In Harmony LiverpoolInterim Report: Year Three

April 2011 - March 2012Published August 2012

Susanne Burns and Paul Bewick

Thanks to the Cityof Liverpool for itsfinancial support

The Kinder Trust Award, The Granada Foundation, Faith Primary School, Liverpool Music Support Service and private donors

Contents

Executive Summary 4

Part One: Overall Impact to Date

1. Introduction and Context 8

2. In Harmony Liverpool 12

3. Evaluation Methodology and Framework 19

4. Interim Findings: The Children 22

5. Interim Findings: The School 49

6. Interim Findings: The Community 56

7. Interim Findings: The Partners 62

8. Management 69

Part Two: Summary of Findings, Conclusions and Recommendations

9. Summary of Key Findings 76

10. Key Conclusions 81

11. Recommendations 82

Appendices 85

List of Tables

1. Faith Primary School Pupil Statistics

2. Aggregate Attainment Figures

3. Percentages of Pupils Attaining Targets

4. Comparison across three schools: Percentage of Pupils achieving targets 2009 to 2011

5. Attendance Figures

6. Musical Attainment

7. Reach of In Harmony Liverpool

8. Immersion and Reach (excluding Faith Primary)

9. Immersion and Reach (Faith Primary)

10. PCT Data Schedule

11. Progression Data

12. Faith Primary Staff Perceptions

13. Box Office Data

14. In Harmony at Home Visits

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The In Harmony Liverpool Evaluation Team

Susanne Burns is a senior development consultant with 28 years of experience in the arts

sector specialising in research, evaluation, strategy, and organisational development and

planning. She has a background in education and has led major evaluation programmes

including the national evaluation of the Youth Dance England two year Next Steps project.

She is currently Project Director of the Paul Hamlyn Foundation’s special initiative, ArtWorks.

Based in the North West but having worked nationally at a senior management level, as well

as within HE, she brings a wealth of relevant experience to this research. She was Director of

Business Development at Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and worked closely with the

education team in establishing the Music for Life project in Kensington. She was Course

Leader for the MA Cultural Leadership run by Liverpool John Moores University and is an

Associate of Institute for Cultural Capital in Liverpool. She was recently awarded her

Doctorate from Middlesex University and is currently engaged by Canada Council to provide

advice and support on a national dance research programme. She was a member of the

management group for Impacts 08.

Paul Bewick is a senior consultant with an extensive background in education and local

government senior management of Cultural Services. He brings extensive experience of the

Arts in schools, in-service training, development and management of Music and Arts Service

provision, family learning, extended schools, whole school approaches to the Arts and

learning, Arts and health, curriculum development and cross curricular use of Music and Arts

in schools. He has substantial experience in management and leadership of public sector

services including Arts, Museums, Libraries, Creative Industries, Tourism, Marketing, Events,

Sustainability and Environmental Development, Community and Voluntary Sector Support,

Enterprise and Regeneration, and Neighbourhood Wardens. He has led on corporate and

multi agency pan-Merseyside and regional initiatives. He is currently supporting NW Tourism

in Ireland in Festival development.

Between them, the consultants have extensive knowledge and experience of the cultural

sector, music education, extensive knowledge and experience of the role of the arts in

regeneration, social and economic renewal, monitoring and evaluation and data gathering

and research.

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Executive Summary

1. The In Harmony Liverpool programme continues to be evaluated against the outcomes and

outputs outlined in the original programme document, as well as additional indicators that

have been identified as the programme has progressed. The evaluation is using a wide range

of indicators at four levels:

• The Children

• The School

• The Community

• The Partners

We are seeking to evaluate impact in all four dimensions, and examine the relationship

between each to measure the impact of the programme and model on the whole

community, particularly in terms of added value and the development of social capital. We

are also working to evaluate the project management model, and seeking to identify key

success factors.

2. Data gathering is ongoing and we are now able to present quantitative and qualitative data

that is sufficiently reliable and robust to support conclusions. We have continued to focus on

gathering wide ranging qualitative data in addition to the quantitative data that is now

available, to assist us in identifying trends and to support emerging findings.

In addition to the quantitative data that is now available, narratives continue to emerge

from the qualitative data gathering around the perceptions of impact, and the nature of the

changes being observed within the children, the school and the community. These are

examined throughout the report using quotes from conversations with children, parents,

teachers and musicians as a means of assessing progress against planned outcomes. This

triangulation of data gathering will continue be critical to its reliability over the ongoing

evaluation of the work.

In addition to the regular reporting timetable, the evaluation team has also produced

discussion documents, led training sessions and worked with the Royal Liverpool

Philharmonic (RLP) to identify issues that have informed the development and continuation

of the project and its ongoing evaluation. This has affected planning and change within the

programme ensuring that learning and improvement remains at the heart of the ethos

underpinning In Harmony Liverpool.

3. Some key statistics illustrate the reach and scope of the programme:

• 165 children and young people have participated in In Harmony in 2011/12, with

139 of those on the orchestral programme and part of the West Everton Children’s

Orchestra or West Everton Super Strings. This has increased from a baseline of 84

and 70 children respectively in April 2009.

• Since the programme began in February 2009, In Harmony Liverpool has engaged a

total of 218 children and young people in West Everton from early years to age 14

5

• Whilst all primary aged children at Faith Primary School are accessing up to 4.5

hours per week of music making in curriculum time, 45% of those children are

participating in additional after school provision including brass, orchestral

percussion and chamber ensembles – therefore participating in up to 7 hours per

week.

• 80% of eligible children attending The Beacon Church of England Primary School

regularly take part in the out of school programme.

• 22 secondary school aged young people are now regularly involved with In

Harmony, having instrument lessons in school, and/or being a member of West

Everton Super Strings, the after school programme for secondary school aged young

musicians. In 2011/12, In Harmony achieved 71% continuation rate of children

leaving primary school and transitioning into school based instrument lessons

and/or West Everton Super Strings

4. In summary, we conclude that there is strong evidence that In Harmony Liverpool is

achieving its expected outcomes and outputs. In Harmony Liverpool continues to provide

compelling evidence that the model provides an enriching musical education, improved

academic attainment in other core curriculum areas, as well as a potential powerful model

for social change and the generation of social capital. This has continually been highlighted

and well documented in previous evaluation reports.

In Harmony Liverpool continues to progress well against the outcomes established at the

onset of the project. The programme is still on a highly positive trajectory with the children,

the school, the families, the community and the partners, and there is much to celebrate:

• Data on educational attainment at Faith Primary School continues to evidence significant

quantitative improvements in children’s academic performance and positive impact on

the significant number of children with SEN.

• Attendance figures at Faith Primary School have improved with a significant decrease in

absence rates across the school.

• Children and young people continue to feel excited at taking part in In Harmony,

reporting a sense of confidence, achievement, commitment, belonging and pride

• Data on musical attainment demonstrates quantitative improvements in the musical

skills being developed, with Ofsted confirming a high quality music programme.

• Data gathered from teachers evidences an ongoing improvement within the school

community, continuing the notion of a ‘learning community’.

• Data on children’s well-being demonstrates an emerging positive trend.

• The West Everton Community report increased pride and continuing enthusiasm for In

Harmony. Residents feel more involved in their community, with parents reporting

improved relationships with their children and schools, and feelings of improved

wellbeing.

Data gathered from Liverpool City Council is providing an area comparison between West

Everton and neighbouring Kirkdale across a number of social and economic data sets.

The programme has continued to develop and expand, and this has ensured provision for

progression for pupils as they leave Faith and move to secondary schools, provision for

children attending other schools in the area, and community provision.

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Partnerships are becoming stronger and are supporting the development of the project, and

the impact within the community is becoming more evident as the project progresses. An

ongoing ‘virtuous cycle’ of change continues to be apparent within the school and the

community.

The profile of the project has continued to be high and work has been ongoing to establish a

wider research framework around the programme that will engage Higher Education

Institutions (HEIs) and research councils.

The transition from a two year pilot project to mainstream provision has been a significant

challenge for the partners and this should continue to be approached from multiple

perspectives. The model is compelling and during this transition year there has been an

opportunity to consolidate the programme, revisit the evaluation framework, further

develop the partnerships, mainstream the model and develop the research base.

5. The success of the project to date appears to be attributable to several key success factors

that continue to be monitored:

• Partnership Development

Developing partnership has been a key element of the programme and potentially

its greatest strength in terms of future development and sustainability.

Faith Primary School itself continues to improve with a Headteacher and team who

hold a strong belief in the potential value of music in continuing this improvement.

The community has embraced In Harmony with great enthusiasm and is increasingly

involved in the programme, and the life of the school.

There is a strong sense of ownership of the project from the main partners who are

unanimously enthusiastic and supportive of the project and ambitious for its

continued development.

• Leadership of the project by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic

The leadership role provided by the RLP is proving to be potent in generating

community pride, securing external financial support, raising In Harmony’s profile,

and, importantly, reinforcing the centrality of the West Everton Children’s Orchestra

to the whole programme. The high quality musical interventions made possible

through the orchestra are arguably critical to the quality of the musical pedagogy

and its impact on the children.

• A delivery model that focuses on one school and provides an immersive musical

experience for the whole school community

The strategic decision to focus primarily on a single school in a relatively small

community has been critical to the success of the programme to date. The

immersive experience of the whole school approach has had a major impact on the

culture change and the speed of change in Faith Primary School and the West

Everton community.

By providing such an immersive experience for every child at Faith Primary School,

the impact has been more immediate and has allowed testing of approaches to be

undertaken in a contained way. Basing the music team within Faith Primary School

has also helped to embed In Harmony within the school, and enabled relationships

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to develop naturally between the music and teaching staff, and the children and

families.

6. There are however, within this predominantly positive context, a number of challenges that

have emerged during the year, some of which have already been addressed and others that

will need to be addressed as the programme develops. We make a series of

recommendations that we suggest should usefully inform planning and implementation of

the programme over the coming twelve months. Our recommendations fall into five principal

groups:

• Partnerships

• Workforce Development

• Research and Learning

• Ongoing Evaluation

• The Programme

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1. Introduction and Context

1.1. In June 2008, Government announced the fourth component of a major £332 million

package of investment in choirs, orchestras, performances, new instruments and free

music lessons announced in November 2007:

“Schools Minister Andrew Adonis will today call on local areas to make the government’s aim of giving

every child the opportunity to learn an instrument a reality by 2011.

Speaking to an audience of heads of music services he will unveil a radical new orchestral programme

called In Harmony. Inspired by the hugely successful Venezuelan project El Sistema and chaired by

world renowned cellist Julian Lloyd-Webber, children from the most deprived parts of the country will

be taught musical instruments by charismatic, high quality music teachers. They will then be brought

into full scale orchestras and encouraged to play live in front of audiences from an early age. Children

as young as four might play concerts as part of these orchestras. Three or four areas will be chosen to

launch initial pilots in the autumn.”

The programme, chaired by Julian Lloyd Webber, encourages participation in music – in the

form of the Symphony Orchestra – which can have huge personal benefits for the children

involved, providing opportunities to grow and develop, both socially and musically. The

programme is essentially a community development programme using music to bring

positive change to the lives of young children in some of the most deprived areas of England,

as well as delivering significant benefits across the wider community. The three pilot

programmes, Lambeth, Norwich and Liverpool were announced in December 2008 following

a bidding process and the Liverpool project began in February 2009.

1.2. The initial two year pilot programme was characterised by three key elements:

• There is recognition that it is a long term undertaking and a commitment to address

the longer term future of the children engaging in the programme although the

initial funding is for two years and three months

• The programme is a community development programme and the pilots are located

within three of the most deprived areas of England

• The programme is based on the model of El Sistema and is premised on the

traditional orchestra

In 2011/12 interim funding was provided to the three pilot In Harmony programmes pending

the outcomes of the National Plan for Music Education and throughout 2011/12 work was

ongoing to secure future funding, both locally and nationally, to support the continuation of

the programme.

1.3. This report seeks to summarise the findings to date over the three year period, and draws on

five previous reports produced by the evaluation team:

Bewick, P & Burns, S, 2009 (September), Baseline Report, In Harmony Liverpool

Bewick, P & Burns, S, 2010 (March), Interim Report Year One, In Harmony Liverpool

Bewick, P & Burns, S, 2010 (September), Evaluation Update (internal document)

Bewick, P & Burns, S, 2011 (March) Interim Report Year Two, In Harmony Liverpool

Bewick, P & Burns, S, 2011 (September) Evaluation Update (internal document)

9

It will update data where possible across the three years of the programme and will

summarise findings, identify trends and draw some conclusions, finally making

recommendations for future action.

1.4. The political context within which the In Harmony Liverpool pilot has been taking place has

been turbulent. Midway through the initial pilot, in May 2010, a General Election saw the

emergence of a coalition government between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats.

The subsequent spending review and unprecedented cuts to public spending and

government departments did not seem conducive to the continuation of the Labour

government’s commitment to music education. Cuts to the Arts Council grant in aid from

government also triggered a review of the Arts Council portfolio and a new funding scheme

was introduced to which all organisations and projects had to apply from a zero base in

January 2011. The implications of this for the programme were extensive in resourcing and

management terms. These extraordinary times provided the backdrop against which the

second year of In Harmony was assessed and evaluated.

1.5. The period since that date has seen the publication of the Henley Review of Music Education

(February 2011) and the Henley Review of Cultural Education (March 2012). The Henley

Review addressed all areas of music education provision and led to the development of a

National Plan for Music Education which was published in late November 20111. The plan,

jointly set out by the Education Secretary, Michael Gove and the Culture Minister, Ed Vaizey,

aims to give every child, regardless of where they live or economic circumstance, the

opportunity to learn to play a musical instrument. However, this is to be achieved on

reduced funding. In 2011/12, £77.5m was allocated for music tuition by the Department for

Education (DfE), via local authorities. The money will drop to £75m from April 2012, £63m

the following year and down to £58m in 2014-15 and be managed through Arts Council

England (ACE). Under the plan, an extra £1m was devoted to extending In Harmony.

Perhaps the most significant change proposed in the National Plan for Music Education was

the decision to replace local authority music services with music education ‘hubs’ to be

established and monitored by ACE. Existing music services, as well as other suitably qualified

organisations or venues, were invited to apply to become hubs. They may cover one or more

local authority areas, and it was expected that professional orchestras and ensembles in the

area would be involved in their local hub. The bid for a Liverpool Music Hub was submitted

in February 2012 led by Liverpool Music Support Service (LMSS) and involving a partnership

between LMSS, Liverpool City Council (Children’s Services and Culture Liverpool), Royal

Liverpool Philharmonic (RLP), Liverpool Schools, and Creative Universe.

The RLP was a key partner in four music hub bids, including Liverpool, and all were

successful. The creation of the hubs, and in particular, the creation of the Liverpool Music

Hub have major implications for the potential future development of In Harmony,

particularly in how the work of In Harmony fits strategically within, and is able to inform,

wider music education delivery, and infrastructure.

1.6. In May 2011, the RLP submitted a new bid for continued financial support from the DfE for

the period September 2011 to March 2012. The bid stated:

1 https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/DFE-00086-2011.pdf

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“We are committed to maintaining and improving on the high standards established and

significant achievements made throughout the first 26 months of the project, and to playing

an active role in the development and growth of In Harmony England.”

Recognising that significant investment had been made by the previous Labour government,

the coalition offered interim one year funding to the three In Harmony pilots through to

March 2012.

The overall programme for 2011/12, the year being considered within this report, was re-

scoped to accommodate the reduction in funding but the revised plan aimed to build on

strengths, consolidating the whole school approach, improving key activity areas both within

Faith Primary and the wider West Everton community and introducing new areas of

development. The programme has maintained a commitment to serving every child living in

West Everton aged 0-14 and their families.

The bid to DfE stated:

“Through project delivery and evaluation, we have demonstrated that In Harmony Liverpool

is operating a high quality model, helping to inform local and national thinking and practice.

For the period 2011-12, we have been successful in securing additional funds to continue

operating at this level, thus meeting the In Harmony Membership Criteria. This period will

ensure we continue to review, improve and test new ideas and thinking whilst planning for a

period of growth 2012-15 working in partnership with In Harmony England.”

2011/12 has therefore been a transitional year both in terms of funding and delivery.

In 2012/13 the funding responsibility shifted to ACE and a decision was made to continue to

fund two of the initial pilots, Liverpool and Lambeth, and a call for proposals to lead four

new programmes was launched in late May 2012. Decisions will be taken in July 2012 for the

four new programmes to start in September 2012. Funding is being offered on a declining

basis over a three year period.2

Thus, a proportion of central government funding is now secure for the ongoing

development of In Harmony Liverpool until 2015 but this is on a reducing scale and the RLP

have been actively seeking funding from other sources to enable the business plan for In

Harmony Liverpool to be realised over this forthcoming three year period.

1.7. The core principles of the new In Harmony programme have been refined but clearly reflect

the key success factors of the initial pilots. The immersive approach, the centrality of the

orchestra, the high quality teaching, links with a professional orchestra and the emphasis on

community development and transformation are all characteristics of the Liverpool

programme:

• In Harmony is inspirational and transformational for children, families, schools and

communities. It raises the expectations and improves the life chances of children

through high quality musical education

• In Harmony is modelled around participating in an orchestra

• In Harmony is immersive – with children playing instruments together several times a

week from an early age

2 http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/media/uploads/pdf/In_Harmony_commissioned_grant_guidance.pdf

11

• In Harmony seeks to engage all children in the school or community in which a

project operates, and it is open to all

• Children learn together while playing in an orchestra together. They are encouraged

to express themselves through music, balanced with a rigorous approach so that

progression is embedded from the start of a project

• The teaching is of exceptionally high quality

• As children progress, they help each other to learn and progress

• In Harmony inspires others to invest in it. Projects are sustainable and

entrepreneurial

• In Harmony projects are mutually supportive and generous in sharing learning,

experience and expertise. They seek to develop models that can be replicable or

adaptable in different social contexts

There are several important implications of this “refreshed approach” to In Harmony that

will be considered within the report and inform the recommendations:

• The new programme will have an overarching national evaluation framework and

outcomes

• There is a requirement for a clear relationship between In Harmony programme and the

network of music education hubs

• The commitment to mutual support and collaborative learning within the programme

will have resource implications and is likely to place additional demands on the initial

two pilots

1.8. The national context has impacted greatly on the resourcing and development of In

Harmony Liverpool. The climate of uncertainty has been an ever present undercurrent for

the three years in question and it is a credit to the team that the programme has continued

to develop and thrive in the way it has. The third year of the programme has been an

unsettling year and one that has brought a great deal of uncertainty about the future. This

has undoubtedly had an impact on the partners, the delivery team and the management as

effort has been directed towards funding procurement as well as programme maintenance

and delivery. However, the relative certainty that now faces the team is encouraging and has

informed a great deal of work that has been undertaken over the past three months. This

will be reflected in the report.

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2. In Harmony Liverpool

2.1. The Background:

In October 2008, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic responded to the call for tenders from

the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF – now Department for Education

(DfE) with a comprehensive proposal that proposed an ambitious programme of work with a

group of partners in West Everton setting out with the following Vision and Aims:

Vision

Our vision is a healthier, inspired and higher achieving West Everton empowered to celebrate

the community through music.

Aims

• To improve the health and wellbeing of children in West Everton through an ‘all-

consuming’ music programme;

• To increase their aspirations and achievement through intensive participation in the

best quality, daily music making;

• To support the improvement in standards and numbers of children on the school roll

at West Everton’s Faith Primary School through developing a sustainable music

specialism;

• To inspire and support the social development of children in West Everton through

sustained relationships with musicians at the top of their profession and group

learning;

• To empower the whole community, increasing confidence and ability to change their

own lives through volunteering and exposure to/participation in live music in

community and City Centre venues;

• To maximise the sustainable benefits of the new Royal Liverpool Philharmonic

orchestral rehearsal centre in West Everton for the local community.

The underpinning ethos of the proposed project was outlined as being to:

• provide an all-consuming high quality musical experience;

• use a holistic approach – including instrumental and vocal music making,

musicianship, fun games and activities, movement, live performance, visits to live

concerts, cross-curricular music making, family learning;

• Everyday part of life – transforming the current 50 minutes music per week at Faith

Primary School into 50 minutes per day for all children;

• Supporting progression on an individual child and family basis, depending on the

standards they reach and their ambitions through music;

• Learning together – in small groups, large groups, mixed age groups, children and

adults learning together;

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• Every child to access a musical instrument.

• Group by ability not age. Although beginning with teaching in year groups, over time

move to grouped by ability.

The key partners to the proposed project were, and have remained, Faith Primary School,

Liverpool Hope University, Liverpool Music Service, The Shewsy and the West Everton

Community Council.

2.2. The Liverpool pilot outlined the following outcomes and outputs in the initial tender

document:

• All children attending Faith Primary School, The Shewsy and Everton Children’s

Centre to have the opportunity for daily instrumental and vocal music making (over

130 children over the life of the programme)

• An improvement in levels of achievement and attendance at Faith Primary School

• A significant increase in reported levels of self-esteem, self-confidence and increased

well-being amongst West Everton children, measured using qualitative evaluations

with children, families, community organisations, schools and teachers

• A significant proportion of family and community members from West Everton

reporting improved wellbeing through engagement in music making and live music

performance

• A community that feels ‘music is a normal part of our life’

• Increases in take up of Further and Higher Education by people from West Everton (a

key part of Government’s Widening Participation agenda. Target is 50%, Currently

27% in Liverpool and significantly less in West Everton)

• A vision for sustained music development in West Everton beyond 2011

It is against these outcomes and outputs that the programme was evaluated in this, its third

year.

2.3. However, given the “refreshed” In Harmony programme with its stated mission to transform

the lives of children in deprived communities through orchestral music-making, and the

aspired for outcomes of the new programme, it will be important to revisit the overall

framework in 2012/13 to ensure that the ongoing localised and autonomous evaluation is

remaining consistent in its data sets whilst also ensuring that data is being collected to

inform the overarching national evaluation framework that is to be developed.

The stated outcomes of the re-launched programme are now articulated as follows:

• For children:

o Improved musical skills

o Improved attitude to learning, self-confidence and self-esteem

o Improved social skills

o Good school attendance and low exclusions

o Improved wellbeing, relationships with parents and health

o Improved attainment (especially in literacy and numeracy)

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o Avoidance of anti-social behaviour, drug abuse, and crime

o Participation in education, employment or training at the end of compulsory

education

• For parents:

o Improved relationships with their children

o Higher expectations of and aspirations for their children

o Greater involvement in schools and their child’s education

o Improved sense of community

• For In Harmony projects:

o In Harmony projects attract a wide range of investment and support and

have a sustainable model

o The core principles of In Harmony are replicable in different contexts

These have been mapped against the initial outcomes and the evaluation framework has

been slightly revised for 2012 – 2015 to take this into account.

2.4. The Community:

In Harmony Liverpool is based in West Everton, and is the result of the initial collective

bidding and partnership approach by the West Everton community, Faith Primary School,

Liverpool Music Support Service, Hope University and the RLP.

West Everton makes up part of the larger Everton ward and, geographically, is on the edge

of Liverpool City Centre. Liverpool is recognised by Government as the most deprived Local

Authority in England.3

The area has continued to receive significant investment from Liverpool City Council since In

Harmony began and there is a growing recognition that the programme is an ongoing part of

investment in the regeneration and rebuilding of this community.

In Everton, almost all residents (97.6%) are within the most deprived 10% in the country,

with 89.1% living in the most deprived 1% neighbourhoods in the country. Unemployment is

at 38.4%, the highest in the City.4 22.9% claim incapacity benefit

5– twice the Liverpool

average.6 Health deprivation and disability is 2nd

highest in the country and overall the area

ranks as the 29th highest in the country on the Index of Multiple Deprivation.

Emotional, physical and social wellbeing are central to learning and achievement and the

fact that Faith Primary had 66% take up (all pupils on role) of free school meals in 2010/11

an increase from 46% in the previous year and 34.83% on the special needs register in

2010/11 a decrease from 41.25% in the previous year highlights the impact of the context on

the wellbeing of the pupils.

