MEHEM are pleased to announce the launch of UpRising360, a 3-year programme of action-research, workforce development and school-based projects that will culminate in the development of a new in-service training programme for all practitioners making music with pupils with additional learning needs in the UK. The project has secured £200k from Youth Music for UpRising360, aiming to further strengthen inclusion provision in the East Midlands and beyond.
The Challenge
UpRising360 is based on the premise that effective inclusive music teachers have a strong grounding in both inclusive practice (how to work effectively with pupils with additional needs) and music theory and practice. Some teachers, such as music specialists working as subject leads in special schools, have both of these areas of knowledge, but many classroom teachers and instrumental teachers – those tasked with delivering the majority of music provision in schools – do not.
The Change
The first four years of UpRising addressed this situation, including by offering training to over 900 instrumental tutors and classroom teachers across the UK, and developing resources including the UpRising Balloon website. However, it was learnt that creating fundamental change requires more than one-off trainings, especially in schools that have minimal existing provision. UpRising360 will embed hub music specialists in 20 schools across the East Midlands for a year, creating communities of practice and knowledge sharing between instrumental tutors and generalist classroom teachers.
As well as supporting the development of music-making across the school, this process will also be a form of action-research, allowing the UpRising research team to explore in granular detail the skills needed to work effectively with the full range of cohorts found in specialist provision, how they are articulated by practitioners, and how they can be shared. The findings will form the foundation of a new in-service training programme that will be made available to music hubs across the UK.
The Impact
UpRising is backed by Youth Music, thanks to the National Lottery via Arts Council England, and builds on a fantastic network of school and hub-based practitioners that has been growing since the project began in 2020. Youth Music’s programme director, Carol Reid, said “We’re delighted to be supporting this partnership project, that will bring significant and lasting benefits across the East Midlands music education landscape, especially for young people who would otherwise miss out. Having supported the original 3-year UpRising project, we know the learning and impact will be of national significance.”
UpRising360 will also develop or expand programmes that work with some of the most underrepresented groups that come under the label ‘SEND’, including those who have profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD), and those who experience mental-ill health and/or are care-experience.
Building on the successes of the first four years of UpRising, this new programme of work aims to create a step change in inclusive practice in the East Midlands and beyond, turning ‘best practice’ into ‘common practice’ and ensuring that every young person has access to a high-quality, equitable education.
