Music Collaboration Project (Infant Singing and KS2 Orchestral project)
The Infant Singing project brings together 250 Year 2 children from four local primary schools to sing together at Sheffield City Hall as part of an annual celebration of music in Sheffield. Sheffield High School music staff and students work with the children and teach them playground songs with actions, over a period of 6 weeks, in their own schools and come together for the final concert at Sheffield City Hall.
The Orchestral project involves 150 Year 5 children from four primary schools working with music staff and students from Sheffield High School and Sheffield University’s music department on music composition and using orchestral instruments. Each school works on a different movement over a four week period and the children then come together for a full day working with the university’s symphony orchestra, ending with a concert for parents.
Aims
The aim of both projects is to provide support and training for teachers in local state primary schools to deliver the KS1 and two music curriculum and to give children greater exposure to music and musical instruments.
The headteachers of the four schools identified the need as this was an area of the curriculum where they felt they lacked specific expertise.
The benefits of both projects have been amazing – seeing the confidence of the staff and children in all the schools grow as they work together and learn from the expertise of both sectors.
Background
The music collaboration partnership with the schools involved originated from other partnerships with these schools.
Hunter’s Bar and Springfield are both part of our SHINE ‘Serious Fun on Saturdays’ project which began in 2011. Norfolk Park and Prince Edward are part of the Sheffield South East Learning Partnership which we have been part of with our Cool to be Clever club since 2013.
Resources
The main resource critical to the success of the partnership is time. Our timetable currently allows for one of our Infant teachers and Senior School Music Co-ordinator to be released for one afternoon per week in the spring term to deliver sessions in each of the primary schools. Time is also needed for co-ordination meetings with Sheffield Music Hub and the partner schools.
A financial contribution (approximately £3,000 per year) has been made by the Sheffield Music Hub to help with the staff release costs.
Impact
Evaluation of the project is carried out through collection of feedback from the children and teachers involved and also from audience response at a public concert held at Sheffield City Hall.
Pupil Involvement
Infant Singing Project: 150 Year 2 children from four Primary Schools including 30 from Sheffield High School and also 10 Sixth Form mentors and two teachers from Sheffield High.
Frequency
Both the Infant Singing Project and the orchestral projects have been ongoing since 2013. The third year of the project is planned for 2015-16 and we hope to continue in future years.
Planning for the projects takes place in the autumn, the Singing project sessions and concert take place in the spring and Orchestral project in the summer term.