated music budget within your school’s overall financial plan.
• Grants and donations: Apply for grants from educational foundations and seek donations from local businesses and community members.
• Fundraising activities: Organise concerts, bake sales, and other events to raise funds for your music programme.

6. Enhance Extracurricular Opportunities

Extracurricular activities provide students with additional platforms to explore and develop their musical talents. Consider:

• Forming ensembles and bands: Create school choirs, orchestras, and bands to cater to different musical interests.
• Hosting performances: Organise regular concerts, recitals, and talent shows to showcase student talent and build confidence.
• Collaborating with community organisations: Partner with local music schools, theatres, and cultural institutions to provide students with real-world musical experiences.

7. Build a Supportive Community

A successful music programme thrives on community support. Engage stakeholders by:

• Involving parents: Create a parents’ committee to support music activities and fundraising efforts.
• Engaging students: Establish a student music council to gather input and promote ownership of the programme.
• Connecting with alumni: Reach out to former students who can contribute as mentors, guest speakers, or donors.

8. Implement and Monitor Your Plan

With your plan in place, it’s time to put it into action:

• Create a timeline: Develop a detailed timeline for implementing each aspect of your Music Development Plan.
• Assign responsibilities: Delegate tasks to teachers, administrators, and volunteers to ensure smooth execution.
• Monitor progress: Regularly review the plan’s progress against your goals and make adjustments as needed.

9. Celebrate Successes and Reflect

Finally, celebrate the achievements of your music programme. Recognise the hard work of students, teachers, and supporters, and take time to reflect on what has been accomplished. Use these insights to further refine and enhance your Music Development Plan.

By Joseph Kennedy

Children love stories – so why not use them to spark their interest in Mathematics? For many educators using stories as a gateway into maths can be empowering for both adults and children, helping to alleviate the anxiety often associated with the subject. These narratives encapsulate abstract mathematical concepts, making them more accessible and comprehensible for young learners. The interactive nature of these stories invites children to respond and participate, allowing them to explore ideas independently and guide their learning in new and creative directions. Traditional stories are rich with numbers: three wishes, eleven brothers, five magic beans. Numbers establish the patterns within these tales: the first two pigs faced trouble, but what happened to the third one? Both children and adults use stories to understand the world; they provide words and images that help us express our emotions. Similarly, maths is a way of organising experiences, by taking objects and events from the real world and uncovering the connections between them. The Education Endowment Foundation’s Early Years and Key Stage 1 Mathematics Evidence Review identified the use of picture books in Maths as a promising approach, to help children who are falling behind develop a secure understanding of numbers before they move to KS1. There is a small but growing body of evidence to support the use of storybooks to teach mathematics in the early years, most of it involving the specific use of talk and oracy.

What ingredients cook up a fantastic Maths story picture book?

• First, it must whip up an engaging story – no sneaky word problems or dull textbooks allowed!
• Secondly, it should blend different ways to show a concept, with illustrations that match both the scene and the maths.
• Thirdly, the story should dish out how characters use maths to solve everyday problems, revealing that sometimes the trouble lies in a misplaced decimal point!

Using storybooks to teach mathematics not only makes the subject more engaging compared to textbooks or worksheets but also injects a sense of adventure and problem solving into learning. Often, these stories unfold with a crisis or challenge, compelling characters to apply their mathematical knowledge and skills creatively. As children immerse themselves in the narrative and bond with the characters, they emotionally connect with understanding the maths involved. Furthermore, stories provide a platform for children to see how mathematics relates to their own lives through contextualisation. Additionally, stories leverage the power of visualisation to make abstract mathematical concepts more tangible. Through vivid illustrations, ideas like prime numbers or dividing fractions are brought to life visually, making them easier for young learners to grasp and remember.

Maths Topic to Teach Using Stories

1. Graphs of functions: Imagine students grappling with the epic saga of time versus distance on a coordinate plane. The teacher could weave a tale of triumph and turmoil, discussing intercepts and slopes (negative, positive, and zero) while narrating a heroic journey from home to the ice cream shop (because who doesn’t love a sweet destination?). As students concoct their most imaginative stories, they will unwittingly solidify their grasp of algebraic concepts. It is not just about graphs; think epic tales of launching objects into the stratosphere, calculating projectile motion functions (or avoiding the neighbour’s window)!

2. Solving Equations: When tackling equations, I liken the variable x to a mischievous cat who prefers solitude. Imagine x in the equation 4x – 3 = 5 as this independent feline. It finds itself multiplied by 4 and then subtracted by 3, feeling a bit overwhelmed. Our goal is to undo these actions, gently coaxing x out from under the sofa (or away from the operations) so it can enjoy its solitude once more.

