Secondary Music - News and Events
The Kath Topping Award for Vocal Studies 2010
Kent Chamber Choir is now inviting applications for the Kath Topping Award for Vocal Studies 2010. Applicants must be aged 16 – 23 and be resident in either the Kent or Medway Local Education Authority area.
One or more awards of up to £500 each may be provided to support vocal studies such as singing lessons or the purchase of music or scores. The closing date for applications is 31st May 2010. Press Release.
For further details and an application form, go to www.kentchamberchoir.org.uk or contact:
Mrs Jane Henderson,
Kent Chamber Choir,
106 Birling Avenue,
Bearsted,
Maidstone
Kent ME14 4LL
Telephone: 01622 737118
e-mail: home@peterhenderson.plus.com
KCC KCC (ASK) is now administering the KCC Music Bursary Fund (formerly managed by Kent Music).
Successful awards will be paid to families through schools with the KCC funding paid into the school monthly advance.
The new criteria and application forms for awards are designed to have a maximum impact on Kent pupils (in a range of musical activities) when progress is endangered because of financial difficulty.
Criteria for remission of fees
Application Form Whole Group "continuers" school application
The latest OfSTED music report - "Making More of Music 2009" - gathers evidence from 2005 - 2008 and contains essential advice on giving pupils the very best in Music Education and importantly explores the "awakening of music intelligence, the distinctive contribution of music to pupils' education.
Primary School Transition Document
Planning for Wider Opportunities "continuers" who have received a year's free tuition and want to continue at secondary school will be included on this document which secondary subject leaders will receive from feeder schools. This will allow them to plan for new instrumentalists/instruments arriving in September 2009.
Follow this link to the NAME website to see all the links to the latest national initiatives, including "Teaching Music" a new portal to help all those involved in music education to reflect and improve their knowledge, understanding and skills in music education, funded by the TDA and managed by NAME and MEC.
Regional Music Meetings
Summer Term 2010
Please note that all meetings are held from 2:00pm to 4:30pm on the dates given below. Bookings should be made by e-mailing Thomas Winek.
| Date | Code | Venue | Location |
| 21 June 2010 | SS345MS03/01 | Folkestone Girls' Grammar School | Folkestone |
| 22 June 2010 | SS345MS03/02 | Sittingbourne Community College | Sittingbourne |
| 23 June 2010 | SS345MS03/03 | TBA | |
| 24 June 2010 | SS345MS03/04 | Maidstone Girls' Grammar School | Maidstone |
| 25 June 2010 | SS345MS03/05 | Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School | Canterbury |
| 28 June 2010 | SS345MS03/06 | Highworth Grammar School | Ashford |
| 29 June 2010 | SS345MS03/07 | Hillview School for Girls | Tonbridge |
| 30 June 2010 | SS345MS03/08 | Hextable Dance Studio | Dartford |
KS3 Music - A professional development programme
Following our Regional INSET sessions on the impressive "KS3 Music: a professional development programme" - follow this link to find a web based version of this valuable resource. The latest OfSTED report " Making More of Music" (2009) clearly states that the better music departments inspected have fully embraced the advice from this programme.
The Assessment for Learning in music materials (on CD ROM) can be viewed here:
Other National Strategy materials available
ICT across the Curriculum
ICT in Music - DCSF 0186-2004 G
Literacy in Music (Literacy and Learning in music - DCSF 0664-2004 G)
Assessment for learning subject development materials - DCSFS 0737-2004 G CD
DCSF Publications ordering information
Making More of Music 2009 The latest OfSTED music report gathers evidence from 2005 - 2008 and contains essential advice on giving pupils the very best in Music Education and importantly explores the "awakening of music intelligence, the distinctive contribution of music to pupils' education.
QCA Music Report 2005 a fascinating 'state of the nation' description of where we are in Music Education. Well worth reading
Ofsted Report 2005 Very useful advice and recommendations of where we could build upon Good Practice. Essential reading!
Widening Opportunities for Music in Key Stage 2 Ofsted Conference report of fascinating work in 10 pilot schools
ICT in Secondary Schools Ofsted good practice report
Good Assessment Practice in Music Ofsted KS3/4 good practice report
Access and Engagement in Music a KS3 publication designed for music teachers with English as an Additional Language pupils, but containing excellent exemplar materials supporting Teaching and Learning
The Music Room Check out the updated Music Room website that Garrie Harvey of Cornwallis is developing. It has excellent interactive pupil activities and Teacher resources, including a very friendly Sibelius tutorial done by Garrie himself. This is a very important and essential website for Kent Music teachers.
G Harvey - The Music Room Administrator
Free Karaoke software to help improve singing in your school
How to get the software, with simple instructions on its use. How to get songs from the latest top 10 hits.
Baseline Assessment Tests (doc)
To view, select and click on the document. To download, select document and right click with the mouse. Select 'save target as' from the drop down menu and save to your desired destination.
If you would like a copy of the accompanying CD for these Baseline Tests, please send a cheque for £12:50 made payable to Kent County Council.
Send it to:
David Burridge or his secretary, at
Advisory Service Kent
Shepway Centre, Oxford Road
Maidstone, Kent
ME15 8AW
End of KS3 Teacher Music Assessments
Gradually we are becoming more accurate in assessing our pupils at the end of KS3 but it is always helpful to see how other music teachers are going about it.
On the Staffordshire CC KS3 website (link below) you can see and listen to 9 examples of "levelled" work (mostly compositions), with the rationale for the levels given. These materials compliment the QCA Exemplar materials that most of us are now familiar with. It also gives good ideas for Units of Work.
Staffordshire KS3 Music Assessment Support
Entitlement for Music ICT KS3
ICT in Music at KS3 is an ever-growing area in Kent, with much innovative work being done. However, it is still the area that probably has the most potential for improving Teaching and Learning in the subject.
If you feel you really need to move on in this area, need more resources, and need a rationale for doing so, quote from the entitlement document (link below) to make your case.
Much of the KS3 information above has come from links given in the excellent National Association of Music web site
New Qualifications at KS4
Garrie Harvey AST has produced an excellent resource that summarizes the main choices at KS4/5. Well worth visiting the Music Room website - Options KS4 and 5
A data base of all available qualifications can be found at The National Database of Accredited Qualifications website.
All those related to music can be found in the Music and performing Arts levels 1 and 2 qualifications document.
New 2009 GCSE Examinations
Here are the important changes that affect us for the new GCSE 2009 examinations produced by Emma Graham, AST, Hillview School, Tonbridge.
Kent wholeheartedly supports the Music Manifesto
5 key aims
- To provide every young person with first access to a range of music experiences
- To provide more opportunities for young people to deepen and broaden their musical interests and skills
- To identify and nurture our most talented young musicians
- To develop a world class workforce in music education
- To improve the support structures for young people's making music
Visit the excellent Music Manifesto website