How has music changed in schools? Specifically, independent schools? The high standard of musical work in such schools has long been known but now Andrew Morris and his team have provided up-to-date information.

Bringing together historical debates from the late 19^th and early 20^th Century, the book discusses how best to practice the teaching of music. What makes a good music teacher? Is it their technical excellence or enthusiasm?

There are contributions from seven individual schools – Bedford, Dulwich, Eton, Gresham’s, St. Paul’s, Uppingham and Worksop – as well as chapters about Girls’ Schools, Preparatory Schools, Choir Schools and Specialist Schools.

The book looks at each of these schools and the challenges they have faced in the current day and over the last sixty years. Music and teaching of music remains relevant and fruitful across class divides. Music in Independent Schools will be of interest as a reference point for all music departments.

ANDREW MORRIS taught in secondary modern, grammar and comprehensive schools in London before becoming Director of Music at Bedford School for thirty-two years. He was President of the Music Masters’ and Mistresses’ Association from 1996-97 and President of the RAM Club at the Royal Academy of Music 2005-06. He has examined for the ABRSM for over thirty years.

The Bernarr Rainbow Trust, under the chairmanship of Professor Peter Dickinson, is now responsible for some forty books based on Rainbow’s extensive historical research into music education, mostly within his Classic Texts in Music Education series, published by Boydell.

Contributors include Catherine Beddison, Elizabeth Blackford, Timothy Daniell, Richard Mayo, James Peschek, Alastair Sampson, Graham Smallbone, Jonathan Varcoe, Myfanwy Walters, Nathan Waring, Robert Weaver and Hilary Webster.

Music in Independent Schools edited by Andrew Morris & Bernarr Rainbow, with introduction by Peter Dickinson
Boydell Press
978 1 84383 967 5, August 2014
£45
DISCOUNTED PRICE: £33.75

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What is the best way of ensuring that every teacher is fully effective in every lesson, every day?

Everyone has good days and bad days.

Of course, as professionals we all aim to perform well in the classroom no matter how we feel, but even so there can come a time where the sheer level of work required can make one operate at a slightly lower level than at other times.

So can anything be done? Can we do anything to reduce stress, feelings of tiredness, or any other ailment that can affect most of us at some time or another.

Fortunately the answer is, yes, as many schools have found out. For they have used a process that controls the amount of work teachers have to do in four key areas of teaching facts, revising facts, setting tests, and marking tests.

Of course, these four areas don’t make up the sum of education. But there is no doubt that if one reduces part of the workload in these four areas, then yes, when a teacher feels overloaded, the pressure is reduced so classroom teaching is not affected.

Now this raises two important questions. Supposing we could do this, the argument goes, it would be good for teachers. But would it not affect the quality of education? And wouldn’t it be costly?

In fact, the approach I have in mind has been used in over half of all schools undertaking GCSEs during the last 12 years.

And far from reducing the quality of education, it is proven through rigorous research to raise grades at GCSE significantly.

Of course there is a cost – but it works out at less than £4 per student per year. It is an extra cost, but given that it reduces workload and as a result can reduce absences caused by stress, while at the same time raising grades, most schools that take it on feel that the cost is worthwhile.

The approach is known as SAM Learning. Students work on-line either at home or at school, studying the subjects they choose. Just ten hours on the system during the two years of GCSE study raises the average student two grades.

This interactive system not only teaches all the most popular GCSE subjects and organises revision around points that the student has not fully grasped, but it can also be used to set questions and mark them – with, of course, all the marks available for the teacher to use in the setting of further work either on-line or in the classroom.

As you might imagine, SAM Learning is not alone in this field of on-line learning – but it is the only system of its type which has been rigorously and independently tested – in our case by FFT who tracked the progress of over a quarter of a million students who have used SAM Learning.

If you would like to know more please call us on 0845 130 4160.

Alternatively if you would like to read more about SAM Learning and how it works please do visit our website.