Coordinating Music Across The Primary School

Sarah Hennessy

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2005
• eBook ISBN: 9781135712686
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Education General

Specifically designed for busy teachers who have responsibility for co- ordinating a subject area within their primary school. Each volume in the series conforms to a concise style, while providing a wealth of tips, case studies and photocopiable material that teachers can use immediately.; There are special volumes dedicated to dealing with OFSTED, creating whole school policy and the demands of co-ordinating several subjects within a small school.; The entire set of 16 volumes is available.

Part one
The role of the music coordinator

Chapter 1 The role of the music coordinator

Chapter 2 Consultancy

Chapter 1
The role of the music coordinator

The job description

In advertisements and job descriptions the title given to the teacher responsible for music in a primary school may vary and the particular one that is chosen is likely to suggest the school’s previous experience or expectations of the post.

‘Music specialist’ implies a teacher with traditional expertise who may be expected to teach music to all or most of the children. This kind of post has become increasingly rare in state education for a combination of reasons both economic and philosophical. What is not rare is the ‘fall-out’ from this title which continues to lead teachers to believe that music can only be the province of specialist teachers. Music is seen as a special specialism: a subject that teachers can, quite openly and without shame, admit to not teaching.

A teacher ‘able to offer music’ suggests a more flexible and negotiable situation. It does not imply a post of responsibility and there may be other teachers already working in the school who have expertise. They may be looking for someone to strengthen the provision in some way. What this phrase suggests, perhaps, is that the school recognises that no single specialist can provide the full range of expertise or interests which a curriculum subject needs.

A teacher ‘to take responsibility for music’ is a little vague whereas ‘curriculum leader’ or ‘co-ordinator’ suggests that the school has clear expectations and gives similar status to music as it does to other subjects.

However, in practice, these titles are sometimes used interchangeably. It is therefore very important that at interview or, in the early stages of a new appointment, expectations of responsibilities are articulated and agreed.

Expectations of schools

It is evident, from job descriptions in the press and the more detailed information that applicants receive from schools, that expectations of such a post vary widely. The status given to the post can initially be gleaned from whether it attracts a responsibility allowance. In comparing similar sized schools there is no guarantee of the post carrying the same allowance as individual schools will decide on where to spend their budget according to the particular interests, philosophy and enthusiasms of the management.

Heads and governors, when appointing a teacher to take on responsibility for music, may well be influenced by their own experience of school music. Job descriptions are often loaded with expectations about what kinds of musical activities are desirable, or are to be promoted. The headteacher’s definition of a music specialist and consequently, what kind of music education s/he is prepared to support is highly significant and can greatly facilitate or hinder the aims of the coordinator.

The other significant influence on a job description is whom you might be replacing. Where a school has lost a teacher responsible for music who was in post for a considerable time, the subject is likely to have developed as a close reflection of his/her strengths and values. The musical activity in the school will have a particular expression which, if the management approves, they will want to continue. If, for instance, a school has an excellent tradition of singing with a choir that performs at festivals, or a large number of children learning instruments, or a tradition of combined arts projects, then it may well want to find a teacher who will continue in the same mould. On the other hand, a school might be appointing a coordinator for the first time, having survived, say, on generalist teaching supported by a bought-in specialist. In this case they may well not know quite what they want, or what is possible. Indeed, they may have a very limited view of the role (i.e. pianist).

These are extracts from a sample of job descriptions provided for applicants in recent years:

Music Coordinator—Rate B Allowance

Alongside the headteacher, take the lead in the planning and development of the music curriculum throughout, the school… Assessing the needs of the school in terms of music resources and equipment… Assessing INSET needs of the school and taking a lead in planning and organising school based courses…Providing general guidance to staff… Developing liaison with LEA services and other agencies Overseeing the work of visiting peripatetic teachers Select suitable children for instrumental tuition Assist with administration of the music budget Be responsible for collecting fees for tuition and maintenance of instruments

You will obviously need the ability to be flexible and be able to play an instrument (ideally the piano) to support specific activities e.g. assembly/ concerts/orchestra work/making music.

