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Benefits of continuing professionaldevelopment (CPD) programmes inmusic for KS2 (primary) teachersthrough the example of the LondonSymphony Orchestra (LSO) On TrackprogrammeMaria Varvarigou a , Andrea Creech a & Susan Hallam aa Institute of Education, University of London, 20 Bedford Way,London, WC, 1H 0AL, UK

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To cite this article: Maria Varvarigou, Andrea Creech & Susan Hallam (2012): Benefits of continuingprofessional development (CPD) programmes in music for KS2 (primary) teachers through theexample of the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) On Track programme, Music Education Research,14:2, 149-169

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Benefits of continuing professional development (CPD) programmes inmusic for KS2 (primary) teachers through the example of the LondonSymphony Orchestra (LSO) On Track programme

Maria Varvarigou*, Andrea Creech and Susan Hallam

Institute of Education, University of London, 20 Bedford Way, London, WC 1H 0AL, UK

(Received 20 March 2012; final version received 21 February 2012)

Between September 2008 and August 2010 24 KS2 classroom teachers wereinvolved in a two-year programme of continuing professional development(CPD), delivered by the LSO in partnership with Local Authority Music Services.The teachers indicated that they embarked on the CPD programme lookingforward to opportunities to share good practice, gain new ideas for teachingsinging and composition, gain knowledge of musical styles and concepts andenhance their confidence as music teachers. The scheme was found to besuccessful in fulfilling the teachers’ aspirations and in equipping them with skillsfor integrating music into cross curricular activities, as well as for designing lessonplans in music that met the needs of their specific classrooms.

Keywords: teaching; partnership; orchestra; primary; professional development

Introduction

The challenges of musical practice in primary schools in the UK seem to revolve

around three variables: (1) the lack of status of music in the school curriculum

(Beauchamp 1997; Holden and Button 2006; Hallam et al. 2008), (2) the possible

inefficiency of undergraduate teacher education programmes in the delivery of music

training, which contributes to a lack of confidence of the generalist classroom

teachers to teach music (Hallam et al. 2008, 2009; Harrison and Pound 1996;

Hennessy 2000; Ruocco 2008; Varvarigou 2008) and (3) the inadequate support

mechanisms for music education (Colwell 1996/1997; Hookey 2002; Rogers et al.

2008). All the aforementioned studies have, to a degree, recognised the lack of

confidence that is evident amongst primary teachers, who have not acquired a

conceptual framework for, or positive disposition towards, organising and delivering

musical activities. Also, often teachers report that continuing professional develop-

ment (CPD) short courses, day-workshops or summer schools tend to offer ideas

presented in a generalised mode for all attendees to understand and use despite their

level of experience and knowledge and therefore are not necessarily beneficial

(Colwell 1996/1997). For example, when it comes to singing activities many primary

schoolteachers complain that the kind of input they receive from singing specialists

tends to be limited to repertoire and ideas for warm-ups and games and is not

*Corresponding author. Email: m.varvarigou@ioe.ac.uk

Music Education Research

Vol. 14, No. 2, June 2012, 149�169

ISSN 1461-3808 print/ISSN 1469-9893 online

# 2012 Taylor & Francis

http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14613808.2012.685457

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structured around strategies that the teachers can adopt in order to develop their

practice over time (Ruocco 2008; Varvarigou 2008).

Colwell (1996/1997) reported on a research programme, the Iowa ‘Professional

Development Residency Program’ (PDRP), that aimed to evaluate teachers’

strengths and weaknesses in teaching techniques in the classroom, such as rehearsing,

conducting and improvising. Starting from the realisation that effective in-serviceeducation requires more than the ‘one-half ’ or ‘one-day’ workshop that teachers

attend at their schools, the directors of the project organised a team of ‘experts’

(consultants, mentors) to work with primary schoolteachers in their own situation

over time. In addition, the communities of the schools, such as the school

administrators, were actively involved. The overall evaluation of the project

suggested that the approach was very successful because, according to the designers,

it was based on four principles: that change takes time, requires focus, needs support

and involves both individuals and their environment.

These principles were evident in the design of the Singing Schools project, a year-

long programme of training, delivered across 16 primary schools in England in

partnership with the Voices Foundation and the schools’ Local Authorities (Rogers

et al. 2008). The programme involved whole school in-service Educational Training

(INSET), advisory teachers offering support within the classroom and further

training for music coordinators. The implementation of the programme, the training

received, lesson observations throughout the programme, difficulties arising and thelonger-term benefits were explored through questionnaires and interviews with

participant teachers and senior managers in the Local Authorities Music Services

and schools. The findings indicated that the programme had been effective in

improving teacher confidence and musical understanding and the quality of

teaching. Factors contributing to the success of the programme were the support

from head teachers of the schools that participated in the programme, the

involvement of all members of staff in enabling the school to become a ‘singing

school’, the enhancement of teachers’ musical skills and knowledge, opportunities

for musical performances and the involvement of Music Services’ coordinators and

advisory teachers after the initial training had finished in encouraging and

supporting continued staff development.

