User:Singup/Sing Up

Sing Up is a UK Government funded national singing programme which aims to ensure that all primary school-aged children are able to access high-quality singing activities every day, and that over time, all primary schools should become 'singing schools'. The programme is committed to raising the profile of singing, making people aware of its health and learning benefits and its power to transform lives and communities.

History

In January 2007, the then Education Secretary Alan Johnson announced that the British Government through the Department for Education (then Department for Education and Skills) would invest £10 million towards a one-year national singing programme for primary schools responding to the recommendations of the Music Manifesto. In 2008, the funding was extended to £40 million over four years, ending in March 2011. Sing Up is championed by the composer and broadcaster Howard Goodall, the Government's National Singing Ambassador.

Sing Up is led by a Consortium of partners, made up of Youth Music with AMV-BBDO, Faber Music and The Sage Gateshead. Children's charity Youth Music is the lead partner, with music publisher Faber Music overseeing the national singing resource which includes the Song Bank library, while advertising agency AMV-BBDO leads a media and schools campaign highlighting the benefits of singing. The Sage Gateshead leads the Workforce Development Programme, which is building the confidence and expertise of primary school teachers and musicians so they can lead and support children's singing activity.

Sing Up aims to put singing at the heart of primary-school aged children's lives. For schools it promotes singing as a cross-curricular tool in line with the National Curriculum. For teachers it provides training opportunities to lead inspirational singing activities with young people; for children, Sing Up brings opportunities to develop their skills and enjoyment of singing and for communities, it runs successful projects placing singing at the heart of communities.

Website and Resources

Sing Up's website and resources provide teachers and music leaders across England access to cross-curricular singing resources for use in the classroom. At the heart of the website lies, the Song Bank, an interactive library of over 350 children's songs with practice and performance tracks, lesson plans and appropriate curriculum-linked activities.

Sing Up also produces a free termly magazine which comes with a CD and features news and practical articles to help teachers use singing within the classroom as an educational tool.

Workforce Development and Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

Led by consortium partner The Sage Gateshead, Sing Up offers an extensive and varied programme of CPD and training available to anybody working with primary-aged children and in other specialised areas such as working with Looked After Children and Young People. The training aims to build the confidence and expertise of teachers and musicians in leading and supporting children’s singing. The training ranges from local twilight sessions run by Sing Up’s network of Area Leaders to a diverse menu of day-long workshops based around relevant and current themes run by the country’s top singing trainers, such as Singing in the Curriculum, Beatboxing and using singing in Special Educational Needs settings.

Awards

As part of Sing Up, schools may also pledge to complete a Sing Up Award. The Awards aim to recognise, celebrate and promote schools who commit to singing and there are three different levels (Gold, Silver and Platinum). Silver and Gold are awarded following an online audit and evaluation process. Platinum is awarded by nomination.