3 DCLG Index of Multiple Deprivation 2010

4 In 2009, this figure was 47.6% so there has been a slight improvement in unemployment over the three year period.

5 In 2009, this figure was 25.5% so again, there has been a slight improvement over the three year period.

6 Liverpool City Council Ward Profile 2011

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2.5. The Programme:

Every primary aged child in West Everton has the opportunity to learn an instrument from

aged 4, and to be part of the West Everton Children’s Orchestra, and, this has led to

continuing expansion of the reach of the programme in its third year.

“The orchestra as a form is crucial. For an orchestra to succeed, it must be greater than the

sum of its parts. Every person has a role to play. It combines leadership, teamwork, discipline,

communication skills and respect with friendship, great fun and positive social experiences. It

develops the foundations of musicianship and musical literacy through the enjoyment of

learning, rehearsing and performing as an ensemble of musicians.” (Peter Garden, Executive

Director – Learning, RLP)

In April 2009, 70 children were allocated instruments, and by February 2010 a total of 106

children had instruments. In March 2011 this figure totalled 114 and in March 2012 it had

risen to 139. In addition, 18 adults - members of the school staff - are learning to play

instruments alongside the children. The programme has expanded the age range of child

participants and is now catering for a total of 165 children aged 0-14. This increase

represents both the growing pupil roll at Faith Primary School, the widening age range of the

programme, and the success in sustaining young people’s involvement when transitioning to

secondary school.

Out of the 165 children and young people participating in In Harmony in 2011/12, 139 of

those are on the full orchestral programme and part of the West Everton Children’s

Orchestra or West Everton Super Strings.

Since the programme began in February 2009, In Harmony has engaged a total of 218

children and young people in West Everton from early years to age 14.

Whilst all primary aged children at Faith Primary School are accessing up to 4.5 hours per

week of music making in curriculum time, 45% of those children are participating in

additional after school provision including brass, percussion and chamber ensembles –

participating in up to 7 hours per week

The children are predominantly drawn from Faith Primary (118), but after three years, the

programme of work now reaches a further 21 children of primary age living within the

geographical area and attending 7 different schools and a further 22 children who have

progressed to secondary education but continue to engage with the In Harmony

programme. 80% of eligible children attending The Beacon CE Primary School regularly take

part in the out of school programme.

Distribution of children from school groups involved in In Harmony Liverpool

Number of children from:

Faith Primary School 118

The Beacon Church of England Primary School 12

Other Primary Schools 9

North Liverpool Academy 8

Notre Dame Catholic College 11

Other Secondary Schools 3

16

Faith Primary School

The Beacon Church of England

Primary School

Other Primary Schools

North Liverpool Academy

Notre Dame Catholic College

Other Secondary Schools

Figure One: Reach of In Harmony Liverpool

Despite the scaling down of central government funding in this year, In Harmony Liverpool’s

weekly schedule has continued to develop and the programme currently includes:

• Sectional rehearsals (group instrumental lessons) on violin, viola, cello and double

bass twice weekly at Faith School;

• Sectional rehearsals (group instrumental lessons) on violin, viola, cello and double

bass twice weekly for The Beacon CE Primary School children;

• Sectional rehearsals (group instrumental lessons) on violin, viola, cello and double

bass, weekly at the Friary for those children that attend neither Faith Primary School

or The Beacon CE Primary School;

• West Everton Children’s Orchestra rehearsals each Friday for Faith children in Year

1 -6, with an additional Orchestra rehearsal after school open to any primary aged

child living in West Everton;

• Twice weekly ensembles: West Everton Super Strings (Years 7, 8 and 9 Chamber

Orchestra); West Everton Junior Strings (Years 4-6 chamber ensemble); West

Everton Mini Strings (separate Years 2 and 3 chamber ensembles);

• Weekly ensembles: West Everton String Quartet (various); In Harmony String

Quintet (various), Brass sectional; and Percussion Sectionals;

• Shake Up and Sing whole school singing each morning at Faith and a commitment to

enhancing choral development within the project;

• Twice weekly Shake Up and Sing sessions with children from The Beacon CE Primary

School to enhance choral development within the project;

• Once weekly Shake Up and Sing sessions with children from neither The Beacon CE

Primary School or Faith Primary School to enhance choral development within the

project;

• Weekly musicianship classes for each year group at Faith Primary School ;

• Regular attendance at various ensembles by the 8 Ensemble Coaches - musicians

from the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra who attend on a monthly basis;

• Master classes by artists visiting Liverpool including, for example, Tasmin Little and

National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain;

17

• Regular high profile performances including during this period at Liverpool

Philharmonic Hall, Anfield Lighthouse, an outdoor concert to celebrate the

Anniversary of the Liver Buildings and opening of the new Museum of Liverpool, and

chamber performances at the prestigious St George’s Hall Concert Room in Liverpool

city centre, with many of these performances featuring musicians from the Royal

Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra;

• Regular visits to live performances by Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and

chamber ensembles.

During August 2011, the programme included the annual In Harmony Summer School.

During the autumn and spring terms, the team have continued to offer In Harmony at

Home, providing live performances by individual, or small groups of, children accompanied

and supported by professional musicians in their own living room for families and friends,

prioritising and often targeting those children and families yet to receive a home visit.

Thus, the school programme is immersive. It is providing an in depth musical education at a

whole school level for the children registered within Faith Primary School but it is also

reaching out to pre-school age children within the community as well as those attending

other primary and secondary schools nearby who live in West Everton.

2.6. In previous reports we have recommended that a broader community engagement

programme could be developed to maximise active community involvement and social

impact outcomes.

This was done and during 2011/12 the programme has included:

• Tea and Tunes, a series of informal classical music concerts by small ensembles from

the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra in community venues and churches in

West Everton, including performances, talks, demonstrations and practical music

making for the whole community;

• In Harmony Open Days – giving parents the chance to observe an open West Everton

Children’s Orchestra rehearsal, followed by the chance for them to learn a piece on a

string instrument, taught by their own children.

• Access to the Liverpool Philharmonic adult learning and family programme;

• Children, families and community members regularly attend Royal Liverpool

Philharmonic Orchestra and Chamber Series events;

• Promoting opportunities for volunteering in a range of roles across the programme;

• Planning and implementing a more in depth deployment of music students from

Liverpool Hope University, University of Liverpool and the Royal Northern College of

Music through partnership schemes.

• Greater involvement of young musicians from the Liverpool Philharmonic Youth

Orchestra and Youth Choir

There will always be scope to expand this programme in recognition of the fact that In

Harmony Liverpool is a social programme seeking to build community well being through

music. However, budgetary constraints remain a significant issue.

The continuing development of the overall programme of provision is testimony to the

constant and ongoing reflection that takes place within the team and the school about the

best way to deliver the programme as it evolves. The In Harmony model cannot be a static

18

model and this is a key element of the learning to have emerged over the three years of

the programme. In Harmony is perhaps better viewed as a framework and a process. The

major success factor in ensuring that it connects to and supports children and families in a

particular community is that it is a dynamic model and will constantly evolve.

19

3. Evaluation Methodology and Framework

3.1. Our overall approach to the evaluation of In Harmony Liverpool has always been informed

by the need to measure impact. But, it is informed by a specific approach that we clarify in

every report. We believe that evaluation is not advocacy. Genuine sustainability will come

not from advocacy but from clear evidence of impact. We are therefore interested in

genuine learning stemming from a robust evaluation that is shared and owned by project

stakeholders. We stated at the onset of the evaluation work that this approach could:

• Inform project development

• Encourage action learning and reflection

• Inform problem solving

Our approach has ensured that we are seen as partners to the programme rather than

monitors and it is clear that this has supported and informed the ongoing development of

the programme and the work, encouraged learning and reflection, and supported the team

and the school in dealing with problems and issues as they have emerged.

3.2. The evaluation of In Harmony Liverpool has used a wide range of indicators at four levels

from the onset. In 2011/12 due to a scaling down of the budget, the evaluation work was

also scaled down. However, we have continued to consider the four levels and sought to

protect key data sets where possible:

• The Children

• The School

• The Community

• The Partners

We are seeking to evaluate impact in all four dimensions, and examine the relationship

between each to measure the impact of the programme and model on the whole

community, particularly in terms of added value and the development of social capital. We

are also working to evaluate the project management model, and seeking to identify key

success factors.

A multidimensional and therefore pluralist approach has been adopted that encompassed

both qualitative and quantitative measures, the subjective and the objective. Triangulation is

proving important in demonstrating validity and depth of impact.

3.3. From the onset, the design of the overall framework has been carried out with stakeholders

in order to ensure the feasibility and viability of on the ground data gathering as well as a

sense of ownership of the process. The effectiveness of this approach and the successful

delivery of the framework depends on the active and ongoing engagement of all partners

and this has proved difficult over this crucial third year of the programme. We have been

supported in data gathering by partners within the Primary Care Trust (PCT), from Liverpool

City Council (LCC), and within the school, the In Harmony team and the RLP. Changes within

20

the PCT and LCC have affected data collection in 2011/12. However, we are confident that

this will be resolved in 2012/13. We are also working closely with the project management

team to build capacity in this area in order to ensure that the revised framework is owned

and will provide the most useful management information. The revisions have a strong focus

on creating enhanced feedback loops between the evaluation work and the management of

the programme as we realised this was something that was jeopardised within the scaled

down work during the year in question.

3.4. Sustained investment follows from a clear demonstration that any activity directly

contributes to, supports or achieves the key target outcomes of national policy. It is

therefore important that the evaluation is carried out within the context of recent trends in

national policy development, particularly in the current climate of economic constraint. We

noted at the onset of the project that:

“Much of the policy development to date in this field tends to focus on the ‘why’ and ‘what’

of the challenge of actively engaging young people in their own future, rather than the ‘how’.

If In Harmony is to ‘make a difference’, we need to clearly and effectively evaluate how it

does so.”

This remains the central challenge. Understanding the process is as important, if not more

so, than gathering the impact data. The ‘how’ of In Harmony is critical.

3.5. Over the three years of the programme external factors have influenced both the school and

the community and it is difficult to isolate the impact of these from the impact of In

Harmony. For example, there is no doubt that the move into a new school building has had a

major impact on the school community. It is a more pleasant working environment for both

staff and pupils and its impact on attainment and behaviour cannot be ignored. Investment

in the local community and improvements in housing and infrastructure are ongoing, again

rendering it difficult to be precise about the root cause of any discernible trends and

changes. What is clear, however, is that In Harmony has been a significant element of the

overall changes occurring within West Everton and that its role has been important.

3.6. Initially the evaluation process involved:

• Identifying appropriate impact indicators

• Establishing a framework of measures for these indicators

• Establishing the baseline

The baseline report is available on request. The original evaluation framework was revisited

during this crucial year and we have now refined the indicators and measures to reflect

required changes for year 4 and this is contained in Appendix One.

3.7. Subsequently, we worked with partners to develop data gathering mechanisms that have

included:

• Identifying case study children that we are now tracking over an extended period. In

2011/12 we have added a group of children from The Beacon CE Primary School to

this group and will report on this later in the report

21

• Carrying out a series of community and parent/carer focus groups and individual

interviews

• Tracking school statistics on attainment and attendance and in 2011/12 we have

compared attainment with two other schools in the local area in order to attain a

benchmark

• Tracking musical progression

• Tracking observations of the In Harmony team and school staff

• Recording observations from Home Visits

• Observing teaching

• Undertaking community questionnaire surveys

• Development of wellbeing assessment tool for pupils

• Collection of GP data, developing a new partnership approach between PCT,

Children’s Services and Social Services

• Tracking socio-economic data in West Everton and comparing this with a control

area in Kirkdale, North Liverpool

• Tracking attendance at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall

• Analysing press coverage

This approach means that we are now able to present quantitative and qualitative data that

is sufficiently reliable and robust to begin to support conclusions. We have continued to

focus on gathering wide ranging qualitative data in addition to the quantitative data that is

beginning to be available, to assist us in identifying trends and support emerging findings.

Narratives continue to emerge from the qualitative data gathering around the perceptions of

impact and the nature of the changes being observed within the children, the school and the

community. These are examined throughout the report using quotes from conversations

with children, parents, teachers and musicians as a means of assessing progress against

planned outcomes. This triangulation of data gathering continues to be critical to its

reliability throughout the continuing evaluation of the work.

3.8. In addition to the regular reporting, the evaluation team have also produced discussion

documents on an ongoing basis and have worked with the RLP to identify issues that could

inform continuation of the project given the continuing politically sensitive context outlined

above.

22

4. Interim Findings: The Children

4.1. As part of the evaluation process, evidence being collected is both qualitative and

quantitative and includes:

• Interviews with 26 Case Study pupils7

• Team and Teachers’ Observations

• Parent/Carer Interviews

• Attendance and Attainment figures

• Pupil wellbeing surveys

4.2. The evidence gathered to date clearly shows that in relation to whole child development, In

Harmony Liverpool has had a very real and significant impact on the children. Improvements

in academic attainment, musical attainment, behaviour, confidence, well being and

aspiration are all clearly evidenced through the data making an evolving and compelling case

for the value of the intervention.

4.3. It is critical to note that the number on roll at any time in Faith Primary is small. This means

that any statistical comparisons must be taken in context. In 2010/11 one child represents

1.11% and this will impact when any benchmarking is done of the school against schools

with larger rolls where one child may represent 0.33%.

Some recent data has been provided by Liverpool City Council that matches the children in

Faith Primary to the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) and although this data is for

2010/11, it is important context to any statistical evidence provided. It sets Faith Primary

against a sector average within Liverpool.

IMD 1 is the most deprived area and 82.35% of Faith Primary children were living in this area

in 2011/12.

• Attendance of these IMD 1 children totalled 94.41% in 2011/12 against a sector

average of 94.16%.

• 68.24% of the children on roll were entitled to free school meals against a sector

average of 33.16%

• 36.48% of children on roll were SEN (School Action, School Action Plus and

statemented) against a sector average of 25.52%

This data is important when considering attendance and attainment data for Faith Primary.

Firstly, it points to the fundamental statistical unreliability of data where variance is affected

by cohort size. For example, in 2011/12 there are 14 children in Year 6 and in 2012/13 there

will be only 5. Any comparison on percentage terms would be unreliable given this variance

and the small sample involved.

Secondly, it highlights the very specific issues faced by the school in meeting government

floor targets. SEN pupils are expected to make the same two levels progress between KS1

and KS2 as non SEN pupils.

7 This was the initial number in the sample. In July 2010, 3 of the pupils left Faith Primary to move to secondary school. In July 2011 a

further 3 moved to secondary school. An additional 5 year 1 and 2 pupils were added to the case study group in February 2012.

23

It is also important to note that the available statistics from Department for Education

League Tables and the data reported above from Liverpool City Council are inconsistent both

in numerical terms and in what is reported as this has changed over the period in question.

For the purposes of the table below, Department for Education tables have been used as the

primary source and at the time of writing, midway through the academic year, data for

2011/12 is not available.

Table One: Faith Primary School Pupil Statistics

It is apparent that the actual number of SEN pupils has remained relatively consistent

numerically if not as a percentage of a shifting roll.

4.4. Attainment data – Academic

There is evidence that attainment has continued to improve within Faith Primary School and

an aggregate over the initial two years since In Harmony Liverpool began is presented

overleaf (2009/10 and 2010/2011).

BASELINE

(2007/8)

Number

BASELINE

(2007/8)

%

2008/9

Number

2008/9

%

2009/10

Number

2009/10

%

2010/11

Number

2010/11

%

2011/12

Number

2011/12

%

TOTAL NUMBER OF PUPILS ON ROLL 93 94 104 118 N/A

Free School Meals 66.29% 66.29% N/A N/A

Pupils with Statements/ SEN or Supported

at School Action Plus

4 4.3% 16 17% 9 8.7% 11 9.3% N/A N/A

Pupils with SEN supported at school Action 34 36.6% 25 26.6% 28 26.9% 27 23% N/A N/A

TOTAL SEN 38 40.9% 41 43.6% 37 35.6% 38 32.3% N/A N/A

24

Faith Primary School Year 3

Progress Maths Reading Writing 1 child 10%

3 sub levels prog over 2 years 30% 20% 30% SEN 50%

4+ sub levels prog over 2 years 50% 60% 30% EAL 10%

Progress as expected or above 80% 80% 60%

Children not SEN 8 not making expected

progress 1 2 1

Faith Primary School Year 4

Progress Maths Reading Writing 1 child = 13%

3 sub levels prog over 2 years 26% 50% 13% SEN 25%

4+ sub levels prog over 2 years 50% 37% 63% EAL 13%

Progress as expected or above 76% 87% 79%

Children not SEN not making expected

progress 0 0 0

Faith Primary School Year 5

Progress Maths Reading Writing 1 child = 9%

3 sub levels prog over 2 years 27% 36% 27% SEN 39%

4+ sub levels prog over 2 years 27% 45% 45% EAL 15%

Progress as expected or above 54% 81% 62%

Children not SEN not making expected

progress 1 0 0

Faith Primary School Year 6

Progress Maths Reading Writing 1 child = 7%

3 sub levels prog over 2 years 14% 21% 50% SEN 42%

4+ sub levels prog over 2 years 43% 71% 29% EAL 5%

Progress as expected or above 57% 92% 79%

Children not SEN not making expected

progress 0% 0% 0%

Table Two: Aggregate Attainment Figures

This data was initially presented in September 2011 and we concluded:

“Attainment data gathered is impressive showing that over the two years of the In Harmony

programme 42.5% of the children have progressed 4+ national curriculum sub levels in

Maths, 53% in reading and 42% in writing. An average child is expected to make 3 sub levels

progress over 2 years.

The high percentage of children with special needs is highly significant when considering this

data. For example, in Year 3, 50% of the pupils have SEN and yet, 80% have made progress as

expected or above in maths, 80% in reading and 60% in writing. It appears that In Harmony is

continuing to impact greatly on the literacy and numeracy attainment of the children.

In fact, the data shows overall that only two children in maths, two children in reading and

one child in writing did not make the expected progress for the two years and all of these, bar

one child, were in Year 3.”

We also noted in September 2011 that:

“The results raise some interesting questions about attainment that it would be interesting to

pursue further with the school once a new computer system is fully operational. Firstly, it

8 SEN figs based on July 2011 numbers and class sizes recorded in school

25

would be interesting to compare teacher expectations across the two years to identify

whether the targets set for the children have been set higher as expectation has increased.

As one teacher stated during an interview: ‘We have learned to expect the best out of the

kids’

Secondly, it would be interesting to map the development of the case study pupils in more

detail in order to identify individual trajectories.

There is also a great deal more analysis that could be done on the children with SEN as it

appears as if some real progress is being made with some of these children and this may

have a direct relationship to the pedagogical methods being used. The In Harmony team

believe that the physicalisation of staves, the use of the 7 symbols and notation are assisting

with child development and this could usefully be explored.”

Unfortunately, this has not happened at the time of writing and we are unable to

extrapolate data on SEN children to test the hypothesis that there is a major impact on

learning for such children.

The school data tracking system also needs to be further mined in order to ensure that we

can unravel the issues of attainment against expectations and teacher expectations.

It is recommended that this is a priority for in school data collection during 2012/13.

According to school collated data9, in summer 2011, the percentages of children attaining

targets was as follows:

Table Three: Percentages of Children Attaining Targets

9 Data presented by DfE and LCC is based on a specific time point collection in mid January 2012. School data based on July

figures 2011.

Year Group Maths Reading Writing

% SEN % per child Below Achieved

+

Above Below Achieved Above Below Achieved Above

1 40% 7% 66 34 0 73 27 0 73 27 0

2

31% 6% 6% 94% 44% 12% 88 19 19% 81% 13%

3 40% 7% 27% 73% 13% 20% 80% 40% 13% 87% 27%

4

50%

SA+

14% 71% 29% 0% 57% 43% 0% 43% 57% 0%

5

38% 9% 27% 73% 36% 27% 73% 8% 27% 73% 0%

6 32% 5% 42% 58% 0% 26% 74% 0% 53% 47% 0%

26

Quantitative data gathered in year two and three of In Harmony Liverpool is contained

below and it has been benchmarked against data gathered from two other primary schools

in the local area. For the purposes of reporting they are referred to as school A and school B

to avoid any potential sensitivities arising from comparison.10

As can be seen, the numbers on roll differ greatly and as stated above this affects the

reliability of the percentages presented.

Table Four: Comparison across three schools: Percent of pupils achieving targets 2009 to 2011

10 2009 figures are used as a baseline. The degree of change in 2010 and 2011 is measured against this baseline figure.

School A

(195 pupils on roll 2011)

School B

(221 pupils on roll 2011)

Faith Primary School

(116 pupils on roll 2011)

2009 2010 Change 2011 Change 2009 2010 Change 2011 Change 2009 2010 Change 2011 Change

Reading Year2

(6-7yrs)

72 75 +3 85 +13 60 86 +26 75 +15 38 87 +49 88 +50

Year3

(7-8 yrs)

48 65 +17 100 +52 74 50 -24 47 -27 73 100 +27 80 +7

Year4

(8-9 yrs)

52 61 +9 74 +22 40.5 35 -5.5 27 -13.5 50 100 +50 43 -7

Year5

(9-10yrs)

45 68 +23 71 +26 68.4 62 -6.4 74 +5.6 13 89 +76 73 +60

Year6

(10-11yrs)

46 73 +27 100 +54 80 56 -24 52 -28 100 88 -12 74 -26

Writing

Year2

(6-7 yrs)

68 76 +8 90 +22 48 60 +12 76 +28 100 93 -7 81 -19

Year3

(7-8 yrs)

52 57 +5 65 +13 25.9 31 +5.1 37 +11.1 18 100 +82 87 +69

Year4

(8-9 yrs)

43 43 = 60 +17 29.6 42 +12.4 40 +10.4 64 82 +18 57 -7

Year5

(9-10 yrs)

15 50 +35 78 +63 68.4 62 -6.4 75 +6.6 50 68 +18 73 +23

Year6

(10-11yrs)

40 60 +20 85 +45 33.3 81 +47.7 69 +35.7 100 100 = 47 -53

Maths

Year2

(6-7 yrs)

68 79 +11 90 +22 88 82 -6 65 -23 75 93 +18 94 +19

Year3

(7-8 yrs)

48 57 +9 90 +42 22.2 35 +12.8 30 +7.8 55 100 +45 73 +18

Year4

(8-9 yrs)

52 65 +13 53 +1 14.8 12 -2.8 53 +38.2 21 91 +70 29 +8

Year5

(9-10 yrs)

45 55 +10 71 +26 53.2 45 -8.2 82 +28.8 25 79 +54 73 +48

Year6

(10-11yrs)

53 73 +20 100 +47 75 70 -5 72 -3 91 75 -16 58 -33

School 49.8 63.8 +14 80 +30.2 52.1 53.9 +1.8 58.3 +6.2 58.2 89.6 +31.4 65 +6.8

27

Following the introduction of the In Harmony programme in Faith school in 2009 the school

experienced a significant improvement in the percentage of pupils achieving their targets in

2010, far beyond that recorded in two neighbouring schools. The improvement in 2011 as

compared to 2010 levels was less impressive, but equally revealed a notable improvement

on 2009 levels. There could be a number of influencing factors at play here, not least the

number on the Faith school roll and consequent cohort size in each year group, where one

child’s underachievement can have a disproportionate impact on percentage figures. High

levels of SEN pupils in Faith school is a further influencing factor, as is the potential

increasing level of teacher expectation as a consequence of the In Harmony programme.

These factors will require further analysis in the coming year. Notwithstanding this, the

significant recorded improvement in the percentage of pupils achieving targets remains very

impressive in the context of 4.25 hours being taken out of curriculum delivery time across

the school.