Across the UK, Local Authority Music Services provide a variety of services in

schools and in specialist centres, such as instrumental tuition, a wide range of

ensembles, holiday courses, specialist projects and curriculum support. Ofsted (2009)

highlighted that the Music Services’ support of the music curriculum through

initiatives such as the Wider Opportunities scheme, where every KS2 child learns aninstrument in whole class settings (Hallam et al. 2007; Rogers and Hallam 2010) and

Sing Up, a national programme of singing activities in schools, aimed at raising the

profile of singing (Saunders, Varvarigou, and Welch 2010), has helped many schools

achieve excellent standards in music, has encouraged wider participation and has

increased classroom teacher confidence and subject knowledge. Schools’ partner-

ships with Music Services, especially those with a focus on KS2, reportedly made a

significant contribution to broadening the music provision and no other partnerships

were found to have the same impact.

This article presents findings from a two-year CPD programme for KS2

classroom teachers delivered by the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) in

partnership with Local Authority Music Services. The LSO is an internationally

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acclaimed symphony orchestra that undertakes education work, such as the

programme in focus, in East London where there are relatively high levels of

deprivation. The LSO is also a registered UK charity and receives financial support

for all its activities through charitable trusts and foundations, company investments

and collaborations and individual donations. Ten East London Local Authority

Music Services contributed to the partnership by providing tutors and curriculum

support and by monitoring the development of the teachers over the course of their

training. This article particularly focuses on how the collaboration between the

school communities and the LSO musicians worked in practice. The intention is tohighlight the benefits that have been reported by the participants to the programme

so that more collaborative initiatives can develop and spread across a broader team

of teachers.

The programme design

Twenty-four KS2 classroom teachers were involved in the programme. Weekly group

sessions for three terms and sessions every fortnight for two terms led by an LSO

animateur and tutors from the Music Services supported the teachers’ development

of musical skills and knowledge. Table 1 gives an example of a session delivered by

the LSO animateur in collaboration with a musician from the LSO and tutors from

the Music Services. The sessions lasted 90 minutes each and comprised reflection

on the teachers’ musical activities in their classrooms, input on new music concepts

and practices from the professional musicians, collaborative group activities with the

teachers and assignment of tasks where teachers could work in their own

environment with their pupils.

In addition, three whole-day workshops during the two-year period, the so-called

‘Creative Days’, offered the teachers opportunities to collaborate with professional

musicians from the LSO and a musical director and prepare musical pieces that were

sung, dramatised and/or played on percussion instruments. During the last term of

their training, the teachers and their classes composed pieces of music which they

performed in front of their whole school in collaboration with a group of LSO

musicians who visited their school for a half-day workshop.

Methods and analysis

Before and after their CPD training, the teachers filled in questionnaires that

enquired into their perceptions of their skills, abilities, interest in teaching music and

their pupils’ skills and level of enjoyment during musical activities. In addition,

interviews were undertaken with the teachers, head teachers and the LSO staff

(musicians and animateur) who were involved in the programme. The teachers were

asked what they used to do during music lessons in their school and what they

changed in their practice after receiving CPD training, about the strengths and

difficulties related to the structure and delivery of the programme and about the next

step for them in terms of their professional development. The head teachers were

asked about the impact of the CPD scheme on the school community, the changes

that they had observed on the teachers’ practice, the strengths and difficulties related

to the structure and delivery of the programme and how they motivate their staff to

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get involved in CPD activities. The LSO musicians were asked if involvement in this

project has been useful for their own professional development.

Questionnaires

Fifteen KS2 teachers, representing five local authorities, completed questionnaires at

the start of the CPD programme, in October 2008. Nine of the respondents had prior

experience of playing a musical instrument and 11 said they could read musical

notation (see Table 2).

Table 1. An example of the content of two music sessions with KS2 teachers, an LSO

animateur, music tutors and an LSO instrumentalist.

Session (Tower Hamlets)Present: 10 teachers

Session taken by LSO Animateur

Course tutors: J., H., J., S. and J.

Flautist from the LSO also present. She gave a short demo on the flute and a brief talk

Duration of session: 90 minutes and 30 minutes questioning at the end

Session Content

Recap on previous work and questions as to whether teachers had managed to try anything

out from the previous week.

Twentieth-century music

� Introduction to Debussy � developing new scales, creating different sounds.� Schoenberg Serialism. Berg and Webern � tone row/condensing and paring

everything down.� Moving on to introduce the concept of Avant Garde music.� Use of motifs and how they can form a ‘cell’. How music can be built up from the

cells.� 10 minutes on practical task using three adjectives. Moving on to working out a

proper structure. Leading on to Rondo form.� Explanation on how to work with KS1 and KS2 on this task.� Teacher questions.

Session (Havering)

Present: Six teachers

Sessions taken by LSO Animateur

Course tutors: K., A. and M.

Duration of session: 90 minutes and 30 minutes questioning at the end

Session content

Recap on previous work and questions as to whether teachers had managed to try anything

out from the previous week.

� Warm�Ups.� Group composition activity.� Soundscape: explanation and how to use.� Chant: Teachers provide the words of the chant. Animateur describes and then helps

to work out the metre and pulse.� Shape and structure: highlight importance of.� Task: Invent a chant/introduce a pulse/add gesture/add a pitched chord or Triad.� Teacher questions.

