September 2024 Newsletter - Music on Sea

We hope that you had a lovely summer break and are ready for another busy term!

We are looking forward to meeting and speaking to many of you very soon to learn about your school settings and for you to share your plans for the coming year and how we can partner to support you to achieve the best musical outcomes for your pupils.

We have lots of opportunities and resources for schools and students on offer:

School Music Leaders Update
Digital subscriptions – order your time-saving resources now
Greater Essex Music Hub Announcement – Lead Schools
Music Mark School for 2024–25
Music Opportunities for Your Setting – all Key Stages
Opportunities for Primary settings
Opportunities for SEND settings
Opportunities for Secondary settings
Information to share with Parents/Carers

If you have any questions please get in touch via musiconsea@southend.gov.uk. This in box is regularly monitored by Emma Smith (or the Provisions team in her absence for urgent matters).

Don’t forget that you can view information about what we can offer and subscribe/make bookings via the Southend Learning Network.

School Music Leaders Update

Thursday 19th September 4.00-5.30pm
Venue: Civic Centre Southend, committee room 4
Booking: Via Southend Learning Network, event name ‘School Music Leaders Update’

We are holding an information and scoping event on Thursday 19 September. We would love to meet with as many school and music leaders in person as we can to introduce the interim arrangements for Music on Sea.

During the session, we will gather your views about the needs of the children and young people that you work with and how the music service can support you to deliver a strong musical offer to them.

You must register in advance for this event through the Southend Learning Network (SLN). You will receive all updates through this portal. If you require a log in please refer to your nominated staff member in school and or the self-help guides on the portal.

Digital subscriptions – order your time-saving resources now

Have you signed up for your curriculum package for this academic year yet? Charanga, Muse Class and Focus on Sound provide invaluable resources that can be used by both specialist and non-specialist music teachers to deliver a broad and balanced music curriculum, ensuring that staff time is spent delivering directly to pupils and not preparing resources!

You must renew your subscription through the SLN. The cost for subscription to these packages is heavily subsidised for Southend schools; £75 for the 2024/25 academic year. This would usually cost upwards of £200. If you have any questions about the renewal process, please contact musiconsea@southend.gov.uk.

Greater Essex Music Hub Announcement – Lead Schools

We are excited to launch our applications for Lead Schools for Music. We will be looking for schools and settings who value and champion music to become part of a team of lead schools that will support and advocate for music across the Greater Essex Music Hub region. These schools will be able to strategically support the Music Hub and other education settings to ensure that all young people in Essex have access to an excellent music education.

We will be releasing the application guidance and documents early in October and will be holding an online meeting for schools to learn more on Thursday 10 October from 4pm. The application process will open on 11th October and all applications must be received by 31th January.

If you are interested in becoming a lead school, please register for the event and we will make sure we send you the application details once these go live.

Music Opportunities for Your Setting

Musical Mondays

All primary and special schools in Essex are invited to join Live Music Now for Musical Mondays, a series of fully-subsidised live online concerts streamed directly into the comfort of your school hall or classroom. These concerts may also be suitable for younger secondary aged pupils, and secondary schools are also welcome to sign up.

Musical Monday concerts are engaging, lively and educational, featuring a variety of world-class professional musicians from a wide range of backgrounds and genres. Say hello and engage and interact with the musicians using the webinar chat function and ask them questions during question and answer sessions.

Concerts for mainstream primaries will take place on 14th October, 9th December, 3th February, 3th March, 9th June and 7th July and the details of the artists can be found here. Three concert dates for SEND settings will be confirmed later in the term.

You can sign up for Musical Mondays sessions and we will send you the links to each of the sessions ready for you to enjoy with your pupils.

Join together with the Music Man Project!

Join Essex-based disability charity, ‘The Music Man Project’ for 45-minutes of accessible online music-making and fun, fully subsidised by the Greater Essex Music Hub. Featuring the famous Music Man Project Global Ambassadors and charity founder, David Stanley BEM.