4.5. Attendance

Pupil attendance has improved significantly across the school. In 2009, absence was

reported at 7.94%, an improvement on the 2008 figures reported in the Baseline Report of

8.8%. 11

This increased in 2010 but there is now evidence of significant continuing

improvement with the school average rate of absence of 5.91% comparing to the sector

average of 5%.

Year: 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 11/12

Attendance: 91.2% 92.06% 91.02% 92.7% 94.09%

Absence: 8.8% 7.94% 8.98% 7.3% 5.91%

Table Five: Attendance Figures

It should be noted that attendance figures resulted in some aspects of the school’s work

being graded as good rather than outstanding in the school’s most recent Ofsted report in

2010. However given that the traditional curriculum time has been squeezed by 4.25 hours

by the In Harmony project, and the impressive degree of change in pupils’ attainment

scores, the evaluation team would question the use of attendance statistics as a key

measure of success by Ofsted in assessing school performance. This would seem to raise a

question over the importance of physical presence as opposed to the quality and nature of

the learning experience in school.

11 http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/cgi-

bin/performancetables/school_09.pl?Mode=Z&No=3413964&Type=LA&Begin=s&Num=938&Phase=p&Year=09&Base=p

28

4.6. Attainment – Musical Development and Achievement

Musical progression is evidenced across the cohort of children, with very few examples of

slow progression. The musical development of all children has been tracked against a set of

indicators developed by the In Harmony Liverpool team since the beginning of the project

with team assessment of individual children and ensembles integrated as part of termly

reflection and planning sessions.

It is clear that this progression is significant and can be illustrated by comparing 4 case study

children who were chosen randomly across the period:

CASE 1 CASE 2 CASE 3 CASE 4

Musicality/

Communication/

Confidence/

Commitment

Term12

1: 1

Term 4: 4

Term 6: 6

Term 8: 9

Term1: 3

Term 4: 8

Term 6: 8

Term 8: 10

Term 1: 1

Term 4: 5

Term 6: 8

Term 8: 9

Term 1: 1

Term 4: 3

Term 6: 6

Term 8: 8

Posture and

instrument hold

Term 1: 2

Term 4: 7

Term 6: 8

Term 8: 9

Term 1: 4

Term 4: 7

Term 6: 8

Term 8:10

Term 1: 3

Term 4: 7

Term 6: 8

Term 8:9

Term 1: 4

Term 4: 7

Term 6: 8

Term 8: 10

Left Hand Technique Term 1: 1

Term 4: 7

Term 6: 8

Term 8:10

Term 1: 1

Term 4: 8

Term 6: 8

Term 8: 10

Term 1: 1

Term 4: 6

Term 6: 8

Term 8: 10

Term 1: 2

Term 4: 6

Term 6: 8

Term 8: 10

Bowing arm

technique

Term 1: 3

Term 4: 6

Term 6: 7

Term 8: 9

Term 1: 4

Term 4: 8

Term 6: 8

Term 8:9

Term 1: 2

Term 4: 7

Term 6: 8

Term 8: 10

Term 1: 3

Term 4: 5

Term 6: 7

Term 8: 8

Pulse, Rhythm and

Meter

Term 1: 3

Term 4: 6

Term 6: 7

Term 8: 9

Term 1: 3

Term 4: 8

Term 6: 8

Term 8: 9

Term 1:2

Term 4: 6

Term 6: 7

Term 8: 9

Term 1: 2

Term 4: 6

Term 6: 8

Term 8:9

12 Term 1: April-July 2009. Term 4: April-July 1010. Term 6: Jan-March 2011. Term 8 Sept – Dec 2011

29

Reading skills Term 1: 2

Term 4: 6

Term 6: 7

Term 8:9

Term 1: 3

Term 4: 7

Term 6: 8

Term 8: 9

Term 1: 2

Term 4: 6

Term 6: 6

Term 8: 8

Term 1: 3

Term 4: 4

Term 6: 6

Term 8: 8

Singing and Solfa Term 1: 4

Term 4: 7

Term 6: 8

Term 8: 9

Term 1: 3

Term 4: 6

Term 6: 7

Term 8; 10

Term 1: 1

Term 4: 4

Term 6: 5

Term8: 8

Term 1: 2

Term 4: 5

Term 6: 6

Term 8; 8

Table Six: Musical Attainment

In Harmony Liverpool Artistic Director, Rod Skipp, offers the following interpretation and

explanation of the above table:

“The level indicators were developed by our team at the beginning of In Harmony, as we

were keen to track the progress of the children without introducing formal testing such as

music tests or grade examinations, as we wanted the orchestra, ensembles and

performances to remain the focal point for the children and the overall approach.

The level indicators have had minor adjustments along the way, and have been expanded to

further reflect the excellent musical progression of the children. We have also completed a

process of linking the indicators where possible and appropriate to nationally and

internationally recognised attainment standards such as ABRSM Music Medals and grade

examinations, so that we are able to monitor the children’s progress within In Harmony, but

also within the wider context of musical education nationally and internationally.

The progression outlined above from all four case studies is excellent across 8 school terms of

learning. All of them have achieved very high levels, comparable with nationally recognised

assessments. Our evaluation criteria means that these specific children would be likely to

achieve ABRSM Gold Medal, and in terms of technical development and repertoire level they

are playing at a ABRSM Grade 2 level.

In terms of rates of progress, it is our experience that the In Harmony children spend a lot

longer on the beginning stages of string technique and the fundamental building blocks of

musicianship than may take place in traditional 1:1 individual lessons that are set up to

move through the grade system. We have found that once they have that strong internal

base of fundamental musical skills however, they are able to make swift progress through to

the higher levels. Our level indicators take this into account, and it is possible to move swiftly

through levels 1- 5 for example, but may take more time to move from level 7 to level 8.

Whenever the children of In Harmony perform, people will often remark to me on the

commitment that they show, the amount and quality of sound that they produce (that the

sound even at the earliest stages is full and rich and not at all ‘scratchy’), and that as an

orchestra they really do play together as an ensemble or team, and with good intonation,

and I and the rest of the team take great pride in these remarks.”

Although our assessment criteria focus on technique and musicality, it is important to

recognise that the driving force and the motivating factor behind all of this progress are the

30

orchestra and ensemble performance opportunities. Each of these children will have been

involved in a wide variety of spectacular performances, in venues such as Liverpool

Philharmonic Hall, St George’s Hall Concert Room and on outdoor stages including Liverpool’s

waterfront. These experiences as much as anything drive individual progression, and

progress is always faster and most concentrated leading up to a performance. It is this ability

to perform to high standards on these stages with regularity that underpins all of the

teaching and learning within In Harmony Liverpool.”

The description above reinforces the In Harmony approach of the centrality of the orchestra

and ensemble to inform teaching and learning. The evaluation of progress and skills learnt by

the children is constant, by individual teachers during their group lessons, by the team on a

collective basis in sharing meetings, and by the Artistic Director on the programme as a

whole. The In Harmony Liverpool programme strongly believes that the only thing that is

fixed is the children, and everything done must work around them. Differentiation is worked

into every piece of repertoire and technical exercise that is presented. Sometimes the

differentiation is so specific that it takes into account individual children’s needs and a part

or chart will be created to support that individual child’s learning.

In September 2011, the team revised the level indicators to add three new levels so the scale

now reaches 11 instead of 8. However, it is recommended that the team continue to re-

examine the level indicators to ensure there is enough room for development and further

progression. At the onset of In Harmony Liverpool all children were at the same level but

now three years on, progress is significant for many of the older children who have been

learning for three years and the gap in attainment is becoming greater. This will continue to

be an issue as the programme enters year 4, 5 and 6.

4.7. West Everton Children’s Orchestra

West Everton Children’s Orchestra remains the central ensemble for the In Harmony

Liverpool programme, expanding or contracting as per the performance requirements

and/or availability of young musicians. The Orchestra at its largest point to date featured

125 young musicians aged 5-14 years and teachers joined by 24 musicians of the Royal

Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra for the finale of the 3rd

Anniversary Concert at Liverpool

Philharmonic Hall in March 2012.

Repertoire for the full orchestra has continued to develop and expand into new areas. The

continued progression of the percussion section and the addition of the brass section to add

to strings have brought new challenges, but also exciting opportunities. Orchestral

repertoire this year has included Orff’s O Fortuna from Carmina Burana and Grieg’s In the

Hall of the Mountain King with a rich symphonic sound at their core. The Children’s

Orchestra is playing arrangements of pieces mostly between ABRSM Grade 1 and 2 in level,

with differentiation either side to support those who haven’t been learning as long or are

not progressing as quickly, and also to challenge those that are progressing more quickly.

Each arrangement will usually have an open strings part, an easier ‘fingers’ part, a melody

part, and a more advanced part to continue to extend those who need the extra challenge.

The team designed a performance plan for the programme that supports the balance

between regular performance opportunities within the community and school environment,

whilst continuing to regularly give the children access to performing in world class venues

such as Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, St George’s Hall, and venues in London. The Christmas

31

Concert has become a real focal point for community involvement, which the team have

continued to hold within the Everton community at St Francis Xavier’s church. The annual

March ‘In Harmony Birthday’ concert continues to be a spectacular occasion at Liverpool

Philharmonic Hall, with the children taking an active role in preparing not just the musical

elements of the performance, but also helping with the production of the programme,

posters, promotion and audio visual introductions. And the summer concert continues to be

a fun opportunity to show just how much the children have achieved over the course of the

year. In 2011 this was at the spectacular On the Waterfront outdoor performance at

Liverpool’s famous Pier Head, where the West Everton Children’s Orchestra were the

support act for the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, and in 2012 it returned to the

Lighthouse in Anfield.

2011/12 has seen a major change in the operation and rehearsal schedule of the Children’s

Orchestra based on differentiation. This has been anticipated since the beginning of the

project, with the team knowing that as the project grew and expanded, the levels of

differentiation between children and age groups would place greater and different demands

on the programme structure and content.

During the first part of the autumn term 2011, it became apparent that the time for change

had come. For the first time during this project, the stretch between the ability level of the

Year 2 children and the Year 6 children was felt to be too great, with the risk of potential

disengagement by some children if not proactively addressed. Rod Skipp explains:

“The Year 6 children had now been involved in the project for nearly 3 years and their

musicality and understanding continues to develop every week. This has meant that their

ability to learn new pieces and push themselves further has only increased, which was

coupled with the fact that the Year 2 children are all much newer to the process. Although

they have been involved for the same period of time (they would have been in Reception

when In Harmony Liverpool started), their understanding and musical progression moves at a

slower rate at that young age, and we were conscious that we wanted them to have the

same solid musical foundations that those in Year 6 now have.”

Therefore, the team felt it was time to make a change to the programme in order to ensure

that every child continues to receive a quality experience, which is delivered at a level that is

appropriate for them.

The team decided to split rehearsals so there are three separate weekly rehearsals for the

West Everton Children’s Orchestra. One rehearsal is for Year 1, one for Year 2, and one for

Years 3-6, each specifically planned and delivered to support their progression appropriate

to their age and musical ability.

This decision had several advantages:

• The younger children work at a level that is appropriate for them, in a slightly slower-

paced, but fun manner. They will be able to develop their skills as orchestral players in a

more carefully managed environment, which suits their age, and more attention can be

given individually in the smaller group setting to really refine their technique at this

crucial stage.

• The older children can be delivered to at a much faster pace, with more focus on

notation, challenges, and technique.

• The orchestra would continue as a whole project orchestra, encompassing all relevant

children involved in the project (including secondary level West Everton Super Strings on

32

occasion). Whilst rehearsals may include different repertoire to further support different

levels, the full orchestra would be able to come together in preparation for events.

• The school staff team are able to play a more supportive role in slightly smaller

orchestras.

However, this also brings challenges:

• The central strand of the project is the whole project orchestra – West Everton

Children’s Orchestra has established itself as a major and positive representation of the

pride in the community

• The split rehearsals may prove to be more logistically complicated for project

management staff and delivery team.

• Communication will need to be carefully managed so all children and staff continue to

feel part of orchestra and feel part of the experience that brings

Both the In Harmony team and Faith School staff agree that this has been successful. All

believe that it has supported individual progression much more, and the rate of progression

as an orchestra has also increased.

4.8. Children with Special Education Needs or Additional Support Requirements

In one family involved, all of the children are lively and intelligent but their behaviour has

sometimes been challenging. It is interesting to profile this sibling group. The eldest child

struggled with behaviour at the onset but has now matured greatly and is one of the keenest

musicians. In Harmony staff members feel that the child’s focus has improved along with their

self awareness and they are now able to reflect on their own behaviour and ask for support when

needed. The child always strives to learn the next part, and often teaches other members of the

family. The youngest sibling asked: “When will I be as good?”

The one to one work with pupils identified by the In Harmony team as needing additional

support is proving successful in providing an opportunity for children to express themselves; one

to one contact time with a musician that assists with disruptive behaviour and helps to prevent

children ‘slipping through the cracks’. For those with SEN, some aspects of the programme are a

challenge for them. The overall need for many of the children to be pushed more quickly in

orchestra has meant on occasions those who struggle in that environment need more individual

support than has previously been the case.

In Harmony continues to provide opportunities for those who may find it difficult in a group

situation to have one to one support, sometimes with their instrumental tutor and sometimes

through sessions with Mandy Burvill. Mandy is a former contract Clarinet player with the Royal

Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, who now leads education and health projects for Liverpool

Philharmonic and performs as a freelance musician in the RLPO. Mandy provides an opportunity

for child-led music making, where the children are in control and have creative licence to try

anything musically that they would like to. This allows them to let their creativity take hold and

express themselves in a musical way without any constraints of technique or having to fit into an

ensemble situation, which can be a great musical and emotional release.

33

One Year Two child is the youngest in a large family, with only brothers, and has behavioural

issues. The child is creative but it is difficult to work with them in a structured way on their

instrument as they struggle with coordination. The child has visual impairment and the one

to one work has allowed them to work in a way that suited them and that has enabled the

child to focus and concentrate more. The team have already noticed a shift in the child’s

attention in orchestra.

A Year Five child was identified as needing one to one support as they pick things up slowly

and were felt to be falling behind within their group. The child had become disheartened and

was boisterous as a result. The child’s class teacher had noted that they could ‘disappear’ in

lessons because of this. The musician felt that this was stemming from a fear of doing things

wrong so created a clear structure that enabled the child to succeed.

It is evident to the evaluation team that the In Harmony musicians are highly tuned to the

needs of the individual children that they are working with. Their knowledge and

observation is impressive and is reflective of a deep understanding of the needs of individual

children. This confirms the value of the intensive approach and underlines the teams’

understanding of each child’s needs.

4.9. Chamber Ensembles and After School Activity

As well the Orchestra being at the centre of In Harmony, there are many opportunities for

children to develop their ensemble playing after school through chamber groups. These

include Year 2 West Everton Mini Strings and Year 3 West Everton Mini Strings. Once

children reach Year 4, they can join West Everton Junior Strings, access brass and orchestral

percussion, and establish smaller ensembles such as quartets and quintets. Children from

primary schools other than Faith School access chamber ensembles as part of their regular

after school programme, joining as part of the main Children’s Orchestra in the lead up to

performances.

Performances for chamber groups are central to the children’s enjoyment and progression

and all groups are encouraged to perform locally or at major events at least once per term.

For many, it is more regular than this. An addition to the performance calendar this year

were the two chamber music concerts at St George’s Hall Concert Room in Liverpool, the

venue that also hosts Royal Liverpool Philharmonic’s chamber series. It is a spectacular

venue both in terms of its physical grandeur, and also the wonderful acoustic that it

possesses. Having seen artists such as the Simon Bolivar String Quartet, Tasmin Little, and

most recently the Belcea Quartet perform in this venue, it is very powerful for the children

to then have the opportunity to perform on the same stage. It is a real driver of musical

excellence, as the children can hear themselves individually and as a group with such clarity

in this environment.

Another powerful addition to the performance calendar has been the trips to Hopscotch

Nursery in West Everton. Both West Everton Super Strings and the Year 2 West Everton Mini

Strings have performed there for young children and parents/carers, and found it a very

enjoyable experience. For Year 2 West Everton Mini Strings in particular, it focused their

behaviour and skills in their Mini Strings sessions, and in planning for next year it has

reinforced how important regular performance opportunities are for these groups, even for

younger performers.

34

This year has also seen the establishment of West Everton Teacher Strings on Monday

evenings. Feedback from the evaluation team and Faith School teachers enabled the team to

reassess the teachers’ individual musical progression, particularly for Key Stage 1 teachers

whose own development is limited due to repeating basic instrument learning. As a result, a

teacher only after school ensemble was set up and they performed at St George’s Hall in

November 2011. This continues to be a successful and regularly attended part of the In

Harmony timetable, and allows the teachers to fulfil their musical potential and enjoy the

musical experience in orchestra much more, rather than be frustrated at not being able to

play at the level they know they are capable of.

4.10. Peer Learning

Summer School continues to be a focal point for the older children from West Everton Super

Strings working alongside and teaching younger children. Instances of peer to peer teaching

and learning continue to develop in WESS and West Everton Junior Strings – children helping

their desk partners (child or teacher) to learn a particular passage or something that was

covered in a session they were absent from. This is in line with the El Sistema philosophy of

“trust the young”, and gives the children the opportunity to take ownership of the skills

they’ve learnt by sharing them.

It is evident after three years that In Harmony is having a major impact on sibling

relationships and within families:

• There is evidence from In Harmony @ Home visits that children are learning together

• This has inspired one parent to take up guitar again and consider starting a family band

• Younger children are often heard to remark with pride ‘my brother/sister is in Super

Strings’

• Children take great pride and satisfaction seeing their younger sibling

learning/performing, and take great care in helping support them with

encouragement/emotional support, or even teaching them new technical musical skills.

4.11 Year 7 Progression and West Everton Super Strings

West Everton Super Strings is establishing itself as an ensemble with its own identity,

following the creation of a logo and colour scheme by its young members who are in years

7-9 and now at secondary school. The ensemble now headlines its own concerts, including

the chamber concerts at St George’s Hall Concert Room.

Throughout 2011-2012, instrumental lessons have continued for Year 7s as far as possible.

This has ended up with a natural split of those who have continued to commit to the

ensemble – WESS, and those that have just continued on an individual basis.

For those in Super Strings, their contact time has diminished from what they had at Faith,

but they have access to one small group lesson, and 2.5 hours of weekly ensemble rehearsal,

which includes sectional work and detailed input from the In Harmony Team and RLPO

Ensemble Coaches. For this group of players, their progression has continued at a steady

rate, and their commitment to the programme has shown a marked increase in terms of

regular attendance and attitude towards their own playing and the group as a whole.

35

For those in Year 7 who have just continued with their lessons in school time, their progress

has slowed considerably, as to be expected as their contact time with In Harmony has

reduced from 4 ½ hours per week to ½ an hour a week in most instances. The focus of these

lessons has been on learning the repertoire to continue to be a part of the full West Everton

Children’s Orchestra, with several of those children performing as part of the big orchestral

concert in March.

For those children who do want to continue with their instrument, but not as part of WESS,

their transition is supported to have lessons with Liverpool Music Support Service or their

secondary school, which are set up ideally to provide this tuition. There has been success

already supporting this transition, with one pupil moving to having violin lessons with an

LMSS tutor in order to learn alongside her new friends at her secondary school. However,

the majority of young people this year have chosen to continue with In Harmony.

WESS have in the last year gone from playing bronze/silver Music Medal standard pieces and

are now playing pieces at a Gold Music Medal level or above in most cases, with less

differentiation compared with the Children’s Orchestra. All music is now from notation, with

support given to those still transitioning from solfa charts. The repertoire is much more

polyphonic, allowing each individual section to develop their role, sound and identity within

the chamber orchestra environment. The range of keys has expanded from D/A major to

include G major, G minor, F major and D minor. Sally Anne Anderson (former Artistic

Director) commented on the Super Strings performance at St George’s Hall... “I thought

Super Strings really sounded excitingly good. It had a sound that I haven't heard at In

Harmony before - a committed, passionate, gutsy sound that was rhythmically tight and had

good tuning. It made me feel that being Bolivarish is possible in West Everton too.”

Deputy Artistic Director and leader of West Everton Super Strings, Alex Dunn, describes one

of the Super Strings young musician’s musical journey in the last year:

“Child A’s progression as a musician over the last year has been quite impressive. Although

she has always liked learning harder parts and sitting in the leader's chair in rehearsals,

when it came to concerts she was very happy to take a step back and would prefer to be a bit

more hidden. Now, however her confidence is such that she actively seeks the roles of leader

and soloist in concerts and performs them with confidence. Although she may protest about

having to work hard, these objections are now balanced with her leading the way in

sectionals, being the first to start practising and not stopping at break times. As the musical

challenges have increased she has risen to meet them. A year ago her reading from notation

was at early stages and hesitant. Now she reads fluently and prefers no markings to be

written in to aid her. She has an excellent ear and this is demonstrated in many ways. She

now has a better model of violin which was presented to her with no stickers to help

intonation. She proceeded to spend time of her own accord practising scales and finding

ways to help her improve her intonation. This work was done with no direction from anyone

but herself and shows very mature thinking. There is still work for her to do with intonation,

but she is happy to do it and her success has increased her confidence as well as influencing

her peers in a very positive way. Many of the children in WESS enjoy playing bits of songs

they listen to on the radio/iPods/phones etc, and she has impressed them all by how quickly

she can work out how to play these songs on her instrument. She is also quite sensitive to

what key it is in and clearly has a very good sense of pitch. As she continues the development

of her own practise technique, her technical and musical progression will, we hope, increase

faster than ever.”

36

Four of the founding young members of Super Strings have also established the West

Everton String Quartet. Quartet members have greater control over the pieces they

perform. This includes repertoire they know well from Children’s Orchestra and WESS,

rearranged to highlight individual strengths, but also includes new repertoire intended to

help shape their individual voices within the quartet. The group has grown in confidence.

The transition from primary to secondary school is a common challenge for schools and

families. However, In Harmony Liverpool has found a proactive route to engaging Year 6

children and supporting their transition to West Everton Super Strings:

“This year we decided to invite the Year 6s to join WESS at the beginning of the summer term

to give them enough time to integrate and prepare the repertoire before the St George's Hall

and summer concerts. We felt that a special invitation rather than a standard letter would

give it more of a buzz and this would include an outing as the first WESS rehearsal. This took

the form of a short team building session, followed by a meal at a restaurant, and then

attending the Belcea Quartet performance at St George’s Hall. This evening also included the

whole In Harmony team as well as our Ensemble Coaches, giving the children a chance to

familiarise themselves with everyone before we started working. This was a great success

with excellent take up, and several members of the public remarked at the concert how well

behaved the children were. A week later rehearsals started in earnest. At the beginning a bit

more creative time was built into rehearsals to allow the kids to get to know each other

better in sectionals, and have a chance to express their ideas before the focus turned to the

performances. There was a slight dip in attendance during the SATs and half term period

before it picked up again as the focus turned to the performances. On reflection it would be

beneficial to allow for even more creative opportunities and team building during the first

part of this term, as for Year 6 children who do not regularly participate in after school

activities, the level of concentration, hard work and commitment expected can be something

they’re not used to. It would also allow the current members more time to get used to taking

a leading role, not only in terms of playing, but also in modelling their attitude and

behaviour.”

4.12 Individual Progression

Two children from In Harmony Liverpool have become established members of Liverpool

Philharmonic Training Choir, which rehearses on a Monday evening and performs with the

RLP’s other children’s choirs and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. One child

continues on from their 8 hours of music making each week as part of In Harmony with extra

tuition and involvement at Liverpool Music Support Service’s Saturday Morning Music

Centre.

4.13. Attendance data: After School Clubs Term 7

The reach of the In Harmony Liverpool has extended significantly over the three year period

as evidenced in Table Seven below.

