Island of Opportunity

For the last two years, my job for Jersey Music Service has been helping primary school colleagues deliver the music curriculum in Key Stages 1 & 2, with the aim of broadening access and providing more opportunities for children to take part in practical music making.

This process that we call MEPAS (Music, Evaluation, Planning and Support) involves auditing current provision in schools, highlighting strengths and tailoring a bespoke programme of support designed to upskill teachers and boost their confidence whilst providing a clear plan for future development and ongoing support.

I have visited many primary schools to deliver demonstration lessons to non-specialist teachers, often using Charanga and Music Express and similar packages, showing how to use these packages alongside ukulele, recorder and glockenspiel. As teachers become more confident, I develop this to include team teaching developing their skills at a pace they feel comfortable with. I have also delivered teacher workshops on how to use these instruments to deliver primary music lessons. I’ve found that teachers really enjoy this approach and feel much more confident about using the instruments in their lessons with the children.

Those schools lucky enough to have specialist primary music teachers have benefitted too. I have organised regular primary music co-ordinator meetings and training and with our secondary colleagues, we are currently looking into formulating a new Jersey framework for assessment to replace the old National Curriculum levels.

Researching and signposting resources has had an impact too, saving colleagues time and money on finding the most cost-effective, up to date materials for their schools. I have organised external workshop providers to provide specialist workshops that the whole school can enjoy. These have included bringing over a specialist samba teacher and a project using Jersey French to link music with local language and culture, providing schools with external performance opportunities for their pupils.

Several schools now have flourishing orchestras that include orchestral and classroom instruments with the idea being that they are inclusive and fun. They have benefitted from bespoke arrangements of well known, pop and classical tunes that the children love to play. Training the teachers in basic conducting skills has been the main catalyst for this and Head Teachers are very grateful to have an ensemble that can perform at important events.

When schools have been through this MEPAS process, we review progress to see how the pupils and teachers have benefitted and arrange a date for when the school will receive its next phase of support. This lets the schools know that I will continue to help them and colleagues know that they can also phone me for advice or help whenever they need it.

I used to be an instrumental teacher for Jersey Music Service, a job that I loved, and moving into the area of curriculum support has enabled me to have an even greater impact on many more children.

@GinaMclinton

@PrimaryMusicMag