Students from The Music Man Project have already delivered ground-breaking in-person workshops to 15,000 Primary and Special School children across the county. Now you can join them live from their teaching session in Southend on Zoom. Your pupils will learn to sing, sign and play music from The Music Man Project songbook, led by inspirational musical role models with learning disabilities.

Sessions will take place on Tuesdays from 11am -11.45am on the following dates: 10th December, 4th February, 25th March, 20th May and 1st July.

Please sign up for Music Man Project sessions so that we can share the links with you before the events.

Opportunities for Primary

Primary Network meeting – 4.00 – 5.00pm Thursday 17th October

Our first Primary Network Meeting of this year will take place 4.00 – 5.00pm Thursday 17th October. This will be an online meeting with the hopes of future meetings taking place in person. We are looking to hold these meetings at different schools around Southend. If your school would like to host please email us.

If you would like to attend the session email musiconsea@southend.gov.uk so that we have an idea of numbers and can send you the link to the session.

New to Role – Primary Music Subject Leader Updates

Join with teachers from across Essex for a day exploring how to lead music in a primary school. The day with be a mix of information and practical activity with time to share ideas with other professionals. Suitable for teacher new in their role and those who would like some inspiration and an update!

Friday 18th October, 9.30-3.30, Colchester Mercury Theatre, Colchester
Friday 7th February, 9.30-3.30, Towngate Theatre, Basildon

Opportunities for SEND settings

The Royal Ballet and Opera are introducing newly developed PMLD music resources.

These resources have been designed to give teachers the confidence to explore the multi-sensory world of opera with learners.

Designed to:

Empower classroom teachers (without a Music specialism OR SEND specialism) to feel confident in exploring music in the classroom
Engage learners across the spectrum of needs and abilities in the multisensory world of opera
Use the Sounds of Intent framework to equip teachers with an understanding of how to facilitate different levels of engagement with music

We are also delighted to offer an accompanying CPD for teachers in the East region to support teachers in implementing these resources in their classrooms. The session will take place at Lexden Springs School in Colchester on 6th November. Please email Schools@roh.org.uk to book your place or with any questions or queries.

Opportunities for Secondary

Southend Symphony Orchestra – A Level set works

Southend Symphony Orchestra will be playing several A ‘Level set works in their next performance on Saturday 12th October. There is also a pre-concert talk sharing more information about the works being played. You can learn more about Southend Symphony Orchestra and book tickets for Southend Symphony Orchestra on their website.

Individual and whole class for Autumn term 2024

If your school is having music lessons via Music on Sea this term, please confirm the lessons by the end of the month.

The process remains as per last year.

Please select the relevant package from the store on the Southend Learning Network
Enter the weekly lessons in the quote form
We will then check this against the timetables from the tutors when they submit their hours at the end of the month and when it agrees confirm the cost for the term
Please remember that the new charge of £34 per hour now applies to all individual/small group teaching

You are not required to submit any timetables to Music on Sea. On the occasions that the information does not match what has been submitted by the tutor we will get in touch and may request a timetable.

Students who start lessons mid-term can be added at a later date if needed.

Whole Class Music Tuition

All schools who book a full year of whole class instrumental tuition will receive the first term fully funded by Music on Sea. If you would like to benefit from the free term, please be sure to select the option to sign up for the full academic year. You can register the same class for the year or several classes across the year group but you must sign up in the Autumn term for the discount to be awarded. The free term will be applied in Autumn term 2024. If at any time throughout the year the school cancels the whole class lessons an invoice for Autumn term 2024 will be generated as the free term will no longer apply. Whole Class tuition is charged at £35 per hour.

We are only able to apply this discount to Whole Class Music Tuition. We are unable to apply this to any extra-curricular music teaching.

Information to share with Parents/Carers

Please share the links below with parents and carers so that they are aware of the musical provision across the city for young people.