37

Reach Baseline 9/10 10/11 11/12

Estimated number of primary school children in West Everton N/A 135 146 163

Number of children with instruments in given year, and therefore the number of children

on the orchestral programme 70 106 114 139

Number of children with any involvement in given year 84 130 151 165

Cumulative number of chidren since Feb 09 having had instruments 70 106 130 169

Cumulative number of children since Feb 09 with any involvement 84 130 174 218

Number of eligible children at Faith School (no. on roll) in given year 93 93 104 118

Number of eligible children at The Beacon CE Primary School in given year N/A 17 14 15

As

number As percentage

As

number As percentage

As

number As percentage

Number of eligible children at The Beacon CE Primary School regularly taking part in given

year N/A 13 76.5% 13 92.9% 12 80.0%

Number of eligible children at other primary schools in given year (estimated) N/A 12 15 18

Number of eligible children at other primary schools regularly taking part in given year N/A 7 58.3% 7 46.7% 9 50.0%

Number of eligible secondary school aged children (cumulative since Feb 09) N/A 8 18 39

Table Seven: Reach of In Harmony Liverpool

38

Attendance at out of school clubs has continued at similar levels to those noted in previous

reports. Whilst all primary aged children at Faith Primary School are accessing up to 4.5

hours per week of music making in curriculum time, 45% of those children are participating

in additional after school provision including brass, orchestral percussion and chamber

ensembles – therefore participating in up to 7 hours per week.

Immersion and reach of project - excluding

Faith Primary School

The Beacon CE

Primary School Other Primary Schools Secondary School

9/10 10/11 11/12 9/10 10/11 11/12 9/10 10/11 11/12

Number of sessions available to group each

week 3 4 4 6 6 4 1 3

% of eligible children attending 1 session per

week on average 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 27.8% 15.4%

% of eligible children attending 2 sessions

per week on average 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0 10.3%

% of eligible children attending 3 sessions

per week on average 76.5% 35.7% 26.7% 58.3% 26.7% 50.0% 0 30.8%

% of eligible children attending 4 sessions

per week on average 57.1% 53.3% 0.0% 20.0% 0.0% 0 0

% of eligible children attending 5 sessions

per week on average 0.0% 0.0% 0 0

% of eligible children attending 6 sessions

per week on average 0.0% 0.0% 0 0

Average attendance of each participating

child to after school sessions (e.g. on

average WESS members are attending **%

of available sessions) 69.0% 59.0% 46.0%

WESS

started

June

2010

69.0% 54.0%

Table Eight: Immersion and Reach (excluding Faith Primary)

Immersion and reach of project - Faith Primary School Faith Primary School

9/10 10/11 11/12

Number of sessions available to eligible chidren per week, in school time (KS1 and KS2

only) 5 7 8

% of eligible children attending all sessions in school time (this is school attendance) 91.0% 92.7% 94.09%

Total number of eligible children for out of school sessions 71 69

% of eligible children on average attending 9 or more sessions per week 63.8% 45.0%

% of available sessions (on average) attended by eligible children (on average, the children

attending after school clubs at Faith are attending **% of the sessions) 16.0% 46.2% 55.1%

Table Nine: Immersion and Reach (Faith Primary)

The following is drawn from internal team reports:

“Attendance at Year 2 West Everton Mini Strings over Term 8 was generally strong, with a

large proportion of the year group regularly attending the club. The club began the term as a

once weekly club, on a Friday, expanding to two sessions per week in early November. Most

39

members attended at least half the sessions with some attending every session in the term.

Attendance dropped slightly as the term progressed, with a number of the children falling

into a pattern of only attending one club per week (usually the Friday club). This was

probably prompted by the addition of the Monday night session which some children could

not attend. It is worth noting that this year group have shown a tremendous amount of

enthusiasm, with 12 out of the 17 Year 2 pupils attending the club and a high attendance

average over the term.

Attendance of Year 3 West Everton Mini Strings was patchier but increased (going from 2 to

8 members) due to a recruitment drive by Ensemble Director, Laura McKinlay, and Year 3

class teacher Joel Fraser, which made a real difference to the strength and quality of the

ensemble.

West Everton Junior Strings attendance was mixed over the term. While there were some

strong attendees, there were also some children whose attendance was less consistent. The

balance of Mondays and Thursdays was pretty even. Other extra-curricular clubs, such as IT

and Basketball, drew some children away and this is a clear issue for a school offering so

much after school activity.

West Everton Super Strings attendance was also mixed over the term, with around half the

members attending very consistently, a few attending less than half the sessions, and 2

members with poor attendance. Most tended to balance their attendance over both weekly

sessions. Attendance thinned out as the term progressed, picking up for the November 22nd

concert, before waning again. This term we noticed a change in some of the original

members, in that they stepped up their commitment to the group.

Overall, attendance at Friday @ the Friary was good in Term 8, with certain children having

difficulties with attendance. Both percussion groups had strong attendance. Any lack of

attendance was mainly due to external factors. West Everton String Quintet attendance was

very strong, while In Harmony String Quartet was mixed. This reflected the fact that the

Quintet members stay on site after Orchestra rehearsal, and rehearse within school hours,

while the Quartet is made up of children from Secondary schools who must travel to the

rehearsal. Attendance of children from other schools was good, taking into account that they

joined at various points in the term, and were largely consistent in their attendance going

forwards. It is worth noting that parent/carer availability for collection of their child will

often affect attendance levels, particularly when siblings are both involved in sessions.

Attendance at In Harmony activities at The Beacon CE Primary School on a Monday after

school is generally excellent for those children who have regular transport. However, certain

children rely on Jacqui Dunderdale (member of staff) to be present to take them home. At the

beginning of this term, Jacqui’s timetable changed, meaning that she had to start attending

a staff meeting on a Monday after school. As a result certain children could only attend

sporadically, if Jacqui was able to attend on a certain week.

It seems to remain true that the younger children continue to attend after school sessions

more regularly with attendance from Year 2/3 pupils being better than that of Year 4/5/6. It

seems that as the children become older their attendance after school drops off. This

40

coincides with an enhanced independence as parents allow them to go home alone, the

need to attend SATs ‘booster’ sessions, and participation in non musical after school

activities given that they already have over 4 hours of musical activity within the curriculum.

It was suggested to the team that they start to track this attendance in a more analytical way

in order to assess trends and patterns so that action can be taken where appropriate. The

current system was simply listing individual attendance by term and provided the team with

detailed data on individual children but no comparisons were carried out across year groups

or across years of the project. It seems that there is a recurring pattern, but quantitative

analysis would evidence this and allow for consideration of emerging patterns. This work has

now begun, with ongoing evaluation and analysis of attendance patterns at after school

clubs, with action being taken where necessary. The data and narrative highlights the critical

importance of sound logistical planning, regular performances to drive after school

attendance, good scheduling and continuity between after school activities, and ongoing

consultation with children, parents and school staff to maintain or increase attendance.

4.14. Well-being:

Well-being surveys have been undertaken with the case study pupils on seven occasions

since In Harmony began (Feb, July and Nov 2010, and Feb, June and Dec 2011 and Mar

2012), with whole Faith Primary School surveys being undertaken in September 2010 and

July 2012.

Pupil well-being scores have improved overall during the life of the programme to date,

particularly in relation to trying hard with school work and wanting to do well. A slight

overall reduction in reported wellbeing scores recorded in June 2011 was countered with a

review of the programme's classroom delivery, and the recorded well-being scores have

begun to return to the higher levels recorded earlier in the programme.

The case study pupils’ aggregate responses indicate that for the majority of the areas

questioned, a more positive response continues to be reported as the programme

progresses, which may well suggest a general improvement in pupil wellbeing. Most notably

the degree of shift in attitude seems greatest for the questions ‘I try hard with my school

work’, and ‘I want to do well’, with all pupils strongly agreeing with the statements from

survey two onwards. This change in aspiration and cooperation is strongly supported by the

reported views of all teaching staff and parents, and by improvement in levels of attainment.

This is encapsulated in one teacher’s comment:

‘The behaviour of the children has improved greatly. There is a general increased maturity in

the school…. An ability to converse ….. a different quality of conversation. In Harmony has

increased the confidence of the children through performance and improved relationships

between teachers and pupils and between pupils themselves’.

When the fifth wellbeing survey was completed with the case study pupils (sample size 25)13

in June 2011 aggregate responses indicated that for the majority of areas questioned scores

13 The sample size is 25% of the overall school population and contains sibling groups as well as SEN pupils. There is an inherent limitation

in the methodology which involves group interviews as this encourages ‘copy cat’ responses and can lead to consensus based outcomes

41

had in general slightly reduced or plateaued at a lower level than those recorded in July

2010. This was reported in the September Evaluation Update as ‘early signs of an apparent

waning of enthusiasm and engagement of some pupils, particularly noticeable in older

pupils’. It was felt that it could suggest some tailing off of interest as the programme

becomes a ‘normal’ part of the school routine, which could have been compounded by the

content and demands of the programme becoming more challenging, or indeed less

challenging if pupils were not being individually stretched. Whilst it was not felt to be

entirely unexpected in a long term programme of this nature, it was emphasised that it did

have implications for how the programme maintains the energy levels, interest and

commitment of pupils as the exposure to music becomes more embedded in the school

week, and the experience therefore potentially less exciting. It was recommended that this

recurrent pattern, and its apparent link with repertoire and differential skills development,

required some attention by the In Harmony team in partnership with the school.

A review of the programme’s classroom delivery was subsequently undertaken along with a

review of orchestral rehearsals to ensure that delivery continues to be fresh and engaging.

Whilst there is some apparent recovery in overall pupils’ aggregate responses, scores have

not yet recovered to their earlier levels and will require continued monitoring.

In the March 2012 case study pupil interviews, the well being scores showed that pupils

continue to rate ‘I want do well’ very highly in their responses and ‘I try hard with my school

work’ scores highly. There continues to be a slight decline in the scores for ‘I work quietly in

class’ and the associated questions ‘I find it easy to pay attention in class’ and ‘I carry on

trying even when I find something hard’. The response to the question ‘I like doing music in

school’ reveals some degree of improvement in interest in the older pupils. This is supported

by verbal comments in the case study group sessions, which is encouraging.

Measures of case study pupil wellbeing will continue to be monitored over the ongoing In

Harmony programme.

A whole school wellbeing survey was trialled in September 2010 using a new interactive on-

line computer based survey developed specifically for In Harmony Liverpool by Priority

Research.14

The survey was reviewed and refined but never implemented again as the

company is no longer trading.

However a locally developed web based whole school survey was undertaken in July 2012.

The results will be used to continue monitoring and tracking changes in pupil wellbeing

across the whole school population. Of the questions that can be compared with the original

whole school survey undertaken in September 2010, two are of particular note.

• The question ‘I want to do well’ received a 95.9% positive response in the recent

survey compared to an 87% positive response in 2010.

• The question ‘I try hard with my school work’ received a 96% positive response

compared with 80% in 2010.

This new whole school survey will continue to be undertaken once per term.

rather than individual views. However, it does provide a means of tracking ‘general’ feeling as well as individual views and provides interesting qualitative data that usually triangulates with teacher interviews and team assessments of individual children. 14

http://priority-research.com/

42

4.15. Health data

Health data has been collected through a partnership with the PCT Information

Management and Technology Team. Data is collected from 26 GP practices plus walk in

clinics and emergency A&E (Appendix 2). This is the first time that data of this nature has

been collected on a whole school population and tracked over time to assess the impact of

local interventions such as the In Harmony programme.

Recent structural and personnel changes within the PCT have meant a delay in GP data being

available over the past twelve months. This is now resolved and retrospective data collection

for the past twelve months is currently being undertaken.

Data has been collected at six monthly intervals as follows:

Data collection ID Data collection parameters

A 1st

April 2008 – 30th

September 2008

B 1st

October 2008 – 31st

March 2009

C 1st

April 2009 – 30th

September 2009 June 2010

D 1st

October 2009 – 31st

March 2010

Oct 2010 E 1st

April 2010 – 30th

September 2010

March 2011 F 1st

October 2010 – 31st

March 2011

Table Ten: PCT Data Schedule

Results from data collected to March 2011 showed that from data collection point A to F the

number of prescriptions has decreased slightly during ‘summer‘ periods A, C & E (41, 35, and

36 prescriptions respectively) and increased slightly during ‘winter’ periods B, D & F (48, 51

and 51 respectively). However appointments have continued to increase as previously

reported; slightly during ‘summer’ periods (38,35 and 40) and more dramatically during

‘winter’ periods (44, 52 and 68). There continues to be a strong belief within the school that

the increase in appointments may be due to parents being more confident in seeking help

and being more caring of their child as a consequence of the In Harmony programme. It is

interesting to note that the increase in appointments has not resulted in a concomitant rise

in prescriptions issued; e.g. from points B to F (comparable periods from 2008 and 2010)

appointments rose from 44 to 68, however for the same period prescriptions issued only

rose from 48 to 51.

It is still too early to draw firm conclusions from the data and continued longitudinal analysis

will be required to establish emerging patterns of change and highlight any health impacts of

the programme over a longer timeframe. Data will continue to be collected over the ongoing

In Harmony programme to track and highlight all emerging trends

43

4.16. Progression beyond primary school – tracking data

It had proved difficult for the In Harmony team to track the educational and wider

development of children who have moved on from Faith Primary and this became a priority

during the academic year.

There are 11 secondary schools hosting children from In Harmony from September 2011 and

attempts have been made to establish data sets and qualitative data on each child

throughout their secondary career. This proved problematic with secondary schools in 2011,

and therefore a revised approach has been established for 2012/13 and can be found in the

revised Evaluation Framework at appendix one

Secondary Progression 09/10 (graduating Jul 09) 10/11 (graduating July 2010)

11/12 (graduating July

2011)

Number of children moved up from

Year 6 into Year 7 whilst involved

with In Harmony in given year 8 10 21

Number As percentage Number As percentage Number As percentage

Number continuing with music with

In Harmony in given year (as at

March 31st in given year) 1 12.5% 6 60.0% 15 71.4%

Number of eligible children

continuing with music with In

Harmony (out of cumulative total) 1 12.5% 7 38.9% 22 56.4%

Table Eleven: Progression Data

In total, 22 secondary school aged young people are now regularly involved with In

Harmony, having instrument lessons in school, and/or being a member of West Everton

Super Strings, the after school programme for secondary school aged young musicians. In

2011/12, In Harmony achieved 71% continuation rate of children leaving primary school and

transitioning into school based instrument lessons and/or West Everton Super Strings

The team believes the increase in continuation is due to the following:

• The development of a coherent secondary school programme within In Harmony to

meet the needs of the young musicians

• The establishment of West Everton Super Strings, which is seen by children as a

natural progression route on leaving primary school

• The increased commitment and desire of pupils to continue their music making

locally with their friends.

• The growing numbers of young people transitioning from primary school in West

Everton leading to a stronger ensemble

• The partnership with Liverpool Music Support Service and each secondary school

Head of Music to identify the appropriate progression route for individual young

people

It is recommended that this data is examined in more depth by the In Harmony team

across the coming year, and that consideration is given to how pupils can be supported to

continue with their musical engagement after leaving Faith or the other schools.

44

It is also recommended that further work is done through Liverpool Music Education Hub

to examine how better progression routes could be developed collaboratively.

4.17. Observations from Interviews with Children at Faith Primary:

Interviews with the group of 25 case study children undertaken in July 2011 underlined

several key observations made in earlier reports.

The children remain excited by the programme and particularly with the link to the RLP:

“It is amazing to play at the Phil.” (Yr 5 pupil)

“I want to play better than them .....” (Yr 4 pupil)

“When my favourite song comes on my brain starts to dance.” (Yr 4 pupil)

However, at this stage it is important to note that there was strong evidence that for many

of the children enthusiasm was beginning to wane. Within the July 2011 interviews a

recurring theme was of ‘boredom’. This may be attributable to the normalisation of the

activity, but it would also appear that there are other factors at play that should be noted.

This includes the growing differentiation in skill levels and the timing of the interviews. This

also reflects the very real challenge in building a culture of persistence, hard work and

resilience that is required to succeed in learning a musical instrument. In Harmony is

intended to be challenging by encouraging sustained engagement and application. The stage

that has been reached is therefore a very exciting and challenging stage for the programme.

Deep seated cultures, values, attitudes and aspirations need to be challenged, as reflected

by some case study pupil comment in June 2011:

“I know what its like and it’s boring now” (Yr 4 pupil)

“When we started it was all new and interesting but now it is just boring. We know the tunes

by heart” (Yr 6 pupil)

“The music sessions are sometimes all the same” (Year 6 pupil)

“It is not challenging any more. It is boring.” (Yr 6 pupil)

It is interesting to note that in October 2010, Ed Vulliamy had commented on this:

“It cuts, for all its apparently relaxed joviality, against the zeitgeist of almost every other

influence and impact upon these children in a digital, post-modern, post-moral society

seeped in celebrity culture and the creatively pointless quest for quick-hit reward – as was

fully intended by the Venezuelans who created El Sistema.”

(http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2010/oct/03/britain-children-orchestra-sistema)

A possible strategy is hinted at by the ongoing excitement of the children at working with

professional musicians. The In Harmony team provide role models for these children and the

children admire them. Some consideration may need to be given to the gender aspects of

this. It is interesting to note that one pupil was cited by the team as having drawn a picture

of his role models and he included the two male In Harmony musicians in his drawing. It is

also significant that there is only one male teacher in Faith Primary.

45

The different levels of attainment appear to hold some older pupils back and this gap will

keep extending over the years as the programme progresses and this must continue to be

addressed if the children are to remain motivated and engaged:

“We have to wait for the younger kids to learn – to catch up.” (Yr 5 pupil)

However there is also a case to be made for some of the more advanced children further

developing their listening skills. This is an essential skill that an orchestral musician develops,

and this patience and ability to wait for your turn to play should be encouraged. The In

Harmony team should explore opportunities to actively encourage the older children to

support the younger children in their learning during rehearsals.

The addition of West Everton Junior Strings and West Everton Super Strings, open to

everyone, is a means to support differentiation and musical progression. These activities are

widely communicated to children, teachers and parents. Yet, for some case study children

there is a perception that this creates an uneven playing field and leads to a perception of

exclusion. This is potentially running against the intention of the team which is to motivate

by creating ensembles and increase aspiration for higher achievement.

“Superstrings get to do concerts now and we don’t get to do them.”(Yr 6 pupil)

“The super strings get to do everything – they don’t ask us” (Year 4 pupil)

The team are fully aware of this tension and it will always be a delicate balance of achieving

the inclusion sought alongside the need to create opportunities that motivate and develop

progression opportunities. In Harmony Liverpool is not, and never has been, a static model.

As it progresses into year 4 and 5 the challenges of differing levels of ability will increase and

there will be an ongoing need for the team to remain alert, to make relevant and

appropriate changes and to respond as they have been doing to the children.

As at June 2011, there was evidence from the older pupils that progression into Year 7 will

continue to bring challenges:

“I won’t carry on playing my instrument in secondary school because I will have to carry it

round all day.” (Year 6 pupil)

A further recurring theme in the interviews was the interest in other musical forms and

instrumentation. Children have often told us that they would like to change instruments but

during these interviews, a large number of pupils talked about other musical genres. This

raises important questions about whether In Harmony is music education in the school or is

PART of a wider music curriculum:

“There is a difference between music in school and general music.”(Year 5 pupil)

“They don’t use our other music skills.” (Year 6 pupil who plays guitar)

“I would like to try another instrument.”(Yr 6 pupil)

“If we got new instruments it would be a change – more interesting – and would motivate us

more.”(Yr 6 pupil)

Interviews in March 2012 confirmed a number of these issues as extant. However a degree

in change in attitude was observed particularly with older pupils:

46

‘’At first I was a little bit worried because I was only quite little. But I’m not now’’ (Yr 1 pupil)

‘’I like all the music lessons and orchestra. The teacher is really funny’’ (Yr 1 pupil)

‘’We are going to the Philharmonic Hall and going on telly’’ (Yr 2 pupil)

‘’All we ever do is music. We got another concert coming up. It is the story of my life’’ (Yr 3

pupil)

“We are getting better at practice. We have to watch, listen and focus’’ (Yr 3 pupil)

‘’It’s getting harder cos we have to keep practicing new pieces’’ (Yr 4 pupil)

‘’It’s getting easier cos I go to practice club and I am practicing at home and I am teaching

my sister – she is 21’’ (Yr 5 pupil)

‘’We have learned new songs and how to share, to talk to people with respect and they give

it back to you’’ (Yr 5 pupil)

‘’It’s not so boring now. It has improved, the music has gone a bit harder’’ (Yr 6 pupil)

‘’The chairs are better’’ (Yr 6 pupil)

‘’It has changed cos the year 2 have orchestra before us so we don’t have to wait for them to

catch up’’ (Yr 6 pupil)

‘’Sol-fa gets confusing when you change keys’’ (Yr 6 pupil)

As detailed in the Musical Achievement section, this supports the fact that most issues have

been addressed, including changes to repertoire and separate rehearsal times for older and

younger pupils. However this will require ongoing monitoring.

In summary, it is to be expected that ‘normality’ will inevitably bring a loss of enthusiasm

with children of this age and it is therefore not surprising that the children would, after 2

years, start disengaging to some extent. But the recurrent pattern and its apparent link with

repertoire and differential skills development is something that we feel will continue to

require attention by the In Harmony team in partnership with the school.

There is a major debate emerging here about what brings more positive impact. Is it the

whole school orchestra or is it ensembles? This links to the music v social outcomes tension.

The whole school approach is undoubtedly powerful and is still felt to be the key by the

school staff and the In Harmony team but the debate will be ongoing as the children

progress and differential levels of musical attainment stretch further. Secondly, some of the

above observations link to the musical and social outcomes debates around what is most

important for the children. Is it really a bad thing if children stop playing instruments in Year

7 as long as In Harmony has affected their social outlook on learning and education in a

positive way?

47

4.18. The Beacon Church of England Primary School

In February 2012, we began the process of tracking a group of children from The Beacon CE

Primary School. We interviewed four groups of children, half of whom are taking part in In

Harmony and half of whom are not.

This was the first opportunity we have had to create any kind of control group for the

programme. This work will now be ongoing as part of the evaluation and we hope to be able

to add attainment data in future reports.

At this stage the purpose of our interviews was to create a baseline so the well being survey

was carried out with all children and this will be reported on as we gather more data to set

alongside the baseline.

The teaching assistant who accompanies pupils from The Beacon CE Primary School to the

sessions at the Friary talks enthusiastically about the In Harmony experience:

‘One of the children has really come out of themselves. Everyone comments on the change in

them. They are mixing well with new people – children and adults – there has been a huge

improvement in their social skills’

‘The year 1s are amazing how they have taken to it – It helps the younger ones join in’

‘All those eligible in Beacon school are taking part. It is a big commitment because the kids

have to opt in – it is after school – it is their choice’

‘The kids who take part are far calmer and more focussed’

‘The In Harmony tee shirts make everyone part of the same thing, wherever they come from

– they are all the same’

‘There has been a real impact on the community with Faith and Beacon schools mixing

together – they see each other as equals – when they see each other passing they now wave

to each other’

‘In Harmony is beginning to cross the religious divide in the area’

‘In Harmony should be available to all kids’

Qualitative data drawn from the interviews highlighted some extremely interesting findings

that will need probing and testing in future interviews.

Firstly, there was very little difference between the groups of children engaging with In

Harmony and those not engaging because of postcodes, all spoke with equal enthusiasm

about the programme and there was a sense that those who weren’t able to take part were

pleased for their peers who could and wished they were able to do so. Indeed, the teaching

assistant commented on the fact that children kept bringing their postcodes to check

whether they were eligible. Those taking part stated that their friends who weren’t able to

do so, were happy for them rather than jealous.

Secondly, the children see this as a real privilege:

“We are really lucky”

“Faith kids are lucky, they get more of it”

48

“It’s a one time opportunity.”

It is interesting to speculate around this notion of ‘privilege’. It is significant that 80% of

eligible children have opted in to the programme. All claim to practice at home and all

appear equally passionate about the experience.

