Assessment of Ocarina LessonsBLUE_OCARINA_PLAYER_KS1_PRIMARY_MUSIC_EDUCATION

How to get 10 out of 10 in Music…

The ten comments on this page are from published Ofsted Reports in assessment of Primary Music lessons in England. Each comment highlights a different area of music-making observed as ‘outstanding’ where Ocarina-playing has been key to the success of the lesson.

Use these comments as a starting point in thinking about your own lessons. For example, how actively involved are all the children throughout the lesson. Are they listening carefully as well as playing? Do they have opportunity to perform individually and as a group to others? Are their skills developing through playing in harmony, for example, or learning to play pieces that have more complex rhythms.

In assessing your own lessons, remember that the smiles on children’s faces is most important. If they play happily and enjoy making music together and feel good about their achievement, this will speak for itself:

Assessment - how to get 10 out of 10 in Music

Ofsted, Ocarinas and Outstanding Class Music

1) ATTAINMENT AND MUSIC READING

“All the pupils in Year 2 learn to play the ocarina and are encouraged to perform in assemblies. This has a positive influence on the pupils’ attainment and means that, by the end of Year 2, they all read musical notation.”

2) MOTIVATION

“Pupils benefit from a well-planned curriculum with topics chosen carefully to specially interest them. For example, a Year 2 topic linked to the events connected with the Great Fire of London included every child in the age group taking part tunefully and enthusiastically in playing ‘London’s Burning’ on ocarinas.”

3) ALL CHILDREN PLAY – ALL TEACHERS TEACH

“Standards are above average in music because pupils are taught well and because they are given regular opportunities to practise the skills learned, for example in assemblies. Effective strategies are used to involve special needs pupils in whole-class sessions and to enable them to succeed. Opportunities for enrichment are good, as are the accommodation and resources. For example, before they transfer to the junior school, all pupils have the opportunity to learn to play the ocarina – and all teachers are involved in teaching them.”

4) PEER TEACHING – HEADTEACHER LEADERSHIP

“Popular ocarina ensembles – which are led well by the headteacher – complement pupils’ classroom experiences in music. Older pupils help to tutor the younger groups, another excellent example of distributed leadership. The headteacher’s active involvement and expert leadership of these groups gives a very powerful message about the importance of music education.”

5) SKILLFUL, COMPETENT, CONFIDENT

“At a lunchtime ocarina club Year 2 pupils were skilful, competent and confident performers. For example, after a short period of rehearsal they practised the tune, harmony and descant of the song ‘Kumbaya’ and then, divided into three groups, played these parts together.”

6) ENSEMBLE PLAYING – HAPPY PARENTS

“Older pupils rightly say that they would welcome opportunities to play in ensembles. The school is aware of this and has successfully introduced an ocarina group which is welcomed by pupils and parents alike.”

7) PERFORMANCE

“Pupils are given good opportunities to perform publicly through concerts and festivals. For example, a group of pupils participated in an ocarina festival.”

8) HIGH-QUALITY MUSIC

“Themed project work, currently pirates, inspires pupils and helps them to make excellent cross-curricular links in their learning. During the inspection the whole school practised ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ for the end of year play, with high-quality music heard from Class 4 ocarina players.”

9) LINK SUBJECTS

“The school participates in local music festivals and pupils learn to play the recorder, ocarina and violin. Creative planning of curricular themes is improving the way teachers’ link different subjects together.”

10) CROSS-CURRICULAR

“The work pupils do is varied, interesting and covers all the appropriate areas of learning and subjects. There are many meaningful links between the different subjects and the shared teaching areas and high quality resources are used well. They enjoy learning to play musical instruments such as the ocarina.”