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The highest musical qualification amongst the teachers was undergraduate degree

level in music (2) and in performing arts (1). Two teachers had an Advanced Level

General Certificate of Education (A Level) in Music, two had a General Certificate

of Secondary Education (GCSE) or Ordinary Level General Certificate of Education

(O Level) in Music and eight had no musical qualifications. As far as specialist music

training was concerned, five of the teachers had received no specialist music training

as part of their initial teacher training; four said that they received up to five hours in

total during their training course and two teachers reported that they had received

more extensive training. Four teachers could not remember and gave no answer.With regard to the mode that the teachers delivered musical activities, eight

teachers said that they organised weekly music lessons and short daily musical

activities, five led designated weekly music lessons whilst one teacher led short

activities every day and one teacher did not specify mode of delivery of KS2 music.

The teachers were asked to indicate their level of agreement, on a four-point scale

ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 4 (strongly agree), with statements related to

what they hoped to gain from their CPD training. Most teachers agreed that

undertaking CPD training was an opportunity to share good practice among their

colleagues, to get new ideas on how to teach music and to increase their confidence

for teaching music. The responses also indicated that the teachers hoped to develop

their skills for teaching singing, composition and knowledge of basic musical

concepts (see Table 3).

Prior to their training, the teachers were asked to respond to a range of

statements that reflected their opinions about their pupils’ musical engagement and

skills. Most teachers agreed that their pupils enjoyed the music lessons, loved music

and singing and demonstrated positive attitudes to music. However, the teachers

were less positive about their pupils’ musical skills and strategies (see Table 4).

The teachers were also asked to respond to statements about their own attitudes

to teaching music and their practice in teaching music at KS2. Their responses

revealed that they liked teaching music, they used pitched and un-pitched percussion

instruments in their classrooms and that they often integrated music into cross-

curricular activities. The teachers generally disagreed that their initial teacher

training helped them to meet the requirements of the national curriculum in music.

But, they also disagreed that specialist music teachers should teach music in primary

school (see Table 5).

Table 2. Prior experience of playing instruments (CPD teachers).

Level attained on instrument

Instrument Beginner Intermediate Advanced Total

None 6

Piano 3 1 0 4

Recorder 1 0 0 1

Guitar 1 1 0 2

Viola 0 0 1 1

Clarinet 0 0 1 1

Total 5 2 2 9

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Table 3. What the CPD teachers hoped to gain from the training.

Do not

know Disagree Agree

Strongly

agree Mean Std. deviation

Training will provide a chance to share good practice 1 7% 14 93% 3.93 0.26

Training will give me new ideas for teaching music 2 13% 13 87% 3.87 0.35

Training will give me skills for teaching singing 5 33% 10 67% 3.67 0.49

Training will benefit me in terms of increased

confidence for teaching music

1 7% 2 13% 12 80% 3.60 1.06

Training will give me knowledge about how to teach

composition

7 47% 8 53% 3.53 0.52

Training will give me networking opportunities 8 53% 7 47% 3.47 0.52

Training will give me knowledge about musical styles 8 53% 7 47% 3.47 0.52

Training will give me knowledge of basic musical

concepts

1 7% 6 43% 7 50% 3.43 0.65

Training will give me instrumental skills 9 60% 6 40% 3.40 0.51

Training will give me ICT skills for music lessons 1 8% 1 8% 8 62% 3 23% 2.92 1.04

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Table 4. Teachers’ perceptions of pupils’ musical engagement, knowledge and skills, prior to CPD.

Strongly

disagree Disagree Agree

Strongly

agree

Do not

know Mean Std. deviation

Pupils in my class enjoy their music lessons 0 0 4 26.7% 11 73.3% 0 3.73 0.46

Pupils in my class love music 0 1 6.7% 6 40% 8 53.3% 0 3.47 0.64

Pupils in my class have positive attitudes to music 0 1 7.1% 7 50% 6 42.9% 0 3.36 0.63

Pupils in my class enjoy singing 0 1 6.7% 4 26.7% 10 66.7% 0 3.60 0.63

Pupils in my class are confident in their music lessons 0 3 20.0% 5 33.3% 6 40.0% 1 6.7% 3.00 1.13

Pupils in my class perform well 0 3 21.4% 4 28.6% 5 35.7% 2 14.3% 2.71 1.38

Pupils in my class have a range of well-developed musical skills 0 6 40.0% 5 33.3% 3 20.0% 1 6.7% 2.60 1.06

Pupils in my class take part in extracurricular activities 0 7 46.7% 4 26.7% 3 20.0% 1 6.7% 2.53 1.06

Pupils in my class have a well-developed range of composing

strategies

0 7 46.7% 4 26.7% 2 13.3% 2 13.3% 2.27 1.17

Pupils in my class have well developed listening skills. 1 6.7% 5 33.3% 5 33.3% 4 26.7% 0 2.80 0.94

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Table 5. Teachers’ attitudes to teaching music at KS2, prior to CPD.