The pupils talked animatedly and eloquently about their feelings for In Harmony. Common

themes were around:

• The excitement of taking part:

I thought it would be boring but it’s fun. I am excited and thrilled

When you play your instrument it’s like expressing yourself

Taking part makes me feel I want to do it every day

• The sense of achievement:

I like playing the sounds

It was hard to get my bow straight at first

Time goes so quickly. You get loads of education even though it’s just music

When I first did it I was worried cos I thought I couldn’t do it – but now I get excited

I can tell the difference in the notes from the sound

It pushes you to the limit and helps you read music

It doesn’t matter if you’re not perfect cos you can learn – there is no such thing as

can’t

• The sense of real commitment:

It’s like a strong force pulling you to get involved

IH helps me get better at music and get involved in everything else

We met Tasmin Little. It is a great opportunity

It helps you learn how to join in and get better and stronger and get better grades in

music. You can’t miss it if you want to get better

• The sense of belonging and team:

We are all like a family (the ones who play). I think the ones who don’t play would

feel sad

It’s called In Harmony cos we play music and loads of people do it – like a harmony

Together we make a big sound

When we all join together in orchestras we have made new friends with the kids

from Faith – we help each other

49

• The sense of pride:

It meant a lot to me when I heard it was the Philharmonic

It is our intention to continue to monitor this group as the programme progresses and to try

to identify any trends or issues that may have an affect on the overall programme.

5. Interim Findings: Faith Primary School

5.1. It is important to state that at this stage no work has been done to assess impact of In

Harmony Liverpool on The Beacon CE Primary School. This may be a consideration for future

years as it would be interesting to compare the two school environments over time.

5.2. It is apparent that the impact of In Harmony on the school community continues to be

immensely positive. There is a growing sense of ownership of the programme, the staff team

appear to be engaged and involved in the programme and their commitment to it is evident.

It would be easy for them to start seeing In Harmony as a drain on curriculum time as it does

place significant pressure on them to fit the national curriculum into a reduced timetable but

the opposite is occurring as staff see the benefit to the children and to their overall

relationships with them. We have commented in earlier reports about the ‘learning

community’ emerging and it remains significant that teachers and staff are learning

alongside the children. There is recognition and appreciation of this by the children and it is

affecting relationships. The culture of the school would appear to be changing but, as noted

earlier, it is difficult to identify the cause of this definitively because of the new school

building and the more open plan environment that has created. Parental engagement is

reported as increasing but again this could be due to other factors as well as In Harmony.

5.3. A series of interviews were held with teachers in July 2011 and again in March 2012. In July,

there was a marked change in the feedback from teachers. It was clear that staff were

beginning to think more critically about how In Harmony impacts on the whole school rather

than just the children. This was felt to be positive as it suggested that school staff were

taking more ownership of the programme, developing their skills and confidence and desire

to see better integration, and making critical judgements on the programme. We

recommended that this should be harnessed and built upon by the In Harmony team and

management.

5.4. In September 2011, we noted that:

“The strong feeling that learning together is important for the teachers and pupils does not

seem to be translated into the In Harmony staff learning from the teachers and maybe this is

something that could be considered:

“The essence of the project is the aspect of all learning together – a two way relationship –

pupil-teacher. But, the music staff are not involved in teaching in any way. They are not

aware of what is happening in the classroom.”

We also noted a stronger emphasis on the need to adopt more shared approaches and

embed skills within the core teaching staff and a greater emphasis on the development of a

music curriculum that complements the overall curriculum.

There is a strong sense that more joint planning is required between the In Harmony team

and the school staff:

50

“Feeding comments in is not easy because no regular joint meetings. A full staff team meeting

would be good to share ideas and approaches.”

“Joint management of all staff would be good – one staff team – not operating in parallel.”

“This year has been 100 times better than last year in terms of working together, but still

long, long way to go.

“Once a month joint meetings would be good to aid communication and sharing.”

“It would be so good to integrate the music into normal teaching – one team – there to work

for the kids.”

The cross curricular nature of delivery was a further recurring theme and the fact that music

provision through In Harmony doesn’t yet link to this is something that may need

consideration in this transitional year:

“Everything in the school is delivered in a cross curricular way – other than music. Music is

taught in isolation.”

5.5. This was immediately acted upon and a joint staff training event was held in January 2012

involving all classroom teaching staff and all IH music staff, facilitated by the evaluation

team. The purpose of the session was:

• To further build relationships with the two staff teams

• To identify ways in which the teams might improve working together for the benefit

of the children and the community

• To develop a better understanding of the challenges and issues

• To enhance communication

This involved a shared consideration of:

• What drives In Harmony Liverpool?

• How can the work of In Harmony better impact on the whole curriculum?

• How can the staff teams work together to ensure a consistent approach to

behaviour management?

• How can the teams work together to share skills and learn from each other?

• How can the teams work together in a more collaborative, consistent and productive

way?

The outcome of the training session was a set of agreed key actions that are now informing

the working practices of both staff teams (Appendix Three).

This is seen as a very positive development and has begun to cement the integration of In

Harmony within the curriculum delivery of the school. It is recommended that there

continues to be a regular programme of joint staff training that informs the development

of the In Harmony Liverpool programme.

5.6. In July 2011, teachers raised a number of issues that were also reported in September 2011.

In March 2012, in follow up interviews it was apparent that whilst many of the issues and

challenges were being addressed some remained concerns.

51

5.7. The following table provides a synopsis of the main issues raised by staff in July 2011 along

with those drawn from the March 2012 interviews. It is important to note that these are

perceptions that are reported verbatim, but they do highlight some of the key issues for the

teaching staff.

It is evident that school teaching staff continue to see the impact of the programme on

attainment, behaviour and well being and that they continue to see impact on the individual

children they teach in relation to non-cognitive skills development, social development and

attainment:

MARCH 2012 JULY 2011

Attainment • I am convinced that In Harmony is having

a major impact on some of the children

with special needs. The visual elements

and the fact that the work is so hands on

is generating success for certain children

that they don’t get in their academic

work

• Attainment is continuing to improve and

there are some remarkable individual

stories to be told with one child moving

from reading level 1 -8.

• In Harmony gives children who have good

motor skills but lower intellect the chance

to shine.

Behaviour • The behaviour management system is

being adopted by the music staff

• Sharing the staff room has proved

invaluable for the music staff to

understand the context of the kids’

behaviour

• There are behaviour issues resurfacing

generally in the school. We need to start

using the behaviour book on the yard

again

• I have two children in my class with SEN

and they get such a lot from this. The

attention to detail helps and they seem to

take a lot in and are keen to learn and are

more focussed.

• The children are becoming more ‘mature’

as they are taking more responsibility for

their learning and for ours. I can have

conversations with children that would

not have been possible a couple of years

ago with children of this age.

Concentration • Music has focussed the attitude of the

kids and how they play/behave

• The music does not necessarily help their

education, but it does impact on

behaviour and therefore on learning.

• I find the children much calmer and more

focussed after music sessions

Self

confidence /

well-being

• They have a real pride in their work • The children get a great sense of pride

from being part of something and

performing. The orchestra provides this

for them.

• A new boy started in the school and being

involved in In Harmony helped him to

settle as he got to know people in other

classes and became more confident.

Teaching

approaches

• They need to start catering for different

ages

• We used to do more individual playing in

front of the groups with Sally. It was good

for being heard for what you are and

what you can do – as an individual – not

just ‘bashing’ it out in a whole group

• Yrs 5 and 6 are now talented and could

• Some of the pictorial and rhythm

approaches, which include the less able,

are really good

• The children have outstripped me in their

playing and this is a good thing as it

creates better relationships and shows

them that adults don’t know everything. I

52

Table Twelve: Faith Primary School Staff Perceptions

5.8. Some of the views expressed in the table above highlight the need for continued effort to be

made in sharing practice and planning between the In Harmony and Faith Primary School

teams.

be pushed more

• Separating KS1 and KS2 is working really

well – the older ones feel important

• Orchestral rehearsals are still not much of

a challenge – even though years 3 – 6 is

better than it was. They are doing more

now to get the older ones to play things

at their own level. The more able ones

could be stretched more

• They could let them ‘have a go’ earlier –

like X Factor. It’s good to hear the piece

first before they just learn the parts. Let

them just try it through earlier

• There is still an issue with the interest

level of the older kids. Each new term we

start new pieces and we all go back to

open strings. They don’t seem to target

music at the known level of individual

abilities

often use my mistakes now as a teaching

approach.

• Immersion is the key to success. You

couldn’t have the impact without the

intensity

Personal

gains

• I am learning more now that there is a

teachers club but still feel that more could

be done to build our capacity and ability

to lead some of the music teaching

• The teachers could be more involved in

the ‘sections’. Staff could have a different

role on a rota basis

• In terms of development - the school staff

should be used more as a teaching tool –

we are missing a trick.

• I have got to know the children more

quickly as we learn together and this has

had an effect on my relationships with

them.

The school

community

• In Harmony has helped the school to

improve – using data as a gauge of

impact is very limited

• There is possibly too much music. Maybe

there could be less hours of music in

school time as the children get older

• In Harmony is nothing special now – it is

part of what they do in school. I think

they still appreciate that it is unique

• Relationships have improved and people

are more approachable

• It is much better now – if all points from

the joint staff meeting are put in place it

should improve links between music and

the curriculum

• Feeding ideas in is getting easier

• They are starting to do songs linked to

the curriculum

• People are now more aware and asking

how we can link things in, especially after

the joint staff session

• The school is the children and the staff. In

Harmony works because it works with us

as a whole community.

• There should be more links made

between the music and the curriculum. In

Harmony is orchestra and needs to be

more than that.

• There needs to be more joint meetings

and planning meetings.

• Seeing the musicians as performers is

very important for the pupils. Seeing

professional musicians playing with high

level skills – in the orchestra and on TV

etc

• The musicians are not rehearsing in

school anymore, and they have stopped

playing in the playground

53

5.9. However, teachers were noting a drop off in interest and disengagement on the part of

some pupils in July 2011 and whilst there has been improvement, there is an ongoing

concern that pupils are perhaps not being stretched enough:

July 2011:

“Some pupils are getting fed up. They don’t want to be musicians.”

“Separate sections good for older ones – they feel special – they need something more

challenging.”

“Year 6 find the orchestra boring. Last year 5 out of 8 continued. This only year 5/6 out of 20

are continuing.”

“There needs to be more differentiation in each group to stretch all kids. Could be more task

based.”

“Orchestra tends to cover the same things each week. The level is not necessarily right for the

older kids – not stretching enough.”

“Possible should have KS1 orchestra separate from KS2.”

March 2012:

“I think the Alexander technique report suggested that poor posture could be the result of

boredom”

“We could run 2 separate orchestras – lower and upper school”

“Teaching whole orchestra a new piece causes the kids difficulty”

“Could class lessons be used as sectionals?”

“Morning singing is a bit childish for the older ones”

“Using sol-fa when the kids can read music causes confusion when the keys change – I read

music and I struggle as an adult.”

5.10. Staff also continued to point to the need to blur the professional boundaries between the

school staff and the In Harmony staff. The initial motivation for the teachers was rooted in

novelty and impact and, we noted in September 2011, that “in order for this to be retained,

school staff now need to be engaged more as professionals in their own right with expertise

that can be developed and capitalised upon. This could involve a range of different things

including teacher practice clubs that would push their musical skills and develop them as

musicians as well as teachers.”

The team introduced a teachers’ practice club and this has been welcomed:

“When I play with the kids, it’s for them and I am not really learning anything new so the

teachers club allows me to stretch my own learning and support the kids more.”

In addition to the teachers’ practice club, Faith Primary School staff members are invited to

attend West Everton Junior Strings, West Everton Super Strings, Brass and Percussion groups

in order to further advance their own musical skills and development.

54

5.11. It is possible that more could still be done to build capacity. We noted in September 2011

that, “Whilst staff feel that it is important to continue to sit alongside the children as

learners there also appears to be an emerging strand of thinking that they should be

developing different roles alongside this.”:

“It would be possible to develop classroom teachers in delivering some of the music, but not

instrumental technique at this stage.”

“Should consider joint in-service training sessions.”

“We could do more in terms of building the capacity of the school staff team.”

“Teachers should possibly have a joint role – sitting in the orchestra as well as leading some

sessions.”

“It would be good to share the vision for the year, the journey ...”

In January 2012 the role of Faith Primary teachers in orchestra rehearsals was discussed and

the majority of teachers preferred to remain a general member of the orchestra. The

individuals wishing to take a more active role in the rehearsals have been accommodated

and encouraged by the In Harmony team. This will need to be continually monitored.

5.12. It would also appear that staff are beginning to feel the pressure on the curriculum more

keenly as the programme progresses:

“It is tough trying to fit everything in to the classroom teaching with so much time given to

music”

“The honeymoon period is over in terms of pressure on curriculum and the statistical data

now appearing”

“There is no flexible time in the curriculum – but still the same amount of maths and English

to be taught”

“The music staff want to protect the music time. Music is very much protected whereas the

rest of the curriculum isn’t”

5.13. These interviews raise a number of challenges for In Harmony and for the management of

the project.

• Once something becomes a ‘normal’ part of the way things are done, enthusiasm can

wane. This appears to be happening and there is a need to address this on an ongoing basis

to pre-empt disengagement. Some of this appears to relate to the differential levels of

attainment and the difficulty of stretching pupils within the mixed groups and the orchestral

model but there is also evidence from case study interviews that some of the solutions to

this have brought challenges and may be perceived as excluding children. The team are

aware of this danger and are addressing it. One member of staff felt that the key to keeping

it fresh was to focus on events and concerts as this motivates the children but another felt it

could be more to do with embedding the music more into the overall curriculum. What is

clear is that ongoing collective consideration of this needs to take place between teaching

staff and the In Harmony team. The interviews with children at The Beacon CE Primary

School are interesting in this context as the children do not see it as a normal part of school

life at all and their enthusiasm and commitment remains high.

55

• The relationship between teaching staff and In Harmony staff continues to need further

consideration both from a professional development perspective as well as from a

curriculum and planning perspective. In Harmony is premised on a technical expertise within

the music team that is not shared by teaching staff. But they have a different technical

expertise as teachers and this has perhaps not been maximised. Staff report being ‘informed

rather than engaged’. The relationship could be developed to be more two way and this

would undoubtedly have a positive impact on the children and the programme as it moves

forward. We feel that there is a significant opportunity here for the programme to combine

the strengths of both professional skill sets to develop and embed a new and powerful

approach to engagement and learning in schools. It is evident that there is a developing,

increased collaboration between teachers and In Harmony musicians, both socially and

professionally. The joint staff training event in January was a useful catalyst with a follow up

session held in July. This will however require additional support from management and

external professional bodies if the full potential is to be realised.

• School staff had not questioned the In Harmony pedagogical approach to date, yet appear

to be doing so in year three of the programme. The In Harmony team are aware of these

issues and action is being taken to share planning time with staff to create better dialogue,

communication and engagement to address this. This common concern should continue to

be fruitfully addressed in year four of the programme.

• This raises one further issue for consideration. It seems all partners wish for the resources to

be managed to place the child at the centre of provision. And yet, several people have used

the word “sacrosanct” when talking about the music provision. The school staff team has no

control over the resource and there appears to be a need to continue to regenerate the

shared vision between the school and the In Harmony team that will ensure that true

partnership working can develop within a shared culture, management and commitment to

the experience and development of the children and the school community.

56

6. Interim Findings: The Community

6.1. The evaluation programme continues to record high levels of support, within the West

Everton community, for the In Harmony programme. Pride and continuing enthusiasm for

the work is consistently evident in interviews, focus groups and surveys. Wellbeing surveys

reveal residents feeling more involved in their community as a consequence of In Harmony,

reporting improved relationships with their children and the school, and feelings of

improved wellbeing. Unsurprisingly reported changes in feelings around self determination

are as yet inconclusive as this is a more long term issue with a number of external

influencing factors. Wider socio economic data comparing changes in West Everton with an

area in Kirkdale is beginning to reveal some interesting trends, however it is still too early to

draw any firm conclusions on the socio economic impact of the In Harmony programme in

West Everton. This will continue to be analysed over the life of the programme. Volunteering

and active community engagement still remain areas for further development, and it is

hoped that the recently created post of In Harmony Assistant will support this.

6.2. The recent publication of the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) 2010 15

showed that

Liverpool was still the most deprived local authority in England and Everton remains the

most disadvantaged part of the city. Everton 16

has the lowest average income, the highest

unemployment and the highest incapacity benefit levels (demonstrating poor health) and

the lowest educational attainment levels at GCSE when including English and Maths.

The IMD 2010 assesses Lower Super Output Areas (LSOAs) – small areas of relatively even

size (around 1500 people) of which there are 32,482 in England. Everton ward contains the

most deprived LSOA in the city, ranked 4th

in England. The average ward rank is 1,929.

A significant amount of work has been undertaken with Liverpool City Council through the

LAMP team within the Housing Strategy and Investment Service, as well as the Community

Safety and Cohesion Service, to establish social and economic data sets to begin to track the

wider socio-economic changes in the West Everton area over an extended time frame. A

study area has been identified around Faith Primary School based on pupils’ residency and

LSOAs. A comparator area has also been identified to the north around the Kirkdale area

(map attached at Appendix Four).

Data has been collected around a number of socio-economic indicators including:

• Anti social behaviour

• Residential burglary;

• Drug offences;

• Theft of, and from, motor vehicles;

• Employment;

• Incapacity benefit.

Comparative figures have been collected from 2008 to 2011 (Appendix Five).

It is interesting to note that in West Everton rates of reported crime have decreased across

all five categories in 2009 and 2010. There is an increase in all rates in 2011 other than for

drug offences which have continued to fall year on year. However all rates in 2011 are still

15 http://liverpool.gov.uk/council/key-statistics-and-data/indices-of-deprivation/

16 http://liverpool.gov.uk/Images/everton.pdf

57

significantly lower than the rates in 2008. In comparison rates of reported crime in the

Kirkdale area have reduced to a lesser degree in 2009 and 2010 across all five categories.

ASB, Burglary and drug offences have significantly higher rates in 2011 than in 2008. The

number of recorded drug offences has risen year on year. There has been an increase in Job

Seekers Allowance rates in both areas with a slightly higher increase in the West Everton

area. Incapacity Benefit rates have decreased is both areas with a greater decrease in the

West Everton area.

Figure Two: Comparison of drug offences rates 2008-2011

Some interesting differential trends are beginning to emerge, however changes in the area

profile will need to be monitored over an extended period if the wider long term impact of

the In Harmony Liverpool programme is to be tracked and assessed.

6.3. Community Well-being

The In Harmony programme is essentially a community development programme using

music to bring positive change to the lives of young children in some of the most deprived

areas of England, as well as delivering significant benefits across the wider community. From

the outset of the evaluation of the programme, tracking the impact on the wider community

was highlighted as a key element of the evaluation process. Continued tracking of the impact

of In Harmony Liverpool on community well-being is essential if the broader impact of the

programme is to be fully appreciated and therefore better able to inform local, regional and

national policy development. It is also important to consider the wider impact of public

sector cuts and emerging government policy on community well-being.

Tracking of impact on community well-being to date has included:

• Well-being surveys

• Parents/carers’ focus groups

• Community focus groups

• In Harmony at Home

• Parent and babies/toddlers group

58

Community well-being surveys have been undertaken on four occasions (Dec ’09, Mar ’10,

Jan ’11, Mar ‘12). (Appendix Six)

In the majority of areas questioned, respondents have returned increasingly positive

responses across the four surveys. Most notably the degree of shift in attitude is highest in:

‘I feel involved in the local community’

‘I feel pride in the West Everton community’

‘The IH project has given me a more positive relationship with Faith primary school’

‘IH has given me a more positive relationship with my children’

‘I have seen an improvement in the behaviour of children attending Faith primary school’

‘I feel people from outside West Everton see the area in a more positive way’

‘I feel my health is generally good’

‘Through the IH project I feel more involved in the West Everton community’’

Areas returning a less positive response over the four surveys include:

‘I feel hopeful about the future’

‘I feel I have the ability to change my life’

‘I can influence decisions affecting my local area’

‘I feel people in West Everton treat each other with respect and consideration’

Overall respondents are generally reporting feeling more involved in the community as a

consequence of In Harmony. They are reporting more positive relations with their children

and the school, as well as feelings of improved well-being. However feelings of self

determination and confidence in the future seem to be less positive. This may be directly

affected by the current national economic climate. This is a far more long term issue and will

continue to be monitored throughout the continuing In Harmony programme.

However there is undoubtedly an emerging issue for In Harmony and the wider partnership

in how local residents can now be more actively involved in the programme, and further,

how this can potentially provide a real context to engage local people in issues affecting

them and the future of the local area. West Everton Community Council (WECC) is in a

period of transition and still ‘bedding in’ to the new building that it now occupies. The

funding for WECC from the City Council has reduced and the organisation has a number of

ongoing staffing issues. This has constrained their ability to fully capitalise on the In Harmony

programme in West Everton. There is a recognition that more could be done by In Harmony

to increase community participation in the In Harmony programme, and to increase the

impact of the work across the whole community, but also a recognition that budgetary

constraints make this more challenging to achieve.

One suggestion has been to link the Tea and Tunes sessions to other community activities.

This has begun to happen with In Harmony staff taking part in a community fun day. This is

something that could be developed.

A further suggestion raised by a number of people has been the formation of a community

choir. There is a strong belief within the community that a community choir would be a

powerful way of engaging a range of local residents in the In Harmony programme and

greatly increasing the impact of the programme in the local area. Funding, rather than

59

capacity, seems to be the issue here and it is recommended that the possibility of

establishing a community choir be explored across the wider partnership, including Hope

University, LCC, LMSS, RLP, WECC. There would seem to be significant potential in a

partnership between Hope, LMSS and RLP potentially supported by a cocktail of funding

including LCC redirected area community development/arts funds and support from the

newly formed Liverpool Music Education Hub.

The relocation of LMSS to the new Resonate Creativity and Music Studio in very close

proximity to Faith school would seem to be an ideal opportunity to develop closer working

relationships through the developing Music Hub. A recently formed Resonate Kids Choir

could benefit from closer links with In Harmony and Faith school. This could also be the

foundation for the creation of an adult community choir as highlighted above.

Many residents are engaged and enthused by In Harmony. There is now a real challenge to

the wider partnership in how to harness and use this to galvanise a new approach to building

social capital, and put more power and opportunity in the hands of local people in support of

the aspirations of national government agendas around the Big Society.

6.4. Community Participation

Box office statistics had shown that attendance at Philharmonic Hall from the relevant West

Everton postcode areas was increasing. This increased attendance had extended beyond In

Harmony events, representing a general increase in attendance at the Philharmonic Hall.

However, in the period September 2010 – August 2011, attendance at Hall events had

dropped slightly but in the subsequent half year this appears to be picking up again slightly.

However, this is largely consistent with overall attendance data and could be due to the

slightly reduced number of events at Philharmonic Hall and the small recessionary impact on

sales.

There is ongoing anecdotal evidence within the wider community that the narrative has

continued to be about ‘hope’ and ‘pride’ in the community and in the Children’s Orchestra

and there is strong evidence that parental engagement continues to increase.

