Extracurricular singing and instrumental lessons are a natural complement to classroom music. These one-to-one and group opportunities help shape well-rounded young musicians – creating natural leaders within the classroom setting, enabling deeper explorations of technique and musicality and giving confidence to progress through music examinations and into Key Stage 3 learning.
Instrumental and singing lessons are a great way for children to explore their music making in a small group or one-to-one setting. The lessons give children the opportunity to deepen their musicianship and experience the joy and satisfaction that comes from learning an instrument or singing. By exploring their own music making, pupils are able to widen their musical landscape.
Instrumental and singing lessons also open the door to performance opportunities. Learning an instrument is so much more than a lesson once a week. When the children take their instrument home, they’re able to make music and practice independently. This type of independent learning is extremely valuable and has a very positive impact on children’s confidence and wellbeing, as well as on their cognitive development. By having an instrumental and singing programme in place at your school, you are able to build school ensembles and to put on performances for the wider school community. These events showcase the progress of pupils and share the joy of music making more widely.
Lessons are usually 30 minutes long. They take place on site at school in a side room or in the music room. Our Sing Education teacher collects pupils from their lessons. Our instrumental programme is packed full of active music making. This ensures pupils are highly engaged throughout the lessons and leave wanting to practice and make music at home independently. We manage all aspects of the provision through our online platform. This covers everything from payments and timetabling to registers, practice notes and digital resources for pupils to use at home. Pupils have the option to enter for music exams through one of the music examination boards, including the ABRSM, Trinity, LCM, RSL, Rockschool and more.
We offer two styles of extracurricular singing and instrumental lessons, group and one-to-one tuition. Group classes include up to five pupils learning together. This is excellent for beginner groups and also for children that want to learn with others to boost their confidence and to create a collegial environment. And, since the cost is lower, group teaching also makes this approach somewhat more accessible to parents.
For pupils that wish to have dedicated, one-to-one input on their music making, we also offer individual teaching sessions, which are great. This approach provides an excellent pathway to get pupils up to speed quickly so that they can begin making music more independently. One-to-one sessions are also an excellent space to explore the higher levels of music making or to begin preparing for music examinations.
Extracurricular singing and instrumental lessons add to curriculum music in a variety of important ways.
First, they give children the opportunity to develop their playing technique and discover their own musicality in small-group and one-to-one settings. This learning readily transfers back into the music classroom, enhancing the school’s overall investment in high-quality curricular provision. The pupils who participate in extracurricular lessons become natural musical leaders in their regular music classes, helping shape and enhance the musical output of the wider group.
Secondly, it is greatly beneficial to have pupils in extracurricular lessons who have gained foundational musicianship skills and knowledge from their classroom music. When paired with deeper instrumental and technical skill which has developed from their one-to-one or small group lesson work, our teachers are able to delve into and explore the musical landscape more deeply. These pupils enrich the group work and class ensemble work that takes place within curriculum lessons. By giving children the opportunity to use their instruments in the music classroom, we facilitate an intentional element of their curricular progression.
Lastly, extracurricular lessons are a great way for pupils to encourage one another and to inspire other children to pursue their music making more deeply in one-to-one or small group sessions. It’s also a wonderful way for them to engage with music at a higher level before they move onto their next school and into Key Stage 3. We routinely observe how much extracurricular lessons build our pupils confidence as they progress on to the rigors of Key Stage 3 music.
