Tag: KS2

Learn a new instrument together!

Alison can provide whole-class or small group violin lessons to schools in Bristol. The focus in the lessons is having fun playing music as an ensemble, with playing skills and musical knowledge taught along the way! Students work on performance skills from the start, and will have many opportunities to create new songs using their own ideas.

Skills developed: listening skills, musical knowledge and understanding, creativity, rhythm, pitch, coordination, teamwork, performing/public speaking

Violins must be provided by the school, and the use of a projector or electronic whiteboard would be useful, but Alison will provide all other musical resources.

Alison has many years of experience as a violin teacher, band leader and workshop tutor, working with all ages and abilities. She has an up-to-date enhanced DBS check and can provide a CV and references on request.

Book now!

Learn a new instrument together!

Ukuleles are great for kids – they’re small and light enough for little hands, relatively inexpensive (about £20 for a basic-but-playable model), available in all sorts of fun colours and give quick results. The musical and physical skills children learn on a ukulele can be transferred to other instruments later on too.

Alison’s class ukulele lessons in schools focus on playing and singing together as an ensemble from the very beginning. Students will learn new songs, chords and strumming techniques alongside developing their performance skills. The repertoire is varied – from easy chorus songs to rock ‘n’ roll and modern chart hits.

Skills developed: listening skills, musical knowledge and understanding, creativity, rhythm, pitch, coordination, teamwork, performing/public speaking

The school is expected to provide the ukuleles, although Alison can bring up to 10 ukuleles for use in smaller groups. The use of an electronic whiteboard or projector during lessons would be helpful.

Alison has twelve years of experience as an instrumental teacher, band leader and workshop tutor, working with all ages and abilities. She has an up-to-date enhanced DBS check and can provide a CV and references on request.

Book now!

Traditional country dancing is an exciting way to make PE lessons fun! It puts mathematical concepts such as shapes, patterns, sequences and numbers into practice. Linking movements together also helps with coordination, agility and memorisation. These dances are an excellent demonstration of British values and culture, and come from all over the British Isles.

Working in pairs or groups, the students dance in time to exciting traditional music (recorded, or live for an additional fee). Older students might also enjoy writing their own dances using traditional movements and structures.

Alison can also provide CPD sessions for teachers. In addition to teaching a range of dances, she can suggest suitable music, appropriate warmups, ways of linking country dance to the rest of the curriculum, catering to different abilities and achieving high standards.

Details

Age group: EYFS, KS1, KS2, KS3+, teacher training

Length: 30-60 minutes per class; one off days/half days, or a series of workshops

Skills and knowledge developed: creativity, teamwork, problem-solving, history, PE, musicality, maths and geometry

Event type: suitable for British Values workshops, PE lessons, after school clubs, and community events

Provided: instructor, music on CD, small PA system

Requirements: large hall (or a dry playground)

Book now!

Learn a new instrument together!

Tin whistles are a great starter instrument – they’re small and light enough for little hands, inexpensive (about £6 for a standard beginner model), available in all sorts of fun colours and give quick results. The musical and physical skills children learn on a ukulele can be transferred to other instruments later on too.

Alison offers whistle lessons to whole classes and small groups in Bristol schools. The focus in the lessons is having fun playing music as an ensemble, with playing skills and musical knowledge taught along the way! Students work on performance skills from the start, and will have many opportunities to create new songs using their own ideas.

Skills developed: listening skills, musical knowledge and understanding, creativity, rhythm, pitch, coordination, teamwork, performing/public speaking

Alison can provide whistles and other musical resources, but the use of a projector or electronic whiteboard would be useful.

Alison has twelve years of experience as an instrumental teacher, band leader and workshop tutor, working with all ages and abilities. She has an up-to-date enhanced DBS check and can provide a CV and references on request.

Book now!

In the Victorian period, Christmas celebrations and caroling experienced something of a revival. Their love of parlour songs led to many traditional medieval carols being collected and reworked with new lyrics, and to new songs being composed. Just as many of the other traditions the Victorians brought to Christmas survive to this day (greetings cards, crackers, etc) these carols now form an important part of modern Christmas celebrations.

Using traditional fiddle playing as an accompaniment, Alison will lead students in the singing of several traditional Christmas carols, whilst incorporating elements of social and musical history into the experience. Students might also enjoy dressing as Victorians for the day!

