Teach-Primary-Issue-19.1

Some music resources sing, dance, play and pray. They can educate, entertain, engage and inspire. They are also playful, uplifting, and optimistic. But there aren’t many that can do all of that. Out of the Ark music can, though, and a tour through their new subscription service – Sparkyard – will show you why they won the Outstanding Music Education Resource award at the 2023 Music and Drama Education Awards. It is expansive, visually attractive and very user-friendly. Sparkyard is quite the platform and includes gold bars by the pallet load. Not only do you get all of their songs and resources, you get plenty of fabulous extras designed to help you promote a musical culture throughout the school week, including assembly plans and a flexible and unique music curriculum helping to address the needs of the National Plan for Music Education. Many non-specialist teachers can shy away from the music curriculum, especially when it comes to singing, but Sparkyard can really help upgrade their skills and confidence. Out of the Ark is positive that anyone can teach and use these resources, especially using its Words on Screen technology. For the specialist, this vault is a real playground of potential. So, what do you get? It might be easier to ask what don’t you get! Sparkyard has gone the whole nine yards with its offer. There are assemblies galore packed with song choices, resources and ready-to-go assembly plans for the whole school year organised under a range of ‘Values’ options, topics/themes, seasons and age. There are also assembly playlists and songs with signing videos. There is also a separate section of collective worship resources with something for every occasion. Looking for cross-curricular inspiration? Look no further. There are songs and resources to support the whole-school curriculum and bringing learning to Engaging, inspiring and playful music provision for the whole school AT A GLANCE MUS I C An award-winning music subscription platform Offers over 1,000 songs written by award-winning writers Provides thousands of ideas, activities, and teaching tips Includes a flexible and dynamic music curriculum Allows teachers to send songs home so children can sing out of school Offers a range of ready-to-go assemblies that promote wellbeing and school community Offers bespoke music-hub partnerships This is a highly affordable resource with variable pricing. See tinyurl.com/tp-Sparkyard for details. Soulful, heart-warming and invigorating Promotes the use of high-quality singing in daily classroom practice Inspiring resources, very accessible materials and clear curriculum frameworks Packed with instantly accessible songbooks, nativities and musicals A visionary approach to primary music education Boosts wellbeing, motivation and a willingness to learn Supports pupil confidence, phonics skills and performance in maths You are looking for dynamic and accessible tried-and-tested resources to give teachers the confidence and subject knowledge to teach music well, and to embed singing as a golden thread throughout school. VERD I CT UPGRADE I F . . . REVIEWED BY: JOHN DABELL Sparkyard life. Simply select the subject, the curriculum concept and the topic/theme along with the age group and away you go. This section contains maths, English and science songs, curriculum resources, playlists and songbooks. Here you will also find a ready-made music curriculum for Reception to Year 6; a truly innovative, skills-based offering that is fully flexible and easy to deliver. Sparkyard also contains resources for school routines and signals with songs to influence mood, focus attention, indicate a change of activity and make classroom life a whole lot easier. Beyond these, you will also find singing for fun resources, songs and teaching materials for choirs and concerts, and songs to help you build and strengthen community, and promote self- confidence, resilience and teamwork. I love the Song Calendar section with options to mark special days and events throughout the school year. There’s also a surprise treat box of randomly selected tunes. Making your own collections and playlists is easy, and you can share your favourite songs and resources with colleagues. One thing Out of the Ark has always managed to do extremely well is nail the ‘look’ of its online resources. They are visually very appealing and so are a real pleasure to use. This is an expertly constructed platform that effortlessly invites your interaction and is ideal for primary users. One of the fun features of Sparkyard is that you can use the platform to send songs home to your children, which is especially useful when it comes to rehearsing for a show or an assembly. Creating and using a share link is straightforward, and this will be handy for some music homework too. What is particularly relevant is that all songs are recorded using children’s voices, which is essential for modelling good quality singing. If you want a school full of singing classrooms, Sparkyard will make it happen. www.teachwire.net | 79 RE V I EWS