Arts Award’s flexible and adaptable framework makes it a great certification for young people with SEND, giving space for all to celebrate. Following our ‘Arts Award in SEND setting' webinar, Jordana Golbourn interviewed Tim Elmer and Jo Howe from The Funky Pie Company at Hertfordshire Music Service, to get some top tips for delivering in this setting.
Why is awards award good in an SEND setting?
It has an excellent framework for balanced coverage of the arts with participation and self-reflection, accessible to every young person (using an adaptive approach). The structure is consistent year-on-year and doesn’t change much which make planning, both short and long term, easier. Trinity has been very supportive and very understanding about additional needs, especially at the Moderation stage. The format suits large groups (events and activities can be used for evidence from multiple candidates). The Trinity templates can be easily adapted to be relevant and engaging to your students.
The Arts Award criteria can be achieved in diverse creative ways, enabling SEND students a level playing field to achieve alongside others.
5 top tips for delivering arts award in an SEND setting
1. Use repetition and recognisable structure. Revisiting themes, songs and characters consistently in sessions that students can “get to know”. This consolidates ideas and familiarity is often comforting in situations where other things might be changing.
2. Don’t rush responses from students, allow space and time for their thoughts and ideas to develop (silences can seem socially awkward, don’t be afraid of them, and you can always come back to them later). Reflection shouldn’t be a pressure.
3. Be careful with pace - keep activities short, don’t be afraid to repeat sections several times, keep session structures consistent where possible and let staff and students know when breaks will be or how long till such-and-such happens… Be prepared to adapt the session if something isn’t working – have a plan B.
4. Encourage students to “find their own way in”. Not all your young people will want to (or feel able to) be involved straight away. Sometimes just observing (even from round a doorway) or just listening is a great achievement for some. You may find after a while that they start to become more involved. Always allow a way out - live sessions can be overwhelming for some so don’t put them off by insisting they stay when/where they’re not comfortable. Provide breakout rooms, quiet spaces where students can go until they feel ready to rejoin a session.
5. Try and offer different ways of learning: live sessions, activity packs, online deliveries, pre-recorded videos. Allow students not at school, or for whatever reason unable to attend regular sessions to continue their participation and learning outside of the usual setting.
The Funky Pie Company offer 1 year courses at Explore, Bronze and Silver levels. Students from SEND schools participate in workshops with musicians, artists and practitioners from many areas of the arts, but always with music as the backbone. Students follow on from the workshop activities at school with guided consolidation tasks. All activities are specifically constructed to contribute towards the criteria for completing the awards, whilst remaining fun and fluid. Although the logistics and practicalities of the course are carefully planned, the direction and content evolve according to choices made by the students.
To find out more about the work of The Funky Pie Company and to book them to work in your SEND setting
Email: tim.emler@hertsmusicservice.org.uk or jo@howeunique.co.uk
Visit: www.hertsmusicservice.org.uk (New Funky Pie area available soon)
