Music-ITE

One of the more difficult problems in music education is ensuring that, as teachers, we assess that which is musically important. Too often we are drawn towards forming an assessment based on something that is tangible and consequently easy to define, rather than striving towards assessing the more subtle musical details. When we decide how to assess our students, it is clear that we have a well defined choice – to tick a box, or to look beyond the immediately obvious and try to create a more personal picture.

In many ways, the QTS standards can follow this model. It can be very easy to approach the QTS standards as a series of tick-boxes, but ultimately this has little resonance with the work undertaken in the training year. If we do not endeavour to make the QTS standards personalised and individual, then we are ignoring their great potential as a vehicle of self-reflection. The QTS Standards exist as generalised statements waiting to be realised through rich descriptions about real people in real contexts. They provide a framework in which to acknowledge the considerable impact that we as teachers make of the lives of our students, and the impact that those students have made on us.

With the government agenda focussing ever more on personalised learning, it seems absurd that the standards can be literally ticked off without so much of a nod towards the ultimately personal experience that the teacher training years are.

It is also prudent also to ask why, as teachers-in-training, we are free to ignore the best-practice in which we are trained. When we spend so much of our time working towards creating fairer and more accurate assessment policies for our classes, why should we then ignore this when looking to assess ourselves?

For this reason, it is vital to take the time to personally contextualise the standards within music as a subject, as well as within our own personal practice. Q7a, for example, ‘Reflect on and improve their practice, and take responsibility for identifying and meeting their developing professional needs’ must surely mean two entirely different things within the separate contexts of music and, say, science.

Creating a more personal portfolio that addresses the QTS standards can appear to be a daunting task. However, this need not be the case. Rather, it seems appropriate to draw upon the everyday experiences of the student teacher, and show how these fleeting (but nevertheless profound) musical experiences can be used to answer the criteria posed by the QTS standards. In order to demonstrate ways in which this approach may be realised, we have compiled some examples of ways in which real trainees have met their standards. Inevitably, this is in no way exhaustive, and rather provides something of a model for resourcing the ways in which a trainee may approach what can be a rather daunting task. However, it is important to approach the task of providing examples with some caution. By providing too few examples, we may only encourage unthinking repetition and a dearth of imagination and personal reflection – the very thing that we are seeking to avoid. Equally, offering examples that lack depth can be just as counter-productive.

To avoid this pitfall, we have attempted to provide several examples of particularly powerful training experiences that are able to exemplify several standards at once. This sort of cross-referencing again reinforces a personal approach to realising the QTS standards as it verifies the importance of profound personal interactions within the context of meeting the requirements of the teacher training course. Put another way, it can show us that these very personal moments are important not only to those involved, but can be appreciated as the key to our development as teachers.

As teachers, we build our own personal repertory of these moments. They become our school identity – they form both our perception of ourselves, and the way that others perceive us. Although their true personal resonance may be difficult to put into words, it is vital that we not only take a moment to share our own stories but that we celebrate in the stories of others. In this way, we hope that you appreciate the personal moments of other trainee music teachers – those that endeavour to teach music as musically as possible – and that they inspire you to celebrate your own personal successes.

Below are four short narratives, taken from four student-teachers. All of whom have recently completed their PGCE, and were asked the simple question ‘what was your most profound experience this year?’ Their choices are eclectic and represent the vast wealth of collective experience that we as students can draw upon. Whilst each moment has been analysed, and the standards applied, it is necessary to clarify that not all the standards would have been fully met. Rather, part of a standard may have been addressed, and yet has still been included to show how the standards may be somewhat liberally interpreted/. These are not exhaustive, merely included to promote discussion and offer some insight into perhaps a more original way to reference the QTS standards at the end of the training year.

For Emily, working with Abbie presented a challenge. A young girl with a particularly difficult home situation, Abbie is one of the many students for whom simply getting to school each day was an important achievement. Throughout the course of her music GCSE, Abbie has not produced a single piece of work, and so Emily decided to help her on a one-to-one basis in order to produce her first composition. The description of Abbie at the end of this process – not only happy to have her piece performed in front of her peers, but also to openly display heartfelt emotion – is testament to the supportive classroom environment that Emily and her colleagues had established. We must also reflect on the confidence that Abbie gained from this experience, and it seems that now she is consistently working hard in music lessons. She may well now go on to receive better exam results than initially anticipated – but for both Abbie and Emily, it is surely the bond forged through musical creativity and co-operation that is the lasting reward.

