Music Instruction In Moray Schools

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PAGE: 1
REPORT TO: AUDIT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW COMMITTEE ON 14 MAY
2014
SUBJECT:
MUSIC INSTRUCTION IN MORAY SCHOOLS
BY:
CORPORATE DIRECTOR (EDUCATION AND SOCIAL CARE)
1.
REASON FOR REPORT
1.1
The Committee is invited to scrutinise the current position in relation to Music
Instruction in Moray’s schools.
1.2
This report is submitted to Committee in terms of Section III (J) (11) of the
Council’s Administrative Scheme relating to evaluating the actions of
Committees and implementing the Action Plan set out in the Corporate
Development Plan.
2.
RECOMMENDATION
2.1
Committee is asked to scrutinise the current position in relation to
Music Instruction in Moray’s schools.
3.
BACKGROUND
3.1
The Instrumental Instruction Service currently has a staff of 9.6 FTE
instructors and 0.4 FTE Head of Instrumental Instruction and teaches 850
young people across Moray, mostly in group lessons. The service sits within
the Schools and Curriculum Development Section and is managed by a Head
of Instrumental Instruction. Fees are charged for lessons on either an
individual or group basis with the exception of those young people following
certificated courses leading to Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) awards.
As part of the service, young people receive the use of their musical
instrument for free.
3.2
The service has the following aims;
To enrich the lives of pupils and to contribute to their personal, social and
intellectual development.
To provide a service whereby pupils can realise their full potential as
musicians through the playing of an instrument.
To ensure that as many pupils as possible are presented with the
opportunity to play a musical instrument.
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To enhance playing and to provide opportunities for pupils to develop
appropriate social and musical skills, through their involvement in group
lessons, ensemble work, bands and orchestras.
3.3
The purpose of the Instrumental Instruction Service is to provide good quality
musical instruction equitably in Moray within the limits of the service. The
service offers instrumental tuition during school hours to pupils. Pupils can
begin string instruction in Primary 3-6, brass and woodwind instruction in
Primary 5-7 and Secondary 1 or percussion in Secondary 1. Once pupils
learn to play their instruments they can then participate in school groups
including school orchestras and ensembles; Scots fiddle groups; wind and
brass bands and string orchestras. In addition to the school groups the
Instrumental Instruction Service also provides a Moray-wide group
experience, Moray Music Centre, to enable the pupils to use the skills they
are acquiring.
3.4
In addition to the core Instrumental Instruction Service there is an additional
provision called the Youth Music Initiative (YMI) funded by Creative Scotland.
Creative Scotland is funded by the Scottish Government to give all children in
all Scottish Local Authorities the opportunity to experience one year of free
Instrumental Instruction prior to Primary 6. There are 3.6 FTE recorder/
singing/percussion Instructors and a 0.6 FTE guitar Instructor. Within Moray
schools, the scheme has been implemented with the provision of recorder
lessons, which also incorporate the use of singing and percussion (tuned/
untuned).
3.5
Furthermore, the YMI guitar project, gives all children in the Elgin High School
Primaries the option of participating in group guitar lessons within the school
timetable in P7. In addition, pupils in S1 to S3 are given the opportunity of
participating in group guitar lessons within the school timetable through
electives and pupils in S4 to S6 when using the guitar as their practical
instrument for SQA exams.
Outcomes
3.6
The Instrumental Instruction Service provided group instruction in strings;
woodwind, brass and percussion last year to 850 pupils in 30 primary and
eight secondary schools. The pupils were taught during school hours in
groups of approximately one to four pupils who are also given opportunities to
participate in performance groups during lunchtime and after school.
3.7
There are 4.6 FTE string instructors, 2.0 FTE woodwind instructors, 2.0 FTE
brass instructors, 1.0 FTE Drum-kit/Percussion and 0.4 FTE Head of
Instrumental Instruction.
3.8
In March, June and December the Head of Instrumental Instruction compiles
a list of grades passed after each Associated Board of the Royal Schools of
Music (ABRSM) examination and these are published in the Northern Scot.
