An Roinn Oideachais agus Eolaíochta
Department of Education and Science
Subject Inspection of Music
REPORT
Coláiste Treasa
Kanturk, County Cork
Roll number: 71000A
Date of inspection: 6 December 2007
Subject provision and whole
school support
Summary of main findings and
recommendations
Report on the Quality of Learning and Teaching in Music
Subject inspection report
This report has been written following a subject inspection in Coláiste Treasa. It presents the findings of an evaluation of the quality of teaching and learning in Music and makes recommendations for the further development of the teaching of this subject in the school. The evaluation was conducted over one day during which the inspector visited classrooms and observed teaching and learning. The inspector interacted with students and teachers, examined students’ work, and had discussions with the teachers. The inspector reviewed school planning documentation and the teachers’ written preparation. Following the evaluation visit, the inspector provided oral feedback on the outcomes of the evaluation to the principal and subject teachers. The board of management was given an opportunity to comment in writing on the findings and recommendations of the report; a response was not received from the board.
Subject provision and whole school support
Music has a very high profile in Coláiste Treasa and is available as an optional subject to all students in all years. A taster system operates in first year whereby all students study Music for the entire year and then make their choices for Junior Certificate by ranking six subjects in order of preference and eventually choosing five. Music is timetabled for two single periods per week for students in the optional Transition Year programme (TY). An open-choice system operates at senior cycle, where students prioritise their preferred subject options. Uptake can vary at senior cycle depending on whether there are two groups of TY students or not. However numbers for Leaving Certificate can still be small so it is recommended that the uptake levels at senior cycle be monitored on a regular basis. There is also a considerable gender imbalance in the uptake. Nationally there are four times as many girls taking Music than boys. In this school three boys out of forty students are studying the subject for Junior Certificate and three boys out of twenty-three students are taking Music for Leaving Certificate. This gender imbalance is regrettable and thus further exploration into ways of encouraging a higher uptake of Music by boys is also recommended.
Timetable provision for Music is in line with guidelines from the Department, along with an appropriate spread of contact time throughout the week. There are a sufficient number of double periods in all year groups to facilitate practical work.
In addition to the curricular opportunities, a wide array of extracurricular musical activities exists in the school. The school choir rehearses during lunchtime, a traditional group meets after school, and other groups come together as the need arises. Thus, at the time of the inspection, various students were involved in preparations for the forthcoming penitential service to be held in the local church. The students also perform for hospital visits, school Masses and concerts. Various workshops, trips to concerts, involvement in the LyricFM radio outreach programme for schools, visiting musicians, such as the Carducci String Quartet, pianists and singers, ensure that the students in Coláiste Treasa are exposed to a wide variety of musical genres which is highly commendable. Groups have also been involved in the Cork Choral Festival and the Composer in the Classroom sessions and many Irish traditional players attend a variety of feiseanna. One of the highlights of the school’s musical activities occurred last when the choir travelled to Vienna for an Advent festival, as evidenced by a photo montage on the music room’s walls.
The school has a thriving centre for the County Cork School of Music Scheme, run under the auspices of the County Cork Vocational Education Committee (VEC). This scheme provides individual tuition in a variety of instruments from both the classical and Irish traditional genres. This system operates both during and after school time. In-school tuition is organised on a rota basis to avoid continual interruption of any one lesson and complements the curricular activity provided by the school. A variety of workshops take place in the school throughout the school year. One such example is a piano workshop, involving thirty-one piano students, which was due to take place after school on the day of the inspection.
Coláiste Treasa has a dedicated music room adjoining the general assembly area which itself has a flexible stage and a range of platforms for different performance use. The music room has desks laid out in traditional style but the lightweight furniture allows for efficient flexible seating to be set up to deal with all types of music teaching settings. The room is appropriately equipped with a piano, a sound system, keyboard, music stands, classroom instruments, white board and stave board, and a range of sheet music, audio resources, texts and reference material. Along with the montage referred to above, there is an attractive range of musical posters on the walls, examples of students’ work, and bulletin boards with notices and information about various aspects of music. This is commendable as it all serves to heighten an awareness of Music and the musical activities that go on in the school.
