Project Business Case Template

School Music Education Plan

A SCHOOL MUSIC EDUCATION PLAN

for

LUTON

Background

The Ofsted report ‘Music in Schools: What hubs must do’ (Nov 2013) included the requirement for all music education hubs to have a ‘school music education plan’ (SMEP) in place by April 2014.

‘Arts Council is clear that a School Music Education Plan is part of the hub’s wider needs analysis and business planning. Arts Council England will require assurance that each hub has an effective plan in place by April 2014 that demonstrates effective engagement with all schools within a hub by 2016, as a condition of funding.’ (ACE guidance 2014)

In line with the Ofsted report ‘The MIX’ has responded by engaging in extensive consultations with the music education community of Luton so as to produce a SMEP firmly based in the local context. This SMEP recognises the autonomy of schools and ‘The MIX’ will work to support, advise and guide in a spirit of partnership and mutual respect. To this end the plan was developed by the Luton Music Education Working Group led by Mel Coyle – Head of Music at Luton VIth Form College.

Therefore:-

The school music engagement plan for Luton will be directly related to the Luton context and will have three key priority elements:

1. Planning and Communication:

a. employing strategies to help and support schools to engage with ‘The MIX’ and the National Plan for Music Education;

b. offering regular supportive conversations to schools about the quality of music education for all pupils in that school;

c. allocating a suitable proportion of staff capacity to work with school leaders strategically;

2. Networks and Expertise

a. promote themselves with schools as confident, expert leaders of music education in their areas, not simply as providers of services;

b. facilitate school-to-school support as required;

c. publicise their work effectively to schools and explain how it can contribute to and support school improvement;

d. robustly evaluate the impact of ‘The MIX’ work on pupils’ music education.

3. Curriculum and CPD

a. offer support to schools in evaluating and improving the music education they provide

b. offer expert training and consultancy to schools, which supports school leaders and staff in understanding what musical learning, and good progress by pupils in music, are like;

c. ensure that their own staff and partners are well trained and ready to do this work;

d. promote high-quality curriculum progression in schools and ensure that hubs’ work in schools is integral to this.

The School Music Education Plan for Luton will demonstrate:

1. How ‘The MIX’ will use its range of core and extension activity to develop meaningful engagement and connections with all schools and by when;

2. How ‘The MIX’ will work to engage with all its schools to gather robust intelligence on the quality of music education in each of the schools and by when;

3. How ‘The MIX’ will use data in order to support schools through eg:

a. Continuous professional development for all schools;

b. School peer to peer support for some/all schools;

c. More extensive conversations with some schools that want more support.

Current position

1. ‘The MIX’ currently engages with 95% of its primary schools, delivering WCET and WCIT and offering access to Charanga Musical School and Gigajam;

2. ‘The MIX’ currently engages with 81% of its secondary schools providing instrumental and vocal tuition and advice and support as requested. From September 2014 two High Schools will be delivering Yamaha Class Band;

3. ‘The MIX’ has a strong relationship with Luton VIth Form College;

a. The Principal is a member of ‘The MIX’ Board;

b. The Head of Music is a member of ‘The MIX’ Executive;

4. Heads of Music in Luton High Schools meet regularly and these meetings are attended by the Head of Luton Music Service and the Manager for Provision in Schools.

Initial development discussions have identified local priorities laid out in the table below.

Identified Priorities

To develop a data-led means of assessing the quality of music in Luton schools

A

To develop a town wide transition framework for music at KS2-KS3

B

To develop a town wide assessment framework for music at KS2 & KS3

C

To support the implementation of the new music national curriculum at KS2 & KS3

D

To develop a robust method of assessing the impact of the SMEP

E

To develop CDP music provision for primary and secondary schools and LMS staff

F

To develop a music curriculum that can be delivered via instrumental teaching that builds on the first access programme in primary schools

G

To develop a wider ownership and responsibility of the SMEP in taking key initiatives forward.

