Evidence

There is multiple different evidence sources to support why a project such as the one I have planned would be beneficial. The project is not intended to be profit based, so the evidence I looked for was surrounding the benefits of engaging in music and musical project for SEND children.

The first source is a project evaluation of a similar music project, run for an early years SEND group (See Appendix 1). This project was run by the company Evolve Music in 2024, and one of the aims of the project is very similar to the aims I am targetting, with their aim being “To enable young children, experiencing […](SEMH) needs and/or development delay or […] (SEND) to benefit from music activity in early years settings.” (Hercod for Evolve Music, 2024)

Appendix 1

These are the quotes given by parents/carers, and others who went to observe the sessions. This clearly demonstrates the positive impact running music sessions can have on SEND children.

Improving-Outcomes-for-Young-Children-with-Special-Educational-Needs-through-Music-DIGITAL (2)Download

The project differs slightly, with the sessions being tailored for a smaller early years group, and a less rigid 12 week structure, however both the session length and the impact the music had on the childrens are clearly demonstrated in this source.

The second source is a paper by Welch and Ockleford (2015), which talks about the impact of music when supporting the development of SEND children (Appendix 2). The paper states that “music can make a powerful and positive difference to health, whilst supporting different aspects of intellectual functioning (such as literacy) and fostering social inclusion and cohesion”. This clearly shows the impact running a project such as the one I am proposing can have on those attending.

Target Audience

These sessions are targeting children with SEND. I am planning to aim for a broad age range (approximately ages 8-15), and specifically targeting those with mild or severe learning difficulties as opposed to PMLD. The physical nature of engagement with the instruments mean that children with PMLD may have difficulties fully engaging in the session, which is what led me to this decision. Some children with SEND can be particularly sensitive to loud noises, with hyperacusis being particularly common among those with PMLD, and these sessions would not be suitable due to the group nature of the program, with multiple children playing at once, which could lead to difficulties for those with issues with this sensitivity.

One other consideration was the number of practioners required. Some sessions with a smaller number of children (i.e. 8-10) may be run by one practioner, however due to the nature of the group being SEND, I have planned for two practioners. This allows one to focus on the majority of the group and one to focus on more intense one to one interaction with the children, allowing engagement for every level of needs. I also chose to include a parent and carer into the planning as is typical for SEND sessions, as children with SEND often require one to one support, and having a parent/carer there means that:

• There isnt a requirement for more practioners than children, as this can cause an issue with funding.
• Each childs needs are understood and can be catered for more carefully, as the parent/carer can assist their own child with these needs, which reduces the need for more in depth training for practioners.
• The parents/carers can help their child engage with the activities when the practioners may not be able to provide the full level of support the child requires in that moment.

I also chose to do each song over a 2 week period. This was due to the fact that some SEND children may struggle to engage for a full hour with one song, and also the fact that some children may not be able to attend all 8 sessions. Breaking the program into the simple weekly structure I chose (See Appendix 4, Proposed Activities) allows children to miss a week, or attend all but only be able to engage for small amounts, without missing out on too much. This also means that missing a week still allows for engagement in the final weeks project, so all children attending the sessions can leave with a final product they can be proud of.

The project is also tailored towards SEND children due to the chosen use of percussion instruments as opposed to typical harmonic instruments. The project is designed to be led by one practioner with a guitar or ukulele, however the children would be using percussion instruments such as cowbells, bongos, and tambourines. This means that children who may struggle with their dexterity and coordination can still engage fully in the sessions, as there is less of these traits required when playing instruments such as these. This allows for a much more fulfilling experience for the children involved. I also chose to allow extra budget for certain other tools, such as a visual timetable, which can be particularly beneficial for SEND learners, due to its multisensory nature.

I also planned to include a survey in order to evaluate the impact of the program. This would be filled in by parents/carers, and children where applicable, and would happen twice, once before the start of the first session they attend and again at the end of the final session. This would include a set of questions where they rank (on a scale of 1-5) how they feel about elements such as musical ability, confidence, and group engagaement, and these questions would be the same after the final session.

Project Outline

The project is 8 weeks long, with the middle 6 being used to learn 3 different songs (See Appendix 4). The first week would be used as an icebreaker week, as well as being used to guage multiple important factors which would then be used to tailor the coming weeks to the group. These would be factors such as:

• The varying levels of engagement from each child
  • We would use the first week to figure out how each child best engages with the music – such as whether they prefer to join in with an instrument, sing along, work better with other children or alone – and plan the following sessions and song choices to best suit these needs (i.e. if all the children prefer to use drums than shakers, we would choose songs which are more drum focused, or choose quiter songs if noise is deemed to be in issue).
  • We also would make use of the Sounds of Intent framework (Voyajolu and Ockleford, 2016) – Appendix 3 – in order to best assess the engagement from each child.

Appendix 3

This is a framework that looks into how to assess various levels of engagement for the different ages and needs of children with SEND.

• The technical skills displayed by each child
  • We would also use the activities run in the first session to assess the varying levels of technical profiency displayed by each child, allowing us to understand how best to include each child when the song learning starts the week after. This means that the practioner who engages more closely with the children (See Target Audience) can go into the coming weeks with an idea of how best to tailor their involvement to support each child as best as possible.
• Any other considerations of changes that need to be made for the project to be a success
  • If there are any major issues which can be seen in the first week, this pilot week can be used to allow for time before starting the main bulk of the program to ensure the next 7 weeks run smoothly.

The final week includes the warm up (See Proposed Activities), followed by a run through of all 3 songs. This run through would be recorded by a videographer, capturing footage of each child performing the songs we have practiced. The songs would be played multiple times, allowing the videographer time to get footage of each child engaging with the music equally in whichever way suits the child best, ensuring all children are in the video equally regardless of technical level.

I also planned for my project to include a 30 min setup and packdown time for the practioners. This is helpful, as it allows for a strong start for when the children arrive as everything should be ready, as well as allowing the practioners time before and after each session to assess either what the session plans are or to have an analysis of each session whilst it is still recent, which ensures each session runs smoothly and the program can be tailored to best support the needs of the children.

Proposed Activities

Appendix 4

This is the full Scheme of Work for my 8 week program.

I planned each of my weeks with a similar, repeatable structure with some variation (See Appendix 4). Each session is tailored for an SEND group due to the repeating structure, as well as including a break (See Appendix 7) in each session to allow for the regulation of emotions which can be particularly important for those with SEND.

One document I used when planning my sessions was a paper by Graham Dowdall (2016) (See Appendix 5) which goes in depth into some of the most valuable tools for running music sessions for SEND groups.

This source recommends starting each session with a warm up, which would be repeated weekly to establish a sense of stability in the children. This allows each child to come into the sessions with a sense of what to expect, and will allow each session to start smoothly by easing the children in. London School of Childcare Studies (n.d.) stated that it reduced stress and promoted emotional security. This use of repetition is also a valuable tool for developing the musical learning in children, as repetition “plays a key role in memory consolidation”, allowing for a developing sense of rhythm and timing from early on in the sessions. (See Appendix 6).

Appendix 6

This is the full list of benefits from the document into why repetition should be used in childrens learning.

Why Repetition Is Essential in Children’s Learning and Development

Appendix 7

This is an example session plan for the first session of the program, which includes the 30 mins setup and packdown time included for the practioners (discussed in the Project Outline)

Other interesting sources to check out