Expressive Arts in LPS - Spring Term Monitoring

During our Spring Term LPS Review Fortnight, members of the Creative Crew and the AoLE leader carried out a pupil questionnaire, spoke to learners, spoke to staff, looked at creative journals and undertook a website scrutiny. 

The AoLE leader successfully delivered Charanga training to all teaching staff, ensuring that colleagues were well‑equipped to incorporate the resource into their classroom practice. The session was engaging and well received, with staff demonstrating enthusiasm and confidence in exploring the programme’s features. Clear expectations were set regarding the timeline for implementing Charanga music lessons, and all staff met the agreed deadline, reflecting a strong collective commitment to enhancing our music provision. Feedback gathered through PVG meetings and ADDs discussions was consistently positive, highlighting both the quality of the training and the growing confidence of staff in delivering Charanga‑based musical learning experiences. Although Charanga is still in the early stages of implementation within the school, initial outcomes have been encouraging. We anticipate that the impact of continued use of Charanga over the summer term will lead to further progression, deeper musical understanding among learners, and a more embedded approach to music within our curriculum.

The Creative Crew conducted a pupil questionnaire about the use of Charanga in classes. The pupil responses to the questionnaire indicate that learners generally have a very positive experience of music lessons. Pupils particularly enjoy the interactive and engaging elements, such as listening to music, singing, and joining in with songs, often describing lessons as fun. There are very few negative comments, although a small number of pupils noted that activities can sometimes feel repetitive. In terms of learning, pupils are able to recall a range of new knowledge, including musical vocabulary such as tempo, beat, pitch, and timbre, as well as an understanding of different musical features and styles, including rapping. They also report clear progress in key skills, particularly singing in tune, performing in time, appraising music, and developing listening skills. Pupils have had some opportunities to use instruments, mainly through body percussion and untuned instruments, which supports their practical engagement. Encouragingly, most pupils feel that Charanga has improved their confidence in music, linking this to increased knowledge and understanding. Charanga is having a positive impact on learners in LPS by building strong foundations in listening, singing, and performing. Pupils enjoy lessons, recall key musical vocabulary, and feel increasingly confident, ensuring they are well prepared for future composition work.

Through ongoing monitoring activities, the Crew has identified that art is taught both regularly and extensively across LPS. We decided there was a need to undertake more in‑depth monitoring to evaluate the quality of art provision occurring within classroom practice. As part of this process, the Crew reviewed a representative sample of artwork from classes within Progression Steps 1, 2, and 3. The Crew were able to easily identify and link skills within the lower Progression Steps, and are continuing to develop confidence in recognising and interpreting the more detailed and advanced skills within Progression Steps 2 and 3.

Next Steps:

• To allocate appropriate Charanga summer term units of work to class teachers, accompanied by targeted guidance and ongoing support to ensure confident and consistent delivery.
• To ensure that opportunities for musical composition are embedded across all classes, with the impact on pupils’ learning, creativity, and confidence monitored and evaluated regularly.
• To further develop a shared and secure understanding of the progression of skills within the Expressive Arts area of learning, through collaborative discussion and professional development for all members of the Creative Crew.