H

Success criteria

· Building an effective network through establishing a dialogue with all schools within Luton.

· Raising the profile, and therefore achievement and progression within music at all levels.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE:

The Mix will continue to work with schools and key music education providers to develop a challenging, cohesive and engaging whole school music curriculum for learners within all stages and settings.

Knowledge and skills for Staff and Practitioners

Behaviour

Attitudes

· A greater understanding of key curriculum transition stages: KS2/KS3, KS3/KS4

· CPD and support with new national curriculum SOW design and implementation (assessing without levels).

· Build on existing networks within Luton.

· To raise awareness of how the current national agenda re: Music Education links to wider school policy

· A recognition within schools of the value of music within the curriculum at KS2/KS3/KS4

· Evidence of shared values, collaboration and commitment between senior school leaders and Hub personnel regarding key national evidence-based messages about music in the school curriculum.

· Promote the sharing of good practice within schools and beyond

Measured by:

· A needs analysis to establish and develop a framework by which to measure achievement within the music curriculum in schools.

· This will also establish further specific priorities (in addition to those outlined in this plan) through data collection with target group (Headteachers, Heads of Music), triangulated with available data e.g. Ofsted reports, GCSE results.

· Assessment of the impact of key initiatives, including analysis of Learner voice in addition to Staff FB and evaluation – e.g. Pupil snapshots throughout the timespan of the plan at 7, 11 and 14.

Why this approach?

· Important to have data from which further priorities can be constructed and developed

· Plan has been closely linked to and cross referenced with Ofsted and ACE guidance documents

· A reactive document: priorities outlined within the plan to be further developed though active consultation with schools, Hub education working group and other key partners.

Recorded by:

Creating a central database which logs

· Available data

· Questionnaire returns

· School visits, including challenging conversations, agreed priorities and outcomes

In order to

· Build a town-wide map of provision linked to key success criterion

First Priorities:

· To develop a data-led means of assessing the quality of music in Luton schools

· To use data collected to identify an accurate picture of achievement and progression within music in schools

· To develop a town wide transition framework at KS2-KS3

· To develop a town wide assessment framework at KS2 & KS3

· To support the implementation of the new national curriculum at KS2 & KS3

· To develop a robust method of assessing the impact of the SMEP

· To develop CDP provision for primary and secondary schools and LMS staff

· To develop a curriculum that can be delivered via instrumental teaching that builds on the first access programme in primary schools

· To develop a wider ownership and responsibility of the SMEP in taking key initiatives forward.

Outcomes:

· Expert, bespoke First Access programme accessed by all schools

· Tailored CPD programme which responds to identified school needs

· Support with National Curriculum changes (curriculum design and implementation

· Support to raise the profile of and achievement within Music at all curriculum stages and within all School/Education settings.

*Related KPI will link directly to The MIX activity plan which will map this work against KPIs as appropriate.

KEY THEMES

PRIORITY

HOW

TIMESCALE

RESOURCES/DEPENDENCIES

RISK LEVEL/ REVIEW

REVIEW NOTES

PLANNING AND COMMUNICATION

To develop a data-led means of assessing the quality of music in Luton schools

· Review of accessible data, e.g. Ofsted reports, GCSE results

· Design online questionnaire for completion by Primary/Secondary Heads and Primary Music Co-ordinators/Secondary Heads of Music. Focus on identifying criteria by which to measure success within the music curriculum and CPD priorities

· Using the data collected, design a framework for assessing the quality of curriculum music that schools could apply.

Completed and analysed by November 2014

Creation of online questionnaires

% completion of questionnaires and the quality and detail of responses

MIX Executive to undertake analysis

HLMS & MuSL to lead

AMBER

AMBER

AMBER

GREEN

To use data collected to identify an accurate picture of achievement and progression within music in schools (identifying areas of best practice as well as priorities for further support and challenging conversations).

· Quantitative and qualitative analysis of questionnaire responses.

