AST Conference 2010

The AST Conference took place on Tuesday 29th June in Derby at the Déda (Derby Dance Centre).  This was the eighth year that Music ASTs were invited to attend a conference specifically planned for them.

The National Associatiion of Music Educators (NAME) organised the conference with funding from the Department for Education

The main conference presentations, breakout sessions and evaluation report are available to download below

AGENDA

Keynote speech

Ofsted's current priorities and how ASTs can help achieve them

Mark Phillips, HMI, National Adviser for Music, Ofsted (click here)

Mark taught in schools for over twenty years, and worked in local authority music and advisory services, before being appointed Her Majesty's Inspector in September 2006.  He was a member of the HMI team that produced the 'Making More of Music' report and teaching leaflets in 2009, and became Ofsted's National Adviser for Music in January 2010.  In addition to leading Ofsted's music survey inspections, Mark continues to lead Section 5 inspections and visits to schools causing concern.

Breakouts:

Cross-curricular (primary)

Sue Nicholls, Independent music education consultant (click here)

Following a successful career as a primary music specialist, Sue became an Advanced Skills Teacher, a post which allowed her to follow her particular passion within music education:  the support of the generalist teacher.  Her books to date:  Bobbie Shaftoe Clap Your Hands;  Michael Finnigin Tap Your Chinigin;  Music Express [Foundation Stage] and The Handy Band - published by A & C Black - demonstrate an accessible and practical approach to delivering the music curriculum.  She has contributed songs to other books, including Singing Sherlock 1 & 2 and Voiceworks at Christmas and her latest books:  The Song Stack and Playground Song Book are published by Music Education Supplies.  She has been a music consultant for Music Box, and Early Years BBC radio programme, and currently delivers teachers' courses and singing training nationwide, working as a freelance music education consultant and also as a vocal facilitator for Sing Up.  Her new song book for the Voiceworks series will be published by Oxford University Press in 2011.

Cross-curricular (secondary)

Kevin Rogers, County Inspector, Hampshire Music Service (click here)

Kevin has been County Inspector with Hampshire Music Service for ten years.  For part of that time, he was seconded to the Secondary National Strategy to lead on its KS3 music programme and has recently been working with QCDA on two national assessment projects involving music at KS3.  His current work in Hampshire includes a focus on cross-curricular learning in both primary and secondary schools.

The mentoring role of ASTs - Mentoring Matters

Anthony Anderson, AST  (click here for the pdf) (click here fot the powerpoint)

Anthony is the Head of Music and and AST and Beauchamp College, Leicestershire.  He is a mentor and lead mentor for the Graduate Teacher programme in his school and has also worked as a QTS and aspirant AST mentor as well as with student mentors.  He co-leads regional secondary music networks and is joint organiser of the Leicestershire Music Teachers' Conference.  Anthony is music curriculum consultant for Channel 4 Learning and works as an educational adviser with the Philharmonia Orchestra.  He has been Lead Regional Subject  Adviser for the programme run by CfBT Education Trust to support the new secondary curriculum.   Currently Regional Representative for NAME in the East Midlands, Anthony is a consultant author for SSAT, a member of the editorial board for www.teachingmusic org.uk and writes regularly for the TES, Rhinefold's Classroom Music and NAME publications.

AST showcase:  PowerPlus

Robin McEwan, AST (click here)

Robin is the Advanced Skills Teacher for Music in Sheffield, based at Tapton School   He has a varied career in both education and professional music.   His compositions and arrangements have been performed by The Hallé, BBC Philharmonic, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Ulster Orchestra, London Mozart Players, Opera North, RSNO, BBC CO, RTE Orchestra, The Orchesre de Aquitaine, Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg, Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo, and the Malaysia Philharmonic.  His arrangement of Julian Nott's music from the Wallace and Gromit feature film was played in the Blue Peter Prom at the Royal Albert Hall.

Information and update session

Kevin Rogers, County Inspector, Hampshire Music Service - New Exemplification of Standards materials

The exemplification of standards files for foundation subjects (including music) have now been published by QCDA.  They support effective assessment by demonstrating national standards across key stage 3 at National Curriculum levels 3 to 8.

The materials can be found here.

Rob Nash, NAME Chair

Rob is currently Chair of the National Association of Music Educators.  He began his career as a secondary music teacher, progressing to become a head of department.  He then spent a period in Further Education teaching popular music and music technology alongside 'A' level and broader access courses in music, before moving into local authority music services.  Appointed to establish a music service in the new unitary authority of Blackburn with Darwen when Music Standards Fund first appeared, he then moved to Cheshire, where he now manages Cheshire East Music Services.  Throughout his career Rob has been committed to providing quality educational experiences and opportunities in music to all children and young people.

Richard Hallam - Update (National Music Participation Director)

Richard has been a professional musician, teacher, adviser, inspector, head of music service and conductor.  He has been involved in music nationally for over 15 years, including being chair of the National Association of Music Educators, Incorporated Society of Musicians Music Education Section Warden and a member of the Music Education Executive, as well as being a member of numerous charitable, government and curriculum advisory bodies.  During his part-time secondment as Government adviser, he chaired the Music Manifesto steering committee.  He is now National Music Participation Director.

Presentation

Martin Flatman, Director of AST and ET, The National Assessment Agency - VT Education and Skill (click here)

Martin studied to become a music teacher and later gained a BEd in Philosophy and Atheistic thought.  He spent seventeen years in Hertfordshire secondary schools, rising to the Head of Upper School and Sixth Form in a Stevenage 11-18 all-ability school. He left teaching to become the Director of TVEI in Hertfordshire and later in Trafford (Greater Manchester).  Following a successful period of freelance work as a Threshold Assessor, Performance Management adviser, Ofsted inspector and AST assessor, Martin worked as a full-time education consultant to Westminster Education Consultants.   In 2001 he was appointed Director of the National Assessment Agency for ASTs and later ETs.  Since 2004, Martin has continued as AST and ET Director with VT Education and Skills and has advised the DCSF and TDA on matters related to the professional standards and the external assessment of teachers.

Evaluation Report  (click here)