Early Years Music Programme

In partnership with SKY & Resonate Music Hubs, SoMi Academy has delivered a range of Early Years Kodaly-based music programme and CPD package with selected schools across Merseyside in 2024 – 2025, supported by Arts Council England.

In collaboration with Elza Lusher (author of the Dogs & Birds piano course for 3-7 year olds), SoMi Academy has delivered a fully funded package to 20 schools, including:

• a 10-week taster programme of weekly small-ensemble music sessions
• twilight CPD training sessions in EYFS music, creativity & performance
• two introductory half-days of in-class training for Reception class teachers.

Each weekly small-ensemble session is up to 40 minutes for a maximum of 9 pupils, for up to 4 groups per day per school (up to 36 EYFS children).

An overview of the programme schedule is as follows:

• Introductory event for lead-teachers from Participating Schools
• Weekly in-school small group ensemble sessions
• Eight twilight CPD sessions
• Two in-class training half-days
• End of course evaluation & celebration event

The goals of the Kodály approach can summarised into the following points:

• Music is for everyone.
• Music teaching should be sequential and begin with the child in mind.
• Children should be taught music from an early age.
• The sequence should be logical and follow the same process children learn language.
• Music classes should be enjoyable and engaging.
• Singing is the first and most valuable tool for learning musical concepts.
• Teachers should pull from quality folk song materials in the “mother tongue” of the students.

“This is an amazing opportunity for early years settings to lay the foundations of developing a sustainable high quality music curriculum. By starting at the age of 4, children can start to build lifelong skills in music and benefit from the advantages of early development in music.”

Rachael Diop – Lead Teacher Trainer & Classroom Curriculum Lead

Dogs & Birds Group Instrumental Lesson Showcase

EYFS Digital Resource

As part of the project, SoMi also developed an EYFS teaching resource to support classroom teachers & TA in the delivery of music in the classroom.

The resource features:

🎵 Full Song Bank with interactive scores and recordings

📚 Half-termly Schemes of Work that keep you Ofsted-ready without the paperwork

🌟 Best Practice Guides that turn “non-musicians” into confident leaders

🎧 Topic-based Listening Lesson Generator to connect music with your classroom themes in seconds

🎥 Bite-sized CPD Videos that build your skills in minutes, not hours

Resource Screen Shots

Example CPD Video

Partner Schools

Melling Primary
Kew Woods Primary School
St William of York Primary School
Christ Church CE Primary School
St.Monica’s Catholic Primary School
St. Oswald’s CE Primary
Great Crosby Catholic Primary
St John Bosco Primary
LIPA Primary & High School
Holy Family Catholic Primary School
Kirkby C of E School
St Andrew the Apostle Catholic Primary
Plantation Primary
St Columba’s, Huyton
Westvale Primary
St Brigid’s, Stockbridge Village
St Marie’s, Kirkby
St Joseph The Worker
St Michael & All Angels

Feedback Summary

“SoMi Academy have developed our music curriculum since 2014, initially through delivering Kodaly-based classroom music sessions, and then developing a bespoke CPD package to make music sustainable. The integration of the classroom and instrumental music lessons has made LIPA Primary & High School a beacon for good practice in music and the performing arts”

– Greg Parker, Executive Headteacher of LIPA MAT.

In The Press

Vision & Next Steps

Staff Challenges

• Planning time for subjects like music
• Getting the most out of screen-based schemes
• Creating consistent progression from EYFS to Y6
• Integrating all music that happens in school

Opportunities

• Our education landscape is changing
• Greater emphasis on soft skills with AI revolution
• New investment in education technology
• Better understanding of the benefits of music
• Changing political landscape

Our Ambition

• To improve approaches to music making at primary level, in line with our Kodaly principles
• To create a comprehensive platform for music learning
• Integrated full class curriculum with co-curricular instrumental development
• Gamifying music learning and bringing it back to life in the classroom
• Pupils bring developing instrumental skills into coordinated group ensemble activity, building collaboration, sympathetic listening & improvisation

Next Steps for Schools

• What do you need to take music to the next level in your school?
• How to ensure sustainability?
• What support do you need?
• How can our relationship develop in the coming years?