3. Angles: I sketch an acute angle on the board and jest that it represents the layout of my first apartment, ‘It was a-cute little place’ (cue laughter.) Continuing the tale, I explain that my neighbour ‘Jason lived adjacent’ to me — we shared a wall. As my income improved, I moved to a larger apartment (drawing an obtuse angle that extends from the original acute angle).

Cautionary Note on Using Maths Stories. Beware: Storytelling can sometimes become overly intricate and convoluted, potentially overshadowing the core maths concepts. The goal is for students to grasp the mathematics, not get lost in charming anecdotes. Always ensure the maths content remains accurate and clear in the stories.

By Kevin Scott

As educators, one of the most rewarding moments is witnessing a child’s newfound enthusiasm for learning – those lightbulb moments. Recently my son, who is in Year 4, finally discovered his passion for education thanks to an engaging topic on World War II. He came home after each weekly history lesson, eager to share his new knowledge with a thirst for finding out more. This is something we have not seen before and I am convinced that this transformation serves as a powerful reminder of history’s potential to captivate young minds, and highlights the importance of well-crafted history lessons in primary schools.

History is more than just dates and events: it’s the story of humanity filled with compelling narratives that can inspire and educate. My son’s experience is testimony to this. His curiosity was piqued by the stories of bravery, resilience and the significant events of World War II – although the tanks, warships and guns might have played a part in this too! He began asking questions, requesting new books and even discussing historical events at the dinner table. This newfound interest wasn’t just about learning history; it was about igniting a love for learning itself. 

History has an important role to play in holistic education with the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) clearly stating that a well rounded education that includes a strong emphasis on history can significantly impact students’ academic and social development. The EEF’s research highlights several key benefits of integrating history into the primary curriculum. 

1. Critical Thinking Skills

History encourages children to analyse, interpret and evaluate sources and events. These skills are transferable across subjects and are crucial for developing critical thinkers.

2. Cultural Awareness and Empathy

Learning about different periods and societies helps children develop a broader understanding of the world and fosters empathy by connecting with the experiences of people from various backgrounds and cultures.

3. Engagement and Motivation

When children find a subject engaging, their overall motivation to learn increases. As witnessed first hand with my son, a well-chosen history topic can spark a child’s curiosity and drive their desire to explore further. 

4. Literacy Development

History lessons often involve extensive reading and writing, helping to improve literacy skills. Students learn to construct arguments, write reports and understand complex texts. 

Teaching history in primary school is not just about imparting knowledge of the past, it’s about shaping inquisitive, empathetic and well-rounded individuals. By embracing the latest strategies, supported by the latest EEF research, we can inspire our students to not only learn about history but develop a lifelong love of learning. Through the effective use of storytelling, interactive activities, use of primary sources, trips and visitors – we can unlock the potential of history to engage, educate and empower our children. After all, understanding the past is key to shaping a better future. 

By Laura Barraclough

Who created the Big Landscape project?

The Big Landscape Project was created by the NSEAD Better Practice Special Interest Group (SIG) ( 2019) to explore ways in which they can support art educators in delivering and embedding a creative and innovative art, craft and design curriculum.

What is the Big Landscape?

The NSEAD (National Society for Education in Art and Design) have announced the launch of The Big Landscape website – a digital ‘atlas’ that showcases the breadth and scope of art, craft and design, basing their work on 3 key questions: What? Why? and How? It provides teachers with a resource that enables them to review and adapt their current curriculum to meet the needs of their learners, in their specific context/ setting.

Aims of the Big Landscape

The big landscape aims to provide a comprehensive knowledge bank and framework to support curriculum design and professional development for art, craft and design teachers. The group analysed a variety of planning sources, models, schemes and guidance that were published nationally and looked for commonalities of practice between them. They found that sometimes, the prescribed nature of planning in the art curriculum sometimes devalued curiosity and some art projects became formulaic and stagnant. (NSEAD President Elect Andy Ash)

Why was the Big Landscape set up?

Due to the National Curriculum document for Art being quite vague- there is no set artist list, no commonly agreed model of skills and no essential knowledge progression or techniques outlined – teachers need to ask themselves these questions when beginning to plan the Art curriculum: What are we teaching? Why are we teaching the things we teach? And how does the way we teach it result in better learning outcomes? The Big Landscape project aims to address these questions. The team at NSEAD quickly identified a key priority that was to define and build guidance for teachers to make a better curriculum design, pedagogy and learning approaches that would be of practical use to teachers and practitioners. Members of the NSEAD have full included access to The Big Landscape toolkit, however resources are available for non- members.

Click the link to find out more or sign up for resources at: https://www.nsead.org/resources/the-big-landscape/

By Scott McHale

In today’s ever shifting educational landscape, technology has become a crucial part of teaching and learning, offering endless possibilities for engaging students and supporting their diverse needs. With thousands of devices out there, it can be hard to pick out one that is best suited to the needs of the children. Amongst these devices, Chromebooks have emerged as stalwart.