The school also has an extensive range of instruments in its possession including four pianos, one of which is a grand piano, three harps for students’ use and a bank of traditional Irish instruments which the students may rent, such as flute, accordion, box, and concertina. There are also four rooms used for instrumental teaching and practice facilities are provided for students who have no pianos. This investment in resource provision is indicative of the wholehearted commitment of all those involved, which is commendable. The department plans to develop information and communication technology (ICT) and has acquired some software and equipment. Whilst the teachers acknowledge the need for such a resource, they are concerned at their limited expertise in this area. They are however willing to take this project on board and attend any suitable training courses which arise in the future. In order to optimise the students’ music learning experiences, the ongoing development of resources should be continued and should include further development of ICT and the acquisition of an overhead projector (OHP) and screen.
Planning and preparation
There is an impressive level of planning and co-ordination of Music within the school. This involves planning for the timetabled classes, the various extracurricular groups and the extensive programme of instrumental tuition. A significant element of advance planning is required to ensure the smooth operation of the many musical activities that take place.
Subject planning documentation was presented during the inspection. This documentation outlined the running of the department and included cross-curricular planning, collaboration with other subject departments and assessment procedures including instrumental assessment. Long-term curriculum planning, which scheduled the topics to be covered, was relevant to the syllabuses and the requirements of the examinations, and took into account the level and the ability of the students in question was also included.
The two music teachers work effectively as a team, planning programmes of work for the school year and organising activities for the many musical events that take place. From discussion with the teachers it was found that considerable thought has been given to the accurate and effective delivery of all music courses in the school. There is regular contact and co-operation between them in the sharing of collective facilities and resources and in the day-to-day implementation of the syllabuses with their classes.
Individual subject planning outlined the broad plan for each class group, included references to the various syllabuses, appropriate methodologies and a stock of support material suitable for all levels. In all lessons observed, clear objectives were evident, there was continuity from previous lessons and appropriate resources and stimuli were utilised. In general, planning for performing was evident in the prior preparation of relevant materials such as sheet music, accompaniments, worksheets, and audio resources. This indicates that short-term planning is at a satisfactory level.
The music teachers are members of the Post-Primary Music Teachers’ Association (PPMTA). The teachers are encouraged to avail of any opportunities which will allow them to keep abreast of all information pertaining to music education at post-primary level, to keep up to date with ongoing curricular innovation and to network with other music teachers. In addition, it is hoped that management will continue to support and facilitate any opportunities for continuing professional development in music education that arise in the future, particularly in the area of ICT.
Teaching and learning
In all lessons visited, a comfortable and warm atmosphere was maintained. High expectations of attainment and behaviour were set. There was a good rapport between the students and the teachers in a secure, enthusiastic and work-orientated atmosphere. The music teachers created a positive learning environment through effective organisation and management of learning activities and a good use of humour. Students responded very well to this positive climate for learning and participated with enthusiasm wherever challenging opportunities were presented. There was a high level of student engagement in lessons seen, with a strong emphasis on music-making activities. Students’ contributions to class discussions were valued, with praise used effectively to acknowledge their efforts. Effective questioning to named students was employed to evaluate prior learning and to reinforce recently learnt subject matter
All lessons observed had some elements of performing. Activities included rehearsing for the forthcoming penitential service and other Christmas events, singing, ensemble playing and tin whistle playing. Total student participation in all these ensembles and supportive accompaniments by the teachers where warranted, enhanced the quality of these performances. Whole-class performances of the Music provided convincing evidence that most students are capable of maintaining their own part in group music-making. Observation of students’ practical work showed that whilst some were challenged, few students were unable to cope with the demands of the Music. This focus on building the role of Music as a living subject and giving students the opportunity to take part in and enjoy practical music-making is entirely appropriate and highly commendable. The students regularly perform for the whole school and this contributes to their development as confident, competent players. The in-class performances also add to their experience and the concentration and attention from their peers, paired with very insightful observations and constructive criticism both from other students and the teachers, are to be commended. In addition, this atmosphere of autonomous learning with the teacher as facilitator and enabler is highly commendable and contributes to students taking responsibility for their own learning.