These lists build up a picture of the progress of the pupils over the years
enabling the Head of Instrumental Instruction Service to compare statistical
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information year on year. Following an analysis of the Associated Board of
the Royal Schools of Music results published in the Northern Scot over the
last three years the results are as follows:ABRSM results on average per year
3.9
Based on 2009-2010, 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 the average results per year
were pass 40%; merit 40% and distinction 15%. The number of pupils who
were below pass standard were less than 5%. Most pupils achieved either a
pass or a merit with over 15% achieving a distinction which is 5% above the
national average of 10% for distinction.
Number of pupils who sat ABRSM exams between 2009 and 2012
3.10
2009-2010 Strings 108; Woodwind 33 and Brass 19
2010-2011 Strings 106; Woodwind 51 and Brass 19
2011-2012 Strings 157; Woodwind 31 and Brass 33
3.11
In addition, all eight secondary schools held SQA music exams and the
practical element of the exam results for over 150 pupils were incorporated in
the schools’ annual report. (Appendix 1)
3.12
The YMI project took place in all 45 primary schools in Moray. All 842
children in primary five, at every school, were given the opportunity to
undertake lessons in recorder, tuned percussion and voice, within the school
timetable. The YMI guitar project provided 205 children with group guitar
tuition in Elgin High School, Greenwards Primary, New Elgin Primary and
Mosstowie Primary from P7 through to S6 within the school timetable.
3.13
Approximately a third of all instrumental instruction pupils (250 pupils)
participate in the Music Centre or the Concert Brass in any one year. Moray
Music Centre, held on Saturday mornings, offers the pupils a chance to
participate in a number of musical groups including junior strings; senior
orchestra; junior wind band; senior wind band and Moray Concert Brass
(Moray Concert Brass meet on Thursday nights).
3.14
There are positive public perceptions of the Moray Music Centre Concerts as
evidenced by their Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/MorayMusic-Centre/193938960728743. There is good partnership working with the
parent run Friends of Moray Concert Brass and associated work with a range
of music groups in Moray including Keith Silver Band, Elgin City Brass Band
and the RAF Brass Band.
Impact on Pupils
3.15
Following a survey in February 2013 (Appendix 2) regarding teaching and
learning, evidence shows that there is a good standard of teaching and pupils
are motivated, hard working and enthusiastic about studying their instruments.
The overall standard of the pupils is very good and is demonstrated by their
achievements during festivals, exams and concerts. For example, the Moray
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Music Festival instrumental classes are made up of over 80% of the
Instrumental Instruction Service pupils. This year all five of the Moray Music
Centre’s groups (250 pupils) are performing at the Moray Music Centre Junior String Orchestra; Senior String Orchestra; Junior Wind Band; Senior
Wind Band and Moray Concert Brass.
3.16
Pupils are given significant opportunities to perform and the support for the
service is evidenced by the size of the audiences at their concerts and
oversubscribed lessons.
3.17
The Instrumental Instruction Service’s Moray Music Centre presented both a
junior and senior concert in December and March in Elgin Town Hall involving
250 pupils to an audience of 800. In addition, there was a Moray Schools
Youth Orchestra concert in July involving 75 pupils performing to an audience
of 400.
3.18
Included in the February 2013 survey were a number of questions regarding
Moray Music Centre, evidence shows that pupils are actively involved with
repertoire choice in both lessons and choosing music for the Music Centre
group concerts which keeps them motivated and involved.
3.19
The YMI P5 recorder, singing and percussion pupils benefited from the
activity when Recorder groups and musical ensembles performed regularly at
whole school assemblies, school concerts and music festivals. These groups
are provided with the experience of performing their skills to a larger audience
and to demonstrate the good work of the Youth Music Initiative to the wider
school community and outwith the school environment at local events such as
the Moray Music Festival.
3.20
In addition, a number of the pupils performed at Senior Citizen’s clubs and
Women’s Guilds providing entertainment for special events to the public and
the community.