Do not

know

Strongly

disagree Disagree Agree

Strongly

agree Mean

Std.

deviation

I enjoy teaching music to my class 0 0 1 6.7% 7 46.7% 7 46.7% 3.40 0.63

I use un-pitched percussion in my classroom music lessons 0 0 2 13.3% 8 53.3% 5 33.3% 3.20 0.67

I like teaching music 1 7.1% 0 0 8 57.1% 5 35.7% 3.14 1.03

I am confident about teaching singing to my class 0 0 3 20.0% 7 46.7% 5 33.3% 3.13 0.74

I use pitched percussion in my classroom music lessons 0 0 4 26.7% 6 40.0% 5 33.3% 3.07 0.80

I am confident that I can sing well enough to teach my class music 1 6.7% 0 1 6.7% 8 53.3% 5 33.3% 3.07 1.03

I am confident about teaching music to my class 0 0 6 40.0% 5 33.3% 4 26.7% 2.87 0.90

I integrate music into cross-curricular activities 0 0 3 21.4% 10 71.4% 1 7.1% 2.86 0.53

I follow a published scheme of work for music 0 2 13.3% 3 20.0% 8 53.3% 2 13.3% 2.67 0.64

I think that specialist music teachers should teach music in primary

schools

0 0 11 73.3% 3 20.0% 1 6.7% 2.33 0.62

My initial teacher training helped me to meet the requirements of the

NC in terms of music provision

0 3 23.1% 6 46.2% 2 15.4% 2 15.4% 2.23 1.01

I am able to play a musical instrument sufficiently well to use in music

lessons

1 6.7% 3 20.0% 6 40.0% 2 13.3% 3 20.0% 2.20 1.20

I use a piano or keyboard in my lessons 1 6.7% 2 13.3% 6 40.0% 4 26.7% 2 13.3% 2.27 1.10

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At the conclusion of the two-year CPD programme, the teachers were asked to

fill in a questionnaire, providing responses to the same statements as on the first

questionnaire. Seventeen teachers filled in the second questionnaire; 10 of these were

teachers who had filled in questionnaire 1 and 7 had not. The discrepancy innumbers was due to teacher dropout and new teachers joining over the course of the

two years.

The responses from the second questionnaire indicated that the teachers agreed

and strongly agreed that the CPD training increased their confidence and knowledge

in teaching music and composition and that it provided them with opportunities to

share good practice and to network with other colleagues. There was a small amount

of disagreement that the training had provided knowledge about musical styles and

concepts or instrumental skills. There was more disagreement that CPD had helpedwith ICT skills in music (see Table 6).

Table 7 presents the teachers’ responses to questions relating to their pupils’

musical skills, knowledge and engagement, post-CPD. Like the first questionnaire,

the teachers indicated that their pupils enjoyed music and singing and had positive

attitudes towards music. The responses post the CPD training differed from those

prior to the CPD in assessment of the pupils’ musical skills and knowledge.

Although responses in relation to composition and listening skills were somewhat

negative, the teachers post-CPD generally agreed that their pupils performed welland had a well-developed range of musical skills. Paired sample t-tests were carried

out revealing some statistically significant differences between the first and the

second questionnaire responses. The shadowed rows indicate that there was a

statistically significant difference (pB.05) between pre and post scores. In the case of

well-developed skills amongst pupils, there was a statistically significant increase

(p�0.02) in the mean scores for musical skills and performance. Similarly, there was

a statistically significant increase (p�0.05) in the mean scores for the statement

addressing pupils’ well-developed range of composing strategies.Lastly, the teachers responded to statements about their own musical knowledge

and skills and their attitudes towards teaching music (see Table 8). Their responses

demonstrated that after the CPD they agreed and strongly agreed that they liked

teaching music. There were mixed responses as to whether teachers used musical

instruments and the piano or keyboard in their music lessons. With regard to

confidence, although the teachers reported that they felt more confident about

teaching singing and general music, there were still issues related to their lack of

confidence. Nevertheless, there was fairly strong disagreement that specialist musicteachers should teach music in primary school, which was revealed in the statistically

significant decrease (pB0.001) in the mean scores between the first and the second

questionnaire. Also, there was a statistically significant increase between the mean

scores (p�0.03) of the statement that referred to feeling able to integrate music into

cross-curricular activities.

Interviews

Four CPD teachers, two head teachers, three LSO musicians and one animateur who

were involved in the programme were interviewed about their experiences of the

programme. The participants were self-selecting and this is one potential limitation

of the study as their responses were likely to be mainly positive. The teachers talked

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Table 6. Teachers’ reported benefits from the CPD.

Do not

know

Strongly

disagree Disagree Agree

Strongly

agree Mean

Std.

deviation

Training provided a chance to share good practice 0 0 0 4 23.5% 13 76.5% 3.77 0.44

Training benefitted me in terms of increased confidence for

teaching music

0 0 0 4 23.5% 13 76.5% 3.76 0.44

Training gave me new ideas for teaching music 0 0 0 4 23.5% 13 76.5% 3.76 0.44

Training gave me knowledge about how to teach composition 0 0 0 5 31.2% 11 68.8% 3.69 0.48

Training gave me networking opportunities 0 0 0 6 35.3% 11 64.7% 3.65 0.49

Training gave me skills for teaching singing 0 0 0 10 58.8% 7 41.2% 3.41 0.51

Training gave me knowledge about musical styles 0 0 1 5.9% 10 58.8% 6 35.3% 3.29 0.59

Training gave me knowledge of basic musical concepts 0 0 2 11.8% 9 52.9% 6 35.3% 3.24 0.66

Training gave me ICT skills for music lessons 0 0 8 50.0% 7 43.8% 1 6.2% 2.56 0.63

Training gave me instrumental skills. 0 0 1 6.2% 11 68.8% 4 25.0% 3.19 0.54

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Table 7. Teachers’ perceptions of pupils’ musical engagement, knowledge and skills, post-CPD.