Table Thirteen: Box Office Data17

However, it is important to note here that, during the year in question, In Harmony was a

government funded programme led by the Department for Education with membership

criteria. In our view, the national In Harmony membership criteria for this transitional year

17 The figures show West Everton households rather than ticket sales.

RLPO Hall RLPO Hall RLPO Hall RLPO Hall RLPO Hall RLPO Hall

Postcode

Sept 06

–

Aug 07

Sept 06

–

Aug 07

Sept 07

–

Aug 08

Sept 07

–

Aug 08

Sept 08

–

Aug 09

Sept 08

–

Aug 09

Sept 09

–

Aug 10

Sept 09

–

Aug 10

Sept 10

–

Aug 11

Sept 10

–

Aug 11

Sept 11

–

Feb 12

Sept 11

–

Feb 12

L3 3_ _ 6 6 2 6 4 8 3 9 4 8 1 4

L3 8_ _ 9 21 14 22 20 29 16 47 15 19 8 13

L5 3_ _ 0 15 3 17 7 18 2 25 2 14 4 9

L6 1_ _ 5 16 3 26 12 25 11 28 19 29 7 19

L6 2_ _ 2 19 2 21 2 24 6 24 4 15 3 7

TOTAL 22 77 24 92 45 104 38 133 44 85 23 52

60

was primarily driven towards school engagement and sought through this to achieve social

and community impact. Therefore, in bidding, the RLP had to focus the programme of

activity to address these criteria. This is something that needs to be considered as the

programme moves forward from this transitionary year and it is a national issue not just a

local issue. The focus on the school is risky and programme leaders will need to continue to

maintain commitment to community development in the broadest sense as In Harmony

England moves forward.

The wider issue of community participation is something that needs to be protected when

future funding decisions are made and new funding sources procured as a reduction in this

aspect of the programme could impact on the ability of the project to fully engage with the

wider community in West Everton.

We found evidence from interviews and anecdotal reports that the community engagement

aspect of the In Harmony Liverpool programme is being questioned in terms of whether it is

currently achieving its full potential. The overall In Harmony programme is branded as a

‘community development programme’ with a vision for the work to directly affect, and

hopefully improve, the aspirations and life chances of the wider community. However, the

central focus of In Harmony is children and schools:

“In terms of the social model of the project it is based more around the school rather than the

community. How do we develop the community aspect more? Perhaps lessons for parents

and more ‘Tea and Tunes’ (Community member)

Undoubtedly more parents are now involved than previously, possibly as a result of

increased confidence. However the programme remains very focussed on the school and

may be missing an opportunity to develop a more robust model of community engagement

and participation in partnership with other agencies. This is an issue that has been

highlighted in previous reports:

‘There is undoubtedly an emerging issue for In Harmony and the wider partnership in how

local residents are now more actively involved in the programme….There is now a real

challenge to the wider partnership in how to harness and use this to galvanise a new

approach to building social capital…..’ (Interim report year two – March 2011)

Whilst there are some elements being reintroduced there is perhaps now an opportunity to

reassess the approach to community engagement in the programme, drawing on all the

resources and expertise across the broader partnership, in particular the City Council, the

PCT and Hope University. This could include establishing a community orchestra and choir

supported by lessons for parents, alongside other initiatives, linked to a programme of wider

community engagement and development in the area. The opportunity for the In Harmony

programme to deliver a sustainable model of community engagement and civic renewal has

been well rehearsed in previous reports. The potential direct link to key government

agendas including the ‘big society’ and the opportunity to develop a working model of

sustainable community engagement has also been consistently highlighted. It may be timely

therefore, particularly in light of recent civil unrest across the country, to revisit the

programme of community involvement and to actively pursue a new working approach to

community engagement with In Harmony at its heart.

There is great potential to engage WECC more in In Harmony Liverpool. The organisation has

had an immense year of change moving into their new building (old Faith school building),

setting themselves up and looking at their own events programme such as Out of the Blue,

which In Harmony has played a major role in supporting as a major community event. WECC

61

would like to raise funds for additional community development staff that could effectively

work closely with the In Harmony Liverpool Manager on a coherent approach to community

engagement maximising benefits of WECC, their services and In Harmony.

Since autumn 2011 a revised timetable has included: Tea and Tunes; concert visits to

Philharmonic Hall; Parents open days and instrument try out with their children; community

performances by children; Community Champions and volunteering; weekly In Harmony at

Home opportunities; Tots In Harmony; WESS basing some activity at WECC to help develop

culture of music in WECC. Thus there is strong evidence that the project leadership have

identified the emerging issue and are responding in a timely fashion to it.

In Harmony at Home visits have continued to be a particularly effective way of engaging

more residents in the In Harmony programme. In total, 66 home visits have reached 88

children, often involving up to four family generations. This represents 37.9% of the pupils

within In Harmony Liverpool and has proved to be a very powerful way of reaching out into

the local community.

Home Visits 09-10 10-11 11-12 Cumulative

No. of separate visits in given year 33 25 8 66

No. of children visited in given year (double counting repeat visits) 42 34 12 88

% of children with instruments receiving home visit in given year 39.6% 29.8% 8.6% N/A

Number of unique children to receive a home visit in given year (NOT double

counting repeat visits)

35 19 10 64

% of children with an instrument to receive a home visit since Feb 09 33.0% 41.5% 37.9% N/A

% of children to receive more than one visit since Feb 09 6.6% 19.3% 17.3% N/A

Table Fourteen: In Harmony at Home Visits

6.4. Volunteering and Other Engagement

There is evidence that the level of volunteering has increased since the second year report

when we reported the engagement of 18 volunteers from Hope University, the University of

Liverpool and the Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Orchestra and Choir engaging within the

previous 6 months. Current figures show a total of 28 volunteers, including 8 student

placements from the Royal Northern College of Music. However there is currently only one

community member regularly involved in, or volunteering to support, In Harmony on a

weekly basis, outside of school staff. This is an obvious challenge to the team and an area for

future development to increase capacity and to actively engage more community members

in the ongoing programme.

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7. Interim Findings: The Partners

7.1. Developing partnership has been a key element of the In Harmony programme and

potentially its greatest strength in terms of future development and sustainability. The

partnership has grown during the life of the In Harmony programme to embrace key

partners including Liverpool City Council and the Primary Care Trust and these relationships

continue to evolve and will strengthen the position of the RLP within the wider social, health

and regeneration agendas of the city. Initial partnerships have also been strengthened and

developed over the three years of the programme.

7.2. The role of the RLP has continued to grow and develop within the partnership. The RLP has

provided a lead role in developing and managing the In Harmony programme and the wider

partnership that surrounds it. The RLP is an iconic organisation and its lead role in the

programme has attracted interest and engagement from a wide range of agencies and

organisations. Its independence has cut across traditional organisational and professional

boundaries, forging new relationships and creating fresh approaches, responding directly

and quickly and gaining community confidence. This has resulted in the RLP assuming a

systems leadership role in developing new approaches to music education and learning in

schools as well as new approaches to community engagement and social change. A role

beyond that traditionally expected of a symphony orchestra. This has placed additional

demands on the Philharmonic in terms of its capacity and perceived role. The lead role of

the RLP within the partnership has not only had a significant impact on the profile of the

programme but also on the quality of the experience for all participants.

7.3. Liverpool Children’s Trust and Liverpool Primary Care Trust

The partnership with Liverpool PCT is primarily driven by the Stakeholder Engagement

Department and the public health agenda. In 2011/12 the PCT funded In Harmony with £80k

and in 2012/13 this will be £45k. Given the changes within the National Health Service,

which will see the closure of the PCTs by April 2013 and the transfer of commissioning

responsibilities to GP consortia, and public health responsibilities to local authorities, this

relationship is a critical one for the future of the In Harmony programme.

The Health and Wellbeing Board is chaired by the Director for Health and Social Care within

the PCT and has identified 4 key priorities, namely:

• Child poverty

• Mental Health

• Alcohol Misuse

• Cancer

With ‘Supporting Families’ as a stream running through all of these.

Recent conversations with senior staff in the PCT have revealed a healthy degree of support

for the In Harmony programme and an informed recognition of its potential wider impact on

the health and wellbeing of children attending Faith Primary, and on the wider West Everton

community. The PCT are currently developing their approaches to measuring health and

wellbeing, and are looking at the work undertaken to date, as part of the ongoing evaluation

of In Harmony to assess pupil and community wellbeing, to help with their thinking as they

develop indicators for the Healthy Lives Group and to help with the development of their

own tools. There is a recognition that the In Harmony programme could well provide a live

63

environment for the active development of approaches to assessing and measuring

wellbeing in pupils and the wider community over time and therefore begin to better assess

the impacts of similar intervention programmes. The bespoke pupil and community

wellbeing questionnaires developed by the evaluation team, with input from Priority

Research, have been shared with the PCT to inform this process. There is a significant

opportunity here for In Harmony to be positioned in a key role as part of these

developments.

The PCT had been working with the evaluation team on the collation of health data in West

Everton but this became challenging for the PCT due to personnel changes and

infrastructure changes within the current economic climate, and we have had to work hard

to reinstate the longitudinal programme of work despite the recognition that the research

was of great value to the PCT as well as the In Harmony programme. It is now on target for

reporting in July 2012.

It should be highlighted that In Harmony Liverpool has provided a unique opportunity for the

PCT to explore and develop data collection systems across a number of agencies. A

partnership between the PCT, Social Services and Children’s Services has been exploring

improved approaches to shared data collection and information sharing. In Harmony has

been used as a live practical test bed to trial new approaches, and as a catalyst for fast track

thinking. The experience of practically collecting data on the number of pupils’ GP

appointments and prescription rates has highlighted a number of fundamental issues,

including information governance and standards, that are beginning to be resolved as a

consequence of using In Harmony as a live working model. Traditional approaches to joint

agency working have been shortcut and the learning is being used as a model for future

more effective joint working across the agencies involved.

This is the first time that data of this nature has been collected on a whole school population

and tracked over time to assess the impact of a local intervention such as In Harmony. There

remains a significant opportunity to expand this to data collection for a whole community, to

assess the impact of similar interventions on the health of an area, which is not currently

being undertaken. This again could place In Harmony as a key part of any such initiative and

should be actively pursued.

Peter Garden, Executive Director – Learning at RLP is a member of the Healthy Lives sub

group of Liverpool Children’s Trust, the overarching strategic partnership for children’s

services across the City which is chaired by Annette James, public health strategic lead

officer for children. This group is tasked with leading Citywide work on emotional health and

wellbeing of children across the City, bringing together City Council, PCT, Alder Hey Hospital,

universities, charities, National Museums Liverpool and Liverpool Philharmonic. The group

also feeds into work on the Child Poverty plan for City. It is heartening that In Harmony is

recognised as an asset based approach to supporting children’s development and wellbeing,

and that arts organisations have begun to play a role and have a voice in this work.

There are therefore three opportunities that could be built on in the coming year:

• The potential to extend and develop the measurement of well being and perhaps

resilience

• The potential to capture hard data

• The systemic opportunity for influencing the evolving and changing health and well

being agenda

64

7.4. Liverpool City Council

In the current financial climate, it has proven difficult for LCC to invest specifically in In

Harmony. A small grant in 2011/12 assisted with the development of an AHRC Research

Network bid as it was recognised that the generation of evidence of impact and robust

research would be critical to long term engagement and sustainability. It is also seen as

important that In Harmony is linked to major city strategies including the Liverpool Plan,

North Liverpool Strategic Regeneration Framework, Children and Young People’s Plan in

order to ensure this long term engagement.

The relationship is a supportive one with a genuine investment of time and support from the

Cabinet Member for Culture, Cllr Wendy Simon and Cllr Jane Corbett, Cabinet Member for

Education and Children’s Services. The new Chief Executive, Ged Fitzgerald visited the

project and there is good support from both the Children’s Services and Culture

departments.

The programme has benefitted from the opportunities afforded to take part in major City

events. For example, an In Harmony ensemble woke up the Little Girl Giant through music in

Stanley Park to an audience of over 10,000 people as part of the Sea Odyssey Giant

Spectacular; West Everton Children’s Orchestra performed at On the Waterfront festival at

Pier Head in July 2011 as a support act for RLPO; the orchestra and ensembles have

performed at the opening of the new Museum of Liverpool; the orchestra performed at the

NHS North West Conference at BT Convention Centre.

7.5. HE partnerships and research progress

There is rich potential in the HE partnerships in relation to accreditation, volunteering,

course provision and, most importantly, research. Work has been ongoing to develop the

research framework proposed in March 2011 for In Harmony Liverpool and a varied range of

partnerships are being explored that will enrich the research and potential learning from the

programme. Partners include the Institute of Cultural Capital, University of Liverpool, LJMU,

Liverpool Hope University, Royal Northern College of Music and the funding councils.

Preliminary scoping was completed in mid September 2011 and a funding application for a

Research Network was submitted to the AHRC in February 2011. The intention is to create a

robust and broad evidence based research programme that will build on the data gathered

to date within this evaluation programme. This bid was approved in June 2012 and work will

start in September 2012.

In December 2011, a report on this scoping work produced by Susanne Burns stated:

“There is rich potential and interest in establishing an overarching research framework for In

Harmony Liverpool. HEI partners are willing to work within a cross disciplinary network to

develop research programmes and proposals and practice based agencies are also willing to

partner in research in key areas such as health and well being (PCT) economic impact (LCC)

and workforce development (ACE).

The RLP may wish to consider whether this approach should be limited to In Harmony

Liverpool or should encompass the whole organisation as the potential for repositioning the

organisation’s approach to research is exciting. There are examples of other arts and cultural

organisations who retain the services of an associate or fellow and this may be something

65

the RLP will wish to explore as it would ensure that the organisation had the benefit of a

broker who is able to understand the different cultures and contexts of the arts and higher

education sectors.

The RLP may also wish to consider the development of a policy or protocol for research.”

7.6. Liverpool Music Support Service

LMSS were closely involved in developing the original bid to establish In Harmony as one of

three national pilots in 2009, and continue to be involved in the development of the

programme. The Head of Service feels a clear sense of ownership of, and engagement with

the programme and believes that the work of In Harmony has helped significantly to

reposition the role of music in schools and the work of LMSS within Liverpool schools and

the City Council.

Initially, as reported in previous evaluation reports, many LMSS staff were cautious, even

wary, of working with the RLP as there was a perception that ‘the RLP will just take it over’.

However there is now a general recognition within LMSS that In Harmony is a powerful

model of music, impacting on teaching and learning – ‘The musical experience for the pupils

at Faith has been breathtaking…… It is providing a very rich educational experience’. The

Head of LMSS reports that ‘working relationships between LMSS and the Phil are better than

ever’. This has recently been seen in the close collaboration around the development of the

successful bid for a Liverpool Music Hub. The partnership between LMSS and the RLP is seen

as very valuable and the development of the bid provided a powerful focal point for LMSS

and the RLP, and served to clarify the distinct roles of the two organisations, overcoming

initial anxieties. A number of very positive comments were made by the head of LMSS:

• In Harmony has given LMSS the confidence to explore other models of music

education in schools. The principles of In Harmony are beginning to be used to shape

the progression of the Service

• There is now a ‘more powerful exchange of ideas which IH has taken from LMSS and

vice versa’

• There is more collaborative working between LMSS and RLP for example the joint

staffing of the project at Barlows Primary School

• LMSS use of whole-class ensemble teaching comes directly from In Harmony and RLP

• Large group ensemble teaching is now a priority for LMSS and a development plan is

now in place

• Whole of year 7 in Notre Dame Catholic College starting to learn an instrument

• ‘IH is a hot house of potential for what music education can do for learning and

communities’

• IH has given LMSS confidence to try community music projects, supporting

communication and integration

• LMSS have introduced a more intensive ‘fast track’ approach to Wider

Opportunities, delivering 2 hours a week for a term rather than 1 hour per week

over 3 terms. This more intensive approach has produced far better results and is

seen as being very strong pedagogically. Whilst proving difficult to manage

logistically it has provided pointers for the future

• Whilst CPD opportunities with IH are not wholesale across the service, the staff who

have been involved have found the experience very powerful. There is more interest

in long term involvement than in visits/seminars

66

• A great deal was achieved from the placement of the LMSS head of strings with IH

for half a day per week. This transferred a great deal of learning back into the service

• As a consequence LMSS has trialled whole group teaching although this requires

further work in terms of behaviour management

• LMSS are now having a far broader dialogue with schools, seeing Wider

Opportunities staff not simply as tutors but more about relationship management

There are however a number of areas that LMSS identify for further development:

• Staffing and workforce development remains a challenge and is an issue for both

LMSS and RLP

• There is still an opportunity to provide shared structured CPD sessions

• There is an outstanding issue around how the principles of, and learning from, IH can

be more widely disseminated

• There is a need to understand and transfer the learning arising from IH in Faith

school

• The potential for music to support learning in the classroom (factual learning,

language, rote etc)

• The potential to build music into thematic approaches to curriculum delivery

• There is a need for more ‘headlines’ for how IH works and what it achieves

• There is a real opportunity to add weight and substance to the value and relevance

of music and how it can be used in schools beyond simply learning an instrument

• The potential to use teaching staff from Faith school to visit other schools to talk

about the impact of IH and the improved confidence of the staff to deliver music

• The whole area of pedagogy around ensemble working could be shared more widely

by IH (not withstanding copyright issues)

• There is a general need for new repertoire/material in schools. IH could potentially

supply some of this

• There remains a significant problem in cross-phase transition. This is a national

problem now exacerbated by the fact that more pupils are presenting at secondary

school having had Wider Opportunities experience. Needs better tracking system

and data

• The trans-generational potential of music is not being fully capitalised upon

• There is a need for more routes for informal music making in the community

• There is potential through the Music Hub to develop more community music, work

with disadvantaged groups and NEETs

There has been a significant development in the partnership between LMSS and the RLP

through the practical working of the In Harmony Liverpool programme. This is clear in the

development of pedagogical approaches to delivering music in schools and to the link to

teaching and learning in the classroom. There has been a consequent development of

mutual respect, trust and recognised benefit. There would appear to be a great deal to build

on here in terms of:

• Extending shared knowledge and understanding

• Developing practice and pedagogy

• Workforce development

• Disseminating impact on teaching and learning in the classroom

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• Extending the reach and impact of the In Harmony approach and developing the In

Harmony model

It is recommended that this should be a significant work stream for In Harmony Liverpool

as it enters year four of the programme.

One result of the developing partnership has been that LMSS was the lead organisation for

the City’s bid to ACE for a Music Education Hub for Liverpool, closely supported by

‘Foundation Partners’: Liverpool City Council and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic.

The RLP report one consequence of the bidding process as a good emerging understanding

on discussions and developments, that will be flowing through the Hub, on sharing learning

in practice (between Liverpool Philharmonic learning activities, In Harmony practice and

pedagogy and repertoire, and LMSS approaches). There is reported better cooperation and

collaboration with the Barlows Primary School project being seen as a good example, as well

as Wider Opportunities pupils from LMSS coming to RLP schools concerts. The strategic

development of musical progression routes and pathways using learning from existing

practice, existing ensembles (LMSS Saturday Morning Music Centre and Liverpool

Philharmonic youth ensembles) and In Harmony is also highlighted.

LMSS has supported In Harmony with a member of staff (Pat Naylor) working with West

Everton Junior Strings and Super Strings weekly. This demonstrates great commitment and

support, and is seen as a very positive development by the RLP.

The RLP highlight that the Barlows Primary School Project was a pilot that took practice and

repertoire from LMSS Wider Opportunities with In Harmony Liverpool to test how an IH

inspired whole class ensemble programme could work in schools. A project in Barlows

Primary School in Fazakerley, North Liverpool, led by Merlyn Sturt (IH musician) and Pat

Naylor (LMSS) provided 50 Year 4 children with one term’s pilot as an ensemble on violin,

viola and cello for 2 sessions per week. Class teachers learnt instruments as part of it, with

performances by children staged for the whole school 3 weeks into the project, and for

parents and families at the end of term, with the school music coordinator using inspiration

from Shake Up and Sing, and repertoire from the project to bring singing and music to the

whole school. The project was deemed a great success by children, the head teacher, RLP

and LMSS, and funding has consequently been secured (including 50% contribution from the

school) to extend the pilot for a further term, with the expressed aim of Pat Naylor (LMSS)

taking the lead musician role. This model could result in a business model that develops the

LMSS offer to primary schools but it is perhaps more significant as an example of how the

two groups of musicians can share practice and learning between the two organisations for

wider music education benefit.

This is seen as a very positive development in the overall relationship between the two

organisations.

One anecdote arising from evaluation interviews with Barlows Primary School Head Teacher

and teachers following the first term is highlighted by the RLP:

“A year 4 pupil who joined the school late in the autumn term, shortly before the beginning

of the project, was very disengaged from school when they arrived. Staff witnessed a marked

change in the child’s behaviour over the course of the project from being angry and

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disaffected to gaining friendship through the music collaboration within the class, and ‘their

engagement has blossomed’ through the programme.”

The school further report that teachers learning alongside the pupils has had a significant

effect on raising self-esteem of pupils. The pupils see it is okay for teachers to struggle and

the children also know that the teachers practice. Shared experience with the children is also

highly valued by the staff. This has reportedly helped teachers in their teaching and they

have reassessed learning steps, as a direct result of their experience of learning alongside

the children. The approach in the project has influenced teaching overall across the school,

particularly in breaking learning down into incremental steps. One of the year 4 teachers

related how she altered her approach in a maths sessions as a direct result of reflecting on

the teaching and learning taking place in the project. The head teacher also commented on

the very positive effect the project has had on the whole school highlighting a change in

atmosphere across the school, more co-operation and fewer playground ‘spats’ being

reported. (NB this in an ‘outstanding school’).

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8. Management

8.1. In management terms, we recognise that there has been incredible pressure on the

management of the programme in this financial year. The need to secure additional funding

of nearly 50% for 2011/12 and to invest time in bidding for the DfE funding whilst also

maintaining the full operation of the programme took place within a broader context of

funding reductions to the arts sector. This was a significant achievement by the team and

the management and should be recognised.

8.2. In leading this programme, the RLP had initially sought to establish a management group but

this had never worked in effectively adding real value, given the depth of relationship,

communication and trust that has grown between the partners. It has become apparent that

it is more effective to work with individual partners as required.

The ownership of In Harmony Liverpool has always been an interesting management issue

due to the strong leadership by the RLP and whilst the Management Group was initially

envisaged as a means to engage the other partners in the programme’s management in

practice this proved difficult to achieve through irregular meetings. The West Everton

partners, including WECC and the school, have always known what they wanted to achieve

from the project and trusted from the outset that the RLP would deliver this for them. Trust

and open communication have proved critical throughout, and the role that the RLP has

played has extended well beyond that which it would previously have played within a

community.

The project lead, Peter Garden, Executive Director, Learning, is supported by a project

management team of one full time manager and part time support. This has changed since

the onset of the programme as resourcing requirements grew exponentially. The project

management team work closely with the school staff and community maintaining

communication and information flow between the RLP and the school.

8.3. There have also been significant changes within the team of In Harmony musicians. Rod

Skipp took over as Artistic Director during Sally Anne Anderson’s maternity leave and in

2011/12 he led the programme for the full year. New team members were recruited during

the year with brass and percussion tutors added into the programme to support the new

ensembles and this brought challenges of integration. At the end of the year a decision was

taken to appoint an existing member of the team as Deputy Artistic Director and Alexandra

Dunn was appointed to this role. This role has a principal responsibility for liaising with the

secondary schools and ensuring progression opportunities are maximised.

8.4. In the year two interim report we noted:

In Autumn 2010, Sally Anne Anderson took maternity leave from In Harmony and this

provided an interesting challenge for the team and the RLP’s management. There was no

doubt that the skills and the charisma of the Artistic Director had a significant impact on the

success of the programme to date and a form of control mechanism entered into the

evaluation that was not expected at the onset. Would In Harmony Liverpool prove to be

dependent on the specific skills she brought to its direction or would it prove to be a strong

enough model to continue to achieve the same impact without her physical presence?

It is apparent that the methodology and the approach have been strong enough to ensure

that the overall pedagogy and the delivery has been unaffected.

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We have noted in previous reports that the training and development undertaken within the

In Harmony team has contributed to the development of a pool of musician educators that

are an asset to the RLP and to music education more generally, and it remains our

contention that the pedagogical approach and the resulting skills sets required of musicians

engaging in it must be the subject of further research.

We stated in the year two interim report:

There are major implications for workforce development inherent within this:

• A wider agenda is emerging around the nature of musicianship and the orchestral

community. The notion of what a future musician within the orchestra should look

like is beginning to be explored and this is challenging and exciting. The question of

what a future musician looks like – a musician for the 21st

century – needs to be

explored more.

