An innovative programme of inclusive primary music sessions will be delivered by 17 different music services across the UK this Autumn. The pilot is part of the Changing Tracks national programme run by Hertfordshire Music Service, funded by Youth Music.
The scheme will run ‘music nurture groups’ in schools across England, aiming to provide calm, nurturing environments for participants who may be vulnerable or struggling with mental health or confidence issues. The sessions will be available for three to five young people in each primary school who have been identified and chosen by the school’s special education needs coordinator.
The project is a pilot scheme designed by the Hertfordshire Music Service to reduce school exclusions and foster a sense of belonging by creating a nurturing environment in the music classroom. This model of small nurture groups draws on the previous work conducted as part of the Changing Tracks project with Pupil Referral Units.
Music service inclusion managers and tutors will receive resources and support from the Changing Tracks team, including training on the impact of trauma on learning, regular critical reflection sessions and support groups, as well as guidance on how to set up and run a successful music nurture group.
The music services who will pilot the nurture group programme in their local area, are:
- Bury Music
- Calderdale Music Trust
- Milton Keynes Music Hub
- Dorset Music Service
- Merton Music Foundation
- Lambeth Music Service
- Sunderland Music Hub
- Severn Arts (Worcestershire)
- Peterborough Music Hub
- West Sussex Music
- Wakefield Music Services
- East Riding Schools’ Music Service
- Soundstorm Music Education Agency (Bournemouth & Poole)
- Waltham Forest Music Education Hub
- Cornwall Music Service Trust
- NMPAT (Northamptonshire Music and Performing Arts Trust)
- Liverpool Resonate
Outcomes of the pilot project will be shared through the Changing Tracks website, and the National Working Group for Musical Inclusion.
The Changing Tracks programme was previously called MusicNet East. Find out more on their website.