Do not

know

Strongly

disagree Disagree Agree

Strongly

agree Mean

Std.

deviation

Pupils in my class enjoy their

music lessons

0 0 0 6 35.3% 11 64.7% 3.64 0.49

Pupils in my class perform well 0 0 0 8 50.0% 8 50.0% 3.50 0.52

Pupils in my class enjoy singing 0 0 1 5.9% 7 41.2% 9 52.9% 3.47 0.62

Pupils in my class have positive

attitudes to music

0 0 0 10 58.8% 7 41.2% 3.41 0.51

Pupils in my class love music 0 0 0 11 64.7% 6 35.3% 3.35 0.49

Pupils in my class are confident

in their music lessons

0 0 1 5.9% 9 52.9% 7 41.2% 3.35 0.61

Pupils in my class have a range of

well-developed musical skills

0 0 1 5.9% 12 70.6% 4 23.5% 3.18 0.53

Pupils in my class take part in

extracurricular activities

1 6.2% 0 2 12.5% 7 43.8% 6 37.5% 3.06 1.06

Pupils in my class have a well-

developed range of composing

strategies

0 0 4 25.0% 9 56.2% 3 18.8% 2.94 0.68

Pupils in my class have well-

developed listening skills

1 5.9% 0 3 17.6% 9 52.9% 4 23.5% 2.88 0.99

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Table 8. Teachers’ attitudes to teaching music at KS2, post-CPD.

Do not

know

Strongly

disagree Disagree Agree

Strongly

agree Mean Std. deviation

I like teaching music 1 5.9% 0 0 6 35.3% 10 58.8% 3.41 1.00

I enjoy teaching music to my class 1 5.9% 0 0 7 41.2% 9 52.9% 3.35 1.00

I use un-pitched percussion in my classroom music lessons 1 5.9% 0 0 7 41.2% 9 52.9% 3.35 1.00

I am confident that I can sing well enough to teach my class music 1 5.9% 0 0 8 47.1% 8 47.1% 3.29 0.99

I use pitched percussion in my classroom music lessons 1 5.9% 0 0 8 47.1% 8 47.1% 3.29 0.99

I am confident about teaching music to my class 1 5.9% 0 0 8 47.1% 8 47.1% 3.29 0.99

I am confident about teaching singing to my class 1 5.9% 0 1 5.9% 7 41.2% 8 47.1% 3.24 1.03

I integrate music into cross-curricular activities 1 5.9% 0 0 12 70.6% 4 23.5% 3.06 0.90

I am able to play a musical instrument sufficiently well to use

in music lessons

1 6.2% 1 6.2% 3 18.8% 7 43.8% 4 25.0% 2.75 1.13

I use a piano or keyboard in my lessons 1 6.2% 0 6 37.5% 7 43.8% 2 12.5% 2.56 0.96

I follow a published scheme of work for music 1 6.2% 2 12.5% 3 18.8% 9 56.2% 1 6.2% 2.44 1.03

I think that specialist music teachers should teach music in

primary schools

5 29.4% 1 5.9% 6 35.3% 3 17.6% 2 11.8% 1.76 1.39

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about their increasing confidence and skills in delivering musical activities as a result

of the programme. The head teachers focused on the benefits of the programme for

their school communities. Finally, the LSO musicians identified benefits for

themselves and highlighted how such initiatives can raise the profile of the orchestra

and encourage more pupils and their teachers to enjoy live music experiences (also

see Varvarigou, Creech, and Hallam forthcoming).

Teachers

The teachers talked about how the programme helped them increase in confidence in

delivering musical activities:

� Music is one of those things that teachers . . . you know, you get a session on it,and then they expect you to teach it. A lot of people feel a bit funny about

doing it. I mean I certainly did. I didn’t have the confidence. I hated doing

music because it was scary. You know, you always think ‘oh, I am making a

fool of myself here’. . . . And then the LSO came along . . . we do the project

and it just worked out really well. I know that my teaching practice has

changed definitely though doing this project. It’s just the approach, the

confidence . . . when you are making music with them [the children] it’s sort of

giving them more ownership.� The thought of having a class of thirty children and all these instruments in

front of you when I initially started teaching four years ago was quite daunting

even though, you know, I did bits and bobs of music myself in the past

whereas now I’ve got the confidence. It [music] is one of my most confident

subjects because we’ve had all of this input . . .

One teacher underlined that the programme gave him the skills and knowledge to

integrate music in cross-curricular activities:

� What I have changed is that I don’t just do music in music any more. I do

music in other lessons like literacy or Religious Education I do lots of music.

And sometimes in history as well and art where they’ll draw a painting and

then we try to create some music for the painting. So we are introducing music

in other areas of the curriculum. And in most lessons children get to play aninstrument; we play � the whole class . . . they actually have more time, more

exposure to the musical instruments.

The teachers also admitted that through their interactions with the professional

musicians and their informal performances at school they experienced how it feels to

be involved in music making as a ‘musician’ and not just as a teacher:

� I mean the Creative Days we’ve really enjoyed and we’ve got lots out of . . .The teachers or the other musicians who have been working with us they’ve

been really good fun. They tried to inspire us and share ideas. And I’ve loved

the way that as teachers, except I am not musical, you take on a different role.

