The Importance of having a National Plan...

Well, it has arrived. NAME will be producing a digest of the Plan in the near future, so I won’t attempt that here. There will also, no doubt, be comments on it to be found on NAME’s new Facebook site, so do check these and add your own thoughts. In the spirit of a blog, here are some personal reflections on the implications the Plan might have for NAME members.

A Bold Vision

Contrary to fears that it would be a National Plan for Some Aspects of Music Education, the Plan embraces the whole sector in a way that looks beyond traditional and institutionalised divisions. It expresses a vision that is inclusive of people, of approaches to music education and of the different roles that music plays in peoples’ lives (academic, artistic, fun). We may have reservations about whether the funding is sufficient to meet the extent of the vision; and it will be a real challenge to our imagination and commitment to partnership working to make up the shortfall.

Reassurance for school music

“[A]ll schools, including academies and free schools, should provide high quality music education as part of a broad and balanced curriculum.” Throughout the Plan, the work of hubs is described in the context of music in school; and this in terms of composing and listening in a variety of styles, genres and traditions, as well as performing. Whilst these expectations are to some extent qualified by references to the National Curriculum Review, there is comfort here even for confirmed conspiracy theorists.

Challenges for school music

Yet there is a quiet revolution lurking in the vision of the plan. There is a challenge here for schools to take the step from being recipients of Music Services to becoming active partners in hubs. “Hubs will augment and support music teaching in schools so that more children experience a combination of classroom teaching, instrumental and vocal tuition and input from professional musicians.” There is a challenge to re-appraise how schools support each other, how school ensembles fit with local and regional ensembles, how classroom teaching and additional specialist teaching complement one another. These are challenges that many are addressing already. But perhaps the biggest challenge is for teachers in schools to embrace these opportunities when they are not directly affected by the changes in funding (at the moment).

Primary initial teacher education

One of NAME’s recommendations to the Henley Review was for additional music provision in the Primary PGCE that could also be made available to teachers once they had qualified. A provision very much like this features in the Plan, opening the way to address longstanding concerns regarding the support that is available to teachers in primary schools.

These are some of the key points that have struck me as I have read the Plan this afternoon and thought about its impact. Facebook offers the opportunity to comment on how the Plan will affect you. It will be important for us to build up this picture, so do please add your thoughts... maybe after reading NAME’s digest of the Plan when it appears next week.

James Garnett

25 November 2011