Helpful info for Primary Schools
As those of you who received our September Update will know we’re getting in touch with all schools colleagues who lead, deliver and support music activity in primary schools to let you know about opportunities, training and development and musical events.
Primary Music Network Meetings
Thanks to all those who attended our October meeting at Learn Sheffield and for the feedback you gave us on how best we can support you with the development of music in your schools. Becky Stroud, our Primary Music specialist and Primary Schools’ Lead at the Hub has collated all this information and we are working on a plan to address the thoughts, requests and ideas you shared with us. We will share these in future updates.
Just a quick reminder of the dates of the next 2 network meetings at Learn Sheffield:
- Thursday 22nd February 4 – 5:30pm
- Wednesday 5th June 4 – 5:30pm
Sign up for this is through Learn Sheffield
Our new and expanded team
As we mentioned in our last update we have an expanded team of high quality teachers who have capacity to deliver specialist music provision across a range of instruments including:
Guitar
Drums
Brass
Woodwind
Keyboard
Singing / Vocal
Rap
If you would like any of these teachers to come into your school to give a demonstration on their instruments with a view to children signing up for lessons then please do email me and we can arrange for this to happen. I have attached a poster which you can print off to encourage parents to sign children up for lessons.
Whole Class Ensemble Tuition CPD
For those of you in schools where we deliver Whole class lessons please could you remind your colleagues in these classes that there is an online CPD on Monday 30th October from 4 – 5pm to introduce our brand new Schemes of Work for this programme and our Handbook of good Practise to accompany it. We want to ensure that our sessions have the greatest impact in your school and that they are co-curricular to enhance and support your own Music Curriculum. Please ask your colleague to email me on Gillian.Hume@sheffield.gov.uk to be sent the link to the session. This is a ‘mop-up’ session for colleagues who were unable to attend the September in person CPD.
We would just like to draw your attention to one of our Partner organisation – Out of the Ark Music - and their award winning resource Sparkyard, which received the Outstanding Music Education Award at the Music and Drama Education Awards 2023. If you haven’t already taken a look at this resources I urge you to do so. This not only offers a wealth of songs for every occasion but links to other curriculum areas and a wealth of activities and information around each song. Additionally it provides a flexible and unique music curriculum which helps to address the needs of the National Plan for Music Education, and much more.
It offers a free month’s trial and sign up to a free 45 min CPD to introduce you to it’s features and how to get the most out of the resource.
If you decide you want to subscribe to it we offer all Sheffield Schools a 30% discount by signing up through our website here
Hallé Concert
CITIES OF THE WORLD
FRIDAY 8 MARCH 2024, 10.45am and 1pm
SHEFFIELD CITY HALL
A themed concert for schools looking at the cities of the world and the music from their cultures. These concerts blend music from London to Buenos Aires to Sydney and more. During the concert, the young people learn about key elements of music and the orchestra. Each concert includes a live camera feed enabling the whole audience to see the instruments of the orchestra more easily.
There will be 2 concerts (10:45am and 1pm) designed for KS2 & KS3 the programme will include a song which all of the audience will join in with. There will be a school staff CPD session to aid with your planning for this concert (date and time TBC).
The tickets are £5 for all attending (£7.50 for non-Sheffield schools) please note there are no refunds available and they must be paid for before the concert takes place. With no limit being set you can bring as many classes as there is space for – last time a couple of schools brought the whole of KS2!
If you would like to book a place now to secure your preferred time (the morning concert is extremely popular and usually sell out first) then please complete the online booking form. Please book your place by Friday 16 February 2024.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact musichubprojects@sheffield.gov.uk
Keep up to date with all school events - click here to sign up.
Advocating for music in your school
Please find attached some items and information to help promote and advocate for Music in your school:
- Here is a useful guide to give to your governors if you are looking to strengthen advocacy for Music in your school. Cultural Education, guides for governors | Arts Council England
- A 10 things Booklet and poster produced by Music Mark highlighting the benefits of Music Education for your pupils and community.