• Current training provision needs to be realigned to meet the needs of the market.

Closer collaboration between professional music organisations and music colleges

and training providers is required to ensure that training is fit for purpose and

opportunities for teaching and placements are incorporated. The RLP articulated

these needs clearly in the response to the Henley review drawing particular attention

to the need to not dilute professional music training and quality in musicianship. This

is a difficult balance to strike but one that is imperative if children and young people

are to have access to the best quality tuition and if the potential role of

musicians/orchestras is to be maximised.

• As with other art forms, the issues of accreditation are also important in relation to

quality.

• The RLP was fortunate to have someone within the orchestra with the requisite

personal and professional attributes, skills and passion to take on the artistic

leadership of In Harmony Liverpool at the onset of the programme. This has been

maximised through the development of other members of the In Harmony team with

mentoring and coaching as well as structured training. This may well be another

advantage of a professional symphony orchestra leading the programme given the

diverse and skilled workforce to draw from. It also highlights the impact of the RLP’s

approach to educational practice in recent years and its fundamental role in building

additional skill sets and shaping musicians. There are models here that could be

further extended within the orchestra.

This wider agenda emerged in the National Plan for Music Education 18

and the strategic

interventions contained therein provide opportunity for the learning from Liverpool to

inform the new plans for:

• ITT modules for primary teachers

• CPD and the role of the hubs in supporting this

• School to school support

• The development of qualifications for the wider music workforce

18 https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/DFE-00086-2011.pdf

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There are many opportunities for In Harmony Liverpool to continue to contribute to this at a

national level. The ‘refreshed’ approach to In Harmony provides a potential leadership

opportunity for the Liverpool project in relation to workforce development and training. The

continued provision of opportunities for volunteering provides young musicians with

invaluable workplace experience and the team are now becoming highly skilled at

communicating their approaches to others through the many visits and observations that

take place. It will be important that the team are also continually exposed to other

approaches against which to continue testing their own, and the collaborative nature of the

new In Harmony model must be welcomed in this context.

8.5. As part of the continual refocusing of the In Harmony programme and content, much effort

is made to ensure that the appropriate team and skills are in place to deliver an expanding

programme to meet a wide range of children’s needs from babies to 14 year old young

people. It is noticeable that three years into In Harmony Liverpool, and with the exception of

original Artistic Director, Sally Anne Anderson, every member of the original team

established in 2009 remains part of the programme, as does the Project Director and Project

Manager. Both the current Artistic Director and Deputy Artistic Director were appointed

from within the team. The provides a level of consistency and stability that enables growth

within the team, growth in quality and natural evolution in the team’s relationships with one

another, school teachers, children, parents , families and the wider West Everton

community.

The following changes have taken place in the past year:

• Recruitment of Deputy Artistic Director (Alex Dunn) to lead on the development of West

Everton Super Strings, developing relationships with local secondary schools and leading

on transition and provision for young people in Year 7 upwards, and to deputise when

necessary for the Artistic Director.

• Formalised the role of Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra Ensemble Coaches

working with West Everton Junior Strings and Super Strings. The ensemble coaches have

become a valuable addition to the In Harmony Team, supporting musical progression,

particularly with WESS, but they have also developed relationships with children and

families and become great role models for the children. The children have shown great

pride in recognising the players at orchestral performances, and also at performing

alongside RLPO players in their own performances.

• Appointment of Eve Harrison as Brass Specialist within the team. Eve has a broad range

of skills as an excellent trumpeter and brass teacher, as well as leading composition

workshops with young people around the country. The brass section of the West

Everton Children’s Orchestra began in February 2012.

• Pat Naylor, upper strings teacher and viola player from the Liverpool Music Support

Service, has joined the In Harmony team, attending String Sharing meetings on a

Thursday, and also supporting Junior and Super Strings. This directly provides a crucial

link with the Music Service, and Pat has been central to sharing learning between

programmes.

The In Harmony team place much resource in regular planning and reflection to ensure the

dynamic nature of the programme can be coped with and used to their advantage. This

practice has been in place since the beginning of the programme, drawing on the approach

deployed throughout the RLP’s learning programmes but with greater resourcing.

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The following structure for team planning and meetings has been established:

• Strategic Leadership Meeting (weekly) including Project Director, Project Manager,

Artistic Director and Deputy Artistic Director to ensure the core aims, ethos and

outcomes of the programme are delivered to time and budget, avoiding mission creep

and taking decisions on the future direction of In Harmony Liverpool.

• Weekly joint artistic planning meeting between Artistic Director and Deputy Artistic

Director on musical content and direction for coming period.

• Weekly team meeting with musicians and project management operational staff to plan

operational detail, logistics, performances, events and scheduling.

• Weekly String Sharing Meeting to discuss repertoire, string teaching ideas and pedagogy,

and also discuss strategies for dealing with classes/individual children. This has become

a focal point of the week for the team of musicians.

• Introduction of termly joint Faith Staff/In Harmony team sharing meetings. This proved

to be a valuable exercise in really drilling down and discussing collective strengths and

weaknesses, as well as the focus for the project and how the two teams can continue to

share and support one another.

The level of importance placed on planning and reflection provides a clear message on the

expectation of continual evaluation of musical progression throughout the programme.

There is a constant process of refining and finding new ways to make the whole experience

as memorable and as interesting as possible for the children. Antonia Del Mar, following her

visit in November reflected the following:

“The whole visit was awe-inspiring. I was deeply impressed by the dedication and care of all

the In Harmony teachers (and admin!), their skills and what they have achieved. I was

particularly interested in how much thought had gone into preparation for the project – the

things that make a huge difference. The polystyrene instruments – such a good idea, the

‘white lines’ on the chairs, the different height chairs, designated to each child, the care with

the sizes of the violins, and the incorporation of ideas from different methods – Kodaly,

Dalcroze, Brain Gym and Colour Strings, to name but a few. I also was aware that

timetabling had created space for the task of tuning the instruments in advance of lesson

and orchestra times. There was so much to admire. It was also a joy to see how the entire

staff at the school was behind the project. What a difference that makes.”

8.6. National and International Sharing and Collaboration

The Liverpool team place pride on the fact that visitors want to come and see In Harmony in

action in West Everton. The team is acutely aware of how In Harmony in Liverpool not only

relates to local music education and other In Harmony Sistema England projects, but also to

Sistema inspired programmes in this country and around the world, and also the broader

context of changes to music education nationally. The team has taken a proactive role in

collaboration and sharing with In Harmony projects and visiting programmes both in the UK

and abroad – Sistema Scotland’s Big Noise in Raploch, the Sage Gateshead’s music education

programme, and Rod Skipp’s visit to Sistema Aotearoa in New Zealand. Liverpool has also

hosted visits from a number of music education specialists around the country and

internationally, who have been very interested in the pedagogy and approach, and with

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whom the team has shared the model, repertoire and teaching ideas freely. The emerging

developments of 6 In Harmony Sistema England projects, Sistema Scotland, Sistema Europe

and global networks have the opportunity to create a learning community to drive forward

the framework for El Sistema in the UK through practice-based sharing and research.

8.7. Team Training and Development

There is an ongoing commitment to team and individual training and development that

ensures ongoing improvement:

• Antonia Del Mar visited the project for two days in November 2011, offering her skills as

an Alexander Technique and upper strings specialist.

• Sally Anne Anderson (former Artistic Director of In Harmony Liverpool and 2nd

violinist of

the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra) worked with the team in February 2012.

She observed instrumental lessons and was able to give individual and team feedback as

a critical friend.

• Visits to other projects provided an opportunity to see a similar programme in action,

helping to clarify what changes could be made to In Harmony Liverpool to take it to 2015

and beyond.

• Individual training courses have been undertaken on ADHD, Behaviour Management and

Youth Arts, recruiting and managing ensembles and arranging and string teaching skills.

8.8. Observation of team meetings has continued to demonstrate the caring and supportive way

in which the team work with the children. There is deep knowledge of the children and the

team engage with them in a thoughtful, considerate way which takes into account their

personal circumstances as well as their musical progression. Their understanding of the

childrens’ needs is deep and informs their teaching strategies. The approach is genuinely

child centred albeit that this may be constrained sometimes in delivery within ensembles

and the full orchestra. There is evidence that the team recognise this and make efforts to

mitigate against it.

8.9. The team was also supplemented in 2011/12 by Pat Naylor from LMSS who joined to work

with West Everton Junior Strings and Super Strings weekly. This has helped to forge the

stronger relationships between the partners and has enabled more sharing of practice

between In Harmony and LMSS. This supports the workforce development points made

above. This was evidenced in the Barlows Primary School Project mentioned previously.

8.10. Progress reports to Department for Education have continued to reflect ongoing

achievement against targets and a critical evaluation of the programme that has led to

changes and adjustment continuing to be made. This is indicative of the effective internal

evaluation that is being carried out on an ongoing basis by both the In Harmony music team

and the management at the RLP.

Learning has accrued and the teams have been responsive to this learning not viewing it as

failure but developing reflective practice as a means of generating improvement. Confidence

has grown within the team and within the school as a result of this.

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It is to be hoped that with the change of accountability to ACE, the same regular

management monitoring will continue to inform the learning and development of the

programme and this will be interesting to observe throughout 2012/13 especially in the

context of the collaborative learning framework being proposed and the national evaluation

context.

8.11. We have noted in previous reports that In Harmony is resource dependent and subject to

external funding regimes and political will. This brings a danger of remaining a ‘project’ with

the resulting subjectivity to short term funding. The ability to now plan the programme for

three years ensures a longer term perspective can be taken through to 2015 and this is

affording the opportunity to address issues of sustainability and rolling out the model. The

business plan is robust and has enabled funding to be secured from a range of sources

including private donations and private trust funding.

It remains true that long term sustainability will depend on the programme moving beyond

the project and becoming embedded in mainstream provision and this requires a

fundamental rethink of the ways in which public sector resources (educational, health and

community development) are spent. This is not something that the RLP can do alone and nor

is it something that will happen overnight. But, we remain convinced that the long term

sustainability of In Harmony will depend not on ‘entrepreneurship’ but on major policy shift

as a result of a clear understanding of how such interventions can make significant

difference in areas of public policy. As stated in earlier reports, In Harmony is a significantly

potent model for community development and provides public agencies with the ‘holy grail’

- a way of investing in a community and engaging local residents to build social capital,

generate enhanced well being and confidence and better outcomes. This calls for a

redirection of existing resources to solutions that are now proven to work. Active ownership

of the programme and its outcomes across public sector agencies will be critical to this and

the partnership work being undertaken is ensuring that this is being addressed. Arguably if

existing resources are to be bent in to support the continuation of the approach, then more

work needs to be done not only to raise awareness but to secure buy in to, and ownership

of, the approach. By establishing an active coalition and real ownership across the public

sector, then resources are more likely to be redirected to embed the approach in

mainstream provision.

The opportunity offered through the National Plan for Music Education and the

development of music hubs, is that the In Harmony model could become embedded as a

new way of structuring and delivering music education. This multi agency approach and an

overall strategy for music education that is holistic is within reach in Liverpool now and is a

great opportunity.

8.12. In evaluating the management of the In Harmony Liverpool programme at the end of its

third year, it is possible to extract the following headline findings:

• The relationship between the school and the RLP has developed; it was already

strong but appears to be becoming stronger over time. Whilst there have been some

issues, these have been addressed promptly and collaboratively. The school’s

commitment to the programme is challenging and often creates a tension for staff

who are under great pressure from Ofsted and the City Council. Teachers remain

committed even if they are now more confident to articulate concerns. More open

communication has developed from the shared training days in January and this

must continue if the two teams are to continue to share learning and develop

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mutual support structures that place the child at the centre of the process. More

work could still be done to ensure that the music experience contributes to, and

supports, curriculum delivery. In Harmony now needs to be viewed as Faith

Primary’s music provision and this integration will assure the future of an innovative

and unique approach to whole school based music provision. This will move In

Harmony from being an adjunct to the school, to become embedded in core

curriculum delivery.

� As noted elsewhere, partnerships have continued to extend beyond those observed

in the early stages of the programme and this is further evidence of the key role that

the RLP can play beyond its core programme. Links with LMSS have developed

significantly in 2011/12, links with the PCT and Liverpool City Council have also

continued to evolve. These partnerships will strengthen the position of music

generally, and the RLP specifically as an organisation, within the wider social, health

and regeneration agendas of the city. The interest in In Harmony has extended to

other Local Authorities within Merseyside.

� The development of the HE partnerships that will be made possible by the AHRC

research network grant will be interesting to observe throughout 2012/13.

� Within the community, the momentum created by In Harmony to generate more far

reaching change is evident but there is a need to consider how best to evaluate this

as we move forward.

8.13. The impact of In Harmony on the RLP itself continues to be significant. The organisation has

embraced this programme and it is clear that it is impacting in many areas of the

organisation beyond the learning and engagement team. We stated at the end of year two

that: “In Harmony has provided the ‘bedrock’ of the learning and engagement strategy and

that it has contributed to a more strategic integration of the learning and engagement work

and the orchestra.” This remains the case and the engagement of more players with the

programme throughout 2011/12 has enhanced this process. The greater understanding of

the value of the work within the orchestra, and a deeper engagement with it, is clearly

evident in the Board of Directors and within other staff teams.

8.14. The management model remains compelling and after three years there is evidence of

significant buy in from other public agencies that will assist in consolidating the programme

and ensuring its long term sustainability. The development of the research base in order to

challenge the pattern of ‘policy based evidence making’ so often inherent in arts and cultural

evaluation work towards a more fruitful ‘evidence based policy making’ model will support

this process.

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9. Summary of Key Findings

9.1. There is strong evidence that In Harmony Liverpool is exceeding its expected outcomes and

outputs. In Harmony Liverpool continues to provide compelling evidence that the model

provides an enriching musical education, improved academic attainment in other core

curriculum areas as well as a potential powerful model for social change and the generation

of social capital. This has continually been clearly highlighted and well documented in

previous evaluation reports.

9.2. In Harmony Liverpool continues to progress well against the outcomes established at the

onset of the project. The programme is still on a highly positive trajectory with the children,

the school, the families, the community and the partners and there is much to celebrate.

• Data on attainment continues to evidence significant quantitative improvements in the

children’s academic performance and the impact on the significant number of children

with SEN.

• Attendance figures have improved with a significant decrease in absence rates across

the school

• Data on musical attainment demonstrates quantitative improvements in the musical

skills being developed.

• Data gathered from teachers evidences an ongoing overall improvement within the

overall school community.

• Data on well being that was beginning to demonstrate an emerging positive trend, and

data on health, that as yet, remains inconclusive.

• Data gathered from Liverpool City Council is providing an area comparison between

West Everton and neighbouring Kirkdale across a number of social and economic data

sets. Some interesting differential trends are beginning to emerge, however changes in

the area profiles will continue to be tracked over coming years to assess the wider socio

economic impact of the In Harmony programme.

9.3. Despite the scaling back in central government funding, the programme has continued to

develop and expand, and this has ensured provision for progression for pupils as they leave

Faith and move to secondary schools, and provision for children attending other schools in

the area and community provision. There has been an expansion of the reach of the In

Harmony Liverpool programme with the development of work streams at The Beacon

Primary School; the creation of more progression opportunities for pupils upon leaving Faith

Primary School; and greater partnership with LMSS e.g. Barlows Primary School.

9.4. The partnerships are becoming stronger and are supporting the development of the project,

and the impact within the community is becoming more evident as the project progresses.

The ongoing ‘virtuous cycle’ of change noted in September 2010 continues to be apparent

within the school and the community.

9.5. The profile of the project has continued to be high and the Year Two evaluation report was

used extensively to advocate and lobby for continued funding, communicating key messages

about the value and impact of the work.

9.6. Work has been ongoing to establish a wider research framework around the programme

that will engage HEIs and research councils. This work is critical to the transition to new

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sustainable and embedded practice that reaches beyond the arts and cultural sector into

community regeneration and development.

9.7. Despite the scaling down of the evaluation, observations have continued to be fed through

to management and the team in a timely manner and have already affected planning and

change within the programme ensuring that learning and improvement remains at the heart

of the ethos underpinning In Harmony Liverpool.

9.8. The transition from two year pilot project to mainstream provision has been a significant

challenge for the partners and this should continue to be approached from multiple

perspectives. The model is compelling and during this transition year there was an

opportunity to revisit and consolidate the programme, further develop the partnerships,

mainstream the model and develop the research base.

9.9. However, within this predominantly positive context some challenges emerged during the

year, some of which have already been addressed and others that will need to be addressed

in an ongoing way.

• In mid 2011, there were early signs of an apparent waning of enthusiasm and

engagement of some pupils, particularly noticeable in older pupils. As pupils

become more familiar with the approach, content and style of the work it can

simply become another ‘normal’ part of school life. Additionally this can be

compounded by the content and demands of the programme becoming more

challenging or indeed less challenging if pupils are not being individually

stretched. Whilst not entirely unexpected in a long term programme of this

nature, it has implications for how the programme maintains the energy levels,

interest and commitment of pupils as the exposure to music becomes more

embedded in the school week, and the experience therefore potentially less

exciting. The recurrent pattern and its apparent link with repertoire and

differential skills development was something that we highlighted in our

September evaluation update, recommending that the issue was considered by

the In Harmony team in partnership with the school. A review of the

programme’s classroom delivery, and additionally how it is embedded in

curriculum delivery, has begun and some changes have been made. However

this will require continued attention as the programme moves into year 4, to

ensure that the delivery retains momentum and continues to be fresh and

engaging. This cannot become a static model.

• An interesting phenomenon was observed in the context of pupils’ engagement

and commitment to the programme, focussing on perceived right or privilege.

Whilst Faith Primary pupils seem now to view participation in the In Harmony

programme as a right (i.e. part of normal school, what everyone does, not a

choice) and many of the children now don’t have any pre In Harmony school

experience, The Beacon CE Primary School children have actively opted in and

are seeing the ability to take part as a great privilege. This may well have an

impact on engagement and commitment particularly in out of school

attendance. This should be monitored and tested by the team over time.

• Management issues around overall ownership of In Harmony Liverpool present

a long term challenge. There is still a clear opportunity to review the current

management arrangements and to develop a more integrated joint

management of the In Harmony programme and Faith Primary School to inform

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the sustainability and wider roll out, expansion and, ultimately, sustainability of

the programme. In addition to that, there is also an opportunity to develop

strategic ownership of In Harmony Liverpool with the Children’s Trust, City

Council, NHS, and Music Education Hub.

• The relationship between teaching staff and In Harmony staff will continue to

need consideration both from a professional development perspective as well as

from a curriculum and planning perspective. In Harmony is premised on a

technical expertise within the music team that is not shared by teaching staff.

But the teachers in turn have a different technical expertise which is perhaps not

being maximised. The relationship could be developed to be more two way, and

this would undoubtedly have an impact on the children and the programme as it

moves forward. We feel that there is a significant opportunity here for the

programme to combine the strengths of both professional skill sets to develop

and embed a new and powerful approach to engagement and learning in

schools. There is a developing, increased collaboration between teachers and In

Harmony musicians. The joint staff training event in January was a useful

catalyst with a follow up session held in July. This will need to be built upon with

a regular programme of joint staff training to continue to inform the

development of the programme and its closer link to curriculum delivery,

teaching and learning.

• There is a view that In Harmony can be seen as a ‘model’ that in time can be

replicated in other schools, a transplantable package that can be ‘rolled out’.

However our observations would suggest that it is more importantly a

development process or framework that has the orchestral experience as the

essential catalyst. To simply focus on the development of a replicable model is

to potentially miss the real power of the process that is happening through In

Harmony Liverpool. It is perhaps timely to delve more deeply and consider

locally what lies at the heart of the process. The roll out by ACE of the refreshed

programme provides this opportunity to begin to construct a road map of

essential elements that can inform the expansion of the approach to other

locations.

• The community engagement element of the In Harmony Liverpool programme

is being viewed in terms of whether it is currently achieving its full potential.

Some participants are questioning whether it is seen as being too centred on the

school rather than the community. As stated above, it is possible that the DfE

transitional funding and the In Harmony national criteria may have a role to play

in this and it is hoped that under the ‘refreshed’ scheme, ACE will protect the

community engagement elements of the programme rather than simply

focussing on the school and parents as appears to be the case. For In Harmony

Liverpool, there is now an opportunity to reassess the approach to community

engagement in the programme, drawing on all the resources and expertise

across the broader partnership, in particular the City Council, the PCT, LMSS and

Hope University. This would build on the virtuous cycle of change highlighted in

previous evaluation reports, and could include a number of community

initiatives linked to a programme of wider community engagement and

development in the area. It may be timely therefore, particularly in light of

current central government priorities, to revisit the programme of community

involvement and to actively pursue a new working approach to community

79

engagement with In Harmony at its heart. This could well produce a model of

national significance

• The scaling up of the In Harmony Programme locally to introduce the approach

to other communities and schools is possibly the greatest challenge currently

facing the partnership and sensibly has been built into the business plan going

forward for 2013/14. In Harmony Liverpool provides a model for radical change

in the way that services are delivered and outcomes are achieved. It has the long

term potential to transform pedagogy, learning and curriculum delivery as well

as rejuvenating communities, increasing social capital and effecting change and

improving lives. These are not grandiose claims but are grounded in the findings

to date. We feel that the need for a partnership approach, and the need to

galvanise local ownership of the programme, has never been greater, as has the

need for the City Council and the PCT to take a more active role in developing

the approach. It would now be appropriate to consolidate partner engagement

so that a new approach to the delivery of music and learning in schools, linked

to community engagement, is developed in close partnership with LCC and the

PCT. And further to consider how this might be harnessed across the wider

public sector partnership to build social capital and support social and economic

regeneration. This could usefully focus on a redeployment of existing area based

resources across the public sector partnership, so increasing effectiveness and

value for money, and embedding the approach in local delivery and resourcing

of public sector agencies.

• New sources of socio economic data have recently been established through

the City Council. This will provide critical information in assessing the broader

impact of the In Harmony Liverpool programme on the West Everton

community. Whilst some interesting trends are beginning to emerge this will

require ongoing longitudinal evaluation in order to begin to assess and quantify

the scale of any recorded change over time.

• It is important that the ongoing evaluation of the programme is complemented

by a robust academic research framework that will create richer and deeper

data sets and evidence based research that will evolve with the programme and

will ensure that the learning is disseminated more widely and the potential

impact of the intervention is understood.

9.10. An observed phenomenon in externally funded projects is that there can be an element of

protectionism on the part of participants, a ‘retain the project at all costs’ culture. This can,

by default, encourage responses and behaviours that are intended to portray the outcomes

in a way that simply confirms the requirements of the funders, rather than being openly

honest and self critical. The vested interest can sometimes subdue the honest response. This

can prevent development of the model and can become a significant restraining factor on

the development of the approach. Whilst there may have, understandably, been elements of

this apparent in the early stages of the In Harmony programme, it is maturing into a more

sophisticated analysis of the processes at work. This is evident in a more challenging

approach from all participants in pursuit of a more effective and sustainable model of

delivering engaging learning in schools. This is seen as a healthy place for the programme to

be in at this time and we have welcomed the ongoing ability of all parties to genuinely

engage and learn from the process.

80

9.11. Our ongoing dialogue with the project management led to many changes being made at the

beginning of the new school year 2011/ 12 in response to the interim evaluation report of

September 2011 and in our view these changes will contribute greatly to addressing the

challenges we identified. The team made the following changes:

• A teachers’ ensemble has been formed;

• West Everton Junior Strings and West Everton Super Strings will be progressed

further with changes in the after school clubs including turning the Year 2/3 club

into an ensemble in its own right rather than club;

• More use of RLPO players attached to ensembles to help to maintain the ‘special’

feeling of In Harmony;

• The regular performance driven focus for orchestra will be maintained;

• A new string quartet for children has been introduced;

• In Harmony at Home opportunities have taken place throughout the year;

• There will be a refocus on community engagement;

• An assistant has been recruited with a specific community engagement and data

collection remit to support evaluation;

• Detailed work on differentiation has continued by the IH team to keep challenging

young people – a big step has been the quality of consultation recently with

children in WESS on this – need to maintain and grow this;

• Meetings are taking place with the Head Teacher to discuss teacher relationships,

and In Harmony staff are meeting with the Deputy Head Teacher to discuss

curriculum integration and planning;

• RLP staff are meeting with community leaders to discuss WECC engagement and

contribution;

• More discussions happened with HEIs on accreditation and specific job descriptions

for volunteers.