When you are there you are not a teacher. You are actually just making music.

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� I think when we had these days � these concert days when the LSO come in,

where the children got to perform. We’ve worked for it for six weeks and then

they got to perform. I think that’s the most enjoyable time. Because we worked

up to it and it’s not that we just learnt something and then we don’t go back toit. You are learning something, developing it and actually then we got to show

it as well. So I think that’s the most important.

The teachers acknowledged that there were certain elements of the programme that

needed developing or could be improved. These included provision of pastoral

support in-between sessions, better planning of activities when schools were involved

and better level of continuity between the sessions:

� Perhaps we would benefit from pastoral reference point. We tend to use our

local tutors.� Dates and school terms need to be taken into consideration when planning

concerts and school visits.

� I think that more continuity needs to be built into the course. It doesn’t always

appear that teachers have talked to one another. Continuity is much easier

achieved where the teacher takes more than one session.

� All individuals are good, but there has been some overlap. There is a

disadvantage to having a lot of tutors if they don’t connect with each other.

We are lucky that they do mostly do this.� Having tutors do a block is better as there is greater continuity between

sessions and the time to follow things up.

However, they emphasised that due to the programme they acquired more

confidence and more ideas on what to do in their music lessons at school and

they talked about their plans for progression after the end of the programme, which

included learning to play an instrument and supporting singing in school:

� The next step for me is to learn how to play an instrument because I feel that

would really help me at the next step. At the moment I don’t know how far I

can take it without . . . Singing for me is a weakness. So if you can learn aninstrument it helps you with how to teach people to sing in terms of notes and

keys.

� Next year, me and H. are going to try and get a sort of singing group going . . .so that when we do sing in assembly we can bring the choir forward and the

choir sort of lead singing in assembly. So we are trying to push the singing a bit

more.

Head teachers

The head teachers acknowledged that the CPD scheme offered the teachers a boost

in confidence when organising and delivering musical activities and the children

opportunities to meet professional musicians and to get more experiences in music

making:

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� We have had three teachers doing the LSO On Track course over five terms. . . .I observe their music lessons regularly and the quality of their teaching has

gone through the roof! . . . One of the people who is doing the course who

wasn’t a confident musician actually did his weeks of assemblies on music andcomposition. And if I would have said to him two years ago, you know, go and

do assembly week on music he wouldn’t have done it . . . And you know, just

the enthusiasm it does go through not just music but just that whole engaging

in school is really valuable.

� I mean just to give the children a breadth of experience . . . the more

opportunities children get to meet professionals in other fields is fundamentally

a really good thing to get from the project. Also, it brings to the school another

dimension � children get the opportunity to work with other adults becausethey tend to think that as teachers we just live here and that we are here from

morning until night and we are here for them of course but it just shows them

that other people give some of their skills to try and inspire them really.

They also explained how high quality musical activities underpin good learning in

general and why they encourage the pupils and staff to learn a musical instrument:

� The joy of arts over and above science and maths is that it’s about the life � tocreate tears and laughter, pride . . . I was looking at those children � the

collaboration that was going on there, the team work, the resilience, the

persistence all these things that we now know underpin good learning and

that’s what I think is so fabulous about art; because children then have a base

that they can touch . . . Even if it’s not significant now at some point in their

life they’ll be able to connect with the feeling they had today [Concert Day] or

the feeling when they are working with S. [the teacher] and think ‘I love that

feeling.� The professionalism of the musicians coming into school . . . there has been a

real sense of celebrating what the children have achieved even if you are a

world-class musician yourself . . . We will actually look next year to buying in

music tuition not only for the children but also for staff. We are actually

buying in teaching time for the children but making two of the sessions at

lunchtime and after school for the staff to learn to play the saxophone or the

clarinet. Because again we are a learning school, so we want to give children �no matter who you are, you know, if you’ve always wanted to do somethingyou can’t say ‘oh I can’t do that’ or ‘I am too old’ � there is always a way

around it . . .

LSO staff

The LSO staff highlighted that their visits to the school and their interaction with the

children helped the children see that symphony orchestras are not elitist and thateverybody can enjoy a live music experience in a concert hall:

� All of the kids have been to the Barbican . . . and of course that also breaks

down the barriers ‘oh, it’s a symphony orchestra, it’s elitist’. When the kids

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come in and they are waving at the players who are walking on the stage and

we are waving back and smiling and engaging with them. And that has been

an amazing experience for me. You can see in the kids’ faces that they are

recognised by this world-famous symphony orchestra and its players within.And that must be . . . It’s certainly good for me. I hope it’s good for them.

(Percussion player)

Furthermore, the musicians who were involved in their school visits emphasised that

they are passionate about education work. They also said that orchestras like the

LSO can bring positive benefits orchestras to educational audiences:

� I really love this work and just seeing transformation and children with somany difficulties or people trapped in bodies that don’t work anymore having

an experience that takes them just away from life � they are in a zone which is

what you experience as a musician when you are sitting in an orchestra, you

are in a zone, when you are listening to a symphony that you really understand

and you love, you are in a zone, and they are in that zone regardless of any

skills or grading. I just think it is a really special, irreplaceable experience to

them. (Violinist)

The musicians stressed that the programme gave them an opportunity to develop

their own skills as communicators and educators:

� I think it has broadened my skill set, broadened my horizons and actually

created more variety in my work, really, which is always good to not just be

focused on one thing . . . I like the feeling that I could do things that aren’t just

sitting in a concert or just playing classical music, which of course I love and

enjoy but it is nice to have more strings to my bow and feel the variety and thatI could influence people that might not necessarily come and go to those

concerts but still, hopefully, enjoy it. (Bass player)

� I find it so rewarding because it makes me look at what I do with fresh eyes.