The rise of the Chromebooks

There are many reasons why Chromebooks have gained popularity within educational settings. First, they are affordable. This makes them accessible to schools with varying budgets, enabling more students to benefit from technology-enhanced learning experiences. Second, they come with a free and easy to use education suite. This, along with a long battery life, makes them ideal for the classroom environment. For a lot of schools, they were the best choice when being offered supporting devices during Covid and their reliability and functionality has kept them as a firm favourite in schools. To fully harness the potential of Chromebooks in supporting learners, it is essential for teachers to integrate them seamlessly into the primary curriculum. In my first blog, I talked about the SAMR model of learning, working from substitution to redefining your curriculum using technology. What better use of technology than to redefine the curriculum for our most vulnerable learners!

Supporting Learners with Special Educational Needs 

One of the most remarkable aspects of Chromebooks is their ability to cater to the diverse needs of students, including those with SEN. Chromebooks offer a wide array of accessibility features that can be tailored to meet the specific requirements of individual learners. For students with visual impairments, Chromebooks offer screen reader capabilities and magnification tools to ensure access to digital content. Similarly, students with dyslexia or other reading difficulties can benefit from text-to-speech functionality and customizable fonts to enhance comprehension and fluency. These are both tools I use in my classroom on a regular basis and have even formed the backbone of some of my SEND plans. 

Empowering EAL Students

In addition to supporting students with SEN, Chromebooks also offer valuable resources for learners with English as an Additional Language (EAL). For EAL students, Chromebooks provide access to a wealth of digital resources, including interactive language learning apps, bilingual dictionaries, and translation tools. One of the biggest supports for my EAL students has been the ability to use Learning Village, a programme designed to help develop the English language. 

In conclusion, Chromebooks offer huge potential for enhancing and supporting within Primary and Secondary education. From students with special educational needs to those with English as an Additional Language, Chromebooks provide a wealth of accessibility features, educational applications, and digital resources that can enrich the learning experiences.

By Adele Lowery and Mia Sneyd

Oracy refers to the ability to communicate effectively through speech. It involves using language to express thoughts, ideas, and feelings, and to interact with others in a way that is clear, coherent, and appropriate.  

Oracy is particularly important in the wake of the pandemic, teachers are witnessing gaps in some students’ capabilities to work as a team and communicate effectively, from early years to graduate level. This has therefore placed more weight on teaching oracy and our responsibility to provide students with enough opportunities to strengthen their spoken language skills in order to communicate, think critically, succeed academically and socially, as well as prepare them for their future careers. Labour leader Keir Starmer says it is ‘key to doing well in a job interview, persuading a business to give you a refund, telling your friend something awkward. Oracy is a skill that can and must be taught.’

Many argue that oracy is already included in the ‘Speaking and Listening’ part of the curriculum, however oracy is much more than simply being able to put your hand up and answer a question. Instead it is better described as a set of skills, including physical, linguistic, and social and emotional abilities. It is incredibly important in schools for several reasons:

1. Communication Skills: oracy helps students develop strong communication skills, which are essential for success in both academic and professional settings. Being able to express ideas clearly, engage in meaningful discussions, and articulate thoughts effectively are crucial skills in virtually every aspect of life.
2. Critical Thinking: Through oracy, students learn to think critically about information and ideas. By engaging in discussions, debates, and presentations, they learn to analyse different perspectives, evaluate evidence, and form their own opinions.
3. Confidence Building: oracy provides opportunities for students to build confidence in expressing themselves in front of others. Public speaking can be intimidating for many people, but with practice and support, students can develop the confidence to speak up and share their ideas.
4. Social Skills: oracy fosters the development of social skills such as active listening, empathy, and collaboration. Through discussions and group activities, students learn to respect others’ viewpoints, communicate respectfully, and work effectively with their peers.
5. Academic Achievement: Strong oral communication skills are closely linked to academic success. Students who can express themselves clearly are better able to participate in class discussions, comprehend complex material, and effectively communicate their understanding in assessments and presentations.
6. Preparation for Future Careers: In today’s globalised and interconnected world, effective communication skills are highly valued by employers. Whether in a job interview, a business meeting, or a presentation, the ability to communicate orally with clarity and confidence can significantly enhance career prospects.
7. Cultural and Linguistic Development: oracy supports the development of language skills and promotes appreciation for diverse linguistic and cultural perspectives. By engaging in conversations with classmates from different backgrounds, students broaden their understanding of language and culture.

In summary, oracy plays a vital role in schools by enhancing communication skills, fostering critical thinking, building confidence, promoting social skills, facilitating academic achievement, preparing students for future careers, and enriching cultural and linguistic development. Schools should therefore prioritise opportunities for students to develop their oral communication skills through various activities and experiences.