QTS Standards	Example
Q1. Have high expectations of children and young people including a commitment to ensuring that they can achieve their full educational potential and to establishing fair, respectful, trusting, supportive and constructive relationships with them.	Emily worked with a student who had very low aspirations, and she demanded the highest level of work from her. Together, they built a positive relationship based on a shared love of music.
Q4. Communicate effectively with children, young people, colleagues, parents and carers.	By building such a positive relationship, Emily obviously demonstrates her ability to communicate well with young people.
Q10. Have a knowledge and understanding of a range of teaching, learning and behaviour management strategies and know how to use and adapt them, including how to personalise leaning and provide opportunities for all learners to achieve their potential.	Emily worked with a challenging student, and found that building a more informal relationship based on trust led to more positive attitude and behaviour.
Q11. They know the assessment requirements and arrangements for the subjects/curriculum areas in the age ranges they are trained to teach, including those relating to public examinations and qualifications.	Emily was working with her student on composition for the music GCSE syllabus.
Q21(b). They know how to identify and support children and young people whose, progress, development or well-being is affected by changes or difficulties in their personal circumstances, and when to refer them to colleagues for specialist support.	Emily identified her student as someone that needed extra attention in her music GCSE. Emily worked with her one-on-one to help her improve her work in music.
Q23. They design opportunities for learners to develop their literacy, numeracy and ICT skills.	Emily allowed her student to develop her literacy and ICT skills by sourcing some song lyrics on the internet.
Q27. Provide timely, accurate and constructive feedback on learners’ attainment, progress and areas for development.	By working with her student on an individual basis, Emily was able to offer personalised and constructive feedback on her attainment, and offer formative feedback in areas to improve.
Q29. They evaluate the impact of their teaching on the progress of all learners, and modify their planning and classroom practice where necessary.	Emily was able to identify that a whole-class approach would not be the most beneficial for her student, so opted to give her individual support.
Q30. They establish a purposeful and safe learning environment conducive to learning and identify opportunities for learners to learn in out of school contexts.	By building such a positive relationship with her student, Emily was able to develop an equally positive working environment.
Q31. They establish a clear framework for classroom discipline to manage learners’ behaviour constructively and promote their self-control and independence.	By building a safe classroom environment, Emily’s student felt safe enough to perform her composition in front of the peers.

In order to capture the imagination of his students, Ezra chose to approach the blues from a cultural and historical perspective. By doing this, he created an atmosphere of enchantment – Ezra worked as a storyteller to contextualise and explore the music that his students were studying. By approaching the topic in this cross-curricular way, Ezra was able to build on the prior work of his students in both music and history. This helped his students to feel secure as they already had some understanding of the history surrounding the blues. For some of his students, especially the boys in this particular class, this worked very well. They were engaged, inspired and able to think actively about the music that they were listening to.

QTS Standard	Example
Q8. They have a creative and constructively critical approach towards innovation, being prepared to adapt their practice where benefits and improvements are identified.	Ezra was able to approach the blues topic in a way that built knowledge through context, rather than through techniques – a more conventional approach. This benefitted the learning of his students.
Q14. They have a secure knowledge and understanding of their subjects/curriculum areas and related pedagogy to enable them to teach effectively across the age and ability range for which they are trained.	Ezra demonstrated that he has internalised a scheme of work based on the blues to the point that he could approach the topic in an entirely new way.
Q17. They know how to use skills in literacy, numeracy and ICT to support their teaching and wider professional activities.	Ezra used his ICT skills to create a power-point presentation that supported his lesson.
Q18. They understand how children and young people develop and that the progress and well-being and learners are affected by a range of developmental, social, religious, ethnic, cultural and linguistic influences.	Ezra used the cultural resonance of the blues to approach the topic in a way that captured the imagination of his students by drawing upon its context – which may well have struck a chord with the range of influences at work on his students.
Q25. They teach lessons and sequences of lessons across the age and ability range for which they are trained in which they: Q25(b). Build on prior knowledge, develop concepts and processes, enable learners to apply new knowledge, understanding and skills and meet learning objectives;	Ezra was able to build on prior knowledge, not only in music (knowing what a chord was etc) and also in history, by discussing the slave trade and chain gangs.
Q25(c). Adapt their language to suit the learners they teach, introducing new ideas and concepts clearly, and using explanations, questions, discussions and plenaries effectively;	Ezra knew that by approaching the blues in a more unconventional way, there needed to be more time built into his lesson for discussion and questions, as he was handling a sensitive topic.
Q25(d). Manage the learning of individuals, groups and whole classes, modifying their teaching to suit the stage of the lesson.	Ezra was able to identify that the students in this class would respond well through empathy. This was evident in the way that his was able to manage the learning of not only the whole class, but also of individuals.

