This online course is designed specifically for Music Subject Leaders and will support you in developing both your subject knowledge in music and your understanding of effective subject leadership.
The course will explore the discipline of music in depth, helping leaders understand how pupils develop musical knowledge through singing, listening, composing and performing, learning more and remembering more over time. We will consider how pupils build the procedural and technical knowledge that allows them to realise and develop their own expressive intentions through music.
Alongside this, we will consider the role of the music leader in securing high-quality teaching, supporting colleagues, championing the subject across the school and ensuring all pupils can access a rich and ambitious music education. Drawing on the latest evidence, including the EEF’s guidance on effective implementation and leadership, we will explore practical approaches that music leaders can use to support improvement within their schools.
The course will explore how the PKC Music Curriculum is structured, sequenced and planned. We will consider the central importance of active music-making and listening, how pupils develop their understanding of musical elements over time, and how this knowledge supports composition and performance. We will also explore the diverse range of music that can be included within the primary curriculum, the teaching of notation, and the ways in which music can connect with other areas of the curriculum.
The session will provide updates on national developments, including the implications of the new National Curriculum once the draft proposals are published for consultation. We will explore what the changes may mean for music leaders, how schools can begin preparing, and how PKC will support schools through the process.
We will consider questions such as:
- What does effective subject leadership in music look like, and how can leaders evaluate and improve the quality of music education across their school?
- What makes a high-quality, knowledge-rich music curriculum, and how can subject leaders ensure pupils develop secure musical knowledge, understanding and skills over time?
- How can we ensure pupils make strong progress in music, learning more and remembering more from lesson to lesson, unit to unit and year to year?
- What does high-quality teaching and assessment in music look like, and how can subject leaders support teachers to deliver effective music lessons?
- How can singing, listening, composing and performing help pupils develop their musical knowledge and understanding, including their understanding of notation and the elements of music?
- How can we ensure music is ambitious, inclusive and accessible for all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND?
This course provides an excellent opportunity for music subject leaders to deepen their expertise, learn practical approaches to leading improvement in music, network with colleagues from other PKC schools, and stay informed about the latest developments affecting the subject.
The session will be recorded, and videos will be made available for participants.