And I think you need that. You need to constantly see yourself through

different people’s eyes. (Animateur)

Discussion and implications

The research is not without limitations. Firstly, the teachers’ sample is small.

Secondly, the case studies came from self-selecting schools, teachers and LSO staff.

Therefore, it is possible that these participants were more positive towards the CPD

scheme than others who might have experienced interpersonal tensions or feelings of

superiority/inferiority and decided not to participate in the evaluation. Despite these

limitations, the study underlines the positive outcomes with regard to quality musical

experiences for the pupils and high-quality training in music for non-specialistprimary teachers that can result from long-term collaborations between schools and

arts organisations like the LSO.

After the CPD scheme, the teachers reported that their hope for outcomes had to

a large extent been fulfilled. That is to say, there was an increase in their confidence

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for teaching music, a statistically significant increase in positive responses to having

strategies for integrating musical activities into the wider curriculum and ample

opportunities for networking and sharing good practice, new ideas and skills for

teaching music. The large majority of teachers agreed that the training had provided

knowledge for basic musical concepts and style of instrumental skills. However, the

training had not, in the view of most teachers, equipped them with enhanced skills

for using ICT in teaching music.The teachers disagreed with the idea that specialist teachers should teach music,

which was also reported in the study by Hallam et al. (2009). The strength of

disagreement increased over the course of the CPD scheme, suggesting that the

teachers’ self-concept as musicians had been bolstered and that they felt increasingly

self-efficacious in relation to their role as music teachers. During their interviews, the

teachers emphasised how they had departed from published schemes of work and

were working more creatively with their pupils, tailoring work to meet individual

classroom needs and to integrate with subjects across the curriculum.

In addition, it was generally agreed by the teachers and the head teacher in the

schools where they worked that the CPD scheme had left a significant legacy in

relation to raising the profile of music in the schools, raising the standard of music

teaching and equipping teachers with ‘good practice’ that could be shared across the

whole school. In particular, the teachers all spoke about their plans for progression,

both for their own CPD in music and for that of their pupils. Their head teachersagreed that the CPD contributed to raising the profile of music in the schools. The

opportunity to work together with highly expert musicians had evidently had high

impact in relation to raising aspirations in music across the whole school, inspiring

both pupils and teachers. The LSO musicians also reported that the programme had

provided the context for them to share their expertise and to act as role models for

the pupils (Varvarigou, Creech, and Hallam forthcoming).

The interviews and observations identified three main factors that supported the

teachers’ self-concept as musicians and consequently the success of the scheme in

boosting teachers’ confidence and expertise in music. Firstly, it was recognised by the

teachers that the support they received from their head teachers was a significant

contributor to their motivation to pursue and complete this training scheme. The

head teachers who could see the impact of high-quality musical activities on their

school community encouraged and promoted their teachers’ specialised training in

music (also in Ellison and Creech 2010; Rogers and Hallam 2010; Rogers et al. 2008).

Evidence from similar programmes in the USA has suggested that in order for the

potential of CPD programmes to be realised, school administrators need to be ‘fullyinvolved and supportive of collaborative efforts with and among teachers’ (Colwell

1996/1997, 85).

Secondly, opportunities for ‘practice’ within a learning community contributed to

boosting teachers’ confidence and to enhancing their own and their pupils’ musical

skills. In the schools where more than one member of staff enrolled on this CPD

scheme the teachers supported each other when planning and delivering activities in

the school through pairing up and through providing an audience (their pupils) to

their colleagues’ rehearsals and performances. One head teacher from a school that

sent three members of staff to the On Track CPD scheme highlighted that the

enthusiasm of the teachers had an impact on their engagement in the school as a

whole and not just in music. This finding has resonance with Colwell’s finding that

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professional development should ‘consist of involving teachers in job-embedded

learning activities’ such as study groups, peer coaching and case discussions. His

study pointed out that ‘through collegial study, dialogue and joint problem solving

teachers form professional learning communities that have a direct impact on

instructional improvement’ (1996/1997, 78).

Thirdly, the teachers’ connection with role models and their experiences of ‘beinga musician’ are believed to have acted as catalysts in their development of confidence

and motivation to pursue and support musical activities in their schools. In

particular, during the Creative Days the teachers had the opportunity to sing and

act out songs that they created under the guidance of a musical director who treated

them like a cast of musicians/actors and not like a group of teachers in a training

programme. These rehearsals took place on the stage of the Barbican Centre,

London, where the LSO performs on a weekly basis. What is more, the teachers’

musical collaborations with the LSO musicians who visited the schools and

performed with their pupils gave them an opportunity to experience music making

and musical leadership from a professional performance perspective.

Lastly, the music partnership amongst music services, primary schools and the

orchestra has been found to have significant impact on the quality of music provision.

