The Guidance for Music

Music is recognised in the National Curriculum as an essential foundation subject. It offers a vehicle for personal expression, stimulating creativity and imagination through the interrelated skills of performance and composition, making an important contribution to a pupil's creative and emotional growth. It also develops aural literacy and listening skills, essential to all learning. It aims to evoke powerful emotional responses and solicit expressive and creative outcomes.

Guidance for teaching pupils gifted and talented in the arts.

This guidance was commissioned by the DfES, NESTA, DCMS amd Arts Council England in 2003. Written by experts in education and each specific art form, it provides teachers at all key stages with a valuable resource, demonstrating the importance of the arts in education and providing indicators for the identification and development of gifted and talented pupils. It is available as a word document to read here and is also available to download in acrobat reader.
School art: what's in it? Arts Council, Tate Galleries and NFER research project. See NFER Bookshop

Key organisations

• Music Manifesto (http://www.musicmanifesto.co.uk/)
• Youth Music (http://www.youthmusic.org.uk/)
• Music Education Council (http://www.mec.org.uk/)
• National Association of Music Educators (www.name2.org.uk/home/P1.php)

Key events

National Association of Music Educators Conference 2007. September 14th to 16th at Royal Holloway College, Surrey

Key awards

Key Awards	Description
	Music and Dance Scheme (www.dfes.gov.uk/mds) The aim of the scheme is to help identify, and assist, children with exceptional potential, regardless of their personal circumstances, to benefit from world-class specialist training as part of a broad and balanced education, which will enable them, if they choose, to proceed towards self-sustaining careers in music and dance.
	Artsmark (http://www.artsmark.co.uk/) An Artsmark is awarded to schools who show a commitment to the full range of arts - music, dance, drama and art and design. It is a national award scheme and is managed by Arts Council England.
	Arts Award http://www.artsaward.org.uk/ This new award was launched in autumn 2005 by Arts Council England and DCMS. The Arts Award is the first award scheme to recognise the development of young artists and young arts leaders. It celebrates the creative progress made by young people and not just their artistic skill. The award is for young people aged 11 to 25. Particpants can choose their art form and make their own plans, including improving skills, seeing the work of other artists and running an arts project. Students share their work with other people by recording what they do. For more information and details of how to take part visit the website.