Sue worked very hard over the course of her extended placement to establish a wind band that would become gradually self-sufficient. In particular, she worked on attracting students that would not usually have the confidence to attend on their own by using peer support. By working so closely with the ensemble, Sue was able to model not only good teaching practice but also the way that many musical ensembles work in ‘real life’. This gave the students extra confidence, and encouraged them to work towards a concert that they were producing themselves. She added to the skills of her students in an out-of-classroom context and was also able to enrich her personal relationships with them by working alongside the students rather than simply directing them.

QTS Standard	Example
Q1. Have high expectations of children and young people including a commitment to ensuring that they can achieve their full educational potential and to establishing fair, respectful, trusting, supportive and constructive relationships with them.	Sue made sure that her students were aware that they were expected at wind band, even though it was somewhat outside of the students’ musical experience. She also encouraged one of them to develop both accompanying and conducting skills.
Q2. They demonstrate the positive values, attitudes and behaviour they expect from children and young people.	Sue developed her wind band by modelling her expectations – she conducted to begin with, and made sure she attended each rehearsal.
Q3(a). They are aware of the professional duties of teachers and the statutory framework within which they work.	As a music teacher, Sue was aware that there was an expectation for her to be committed to extra-curricular music. She considered this a professional duty.
Q3(b). They are aware of the policies and practices of the workplace and share in collective responsibility for their implementation.	Again, Sue identified that as part of the music department she would need to take some responsibility outside of the classroom.
Q4. Communicate effectively with children, young people, colleagues, parents and carers.	As a conductor, Sue needed to be able to communicate well with her students. She also needed to convince them to continue without her, by using the support of her colleagues.
Q6. They have a commitment to collaboration and co-operative working.	By working as an ensemble with her students, Sue showed that she could collaborate and co-operate with her students.
Q8. They have a creative and constructively critical approach towards innovation, being prepared to adapt their practice where benefits and improvements are identified.	Sue identified that the school was missing a wind band, and felt that creating a more self-sufficient ensemble would be more appropriate as she was leaving the school at the end of her placement. This is an innovative approach towards extra-curricular music.
Q24. They plan homework or other out-of-class work to sustain learners’ progress and to extend and consolidate their learning.	By encouraging the year 9 students to attend wind band, and suggesting that a year 10 conducted and rehearsed the group, Sue was able to extend their learning outside of the classroom.

In his own words, Ben is describing a classroom situation which may seem somewhat removed from the ideal music lesson – although it is a situation which many of us find ourselves in and can empathise with. A more traditional approach, Ben discusses how the use of both keyboards and fairly rigid assessment protocols can, in fact, engage some students and enhance their learning. By following a scheme of work that was highly focused and goal-driven, Ben’s class found that in some ways their imagination was captured. By the end of the six-week project, the students found that they knew Vivaldi’s Lute concerto well enough to ‘sing it in the corridors’, and were giving up their free time to practise the music for assessment. Although this may seem to be re-enforcing a more conservative methodology (this was hardly ‘integration of practice’, for example), it is important to take stock of ways in which this was a very positive and motivating project. It was able to actively model to the students how to prepare for performance – one of the most fundamental parts of a musician’s routine. We cannot overlook the fact that the students were obviously engaged and motivated. We must also appreciate that, for Ben, watching his Billy and Jake succeed through sheer determination was one of the most rewarding experiences in the course of his extended placement.

