These courses are designed for primary music teachers in England or in British International Schools following the National Curriculum for Music.

Understanding the History of Music at KS2

On this course you will learn how to help your KS2 pupils develop their understanding of the history of music. You will consider the core skills and knowledge that they need to develop, examples of different approaches to music history, and how to teach this aspect of the curriculum practically and musically, without it becoming a literacy exercise.

Understanding the Model Music Curriculum

This course provides an independent analysis of the non-statutory ‘Model Music Curriculum’ released by the UK government for potential use in England’s primary and secondary schools. The course covers the content of the curriculum, and how this relates to current best practice pedagogy and research on musical development, as well as how the curriculum compares to the most common schemes and resources that schools already buy into. It will help primary music subject leaders and head teachers to decide whether this model curriculum is something that they might wish to adopt in their own school, and provides insights for how adoption of this curriculum might work in practice. 


Improvising in the KS2 Classroom

This course covers why we should teach improvisation, what the purpose of improvisation is and what kind of outcomes we should be looking for when improvising in the KS2 classroom. By the end of the course you should feel more confident as improviser and as a teacher of improvisation.

Composing in the KS2 Classroom

The national curriculum for KS2 music states that children ‘should develop an understanding of musical composition, organising and manipulating ideas within musical structures’ and to ‘compose music for a range of purposes using the inter-related dimensions of music’. This course looks at creative ways to fulfill these aims as part of your KS2 music curriculum.

Excellence in Whole Class Instrumental

This course is a national training programme for teachers of Whole Class Instrumental Teaching. It features structured training based on the latest research into the pedagogical principles behind successful whole class instrumental teaching programmes. It is suitable for teachers at all stages of their careers, and who teach any instrument from any musical tradition.

Planning & Assessing Primary Music

This course covers the processes and pedagogy of planning and assessing primary music. Learners will explore the specific mechanics of planning and assessment for music, which can be very different from the other subjects of the primary curriculum. The course offers support and advice for creating schemes of work, individual pedagogically sound lesson plans, and assessment systems for music.

Excellence in Primary Music

This course looks in detail at the skills, knowledge and understanding that pupils need to develop in order to progress in Performing, Composing/Improvising and Listening, in order to meet the requirements of the National Curriculum for Music. 

Dive Deeper into Music

The course covers best practice in planning, delivering, and assessing the primary music curriculum. It is suitable for both specialist and non-specialist teachers who lead the music in their primary school.