Ability to lead choir and orchestra essential.

training instrumental groups, recorder groups and the orchestra; training and accompanying the choir, planning, teaching and accompanying music for assembly (No mention in this one of curriculum work at all).

the music specialist will be required to deliver the National Curriculum and music to all ages from nursery to Y6, as well as liaise with class teachers, clergy and visiting peripatetics. S/he will also be responsible for church and school assemblies and productions.

The degree of detail provided and the kind of responsibilities described reveal some marked differences in what is envisaged. Apart from the first extract all the others emphasise the skills of a musical director rather than a teacher of curriculum music.

Although these kinds of descriptions indicate a view or preference it may not mean that a broader and more comprehensive approach is unwelcome. It should signal the need for educating the headteacher and perhaps the school as a whole in other kinds of music learning. It may also suggest a’softly-softly’ approach to change and development; during the first months of teaching one should attempt to provide a certain amount of what is expected, especially where traditions are in place. Change and innovation should be approached with awareness of the difficulties colleagues may have with altering their attitudes and accommodating your ideas.

Recent developments in the coordinator role

The word ‘coordination’ suggests that there are people or things to be brought together and organised in some purposeful way. Often with music there has been little need to do this as most of the teaching and activity has emanated from one member of staff: the music ‘specialist’. Coordination related more to the business of organising peripatetic instrumental teaching and extra-curricular music activities. Until the mid 70s most average to large primary schools could, if they chose, afford to employ a music teacher to do nothing but teach music throughout the school or, at least spend a substantial amount of their weekly timetable on this, perhaps sharing a class-teacher post for the remainder. This policy meant that, for smaller schools, there was no need for a full-time music teacher and someone could be employed for, perhaps, one day per week to teach each class and take some recorder groups or the choir. Some local education authorities even paid for pianists who were not qualified school teachers, to work as accompanists in school; the assumption being, I imagine, that without a pianist no music was possible, or that pianist equals music teacher. Where there was no specialist, the visiting pianist could end up leading music lessons. This might have appeared to be better than nothing but it is interesting that the criteria for being able to teach music are considered to be rather different from those required to teach other subjects.

Music is for all children therefore it should be taught by all teachers.

(Mills, 1991) …

the responsibility for the development of the child through a musical education does not rest with one person.

(Nelson in Glover and Ward, 1993)

Now that staffing patterns have changed due largely, I suspect, to economics rather than ideology, it is less possible for schools to find the means to employ a music teacher who operates as a specialist throughout the school. Alongside this resource issue there have also been changes in attitudes and thinking towards music in primary schools.

With most curriculum subjects in primary school one assumes that teachers are engaged with teaching them to their own class. One may also assume that these teachers accept that this is what characterises the job of a primary class teacher. When I interview candidates for initial teacher training a major reason for choosing to teach in the primary phase is their interest in the whole child and wanting to be involved with the whole curriculum. They may express lack of experience or knowledge with some subjects but they still expect to be teaching them. This does not deny the fact that we all have differing degrees of knowledge, skill and understanding in different subjects or that we enjoy teaching some subjects more than others.

The principle of the class teacher teaching all subjects to the same group of children throughout a year is deeply embedded in theory and practice, except for music, and the way in which many specialist music teachers have been educated perpetuates this perception. The popular image of the music teacher is still of an accomplished performer (invariably a pianist) of ‘classical’ music. S/he understands the mysteries of staff notation and will devote much energy and time to directing choirs, ensembles and providing a regular stream of concerts and performance events to uphold (or establish) the school’s traditions. The problem with this image is that it is at odds with much of what is now considered to be appropriate and desirable for curriculum music in school. In the current climate improvising, composing, listening and responding are all considered, with performing, to be integral to the music education of all children. However it is expressed, the curriculum documents for music in all four countries in the UK ask for these activities to be the means by which children learn in and through music. The teaching and learning styles needed for the contemporary curriculum encompass those associated with other subjects: facilitating, guiding, peer teaching, group work, independent learning, self-assessment. None of these feature very much in the music education traditions of even the quite recent past. Music teachers who have been educated through ‘O’ and ‘A’ levels and a predominantly ‘classical’ music route will be more familiar with the ‘teacher as musical director/instructor’ model of teaching. Generalist teachers who were on the receiving end of this approach will assume that this is what music teaching is. If it is, then of course there is no possibility that they could do it!