QTS Standard	Example
Q6. They have a commitment to collaboration and co-operative working.	Ben planned a scheme of work that was based entirely on working collaboratively – showing that he was committed to co-operation both on a personal level and within his classwork.
Q12. They know a range of approaches to assessment, including the importance of formative assessment.	Ben identified that some students in the class benefited and gained a sense of satisfaction from being able to tangibly achieve a goal. This was enhanced by the use of formative assessment throughout the scheme.
Q14. They have a secure knowledge and understanding of their subjects/curriculum areas and related pedagogy to enable them to teach effectively across the age and ability range for which they are trained.	Ben shows that he is well aware of related musical pedagogy. He was able to use this to develop the learning of his students.
Q22. They plan for progression across the age and ability range for which they are trained, designing effective learning sequences within lessons and across series of lessons and demonstrating secure subject/curriculum knowledge.	By providing a range of possible goals within one scheme of work, Ben was able to plan for differentiation within his lessons, that led to individual progression in learning – one that put the students in control of their own learning.
Q24. They plan homework or other out-of-class work to sustain learners’ progress and to extend and consolidate their learning.	Ben was able to supervise the out-of-classroom learning of his students, which was used to extend the learning of some of the students in his class.
Q25. They teach lessons and sequences of lessons across the age and ability range for which they are trained in which they: Q25(b). Build on prior knowledge, develop concepts and processes, enable learners to apply new knowledge, understanding and skills and meet learning objectives;	In each lesson, the students were building on the work of the previous week. This also modelled an excellent approach to musical practise.
Q25(d). Manage the learning of individuals, groups and whole classes, modifying their teaching to suit the stage of the lesson.	By working in pairs but on individual lines of music, Ben’s students were able to manage their own learning – although with Ben’s constant help and support.
Q26(a). Make effective use of a range of assessment, monitoring and recording strategies.	Ben used both formative and summative assessment, looking at both progression and qualities in the final performance.
Q26(b). Assess the learning needs of those they teach in order to set challenging learning objectives.	By providing different levels of challenge, each student could be engaged within each lesson.
Q28. They support and guide learners to reflect on their learning, identify the progress they have made and identify their emerging learning needs.	By having transparent assessment criteria, Ben’s students were able to spend time reflecting on what they had learned, as they made visible progress from week to week.
Q30. They establish a purposeful and safe learning environment conducive to learning and identify opportunities for learners to learn in out of school contexts.	Ben had obviously worked hard to develop a safe learning environment as his students were happy to return to class to practise in their own time – break and lunch – in order to perfect their performamce.

The experiences related here by recently completed PGCE students are designed to demonstrate how even the seemingly everyday interactions with other people can help to create a portfolio that fulfils the criteria of the QTS standards. They are included simply as examples of one way we may go about creating a more personalised and realistic picture of the personal growth undertaken over the course of a PGCE. Again, it is prudent to mention that the narratives suggested here do not always fulfil every point made by each standard. By their nature, these personal moments are not designed to meet the standards – rather, by reflecting upon them we can see ways in which they do.

It is this opportunity for reflection and self-assessment that may be the great untapped potential of the QTS standards. They provide a framework that not only guides our future professional development as teachers, but also gives us a chance to stop and take stock of the development that we have already made. The unspoken danger is that a trainee will approach the standards without the appropriate depth or breadth of imagination to make the standards meaningful to them. As largely open statements, the QTS standards are there to be modified and re-contextualised, to be personalised.

The QTS standards were carefully designed in 2007 to try and best integrate the practice of all levels of teaching – from those at the initial training stage to those that had been in teaching for many years. This may well raise issues of extension and progression; can a student teacher be realistically expected to hit the same targets as a Post-Threshold Teacher, for example? Should there be greater opportunities for progression built into the framework? Should they be modified for each subject? Should they be as broad as to include both Q1. ‘Have high expectations of children and young people including a commitment to ensuring that they can achieve their full educational potential and to establishing fair, respectful, trusting, supportive and constructive relationships with them’, as well as Q16. ‘They have passed the professional skills tests in numeracy, literacy and information and communication technology (ICT)’?

Nevertheless, as they stand the QTS standards remain a comprehensive guide to the professional expectations for Teachers in England. It is up to us as individuals to ensure that we use them to their full potential.

As always, we need to remember that at the heart of teaching lies a love of forming relationships with other people. Throughout the course of a career in education, one teacher will encounter and interact with thousands of students, as well as other staff. It is these relationships that ultimately define our identity in the workplace, and thus a significant aspect of our lives. To treat this without the respect it is due is to fundamentally misunderstand what it is to work in education. We should relish the opportunity to reflect upon our practice, as it is through this that we develop and extend our understanding of ourselves.

Q1.
Have high expectations of children and young people including a commitment to ensuring that they can achieve their full educational potential and to establishing fair, respectful, trusting, supportive and constructive relationships with them.

Q2.
They demonstrate the positive values, attitudes and behaviour they expect from children and young people.

Q3(a).
They are aware of the professional duties of teachers and the statutory framework within which they work.

Q3(b).
They are aware of the policies and practices of the workplace and share in collective responsibility for their implementation.

