Curriculum guidance

The refreshed National Plan for Music Education, published in June 2022, recommends all schools have a Music Development Plan in place by September 2023, to show their ongoing commitment to the development of music in their school.  NMPAT have created a support document, for use by Headteachers, Senior Leadership Teams and School Music Leads, in the creation of this plan.

This document has been written by NMPAT to support Northamptonshire and Rutland Schools as part of our Curriculum Support offer. We recognise that schools are at different stages of the journey in the creation of your School Music Development Plan – some have documents and plans already in place, whilst others may have an overall school plan but not a music subject specific one. This document is aimed to provide guidance and not a prescriptive approach. The templates within this document are for guidance and we recommend that you use school forms.

• NMPAT guidance for creating your plan
• Four steps to creating your plan
• Appendix 1: Primary Audit
• Online Primary Audit form
• Appendix 2: Secondary Audit
• Online Secondary Audit form
• Appendix 3: template plan (word)
• Appendix 3: template plan (PDF)

As Lead Partner of the Music Hub for Northamptonshire and Rutland, NMPAT offers all schools a one hour free consultancy to support the development and review of their SMDP.

Consultancy meetings will support you to:

• review existing music provision within your school
• identify areas of strengths and areas for development within your school music provision
• develop and review your School Music Development Plan
• have up to date knowledge on national music education policy, practice and approach

For further information, contact our office: office@nmpat.co.uk