· Key priorities identified: e.g. list of initial schools to work with, CPD and other support requests

· Review of, and further consultation process as part of the remit of the hub Music Education Working Group and Annual Music Education conference in July

Completed by December 2014

Data analysis

Creation of MuSL role

School portfolios and visit records

Creation of a central database

AMBER

GREEN

AMBER

AMBER

To develop a robust method of assessing the impact of the SMEP

Design and implementation of a self-assessment framework. To include:

· Review of school ‘contact’ in 2014-2015, through self-evaluation ‘style’ questionnaires.

· Evaluation of Hub/School partnerships e.g. First Access programme

· Evaluation of CPD initiatives

· Pupil snapshots (7, 11, 14) to establish baseline for assessing wider impact in 2015-2016 and beyond

Ongoing. Review July 2015 (Year 1 review)

MuSL

HLMS

MPS

MEWG

MIX Executive

Data collection and quality of data

AMBER

AMBER

AMBER

AMBER

EXPERTISE AND NETWORKS

To develop a town wide music assessment framework at KS2 and KS3

· Establish KS2 & KS3 partnership working groups with appropriate geographical areas within the town

· To lead the development of a common KS2-KS3 music transition project

· To work with primary and secondary senior leaders and music staff to consider the development of a town-wide assessment strategy at KS2 &KS3

April 2015

July 2015

MuSL

MIX Exec

HLMS

MPS

MWEG

MuSL

AMBER

AMBER

AMBER

To develop a wider ownership and responsibility of the SMEP in taking key initiatives forward.

· Establish Hub Music Education Working group

· Hub Music Education Conference 9th July 2014: to provide CPD for new NC implantation and to review/work on SMEP

· Building on existing networks e.g. Secondary Music Network

· Through the consultative data collection process (outlined above)

May 2014

July 2014

Ongoing – review July 2015

HLMS

MuSL

MPS/HLMS/MuSL

Conference organisation including keynote speakers

Associated administration costs borne by LMS on behalf of ‘The MIX’

GREEN

AMBER

AMBER

AMBER

CURRICULUM AND CPD

To support the implementation of the new music national curriculum at KS2 & KS3

· July 9th Hub Music Education Conference conference

· Designing CPD for LMS staff to complement First Access programme at KS2.

· Develop the sharing of good practice through music network groups

· Seek opportunities to work with partner hubs

July 2014December 2014

Ongoing – review July 2015

MWEG

MPS

MuSL

Mix Executive

AMBER

AMBER

AMBER

AMBER

To develop CDP music provision for primary and secondary schools and LMS staff

· Identify priorities for CPD through questionnaire data, working group meetings, July conference, primary/secondary network group meetings

· Working with LMS and School staff to design/organise CPD as identified.

Ongoing but first review end of July 2014

Feb 2015

HLMS

MuSL

MPS

Cost implications if this involves outside parties rather than being led by MPS/SLME?

3 separate strands of CPD may be necessary – Primary, Secondary and LMS staff.

AMBER

AMBER

To develop a curriculum that can be delivered via instrumental teaching that builds on the first access programme in primary schools

· Specific training for Luton Music Service Staff

· SOW revision/rewriting

· Continue to develop key collaborative primary partnerships

Ongoing during 14/15 Academic year.

MPS

MuSL

AMBER

AMBER

GREEN

Key personnel:

HLMS: Head of Luton Music Service

MPS: Manager of Provision in Schools

MuSL: Music in Schools Lead

MWEG: Music Education Working Group

Bibliography

http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/making-more-of-music-evaluation-of-music-schools-2005-08

http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/making-more-of-music-improving-quality-of-music-teaching-primary

http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/making-more-of-music-improving-quality-of-music-teaching-secondary

http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/music-schools-wider-still-and-wider

http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/subject-professional-development-materials-music-schools-promoting-good-practice

http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/music-schools-sound-partnerships

ACE SMEP letter

\ACE SMEP guidance

http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/music-schools-what-hubs-must-do