Teachers who are accomplished (often self-taught) guitar players, singers, drummers etc. seem to think that, because they have had no formal music education and do not read music, they cannot or should not teach music. Ironically, it is often these teachers who have the abilities to play by ear, improvise and who are comfortable with pop, folk or jazz styles. Current views of curriculum content and teaching styles encompass all of this, and teachers who have had a ‘classical’ music education may be less confident in such skills and knowledge.

Now that teaching music calls on a greater range of teaching skills and musical activities, coordinators must work hard to promote and demonstrate music as a subject that all good teachers can teach; and exploit the enthusiasms and skills of colleagues.

As long as primary schools continue to uphold the principle of the class teacher teaching the whole curriculum, music coordinators need to address the problems of the confidence and expertise of colleagues. Confidence develops as a result of positive experience leading to greater understanding of what music is, how children learn and what can be taught. Expertise is developed through the acquisition of skills in and knowledge of music itself.

The problem increases, quite understandably, as the children become more experienced and more critical themselves. There are few who would argue that a specialist teacher is necessary to teach at KS1; the nature of children’s musical abilities, understanding and engagement at this stage means that all teachers should be able to handle the appropriate musical skills and knowledge. They will, of course, still need the support and advice of a coordinator but I have found, in my own experience of providing inservice courses, that KS1 teachers are generally convinced of the importance of music in the education of young children, and confident to ‘have a go’.

In Years 3 and 4 it should still be perfectly possible for the majority of teachers to be teaching music to their own classes, but it is in Years 5 and 6 that teachers may begin to be anxious about their own subject knowledge and their abilities to provide musical experiences that are complex and challenging enough to allow for progression. At this stage the music coordinator may well be expected to teach as a specialist. There are many instances of teachers swapping classes to teach their subject specialism, especially in Year 6, and in music it is extremely common. In 1995 I carried out a survey of teachers who were in their first three years of teaching (all graduates of the BAEd and PGCE specialist primary music courses at Exeter University). Out of 36 respondents 33 were responsible for music throughout their school and 10 cited teaching some or most other classes for music as one of their responsibilities. More recently I have been collecting data from fifteen teachers involved in an inservice course specifically for music coordinators (a government-funded course run jointly with Cornwall Education Authority) and half the respondents teach other’s classes as part of their role. It may be that this pattern is the most effective and appropriate, but the decision about who teaches what should be made as a result of a period of review and reflection rather than a situation arrived at by default, inertia, desperation or ignorance.

Responsibilities

In all the interviews and questionnaires that I have undertaken there is a common core of responsibilities which all coordinators take on where relevant:

1. Purchasing and maintaining music resources. These include sheet music, published teaching materials, instruments, recorded music, music stands and storage;
2. Accompanying the singing in assembly and taking singing practices, although other teachers might contribute;
3. Organising instrumental tuition provided by visiting teachers;
4. Directing and teaching several performance groups such as recorders, choir, orchestra, steel band, guitars, keyboard. These usually take place during lunch-times or after school;
5. Directing or contributing significantly to performance events attached to religious festivals, and end of term celebrations; concerts, and music making with other schools;
6. Organising visits to concerts or visits by musicians to the school;
7. Writing the policy document for the school;
8. Bidding for money and managing the budget;
9. Taking responsibility for curriculum development;
10. Providing advice and support for colleagues. (This ranged from writing detailed lesson plans for other teachers, to devising a series of INSET sessions with the whole staff, to acting mainly in the role of consultant to one or more teachers);
11. Developing a framework and guidelines for...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• List of Figures
• Series Editor’s Preface
• Introduction
• Part One: the Role of the Music Coordinator
• Part Two: What Music Coordinators Need To Know
• Part Three: Planning For Music
• Part Four: Monitoring for quality
• Part Five: Resources for learning
• References