9.12. It is important to note that the evaluation programme has been scaled down in line with the

reduced budget available to the programme in this financial year and this has affected the

contact between the evaluation team and the In Harmony team, the school and the

partners. We have been dependent on data gathered by others and fed through to the

evaluators and our interaction with the programme has therefore been limited. This has led

to a number of issues in terms of many data streams not now being able to be harvested by

the evaluation team directly but having to come from a number of different sources, data

being collated in a variety of different forms and some data not being gathered. This has

impacted directly on the quality of the evaluation process. This is something that will need to

be addressed during the next evaluation phase.

81

10. Key Conclusions

10.1. The In Harmony model cannot be a static model and this is a key element of the learning to

have emerged over the three years of the programme. In Harmony is perhaps better viewed

as a framework and a process. The major success factor in ensuring that it connects to and

supports children and families in a particular community is that it is a dynamic model and

will constantly evolve. The team must continue to learn from other music and social

development programmes, draw learning from their own and the teachers’ observations and

remain open and flexible to change.

10.2. In Harmony Liverpool is working. Whilst there are other developments within the

community that may be affecting improvements, there is no doubt that the evidence

gathered to date is demonstrating positive impact on the children, the school, the

community and the partners.

10.3. The investment model was initially easy to criticise as it focused on a relatively small group

of pupils in one school but in year three of the programme the reach has extended

significantly despite budget reductions and constraints. It will be important as the

programme moves forward to consider this balance carefully to ensure maximum impact is

attained in all four spheres of impact – the Children, the School, the Community and

Partners.

10.4. There remains a need to define appropriate indicators to assess economic impact of the

intervention. Tracking changes in socio-economic indicators in West Everton, and

comparison with another ‘control’ area, may well begin to add support to the investment

model view of the programme, however, whilst some interesting trends are beginning to

emerge, it is still too early to draw any definitive conclusions.

10.5. Partnerships are becoming increasingly important and have extended throughout the three

years of the programme. However, it is important that these partnerships should be

grounded in delivery as well as funding and resources if In Harmony Liverpool is to have long

term sustainability. The aim must be to change the ways in which provision is shaped within

the community.

10.6. The In Harmony model is appealing, and highly effective, in its ability to cut across traditional

professional boundaries. The programme presents a live, action learning model, working

with a range of partners, to inform new thinking and develop fresh approaches to delivery in

teaching and learning, community engagement, building social capital and supporting local

regeneration. There would appear to be a significant opportunity to further develop this role

with key partners and for the accrued learning to be used to directly inform the national

development of In Harmony.

82

11. Recommendations

11.1. Our recommendations fall into five principal groups:

• Partnerships

• Workforce Development

• Research and Learning

• Ongoing Evaluation

• The Programme

11.2. Partnerships:

• It is recommended that the development of a broader practical working partnership with

LMSS, in terms of shared practice, pedagogy, workforce development and dissemination,

should be a significant work stream for In Harmony Liverpool as it enters year four of the

programme.

• It is recommended that the potential of developing a wider programme of community

engagement is explored with partners, in particular LCC and the PCT.

• It is recommended that a clear strategy for encouraging community volunteer support be

developed.

• It is recommended that the substantial learning from the In Harmony Liverpool programme

is used to directly inform the national development of the In Harmony programme.

11.3. Workforce Development

• It is recommended that there is a regular programme of joint staff training that informs the

development of the In Harmony Liverpool programme building on the joint staff training

event in January.

11.4. Research and Learning

• It is recommended that the In Harmony team re-examine the musical progression level

indicators to ensure there is enough room for development and further progression and that

they are benchmarked against other standards such as arts awards, music grade

examinations and badges. This tool could prove to be a useful model for other In Harmony

programmes and is an asset that we recommend the RLP exploit.

• It is recommended that the creation of a robust and broad evidence-based research

programme, focusing on emergent issues, continues to be pursued in partnership with HE

providers and other appropriate partners.

83

11.5. Ongoing Evaluation

• It is recommended that the new evaluation framework be adopted for 2012/13 and that the

underlining principles of covering all schools within the programme of work, enhancing the

feedback loops to ensure learning, reinstating the interaction between the evaluation team

and the project management teams and musicians and prioritising the use of the data

collated for management purposes within the project be adopted.

• It is recommended that an analysis of target setting within the school is undertaken to

ascertain any impact of increased teacher expectations as a result of perceived changes in

the pupils’ performance.

• It is recommended that a short programme of workshops be held with RLP, In Harmony and

school staff to develop awareness of and ability to identify and interpret appropriate data to

support the evidence gathering process. There is much hard data that could be better used

to support the ongoing development of the programme.

• It is recommended that the team start to track attendance in a more analytical way in order

to assess trends and patterns so that action can be taken where appropriate. The current

system is simply listing individual attendance by term and provides the team with detailed

data on individual children but no comparisons are carried out across year groups or across

years of the project. It seems that there is a recurring pattern, but quantitative analysis by

the team would evidence this and allow for consideration of emerging patterns. This would

also highlight any differential in attendance between Beacon and Faith pupils at out of

school activities, teasing out any issues around privilege/right of participation.

• It is recommended that a web based whole school survey is undertaken in 2012 to track

changes in pupil wellbeing across the whole school population.

• We have been unable to extrapolate data on SEN children to test the hypothesis that there

is a major impact on learning for such children.

• The school data tracking system also needs to be further mined in order to ensure that we

can unravel the issues of attainment against expectations and teacher expectations. It is

recommended that this is a priority for in-school data collection during 2012/13.

• It is recommended that progression data is examined in more depth by the In Harmony

team across the coming year, and that continued consideration is given to how pupils can be

better supported to continue with their musical engagement after leaving Faith or the other

schools. It is also recommended that work is undertaken with Liverpool Music Education

Hub and the schools to examine how better progression routes could be developed

collaboratively.

• It is recommended that consideration be given to how to evaluate The Beacon CE Primary

School as an In Harmony site in year four of the programme.

11.6. The Programme

• It is recommended that delivery of the programme, particularly in terms of repertoire and

rehearsal structure, is continually reassessed by the In Harmony team and teaching staff to

maintain levels of engagement and enthusiasm of pupils, and to link programme to

curriculum delivery where appropriate.

• It is recommended that a review of time allocations for music across different year groups is

undertaken in close collaboration between teaching staff and the In Harmony team.

• It is recommended that the possibility of establishing a community choir be explored across

the wider partnership, including Hope University, LCC, LMSS, RLP, and WECC.

84

• It is recommended that the Tea and Tunes sessions be more closely aligned to other

community activities in the future rather than being held as standalone events.

85

Appendix One: Revised Evaluation Framework

86

87

Appendix Two: Musical Indicators

Musicality/ Communication/

Confidence/ Commitment

LEVEL 1

Plays.

LEVEL 2

Plays with

commitment

and adjusts

their playing

to different

musical

styles (angry,

smooth).

LEVEL 3

Plays stylistically

with

commitment, and

pays some

attention to how

they fit in with

those around

them (ensemble

skills)

LEVEL 4

Plays stylistically

with commitment

and also sensitivity

to how their playing

fits in with those

around them

(increasing

alertness)

LEVEL 5

Plays stylistically

with commitment,

sensitivity and is

also able to

communicate

musical

ideas/details

(dynamics,

character, phrasing)

LEVEL 6

Plays stylistically

with

commitment,

sensitivity and

awareness of

those around

them and

showing more

mature orchestral

skills (following

bowing etc.)

LEVEL 7

Plays stylistically

with commitment

and sensitivity,

confidently

communicating

musical ideas and

listening carefully

to adjust their

sound once

prompted

LEVEL 8

Plays stylistically

with commitment,

sensitivity,

confidently

communicating

musical ideas and

listening carefully to

adjust their sound

without prompting.

Happy to take the

role of leader.

LEVEL 9

As before, now leading

with confidence.

Suggest musical ideas.

Supports others. Can

play in an ensemble

without conductor or

pointer.

LEVEL 10

Able to adjust musical

ideas in response to

others whilst playing.

Able to practise effectively

and efficiently without

direction.

LEVEL 11

Able to communicate as a

soloist with the support of a

small chamber group.

Singing and Solfa LEVEL 1

Understandi

ng of high

and low in

relation to

pitch.

Able to sing

a simple s m

response,

not

necessarily

at the given

pitch.

LEVEL 2

Able to sing a

s m response

accurately at

the given

pitch.

Aware of the

related solfa

handsigns.

doh and so

frequently

sung within

repertoire.

LEVEL 3

Sings a four/eight

bar s m melody

correctly from

memory.

Confidently sings

do and so with

handsigns.

Competently

sings solos.

Introduced to la.

LEVEL 4

Singing melodies

within the

pentatonic scale

with the correct

shape but not

necessarily strong

intonation.

Developing ability

to sing open strings

(accurate with D&A

and good attempt

with extremities)

LEVEL 5

Singing within the

pentatonic

accurately. Clear

handsigns. Singing

open string charts

across the full range

with an excellent

sense of pitch.

Fa in repertoire

LEVEL 6

Singing the

diatonic scale.

More jumps as

well as stepwise

motion being

used.

Singing in two

parts with

support.

LEVEL 7

Singing in two or

more parts

confidently with

some support.

Accurate singing

of semitones.

Fluent use of

handsigns.

LEVEL 8

Singing back

accurately and

confidently over a

wide range. Able to

sing confidently in

two or more parts.

Accurately singing

all familiar solfa

from charts.

LEVEL9

Singing in the minor l,-

l confidently.

Singing longer pieces

and more complex

parts. Singing some

chromatic music

(accidentals not in the

key) Singing in 3 parts

with some support.

Sight singing - Able to

sing a 2 bar phrase that

moves by step or

arpeggio d-s.

LEVEL 10

Able to identify tones and

semitones aurally. Sings

own instrument part

confidently in a group

whilst other parts are

going on. Sight singing –

as before now including

l,-m.

LEVEL 11

Able to identify perfect 5th,

perfect 4th and octave.

RH technique LEVEL 1

Understandi

ng basic bow

strokes

Aeroplanes

and rockets

LEVEL 2

Umpahs and

normal up

down bowing

(on one

string)

LEVEL 3

Using

fundamental

strokes

confidently across

more than one

string in

repertoire

LEVEL 4

Showing control

and tone quality

using aeroplanes

rockets & umpahs.

LEVEL 5

Using more

advanced bowing

strokes e.g Tremolo,

bouncy bows

LEVEL 6

Bites

Caterpillar

caterpillar

LEVEL 7

Long caterpillar

Slurs (rock the

baby)

Showing greater

control.

LEVEL 8

All of the above

strokes

demonstrating good

bow distribution,

and producing a

confident sound.

LEVEL 9

Playing more complex

rhythms and bow

stroke combinations

with good sound

production. Hooked

bowing within a piece.

Flexibility in wrist and

fingers. Faster bow

strokes played fast and

freely.

LEVEL 10

Consistently and

accurately play more

complicated bowing

patterns. Excellent

production of dynamics at

all times. Starting to

independently use

different parts of the bow

for appropriate strokes.

LEVEL 11

Ability to suggest

appropriate bow strokes to

complement the musical

style and of a piece.

Effective using bow speed

and contact point. Using

the bow to create fluent

musical phrases.

88

Pulse, Rhythm and Meter

LEVEL 1

Able to keep

a simple

pulse in

common

time (2/4 or

4/4)

LEVEL 2

Playing:

Tas titis,

twos and

rests in

common

time.

LEVEL 3

Playing:

Increasing

confidence and

accuracy in basic

common time

rhythms

Meter:

3/4

LEVEL 4

Playing:

Tica tis, Ti ticas and

tica ticas

Reading

mouse spider snail

Meter

6/8 5/4

Echo:

Ta, titi rhythms

LEVEL 5

Playing:

Increasing

confidence and

accuracy in more

complex rhythms

Reading

caterpillars lady

birds, grasshoppers

Meter:

Conduct in 2/4, ¾,

4/4 whilst singing.

Transcribing:

Ta, Titi

LEVEL 6

Playing:

Syn-co-pa

Reading:

Musical notation

two, ta, titi, rest

Meter:

Switch

comfortably

between time

signatures in

repertoire (all you

need is love,

dipidu)

Transcribing:

Twos, rests

LEVEL 7

Playing:

Timcas, triolas

Reading:

Musical notation

tica tis, ti ticas,

ticaticas

Meter:

Able identify time

sig ¾, 4/4

Transcribing:

Tica tis, Ti ticas

and tica ticas

LEVEL 8

Playing:

More complex

combinations and

sustain a part in a

polyrhythmic

texture.

Reading:

Syn-co-pa, timcas,

triolas

Meter:

Identify time sig

6/8

Transcribing:

Gaining confidence

in this skill.

LEVEL 9

Playing: Offbeats

independently. Sustain

a solo part in a

polyrhythmic texture.

Reading: A bar ahead

when using flashcards.

Compound time

rhythm patterns

Meter: Understanding

how rhythm→beats→

bars. Identify 9/8 &

12/8

Transcribing:

2 bars.

LEVEL 10

Playing: Tripola and titi

in the same bar. Cross

rhythms. Crotchet

triplets.

Reading: Longer pieces

more accurately. Formal

rhythm names for ta, ti,

tica, two.

Meter: Understand and

demonstrate the

difference between simple

and compound time,

Transcribing:

4 bars

LEVEL 11

Playing:

Reading:

Meter: 5/8, 7/8, 8/8

Transcribing:

Reading skills LEVEL 1

Recognises

string letter

names in

written form

and knows

which to play

when

pointed to

LEVEL 2

Navigate

simple chart.

Recognises

all string

names in any

sequence.

Understands

ta rest sign

LEVEL 3

Points accurately

and reliably with

a pulse, inc

changing lines.

LEVEL 4

Understands details

on charts. Repeats,

1st 2nd time bars,

dynamics.

Starts to recognise

solfa charts.

Understanding high

and low on stave.

LEVEL 5

Reliably links solfa

to left hand fingers,

follows own

individual part

competently (don’t

need TV in

orchestra).

Navigate stave

up/down & L/R.

Recognise their clef.

LEVEL 6

Identify and play

open strings on

written stave in

own clef. Use doh

key to sing back

basic 4 note

patterns from the

stave.

LEVEL 7

Read Doh to Soh

using Doh key

starting on Doh,

with basic

rhythms. Starting

to identify letter

names & link

these to handy

stave. Playing

open strings & 1st

fingers from

stave.

LEVEL 8

Read doh to soh by

step singing and

playing on 5 line

stave, with more

complicated

rhythms. Identify

individual letter

names and relate

them to your

instrument. Points

accurately and

reliably on the

stave. Uses # code

to find doh.

LEVEL 9

d-d’ by step or arpeggio

singing and playing

from 5 line stave.

Understand basic

musical alphabet and

link this to your

instrument. Italian

tempo and dynamic

terms.

LEVEL 10

d-d’ in familiar keys.

Name absolute notes of

major scale with up to 4

sharps in key signature.

Know these absolute

names on the stave.

Confident in basic italian

terms (gd 1)

LEVEL 11

Reading from the stave

fluently and linking this to

singing and playing.

Introduced to flats.

89

Posture and

instrument hold

LEVEL 1

Instrument

Only:

Knows what

to do but still

needs

prompting

LEVEL 2

Instrument

Only:

Very good

LEVEL 3

Instrument &

bow:

Knows what to do

but still needs

prompting

LEVEL 4

Instrument &

bow:

good but needs

some prompting

LEVEL 5

Instrument &

bow:

Outstanding

without prompting

LEVEL 6

All elements

(instrument,

bow, fingers):

Knows what to do

but still needs

prompting

LEVEL 7

All elements

(instrument,

bow, fingers):

good but needs

some prompting

LEVEL 8

All elements

(instrument,

bow, fingers):

Outstanding

without prompting

LEVEL 9

Able to maintain good

posture and instrument

hold when playing in

other positions (in

addition to 1st)

LEVEL 10

Able to maintain good

posture and instrument

whilst doing basic

shifting.

LEVEL 11

Able to maintain good

posture and instrument

hold when shifting. Bow

hold is now fully formed at

the heel

Left Hand

Technique

LEVEL 1

Left hand in

a good

position.

Able to

flutter and

sway in this

position.

Instrument

drumming,

Left Hand

pizz

LEVEL 2

½ string

magic note

on 1 string at

a time, ½

string magic

note in

repertoire

with more

than 1 note

LEVEL 3

Easily identify

which finger is

which and use

them in all the

ways found in the

Klezmer ex or

cello/bass ex.

Able to play a ¼

string magic note.

LEVEL 4

Able to play each

finger individually

whilst holding a

good hand position.

LEVEL 5

Play ½ a scale and

pieces using d-f

(Cowboy Chorus,

Hot Cross Buns,

Circles).

LEVEL 6

Play an octave

scale and playing

pieces using d-d’

or d-l (basses)

LEVEL 7

Very comfortable

using all fingers

with original

finger pattern

with notes on all

strings.

LEVEL 8

Playing with a

strong awareness of

when fingers are not

quite in the right

place and therefore

adjusting the tuning

when necessary.

Could they play in

tune without

stickers???

LEVEL 9

Confident playing d-d’

starting on any open

string. Comfortable

playing finger pattern

(low 2 vln/vla, 2 vcl)

Vln/vla starting to use

4th finger. Bass starting

to use 3rd and 4th

position.

LEVEL 10

Moving between finger

patterns.

Extension Cello.

Play 1 8ve A maj (all inst)

Play 2 8ve C maj, (vla/vcl)

1 8ve C maj, 2 8ve G maj,

1 8ve G maj (bass).

Moving other fingers out

of ‘normal’ position.

LEVEL 11

Chromatic scale. 3rd pos

(vlns/vlas)

½ position (vcl/bass)

90

Appendix Three

Key actions from In Harmony joint staff training event 11.1.12

1. Rod Skipp, Zoë Armfield and Clare Bailey to meet to discuss the following:

a. Sharing of topics and key words – In Harmony team to access IPC

b. Working out pairs/buddies across in Harmony and Teaching teams e.g. designated

areas of responsibility

c. Sharing Individual Education Plans

d. Sharing vision across each term/year for both teams

e. In Harmony to have access to staff section on school website

f. Sharing of behaviour management strategies

2. Zoë to prepare tasks that could be undertaken by children for the Spring concert to pass

onto school staff for allocation

3. Zoë and Sr. Moira to arrange In Harmony observations of class lessons

4. Zoë and Sr. Moira to ensure that relevant member of each team attends relevant team

meetings (e.g. a member of IH team to attend weekly school staff meeting when discussing a

relevant topic and vice versa with In Harmony team meetings and school staff)

5. School staff to feel confident to feedback to IH team on instrumental lessons/orchestra

6. Zoë and Sr. Moira to arrange a termly Joint team meeting

7. Zoë and Jon to arrange a joint social event (bowling)

8. Zoë and Jon to meet with Janine to discuss parental liaison

9. Zoë and Rod to ensure school staff all have input into who is chosen to work with Mandy

each term

91

Appendix Four

Kirkdale and Everton Study Areas19

19 Source: Liverpool City Council

92

Appendix Five

West Everton – Social and Economic data20

Including LSOAs: EO1006646, EO1006648, EO1006650

2011 population figures not available – 2010 figure used

Kirkdale area – Social and Economic data20

Including LSOAs: EO1006699, EO1006701, EO1006702, EO1006703, EO1006704

NB 2011 population figures not available – 2010 figure used

20 Source: Liverpool City Council

2008

Rate

2009

Rate

2010

Rate

2011

Rate

Anti Social Behaviour 16.76 11.05 7.21 14.00

Domestic Burglary 1.54 0.69 0.93 0.74

Drug Offences 3.56 3.40 2.64 1.89

Theft of Vehicle 0.93 0.67 0.45 0.70

Theft from Vehicle 2.22 1.18 0.75 1.77

Incapacity Benefit 18.4 13.3 13.4 12.6

Unemployment (job seekers allowance) 6.1 7.9 7.3 8.0

2008

Rate

2009

Rate

2010

Rate

2011

Rate

Anti Social Behaviour 10.17 8.10 8.07 11.49

Domestic Burglary 2.53 1.77 2.40 2.68

Drug Offences 1.70 1.95 2.40 2.22

Theft of Vehicle 0.54 0.51 0.38 0.33

Theft from Vehicle 1.86 2.00 1.16 0.96

Incapacity Benefit 21.6 20.1 18.4 12.6

Unemployment (JSA) 8.7 11.4 10.6 10.2

93

Appendix Six

Community Wellbeing Survey Scores

Average scores on a five point scale. Disagree a lot being 1. Agree a lot being 5.

Average scores

December ‘09

(Sample 39)

Av scores

March ‘10

(Sample 24)

Av scores

January ‘11

(Sample 28)

Av scores

March‘12

(Sample 29)

1 I feel part of the West Everton Community 4.5 4.6 4.8 4.8

2 I feel involved in the local community 4.0 4.7 4.7 4.7

3 I am satisfied with West Everton as a place to live 4.3 4.8 4.3 4.3

4 I can influence decisions affecting my local area 4.0 4.3 3.5 3.9

5 I feel people in West Everton treat each other with respect and consideration 4.4 4.6 4.2 3.9

6 I feel positive about the future 4.5 4.7 4.8 4.3

7 I feel pride in the West Everton Community 4.8 4.9 4.9 4.7

8 I feel people from outside West Everton see the area in a positive way 3.4 4.0 4.2 4.3

9 I have a positive relationship with Faith Primary School 4.7 4.8 4.9 4.9

10 I have seen an improvement in the behaviour of children attending Faith

Primary School

4.7 4.8 4.9 4.7

11 I feel I have the ability to change my life 4.4 4.3 4.5 4

12 I feel hopeful about the future 4.4 4.6 4.4 4

13 I feel hopeful about the future of the West Everton community 4.7 4.7 4.4 4.5

14 I feel stressed or anxious 2.5 2.4 2.2 2.4

15 I feel my health is generally good 3.8 3.7 4.3 4.1

16 I have a sense of contentment and wellbeing 4.0 4.6 4.3 4.3

17 I give unpaid/voluntary help to a group, club or organisation in the local area 3.2 3.5 4.0 3.9

18 I am a member of a group that makes decisions that affect my local area 2.8 3.6 3.3 3.4

19 I feel, people from different backgrounds get on well in West Everton 4.2 4.3 4.0 4.2

20 I think parents take enough responsibility for the behaviour of their children in

West Everton

4.2 3.9 4.3 4.2

21 Through the In Harmony Project I feel more involved in the West Everton

community

4.6 4.6 4.8 4.7

22 The In Harmony Project has given me a more positive relationship with Faith

Primary

4.7 4.7 4.9 4.9

23 The In Harmony Project has given me a more positive relationship with my

children

4.6 4.7 4.7 4.8

24 The In Harmony Project has made me feel more positive about myself and the

future

4.6 4.6 4.4 4.1

25 I think the Liverpool ‘Phil at the Friary is a good opportunity for West Everton 4.7 4.8 4.6 4.2

26 I have attended a concert by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra 3.9 3.8 4.1 4.1

27 I have attended the Philharmonic Hall for a concert or performance 4.3 4.2 4.2 3.9

28 I listen to classical music 3.1 3.9 3.5 3.3

29 I have bought classical music 2.8 2.8 3.1 3.1

30 I have attended other cultural activities 3.7 3.9 3.9 3.5