Making it work, Making it work, making it fun.making it fun.

Making it work, Making it work, making it fun.making it fun.

Successful working in primary schoolsSuccessful working in primary schoolsDeena Day – curriculum adviser, consultants’ Deena Day – curriculum adviser, consultants’

manager, HMSmanager, HMS

Why are we having this session?

• Because there is increasing evidence of schools asking for changes of teacher because their present one is not proactive or involved in the school

• Integrating the work of the instrumental teacher is a key feature of the new OFSTED arrangements

• To discuss what is meant by a partnership between schools and the music service

Why do primary schools buy in music

teachers?• For breadth of provision/enrichment

of their school curriculum• Because there is a demand for it• It’s just historical • You are a ‘commissioned service’ and

commissioned services need to be value for money and have an impact

Do you feel part of the school, or are you just

‘there’• Does it feel like a good place to be?• Are you treated like a member of staff?• Is it time for a review?• When was the last time you talked to the head or

subject leader in school?• Could you make an appointment with a senior member

of staff to discuss this?• An email contact in the school would be useful – to pass

on positive results – of exams, music medals, concerts, HMS music making days – so they can contribute to the overall progress and achievement of the children

Rights and responsibilities!

• What you can expect from a school

• What they can expect from you• My examples was of being

challenged on this by a head. I was taken aback to start with but found it to be really useful.

What this looks like in real life

• The HMS contract / SLA• The handbook• Indicators in the school – the practical things that tell you about the

ethos of the school• Specifics - dress code – use of voice and language find out if your

schools have codes of practice or policies – some outline the way everyone talks to each other in school – use of names, manners, consistencies of speech, volume of speech, use of rhetorical questions, lots of examples and variance from school to school. Also moving around the building – would you be expected e.g. to challenge a child who was running/eating/incorrectly dressed?...all things to find out.

• Obtain a copy of the school’s behaviour policy and remember that this tells you not only the agreed courses of action for dealing with poor behaviour, but what to do to reward children who do really well *

Developing ‘the nose’• Like wine experts, visiting teachers develop the ability

to detect major and subtle differences in schools.• We do it by listening, looking, talking to people, and

instinct discussion revealed that some of the indicators are the level of welcome you receive in a school, the attention to detail in planning/information, the level of intervention if something needs sorting out. *

• If you are worried about your partnership with a school, e.g. if they don’t tell you when school events are taking place, tell your area head.

Information that helps everything to work better

• Calendar• Diary• Newsletter• Website• Contact person• Contact means• Policies – Music, behaviour, ?• Sanctions and rewards• Photo permission• Other?• Is information given to you as a matter of course or do you

have to seek it?• Do you have a specific contact person in school?

The big musical pictureyou are part of it

• Classroom music, extra curricular activities and instrumental tuition are all part of the same big picture

• How do you find out about this?• Even if your lessons are paid for by families

you are still a member of staff who can have an impact on the school in a wider sense – why do the school think music is important enough to buy in? is there any way your time could benefit a greater range of children?

Big picture• The subject leader/co-ordinator• The headteacher or a member of the senior

team• Paperwork – the curriculum document, the

scheme of work, long term plan/map, medium term plans

• If teaching is wopps there needs to be a detailed level of integration – more of this

• Are you consistent with ways of teaching e.g. rhythm names/ musical vocabulary?

What to do with the information

• Consider how your teaching fits in• Musical vocabulary• Specific examples e.g. the

teaching of rhythm *

How your contribution to the Big Picture gets recognised

• Photos• Recordings• Video• Display• Celebration• Music assemblies• Your record keeping – sharing it• If your relationship with the school is right, be

proactive, - offer to have concert assemblies etc. And once a date is agreed, organise it

Getting it going or keeping it alive

• Demonstrations - to market yourself to the next

generation of players and their parents

- to contribute to ‘live’ music in school for all – this is the IMPACT part of it

Whats’ in a good demonstration?

• Interactive• Targeted• Musical language• Brings together the familiar and the

new• Shows the big picture for the

children – ‘’if you learn to play…….’’

In conclusion…• The messages are • Integration• Accountability• Being explicit

• It’s all about pupil progress