Primary and SEND Newsletter
Primary and SEND Schools Newsletter – January 2025
Fao: Headteacher and Music Lead Primary and SEND
Dear Colleagues,
I hope that 2025 has started well for you and your school community.
You will hopefully already have seen in our January Hub Newsletter many exciting musical opportunities available to young people and schools in West Sussex this term.
As always, we appreciate your support in sharing details of opportunities with your pupils and families so that all children in West Sussex have the opportunity to access these high-quality music making activities.
Following a hugely successful run of sessions last term, West Sussex Music’s inclusive SEND orchestra is back, with four free sessions this half-term.
Orchestras Inc. is an inclusive, creative music group for children and young people under 25 with special educational needs or disabilities, and their parents or carers.
This term Orchestras Inc. is set to meet on the following dates, from 12.30pm – 1.30pm:
- Saturday 18 January
- Saturday 25 January
- Saturday 1 February
- Saturday 8 February
For more information, including a welcome video, and how to book, see here.
Strings Day – Friday 31 January
Following on from last year’s incredibly successful Benedetti strings day, please could you make string players in your school aware of this year’s Strings on Friday 31 January, at Emmanuel Church, Worthing by sharing this link: share the following link West Sussex Music Strings Day
This inspiring workshop will be led by specialist string tutors from West Sussex Music and is designed especially for young violin, viola, cello, and double bass players from confident beginner up to stage/grade 3.
We appreciate that this is a school day and are clear in our communications to families that they will need to request your authorisation to attend. If you would like to know more about this event, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
We are delighted to offer free staff meeting CPD to schools who are happy to invite colleagues from their locality group to join them. To support schools in their delivery of the National Curriculum for Music and following feedback on staff confidence, the host school can choose from these topics: Composing Made Easy, Using Notation, Understanding and using the Interrelated Dimensions of Music. If you would like to know more and discuss your schools training needs Jane Swindells, our Primary Curriculum Manager, would love to hear from you jane.swindells@westsussexmusic.co.uk
West Sussex Primary & SEND Music Education Conference 2025
Save the date – Monday 30 June 2025, West Sussex Primary & SEND Music Conference 2025 @ Christ’s Hospital, Horsham. Join us for a day packed full of workshops and inspiration. Reserve your place here
Tomorrow’s Orchestra Programme
Something for pupils interested in learning an orchestral instrument, Tomorrow’s Orchestra Programme (TOP25) combines free instrumental lessons and free instrument loan with weekly orchestral sessions. It has been created as a fast-track route from absolute beginner to confident musician within a few short months. TOP25 will also introduce children to the thrill of playing in an orchestra.
TOP25 lasts for three terms, starting in January, with sessions taking place in Bognor Regis, Chichester, Horsham, Midhurst and Worthing. TOP25 runs for three terms from January to December. The first term is free* and terms 2 and 3 just £75 per term. More information and details of how to apply can be found here
*There is a one-off non-refundable booking fee of £10.
Music Mark membership – FREE
Becoming a member of Music Mark provides a host of additional opportunities for CPD, resources, and networking. If you’re interested in becoming a member or wish to renew your free membership for 2024-25, please click here
Classroom instrumental lessons (CIL) – still booking for Summer 2025
We are still taking bookings for 1Term2Learn Classroom Instrumental Lessons enabling pupils in Year 4 to learn an instrument for free. These subsidised whole-class programmes include teacher CPD as well as lessons and instruments for the children. Find out more here
Explore opportunities to enrich your curriculum and support your extra-curricular music offer with our Time4Music service level agreement. We can provide specialists to run ensemble activities or lead workshops, and we also hire sets of instruments. Find out more here
If you are looking to develop instrumental and vocal tuition in your school, we are here to help. Contact us on music@westsussexmusic.co.uk
Instrument hire
If you are looking to hire a class set of instruments to enrich a project, deliver an in-house workshop or support your music curriculum please get in touch on music@westsussexmusic.co.uk
Details of our Big Sings for KS2 can be found here Please get in touch with Rachel Maby, Schools’ Singing Leader, to find out how you can get involved rachel.maby@westsussexmusic.co.uk
If you are looking for bespoke, in-school support or would like a visit to discuss developing music in your school please contact our schools’ team we’d love to hear from you.
Live music performances
We have the following opportunities provided by hub partners to put in your diary to enable your students to experience a live orchestral concert especially programmed for children & young people:
1.Tuesday 14 January – Southern Pro-Musica @ Chichester Festival Theatre (jpg / pdf)
- 10.45am book here £5 per ticket
- 1.30pm book here £5 per ticket
2.Kidenza joins forces with Ann Bryant to bring Peter and the Timber Wolf to your school!
A contemporary telling of a great old tale, with familiar music and wonderful illustrations on screen as well as other pieces from the model music curriculum. Ann is an internationally acclaimed author of numerous music curriculum resources and Kidenza is a critically acclaimed professional orchestra.
For further information email education@kidenza.co.uk for further details.
Alison Sutton
Assistant Head: Head of Learning
West Sussex Music