The Schools Music Service is working closely with schools to make sure that, as soon as it is possible, the teachers are back in school, ensuring, of course, that all covid-secure guidance is followed. In the meantime lessons will be continuing online. It has been great to hear such positive feedback from parents about the online lessons and how they have been valued by both parents and students alike. The staff equally have reported very positive experiences with students making excellent progress often with great support from parents. Where children return to school over the next few weeks, staff are working with schools to offer online lessons in school. Many schools are able to make that happen but every school is working in unique environments and where this is not possible, staff are rearranging lesson times to accommodate where ever possible.
We have been in the lucky position that these online lessons have been able to be offered free of charge due to the continued financial support of East Riding of Yorkshire Council and Arts Council, England during the emergency phase of coronavirus. Since it is anticipated that most children will be attending school from September onwards, the normal charged model facilitated by schools will be implemented. A Multi-Platform Learning system has been developed, to work closely with schools to offer lessons either face to face or online as need arises.
Ensembles – your child may be a member of either our Music’s Cool sessions that run across the county or at the Music Centre in Beverley. Although these have obviously not been able to run this term, we are working hard behind the scenes to put together some exciting projects in the near future that will allow us all to be playing again even if it is not face to face live in an ensemble.
Concerts – We are putting on short online concerts for students who would like to perform a piece that they have been working on in their lessons. These will happen in the last couple of weeks of term in the evening. If your child would like to perform, have a chat with your teacher at your next lesson. These are for all standards of player and we would love to promote performances from beginners right through to our most advanced students. Pieces can either be unaccompanied or performed to a backing track. Where wifi connection is bad we are looking into the possibility of slotting in recorded performances too.
Assessments – Your child may have been working towards an exam that should have happened either at the Easter or Summer sessions. Rather than waiting for exams to start again we will be holding our own East Riding SMS assessments. The format will simply be to record your pieces and send them in so that they can be assessed by one of our own professional teachers. This will ensure your child will be able to move forward with their learning. If this was the case for your child, your teacher will discuss these at your lesson.
Year 6s – As the parent of a Year 6 pupil you will be wondering what happens about lessons at your new secondary school. Normally the Schools Music Service would be running transition events based at the secondary school to introduce you to the department, teachers and so on. This year we are doing this online! You will shortly be receiving information about sessions that will be run for each secondary school and allow parents and students to be introduced to the Head of Music who will be able to talk to you about lessons in school and run a question and answer session that will help to answer all the queries that you may have about lessons in your new school. Also if you will be being taught by a new SMS teacher in your secondary school we are arranging ‘meet the teacher sessions’ where you can meet your new teacher for a lesson.
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