Ground-breaking initiative challenges UK’s music education crisis by Phil Castang

Ground-breaking initiative challenges UK’s music education

crisis by Phil Castang

A new education initiative developed and funded by Bristol Music Trust in partnership with the Earthsong Foundation has launched in Bristol. The first pillar of the programme, Start with Singing, introduces pupils to music earlier in their academic lives and will support children that have traditionally not progressed beyond early stages in music by providing high-quality singing and instrumental music lessons. Initially piloted at Minerva Primary Academy to 120 pupils in 2018, Start with Singing will engage pupils in music from Year 2 (Key Stage 1) to build on their experiences and combat the known shortcomings of the government funded Whole Class Ensemble Tuition (WCET). The programme lasts a full academic year and covers rhythm, melody, harmony, timbre, form, texture and dynamics. Now taking place in 13 schools in Bristol, the programme will reach around 4,500 children over the next 5 years, with the wider aspiration that the project will have a UK-wide impact, changing the national understanding of the power of music education. Start with Singing is aimed at schools with a high percentage of BAME and EAL pupils, specifically in the East Central areas of Bristol, where the numbers of pupils who continue to learn an instrument beyond WCET is significantly lower. To develop the programme, Bristol Music Trust spent time researching what made the most musical schools in Bristol successful. The simple answer is they all start the musical journey with very high-quality singing. This singing remains consistent from reception and throughout KS1 and KS2 and doesn’t stop for WCET. By the time children pick up an instrument in KS2 they already have a good understanding of the elements of music and are able to deal with the technical aspects of the instrument without having to learn additional musical terminology. In addition, the fun factor remained high when singing and musical games were included. Developed by Bristol Plays Music, Minerva Primary Academy and Horfield Primary, the Start with Singing scheme of work combines techniques and resources from Sing Up, The Voices Foundation and the British Kodaly Academy to create a solid foundation and give a seamless transition into learning an instrument. Once children are learning an instrument, high quality singing remains at the heart of every WCET lesson. The programme recognises that nearly all schools have singing at key stage 1. This singing is often built into classroom learning and is a natural part of school life. Bristol Music Trust analysed what we would need to do to create an equitable learning environment to improve the chances of children continuing with music beyond WCET.

The aims of the programme are: • To encourage an understanding and appreciation of the elements of music through singing • To encourage confidence and enjoyment in performing in small groups and in front of an audience

• To prepare Year 2 learners for WCET in Key Stage 2

Bristol Music Trust believes pupils who benefit from Start with Singing are more likely to embrace instrumental tuition and continue to orchestral level, as well as continue to develop their voices through singing in choirs. Results during the pilot period have been impressive, not just for music. Although it’s difficult to prove a direct link, a Minerva Primary Academy class teacher

has attributed increases attainment in reading, writing and maths directly to the programme.

Changes in % of pupils meeting end of Key Stage 1 (Y2) expectations: • Reading up 55%-81%, an increase of 26% • Writing up 48%-74% an increase of 26% • Maths up 64%-81% an increase of 17% Start with Singing was born out of the belief that every child should be given an equitable learning environment and considering the huge financial investment from the DfE going towards WCET, children being able to simply have a go on an instrument is not a sufficient outcome. Bristol Music Trust felt that the continuation rate to take up an instrument beyond WCET in schools in challenging areas, compared to schools in more affluent ones, was far too low. The number of children continuing to learn an instrument after WCET in a school like Minerva Primary school in Bristol can be less than half that of a school in a more affluent area. The initiative has been made possible thanks to an extraordinary philanthropic donation, the largest single donation to a music hub in the UK, but the Trust hope Start with Singing and the broader Earthsong Programme will be a model that can be emulated elsewhere in the country. For more information on the work of the Music Education Hub Bristol Plays Music, visit www.bristolplaysmusic.org

Phil Castang is the director of Creative Learning and Engagement, Bristol Music Trust.