West of England Music and Arts Schools’ Conference
Friday February 27, 2025
Join us for a day of learning, creating and inspiration for all music teachers (and non-music specialists in primary schools) from EYFS through to Primary and Secondary. Conference sessions are geared to help you deliver the National Plan for Music Education in your setting. Sessions will include workshops, forums, and practical music making, plus surgeries throughout the day for more specific support, if needed.
The conference runs from 1pm through to twilight sessions, with opportunities to network. Refreshments will be provided throughout the day, with a buffet at 6.20pm. The conference ends at 7.30pm.
The West of England Music and Arts conference is sponsored by ABRSM, the exam board of the Royal Schools of Music.
Speakers & Workshop Leaders
Dr Ally Daubney is an Honorary Senior Lecturer in Education at the University of Sussex, as well as a musician, teacher educator, researcher, and currently co-editor of the British Journal of Music Education.
Rob Bradley is a world champion rapper, poet, and songwriter from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire who has performed globally, from New York clubs to European festivals. Rob believes everyone has a story but not always a way to tell it, which inspired him to start The Rap School. Since 2017, he has been delivering workshops in various education settings and community projects, both in and out of the UK. He has also given TED talks, published poetry and released music (under the pseudonym Jack Flash).
Martin Fautley is Emeritus Professor of Music Education at Birmingham City University. After working for many years as a classroom music teacher, he undertook full-time doctoral research in the education and music faculties at Cambridge University, investigating teaching, learning, and assessment of classroom music making. His research and publications on assessment in music education are widely known and frequently cited; he also well known for his long-standing involvement in the action-research project Listen Imagine Compose, working alongside Birmingham Contemporary Music Group. He is the author of ten books, over sixty journal articles, book chapters, and academic research papers. He is co-editor of the British Journal of Music Education.
Mich Mazzocco has spent the past 18 years working in early childhood music education. After becoming a Kindermusik educator, running classes for babies, toddlers and preschoolers in Surrey, gaining a diploma in piano teaching from the ABRSM, Mich then transitioned to classroom teaching. She is currently Head of Music at Bishopsgate School in Surrey. From 2019-2022 she pursued a MEd course at the Royal College of Music, and her work on entrainment stems from research done during this course.
Nigel Ipinson-Fleming started playing the piano aged three and is best known as the songwriter and keyboardist for OMD and The Stone Roses. Nigel later worked alongside some of the world’s leading lights in business and personal growth which changed his life forever, becoming a tech entrepreneur. Over the past 20 years he has run Singing, Songwriting, Gospel Choir, and Whole School Singing programs, as team and confidence building experiences for schools and businesses.
Dr Marina Gall is Senior Lecturer in Education (Music) at the University of Bristol. Prior to this, she taught Music, Drama and Dance at both primary and secondary level. Aside from leading the initial teacher training programme for secondary school music teachers (now closed), she works in the field of inclusivity. Marina has written papers and books on music and social justice, especially in relation to disabled young people, children’s use of music technologies, and education and the Sustainable Development Goals. Marina is also president of the European Association for Music in Schools.
Bethan Habron-James, previously a professional violinist, is a musicianship tutor at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. She has educated musicians, teachers, and children of all abilities, for 25 years. Her work focuses on the body as a primary instrument, developing rhythmic awareness, embodied aural acuity and improvisation skills. As holder of the Diplôme Supérieur of the Institut Jaques-Dalcroze, Geneva, she is an internationally recognised teacher of Dalcroze Eurhythmics and is currently in the final year of doctoral studies at Bangor University, North Wales.
Jenni Parkinson, is Inclusion Programme Lead here at WEMA. She is an inclusion specialist, with 18 years of experience in community music and music education. She was a founding director of Soundcastle, a charity using music as a tool for wellbeing; designing and facilitating a range of inclusive music programmes, using creative-music making to increase confidence, reduce isolation and enhance wellbeing for children and families facing barriers. She is a trainer and consultant in Inclusive Practice, supporting organisations including the Royal College of Music, Paraorchestra, the Associate Board for the Royal Schools of Music and SingUp.
Conference Programme
EYFS/early KS1
1.00pm – 2.15pm Mich Mazzocco
This session focuses on the ways in which music forms a valuable and integral part of children's language learning. The session is aimed at EYFS/KS1 practitioners and highlights practical resources and strategies for settings to implement in their day-to-day teaching. An overview of the brain processing of music and language will show how singing helps children process both spoken AND written language, and how the expressive and phonic elements of singing nursery rhymes and children's songs are especially effective in facilitating phonic elements such as sound perception and production, rhythm, rhyme, tone and listening.
