Improving the primary-secondary transition in music education

Despite evidence that schools are now focusing more on helping pupils move smoothly from primary to secondary school in general, research shows that this is not always the case when it comes to music.

The latest Ofsted report on music in schools found that it was very rare for primary and secondary schools to have developed effective partnerships, and that music teachers often felt isolated. This research project aims to bring together schools in the north-east of England to enable them to share ideas about how the primary-secondary transition in music can be improved. It will also measure the impact of schools working together, through the use of interviews, questionnaires and observation of transition days. The project will inform the practice of the music teachers who take part in the project, but its findings will also be of benefit to those across the UK and overseas.