Materials were well prepared and the teaching was supportive to all students. Good teaching was characterised by engaging and motivating the wide range of abilities of the students through well-structured and varied activities. Good learning was seen through listening and analysis, skill development, trial and error, and progressive refinement in all activities. The repertoire chosen for performance was suitable for the age levels while the approaches chosen contributed to the quality of learning and are to be commended.
Strategies linking aspects of the curriculum were also utilised to very good effect, again through appropriate practical elements. Whether it was revision of prescribed material for the certificate examinations, or preparation for performance, consistent cross-referencing with other parameters of music was evident and contributed to some integration of the three curricular areas of performing, composing and listening. Students answered aural questions, went through a ‘shopping list’ for the more factual detail needed for the set songs for the Junior Certificate, and engaged in a ‘quick fire’ activity to deal with various sections of Handel’s Water Music, linking dances with similar time signatures and matching notated themes with the relevant aural extracts. This linking of activities and active participation by the students is commendable and does much to ensure a broad musical development rather than a narrow focus on examination material. It also extends the range of musical experience of the students and is highly effective in developing critical listening skills.
The resources available in the music room are used to very good effect and contribute to an effective learning environment. As the music department plans to develop ICT, some consideration should also be given to looking at ways in which suitable software could be utilised within the classroom setting. The effective use of these resources would greatly enhance student learning and would allow for a more efficient use of teacher time in the long term.
Assessment
In all lessons observed, students were generally confident and capable, and performed well. Students’ folders, copybooks and manuscripts showed evidence of good organisation, were generally neat in appearance and contained coursework notes, sheet music and worksheets.
In addition to regular assessments at Christmas and summer, and the mock examinations for Junior and Leaving Certificate students in the spring, formative assessment takes place in a variety of ways. Homework, which includes written, aural and practical work, is given on a regular basis and is corrected and monitored as appropriate. Other examples include questioning in class, completion of worksheets and projects, and practical assessments. Practical elements are continually assessed and students perform in class at least once a term. Other forms of practical assessment include group performing, graded piano examinations, and occasions where students’ efforts at public performances are also acknowledged, which is commendable. Students also experience practical assessments similar to those encountered in the state examinations. These methods allow for careful monitoring of a student’s progress, provide sound guidelines for performance in the state examinations, and are indicative of the commitment of the teachers to helping all students achieve their potential in Music.
The school has an open communication policy for parents and, in addition to reports issued after formal examinations at Christmas, spring and summer, regular parent-teacher meetings take place for all class groups. These meetings also provide a forum for parents to discuss any concerns or difficulties students may be having. There is also a willingness on the part of staff to meet parents at any stage if they have concerns about their children’s progress.
Summary of main findings and recommendations
The following are the main strengths identified in the evaluation:
- Music has a high profile in the school, is available to all students on an optional basis and is supported by in-school management.
- Collaborative planning and preparation, good standards of teaching and learning, and good standards of school-based music making were significant aspects of the lessons seen during the visit.
- A well-resourced music teaching area exists in the school, and is used appropriately and effectively in an integrated way to support the teaching and learning of Music.
- Involvement in the County Cork VEC Music scheme is extensive and is a positive contributory factor to the profile of Music in the school.
- Student involvement in extracurricular musical activities impacts greatly on their musical development. The variety of activities available to the students is impressive. Teachers’ commitment to all these activities and the school’s support in facilitating these experiences are highly commended.
As a means of building on these strengths and to address areas for development, the following key recommendations are made:
- The exploration into ways of encouraging a higher uptake of Music by boys is recommended.
- The uptake for Music at senior cycle should be monitored on a regular basis.
- Enhancement of the available resources in the music room to include further development of ICT is recommended.
- In order to sustain the good standards of teaching and learning which exist in the school, it is recommended that management continue to support and facilitate any opportunities for CPD in music education, especially in the area of ICT.
Post-evaluation meetings were held with the teacher of Music and with the principal at the conclusion of the evaluation when the draft findings and recommendations of the evaluation were presented and discussed.
Published, June 2008