2.30pm – 3.45pm Bethan Habron-James
This workshop will introduce the principles of Dalcroze Eurhythmics, a music pedagogy that gives primacy to the movement of the body. We will focus on its application to teaching Foundation Stage and KS1 children, giving due consideration to physical literacy, and creative, adaptive learning through play. Due to the practical nature of this session, you are advised to come in comfortable clothes.
Key Stage 1/2
1.00pm – 2.15pm Dr Ally Daubney
This session will look at cross-curriculum music delivery in the primary classroom – how to get musical learning into your classroom easily, every week.
2.30pm – 3.45pm Rob Bradley
This interactive session helps KS1 & 2 teachers use rap rhythms to boost students' speaking and listening skills. Featuring a live performance by Rob, it includes activities on structuring rap writing, using music to inspire creativity, generating ideas and techniques.
Key Stage 3 up
1.00pm – 2.15pm Rob Bradley
This practical session provides KS3 teachers with insights into using rap to engage students in writing and performance. Featuring a live performance by Rob, the session includes activities on structuring rap writing, using music to inspire creativity, generating ideas and performing for beginners.
1.00pm -2.15pm Martin Fautley
This session will outline findings from the longstanding “Listen Imagine Compose” action-research project, which has investigated the teaching and learning of composing in mainstream schooling. The session will talk about planning for and enacting pedagogies for composing, and will involve teachers thinking about how this can impact upon their own professional practice. It is intended to both stimulate thinking, and provide some food for thought as to possible subsequent classroom work.
2.30pm – 3.45pm Marina Gall
In this session we will share and explore thoughts and approaches related to work with year 7. This will include a consideration of issues of transition from year 6 to year 7, and the development of composition skills as well as a wider look at music in the secondary school.
2.30pm – 3.45pm Martin Fautley
Assessment and progression in classroom music in the secondary school. In this session the main focus will be on assessment at KS3, but with some slight excursions into KS4-5 as well. Teachers will be asked to reflect on what they teach, and how they then go about assessing what the pupils do as a result of this. Teachers will also be asked to think about their own assessment practices, and how these mesh with whole-school systems with which they have to fit.
Inclusion
1.00pm – 2.15pm Jenni Parkinson
2.30pm – 3.45pm Jenni Parkinson
Music and Autism. Jenni's sessions explore how we can support young people to develop confidence, creativity and communication through music-making. We will discuss the highlights and challenges of music for autistic people, and some practical starting points for musical exploration.
Break for refreshments: 3.45pm – 4.15pm
Twilight Schedule
4.00pm Nigel Ipinsen-Fleming
Nigel leads an impromptu singing session leading into his talk.
4.15pm-4.55pm
In this session, Nigel will look at music being a metaphor for life; how to use music and language to illustrate that diversity is a lifestyle choice and how it benefits us both personally and in our profession.
5.00pm–5.40pm Rob Bradley
This talk and practical session features Rob’s performance and offers ample opportunities for interaction and creativity. Drawing from his seven years of delivering rap workshops across the country, Rob provides insights into creativity, writing, confidence, and performance, highlighting why rap is a powerful tool for engaging young people and a chance for Q&A.
5.40pm-5.50pm Short Break
5.50pm-6.20pm KEYNOTE SPEECH – To Be Confirmed
6.20pm–7.30pm
Buffet and drinks, alongside teach meet opportunities, and a panel discussion with some of the speakers from the day. Includes a chance for Q&A from the audience.
NB. There will be slots available for surgeries with various speakers at points through the day. Booking details will follow nearer the Conference date.
Booking and Payment
Fill in the Booking Form with your required option (don't forget to check out our Bonus Offers!) and then pay via a credit/or debit card on our Payment Page. There are three main ticket options:
- FULL CONFERENCE – Attend the whole conference, including afternoon sessions, plus twilight sessions (including buffet) for £65, which reduces to just £45 with our Bonus Offer*
*Bonus Offer: We take a pre-payment of £65. When you have attended the whole conference, including twilight sessions, we will credit your card with £20, making the total cost just £45.
- STUDENT FULL CONFERENCE – Student rate for the whole conference including afternoon and twilight sessions (including buffet) for £25.
- AFTERNOON SESSIONS ONLY – Attend for the afternoon sessions 1.00pm-3.45pm (does not include twilight sessions or buffet) for £40.
- TWILIGHT SESSIONS ONLY – Attend for the Twilight Sessions/Buffet 4.00pm-7.30pm (does not include afternoon sessions) for £40.
Extra Person Bonus: Bring a colleague for just £10! Simply click Yes when requested on the Booking Form below and then fill in their details. Then select one of the Extra Person bonus options on the payment page.
If you wish to bring more than one colleague, please contact us directly at conference@wema.org.uk
Payment
Once you have submitted your booking form, click the button below to go to our payment page. Open the drop-down list under the heading ‘Please Select' and choose the correct option for you.
If you wish to pay for the conference by invoice then please contact us via conference@wema.org.uk