Q4.
Communicate effectively with children, young people, colleagues, parents and carers.

Q5.
Recognise and respect the contribution that colleagues, parents and carers can make to the development and well-being of children and young people and to raising their levels of attainment.

Q6.
They have a commitment to collaboration and co-operative working.

Q7(a).
They can reflect on and improve their practice, and take responsibility for identifying and meeting their developing

professional needs.

Q7(b).
They can identify priorities for their early professional development in the context of induction.

Q8.
They have a creative and constructively critical approach towards innovation, being prepared to adapt their practice where benefits and improvements are identified.

Q9.
They can act upon advice and feedback and be open to coaching and mentoring.

Q10.
Have a knowledge and understanding of a range of teaching, learning and behaviour management strategies and know how to use and adapt them, including how to personalise leaning and provide opportunities for all learners to achieve their potential.

Q11.
They know the assessment requirements and arrangements for the subjects/curriculum areas in the age ranges they are trained to teach, including those relating to public examinations and qualifications.

Q12.
They know a range of approaches to assessment, including the importance of formative assessment.

Q13.
They know how to use local and national statistical information to evaluate the effectiveness of their teaching, to monitor the progress of those they teach and to raise levels of attainment.

Q14.
They have a secure knowledge and understanding of their subjects/curriculum areas and related pedagogy to enable them to teach effectively across the age and ability range for which they are trained.

Q15.
They know and understand the relevant statutory and non-statutory curricula, frameworks, including those provided through the National Strategies, for their subjects/curriculum areas, and other relevant initiatives applicable to the age and ability range for which they are trained.

Q16.
They have passes the professional skills tests in numeracy, literacy and information and communication technology (ICT).

Q17.
They know how to use skills in literacy, numeracy and ICT to support their teaching and wider professional activities.

Q18.
They understand how children and young people develop and that the progress and well-being and learners are affected by a range of developmental, social, religious, ethnic, cultural and linguistic influences.

Q19.
They know how to make effective personalised provision for those they teach, including those for whom English is an additional language or who have special educational needs or disabilities, and how to take practical account of diversity and promote equality and inclusion in their teaching.

Q20.
They know and understand the roles of colleagues with specific responsibilities, including those with responsibility for learners with special educational needs and disabilities and other individual learning needs.

Q21(a).
They are aware of current legal requirements, national policies and guidance on the safeguarding and promotion of the well-being of children and young people.

Q21(b).
They know how to identify and support children and young people whose, progress, development or well-being is affected by changes or difficulties in their personal circumstances, and when to refer them to colleagues for specialist support.

Q22.
They plan for progression across the age and ability range for which they are trained, designing effective learning sequences within lessons and across series of lessons and demonstrating secure subject/curriculum knowledge.

Q23.
They design opportunities for learners to develop their literacy, numeracy and ICT skills.

Q24.
They plan homework or other out-of-class work to sustain learners’ progress and to extend and consolidate their learning.

Q25.
They teach lessons and sequences of lessons across the age and ability range for which they are trained in which they:

Q25(a).
Use a range of teaching strategies and resources, including e-learning, taking practical account of diversity and promoting equality and inclusion;

Q25(b).
Build on prior knowledge, develop concepts and processes, enable learners to apply new knowledge, understanding and skills and meet learning objectives;

Q25(c).
Adapt their language to suit the learners they teach, introducing new ideas and concepts clearly, and using explanations, questions, discussions and plenaries effectively;

Q25(d).
Manage the learning of individuals, groups and whole classes, modifying their teaching to suit the stage of the lesson.

Q26(a).
Make effective use of a range of assessment, monitoring and recording strategies.

Q26(b).
Assess the learning needs of those they teach in order to set challenging learning objectives.

Q27.
Provide timely, accurate and constructive feedback on learners’ attainment, progress and areas for development.

Q28.
They support and guide learners to reflect on their learning, identify the progress they have made and identify their emerging learning needs.

Q29.
They evaluate the impact of their teaching on the progress of all learners, and modify their planning and classroom practice where necessary.

Q30.
They establish a purposeful and safe learning environment conducive to learning and identify opportunities for learners to learn in out of school contexts.

Q31.
They establish a clear framework for classroom discipline to manage learners’ behaviour constructively and promote their self-control and independence.

Q32.
They work as a team member and identify opportunities for working with colleagues, sharing the development of effective practice with them.

Q33.
They ensure that colleagues working with them are appropriately involved in supporting learning and understand the roles they are expected to fulfil.