SING OUT TOGETHER

“We recognise that every school is different and have staff with different levels of singing experience and confidence. So, we want you to decide how this money is used to form your school/cluster singing strategy.”

The Government has established core roles that Music Education Hubs are required to provide, to ensure national consistency and equality of opportunity. One of the core roles is to:

Develop a singing strategy to ensure that every pupil sings regularly and that choirs and other vocal ensembles are available in the area.

We recognise that every school is different and have staff with different levels of singing experience and confidence. So, we want you to decide how this money is used to form your school/cluster singing strategy.

EVERY school will be considered for funding (on application) to ensure that they are able to establish a suitable singing strategy that works best for their school or their ‘cluster’ of schools.

As the Music Education Hub, we expect the following key elements to be incorporated in to your applications:

  •  Increased number of pupils learning to sing
  •  Increased number of choirs in schools/the borough
  •  Increased performance opportunities

We will establish a list of quality assured providers on our website as a starting point, but other reputable providers with a track record for high quality delivery known to you may be used (subject to our approval) if they are better able to meet your needs.

Your activities MUST:

  •  Take place in the academic year 2018/19 (and 2019/20 for Silver & Gold Schools)
  •  Improve the provision of singing in your school (a cluster of schools for Silver & Gold) linked to a specific area of focus for development.
  •  Allocate funding to the delivery of singing provision either directly or indirectly.
  •  Leave a legacy for improved singing provision through CPD or through opportunities developed out of the strategy delivery.

Your funding application MUST NOT be for:

  •  Singing work that is already taking place in your schools.
  •  Broader arts activities that are not deemed to involve singing e.g. crafts or t-shirts

There are 3 different types of direct funding:

Schools that enjoy singing but do not wish to be a GOLD or SILVER School can register (using the online application & planning form) to be a

The funding outlined is the maximum amount of money that you can apply for – (school contribution, parent contribution, PTA, donations can also be used towards projects if the ‘sing out together’ funding does not fully fund all activities).

Schools will apply for this funding by completing an online planning form, outlining the schools they will be working with (for Gold and Silver), how many children will be involve and what their priorities and predicted outcomes are.

The online planning application form must be completed and submitted and confirmation will be given within 2 weeks of the application. Funds will be released on completion of a short evaluation form from both the lead school and the service providers, evaluating the progress at each point that funds are released. All schools involved will be expected to complete a full evaluation at the end of the project. Failure to return evaluation forms will result in schools not receiving ‘sing up together’ funding for the following year.

After reviewing the information in this document we ask schools to consider the development of singing across their Cluster/partnership for 2018/19 (and 2019/20 for Silver & Gold)

Actions:

  1. Attend one of the ‘Sing out together’ Network meetings held by Ealing Music Service; meeting will give an opportunity to meet other schools and opportunity to share ideas. It will also be an opportunity for providers to introduce themselves.
  2. Contact schools to be part of your ‘cluster’ (Gold and Silver) and agree to act as the main contact for their ‘sing out together’ provision and a main person for communication.
  3. Meet with all schools involved and develop and agree on a singing strategy, identifying priorities and objectives for 2018/19 (and 2019/20 for Silver & Gold .
  4. Seek providers to support the delivery of the provision either from the ‘sing out together’ partners or from other trusted providers known to schools.
  5. Assign allocated funding to Singing strategy delivery sessions/workshops/events
  6. Send application and planning to Ealing Music Service for approval and await confirmation (Please apply/plan on template provided)
  7. Contact providers and organise delivery
  8. Payment -schools will be required to pay for the delivery of the work direct to providers and then send an invoice with a copy of the providers invoice and evaluation forms to EMS for transfer of funds.

All schools involved to complete an evaluation of the singing strategy on template provided.

Download this document with details of funding options as a PDF here