Assessment

The Assessment Framework provides a system for teachers to assess and record students’ learning of musical skills as well as non-musical outcomes, giving teachers evidence to use when writing end-of-year reports and supporting the wider operations of the Music Masters charity.  

As music teachers, you are constantly making judgements in your lessons about students’ musical development. You listen, watch, anticipate and respond, using all this information to shape your lessons and guide your students’ musical learning. This system will provide you with a way of recording that information in a way that is useful to:  

  • You, when planning lessons and writing end-of-year reports;   
  • Other teachers that may be involved with the same student (e.g. in group lessons, ensembles, or musicianship teaching);   
  • The wider Music Masters team, by supporting impact and evaluation work and making the nomination of students for Year 2-3 transition and Pathways more transparent and inclusive;   
  • Parents and schools, where appropriate.   

The Assessment Framework involves two elements: Core Assessment and Extended Assessment. For both elements, teachers are asked to record judgements on a spreadsheet.  

Core Assessment

Musical outcomes

Musical outcomes are described by a set of statements for each year group which reflect the curriculum expectations in each of the areas of musical learning (singing, playing, musical terminology and understanding, rhythm and pulse, improvising and composing, and listening and reflecting). Teachers record a judgement for each student using a three-point scale of developing, achieving and exceeding.  

Non-musical outcomes

A separate set of statements have been created to capture non-musical outcomes of the Schools Programme, with teachers are asked to indicate how much a student demonstrates each outcome using a five-point scale of not at all, a little, somewhat, a lot, and very much. 

Extended Assessment

The Extended Assessment is to support with Pathways nomination, Pathways evaluation, and Y2/3 transition, and is only applicable to some instrumental students.  It involves calculating a Progress Score and recording information about how students demonstrate the eight facets of musical potential as defined by Young Sounds UK. 

Have a question about the Curriculum Framework?

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