Overall, the teachers were satisfied with the delivery of their sessions and the

opportunities to develop their identity as musicians during the ‘Creative’ and ‘Concert

Days’. This finding is consistent with other work (Ellison and Creech 2010; Office forStandards in Education (Ofsted) 2009; Rogers and Hallam 2010; Upitis, Smithrim,

and Soren 1999) that has highlighted that Local Authority Music Services and arts

organisations can be a useful resource for the support of music education in schools.

To summarise, the programme fulfilled a range of aims, amongst the stake-

holders. For the musicians the benefits were conceptualised in terms of what the

programme could do for the orchestra, such as to create more and new audiences.

For the head teachers there was focus on the school profile whereas for the teachers

there was focus on themselves and their pupils. Encouraging the development of

learning communities within schools during training programmes can be very

beneficial for the individuals themselves and the schools community as a whole.

Many music teachers often work in isolation in their school, therefore undertaking

training with a colleague could support the exploration of new ideas and methods

and could promote the exchange of constructive feedback that leads to improvement

and confidence development over time. Opportunities to develop their self-concept

as musicians through collaborations with professional musicians and performances

can also inspire teachers and can support the legacy of CPD schemes after thetraining programme has finished. If the trained teachers and the LSO musicians

could be supported in a series of ongoing creative networking events, they could

continue to share skills, experiences and new ideas. This would also probably help to

raise the general status of music. If the trained teachers could act as mentors to

untrained teachers or (even better) trainee teachers in their placement classrooms,

then that would be a structure through which the benefits of the programme could be

‘rolled out’ in a wider sense. Lastly, the role that the head teachers and other school

administrators can play in supporting training programmes in music and in

safeguarding their legacy after the specialised input has finished, as well as the

role of partnerships between schools, arts organisations and government bodies

needs to be investigated further. Partnerships where the expertise and experience of

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all participant members could be contributed and combined might be the way

forward with regard to continuing professional education and lifelong learning.

Conclusion

This article presented findings from a CPD scheme, which was part of the LSO

On Track programme as these emerged from teacher questionnaires and interviews

with the participant teachers, head teachers and LSO staff. The scheme was found

to be successful in terms of enhancing teachers’ confidence for teaching music and

equipping them with skills for integrating music into cross-curricular activities as

well as for designing lesson plans in music that met the needs of their specific

classrooms. Furthermore, it was generally agreed by the teachers and the head

teachers that the CPD programme had left a significant legacy in relation to

raising the profile of music in their schools, raising the standard of music teaching,

fostering an inclusive approach to music making and equipping teachers with

‘good practice’ that could be shared across the whole school. From the perspective

of the musicians, participation in this programme enhanced their image in the

community, broadened their skills and potentially contributed to developing new

audiences.

Whilst the sample of this study was clearly limited, these findings contribute to an

understanding of how (1) the support from the school community and specifically

the head teacher, (2) the development of learning communities within the schools

where more than one individual participates in a training programme and (3)

opportunities to work among ‘fellow’ musicians can increase teachers’ confidence

and their motivation to promote and encourage musical activities in their schools.

This points to how arts organisations might benefit from activities that promote

community partnership. Lastly, suggestions for further research were made together

with recommendations about how school communities can benefit from CPD

programmes and partnerships with local Music Services and arts organisations with

commitment to music education programmes.

Notes on contributors

Dr. Maria Varvarigou has been performing as a solo singer, oboist and chorister for manyyears. She has participated in several recordings of Greek traditional songs and developedgreat interest in performance practices of traditional music. She currently combines teachingand research in various funded research projects in the area of music education, at the Instituteof Education. She completed her Ph.D. in 2009 as a scholar of the A.S. Onassis Foundation. InJanuary 2010, she became a Fellow of the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts,Manufactures and Commerce (RSA).

Dr. Andrea Creech gained her bachelor of music performance at the University of WesternOntario, Canada and a Licentiate in viola performance from Trinity College, London. Sheestablished an extensive career as a professional musician and teacher in Canada and the UKbefore completing a diploma in psychology (Open University), master of psychology formusicians (Sheffield University), a doctorate of psychology in education and a certificate ofteaching and learning in higher education (Institute of Education, University of London). Sheis currently lecturer in education at the Institute of Education, London and associate lecturerin psychology for the Open University. In addition, she is a regular guest speaker at the

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Guildhall School of Music. Her research interests are musical development across the lifespan,learning and teaching for older adults and the impact of interpersonal relationships onlearning and teaching outcomes. Andrea has presented her work at international conferencesand published widely.

Professor Susan Hallam is Professor of Education at the IOE and currently Dean of theFaculty of Policy and Society. She pursued careers as both a professional musician and a musiceducator before completing her psychology studies and becoming an academic in 1991. Herresearch interests include disaffection from school, ability grouping and homework and issuesrelating to learning in music, practising, performing, musical ability, musical understandingand the effects of music on behaviour and studying. She is the author of several books,including Instrumental Teaching: A Practical Guide to Better Teaching and Learning (1998),The Power of Music (2001) and Music Psychology in Education (2005). She is editor of TheOxford Handbook of Psychology of Music (2009), Music Education in the 21st Century in theUnited Kingdom: Achievements, Analysis and Aspirations (2010) and has many other scholarlyarticles to her name. She is past editor of Psychology of Music, Psychology of Education Reviewand Learning Matters.

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