Alison can also provide CPD sessions for teachers. In addition to teaching songs and their history, she can suggest suitable warmups, links to the rest of the curriculum, confidence building for ‘non-singers’, ways of catering to different abilities and achieving high standards.

Details

Age group: foundation, KS1, KS2, KS3+, teacher training

Skills developed: music, rhythm, singing tone and intonation, harmonising ability, creativity, memorisation, teamwork, knowledge of traditional music, history, poetry, English language

Book now!

Boomwhackers are fun, tuned percussion instruments that force players to work together to create melodic and rhythmic patterns. They are a great tool for encouraging counting, teamwork and creativity. Workshops can focus on learning pre-existing repertoire (such as well-known songs or tunes adapted for boomwhacker ensembles) or composing new pieces.

Alison can also run teacher training sessions to provide knowledge, repertoire and confidence on these instruments.

Details

Age group: foundation, KS1, KS2, KS3+, teacher training

Skills developed: listening skills, teamwork, musical understanding, creativity, rhythm

Provided: boomwhackers for 15 students

Required: further boomwhackers if needed, large room (with tables cleared out of the way)

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Seafarers shaped the development of the modern world and their songs provide a snapshot of their lives, from romantic entanglements to captain brutality to a longing for home. They often rely strongly on call and response with a very strong rhythm, which makes sea shanties perfect for younger students.

Alison can also provide CPD sessions for teachers. In addition to teaching songs and their history, she can suggest suitable warmups, links to the rest of the curriculum, confidence building for ‘non-singers’, ways of catering to different abilities and achieving high standards.

“We’ll rant and we’ll roar like true British sailors,

We’ll rant and we’ll roar across the salt seas,

Until we strike soundings in the channel of old England,

From Ushant to Scilly is thirty-five leagues.”

– Spanish Ladies

Details

Age group: foundation, KS1, KS2, KS3+, teacher training

Skills developed: music, rhythm, singing tone and intonation, harmonising ability, creativity, memorisation, teamwork, knowledge of traditional music, history, poetry, English language

Book now!

Working with traditional tunes as a starting point, these workshops give students the opportunity to learn and create new repertoire. The usual format is: learn a traditional folk tune (or two, or more!), experiment with arrangement ideas, and decide on a funky arrangement to perform.

Band workshops with Alison always give participants the opportunity to develop their aural and performance skills, whether using sheet music or playing by ear. They can be organised for all ages and abilities, although it is expected that all participants can already play simple pieces on their instrument.

Details

Age group: KS2, KS3, KS4+

Length: All day, half day or one hour sessions – one off or a series

Skills developed: aural, composition, teamwork, performance, creativity, knowledge of traditional music

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At EYFS, KS1 and KS2 level, Maypole dance workshops are an excellent introduction to British values and dance history, combined with physical recreation, teamwork and a lot of fun creating patterns and shapes with brightly-coloured ribbons!

Maypole can be a fun style of dance for KS3+ too! We’ll go for high-speed, high energy versions of some easier dances, and see how complicated we can make things. There can be some crossover with other dance styles too.

Alison can also provide CPD sessions for teachers. In addition to teaching a range of dances, she can suggest suitable music, appropriate warmups and ways of linking maypole dance to the rest of the curriculum, catering to different abilities and achieving high standards.

“I wanted to thank you again for your maypole teaching last week. We had so much positive feedback from pupils and staff and I feel really hopeful that the children will now use the maypole quite regularly during PE, lunch time and school events. The kids all thoroughly enjoyed their lessons – many of them unexpectedly too!! It was lovely to watch a lesson and see how you bought in maths and English into the learning too.”

“Oh my goodness, the children AND the teachers absolutely loved it- they were amazed and chuffed to bits with it, thank you so much! Can we possibly try booking you in for next year as well?”

Details

Age group: EYFS, KS1, KS2, KS3+, teacher training

Length: 30-60 minutes per class; one-off days/half days, or a series of workshops

Skills and knowledge developed: creativity, teamwork, problem-solving, history, PE, musicality, maths and geometry

Event type: suitable for British Values workshops, PE lessons, after school clubs, and community events

Provided: maypole with 24 ribbons (unless the school has its own), instructor, music on CD, small PA system

Requirements: large hall with a high ceiling (or a dry playground)

Book now!