3.21
The YMI guitar pupils got the opportunity to perform to classmates at the end
of the eight-week block. In addition, there was an annual concert at Elgin
High School where the guitar instructor combined all the young people from
the Elgin High School Area Schools Group Primaries for a joint concert with
Elgin High School to establish links and ease the transition for the young
people when moving from primary to secondary.
3.22
With reference to additional positive impacts on young people, based on
current national Duke of Edinburgh statistics, the second most popular skill
choice for the Duke of Edinburgh Award is playing a musical instrument. This
skill links into the values of the award through team work, leadership and
completion of tasks which are valued attributes for future employers and for
university entry.
3.23
The Instruction service is not an elitist service although the service does
operate a selection procedure based on the ability to play not the ability to
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pay. There are pupils who qualify for free lessons for either part or all of the
time
they receive lessons i.e. while in receipt of Free School Meals and pupils
using their instrument at part of a Scottish Qualification Authority course do
not pay.
3.24
Once a pupil begins, they can continue with instruction until S6. Therefore the
commitment to the pupil may potentially cover 11 years (P3 to S6 for string
instruments). Given this the instructors’ timetables are fairly set from one year
to the next there are limited lesson vacancies in any year. When a lesson
vacancy does occur the schools within the Area Schools Group area are
notified.
3.25
The Instrumental Instruction Service supports the Curriculum for Excellence
through links to Maths (e.g. music notation, time signatures and sub-division
of note values); History (Baroque, Classical, Romantic and Modern periods);
Languages (e.g. Italian, French and German musical terms); leadership
opportunities (e.g. leader of the Junior and Senior String Orchestras) and
group working (e.g. Brass Bands, Wind Bands and String Orchestras).
Further Information
3.26
In Moray there are 87 pupils per FTE of instructor with the national average
being 88 pupils per FTE of instructor.
3.27
Moray has the sixth highest charges for instrumental instruction of all 32
authorities and 28% of total costs are in the form of revenue from charges.
This is the fifth highest in Scotland. There is no data to suggest that cost has
an impact on pupil uptake.
3.28
There are no targets set nationally or locally for instrumental services in terms
of attainment or achievement as there are such major variations in the
different services offered across the country. Within Moray we aspire to
maintain our very high levels of success in Associated Board of the Royal
Schools of Music (ABRSM) examinations and we also aim to continue being
able to instruct up to 850 pupils per year, which is approximately 7% of the
pupil population of Moray.
3.29
Appendix 3 contains performance data in relation to Moray’s comparator
authorities.
4.
SUMMARY OF IMPLICATIONS
(a)
Moray 2023: A Plan for the Future/Service Plan
This paper was informed by the 10 Year Plan (Moray 2023) in that it
relates to ambitious and confident young people.
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PAGE: 6
(b)
Policy and Legal
In terms of the Standards in Scotland’s Schools etc Act 2000 the
authority “shall endeavour to secure improvement in the quality of
school education which is provided in the schools managed by them”.
(c)
Financial implications
The costs of the Instrumental Instruction Service have reduced from
£340,228 in 2012-13 to £317,931 in 2014-15. £177,728 of external
funding is received to deliver the Youth Music Initiative. Group lessons
are charged at £201 per annum and individual lessons at £300 per
annum. There is a weekly charge of £4 for young people who attend
Moray Music Centre.
(d)
Risk Implications
None arising from this report.
(e)
Staffing Implications
The service is reduced by 0.2 FTE in 2014-15, but will continue to
teach 850 pupils across Moray.
(f)
Property
Not applicable
(g)
Equalities
Not applicable
(h)
Consultations
Senior Officers in Education and Social Care, Deborah Brands,
Principal Accountant, Margaret Forrest, Legal Services Manager
(Litigation and Licensing) and Don Toonen, Equal Opportunities
Officer, have been consulted and are in agreement with the contents of
this report as regards their respective responsibilities.
5.
CONCLUSION
5.1
Committee is asked to scrutinise the current position in relation to
Music Instruction in Moray’s schools.
ITEM: 9
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Author of Report:
Background Papers:
Ref:
Laurence Findlay, Head of Schools and Curriculum
Development

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