Re-thinking Planning for a Creative Music Curriculum

This chapter describes a four-year partnership project between schools, music organisations and young people ‘at risk’ of low attainment, disengagement or educational exclusion. It explores a dichotomy between viewpoints of planning for learning and planning for doing, for activity. On one hand is the schools’ approach to planning, which is challenged by systems of regulation, on the other are music organisations’ perspectives on creative activity, including pedagogical content knowledge and learning outcomes. This created tensions and challenges for the development of creative learning and partnership working. The chapter will discuss how the projects navigated these opposing perspectives, and through collaboration developed joint understandings of the role of planning for creativity for a creative and engaging curriculum.