Sing Up Young Singing Leaders How to Guide

How was it written?

• Youth leadership consultant Dave Turner lead conversations with: Sing Up Area LeadersCoMusica YMAZ young leaders and musiciansTrainee community musicians Leaders of The Sage Gateshead Learning and

Participation programme• Contributions were made by the Sing Up

Consortium and Research Group

Why?

We believe in supporting children and youngpeople to lead singing, to be decision makersand in the value of their idea’s and contributions. Singing and creative pursuits generates enthusiasmand energy in young people; this offers youthleadership a special place to evolve. It offers apositive environment for workers, children, andyoung people to grow and develop.

Why now?

• Don’t worry:We know some of the deadlines for

achieving Sing Up young singing leader targets have passed

We have used current Sing Up good practice in young singing leadership to create a How to Guide

How to Guide

• The How to Guide aims to tell you: How you are meeting the targets already How you can develop young singing leaders

nowAbout young singing leaders in the wider

context of youth leadership

Age definitions

• We define:

Children as aged 5 – 12 Young people as 13 – 19

What is a Sing Up young singing leader?

• A child or young person aged 5 – 19 who is leading singing with other children, young people, or adults

• Young singing leaders will be guided by the Principles for Good Vocal Leadership

Young singing leaders

• Lead singing in the playground• Support other children with their

singing, for example, in a choir, singing group, classroom, or out of school singing activity

• Lead singing with adults

What is good vocal leadership?

• Good vocal leadership is most effective when it is:

PositiveWell-informedClearInclusiveEncouragingCreativeMusical

www.singup.org/quality

Policy background

• Every Child Matters• Young People: Leading Change • The Youth of Today

What do we mean by youth leadership?

• Young people leading, influencing change and making a difference to their own lives and the lives of others, in all areas of society

• Young people supporting the learning and personal development of their peers and younger children

• Making their voices heard in school councils, in their own communities, through youth organisations and civic bodies

• Expressing ideas, making choices, decisions and taking action about issues which concern them

• Making positive contributions to business and enterprise • Leading their own lives, playing sport, making music, supporting

peers, being effective role models

What are the benefits of youth leadership?

• Children and young people can become: More self awareGain skillsExercise their power Initiate and share influences with others

* Youth Leadership can enable children and young people to have a positive effect on their own lives and the lives of others. Creativity is a fertile environment for youth leadership and as a result, empowerment flourishes

What has youth leadership got to do with Sing Up young singing leaders?

• Young singing leadership shares some of the same benefits as youth leadershipGain confidenceGain skillsMake choices and decisions

• We hope leading singing will encourage children and young people to become youth leaders

Sing Up young singing leader targets

• By March 2010 Sing Up will train 35,000 singing leaders and 17,500

young singing leaders (under the age of 19) to work regularly with primary school-age children

• Between April 2008 and March 2009Each Area Leader will have worked with 175 young

singing leaders

• Between April 2009 and March 2010Each Area Leader will work with 200 new young

singing leaders

How do we reach the targets?

• In reaching these targets, you can include young singing leaders who:Area Leaders have worked with directlyAre being supported by teachers and other

adults who have participated in Sing Up training with a focus on young singing leadership

Are in Sing Up schools

Examples from Area Leaders

• Young singing leadership training on a residential weekend to develop young singing leadership skills and youth leadership

• Twilight trainings to teachers in cluster schools with young singing leaders as a focus

• Young singing leaders used as role models to motivate staff singing

Leadership

• There are many different ways to describe and understand leadership. Leading in a musical context will influence how children and young people lead other parts of their lives.

• We have found it useful to describe leadership falling into three categories

1. Little l (leadership)

• Supporting the learning and personal development of peers and younger children. A primary school aged child or young person might not necessarily think of themselves as a leader or take a full leadership role, for example, they might not be leading a choir but might be supporting their peer choir member with singing part of a song.

• Leadership that is about children and young people making choices, and taking action, for example, year 6 children arranging themselves into a group during play time and starting to lead playgroup songs.

2. Big L (Leadership)

• Standing at the front of a group encouraging others to participate, for example, leading a choir

• Making decisions, taking responsibility or actions that affect others, for example, children deciding to set up their own choir and recruit other children into it

3. Baton passing

* Often in everyday life or in a group, the person who leads and those who follow can change from moment to moment. We have found it useful to call this baton passing, it is a term children and young people understand. Sometimes one person leads a group and sometimes there is leadership fluency where other group members will help or support the leader or even take full leadership themselves for a moment.

What are the benefits of young singing leadership?

• Examples from Sing Up Area Leaders:Improves musicianship and vocal practice “I feel

more confident to lead because I feel I have more musical knowledge now. E.g. conducting and so on”

Develops confidence in children and young people “I’m a lot more confident now and it’s a lot more fun now I know what I’m doing”

Develops positive role modelsSupports transition

Young singing leading supports social and emotional learning

• Building social and emotional skills and competencies which enable children and young people to be:

More self aware Manage their emotions Develop empathy with

othersEstablish healthy

relationships Make safe choices and

responsible decisions

What do young singing leaders need from adults?

Young singing leaders say they need adults to:Be themselvesListen and show that they are listeningHave good, open body languageBe respectful of young people, their opinions and their

ideasBe open minded and open to new ideasProvide guidance and adviceTry to involve everybody in the groupLaugh and have fun

Creating a positive environment

• It is important for young singing leaders to:Feel safeBe treated with respect and careBe supported where necessaryHave clearly defined boundariesBe given appropriate opportunities to leadBe supported with a non-judgmental, empathic

attitudeHave the opportunity to reflect on their learning

What are the responsibilities of adults supporting young singing leaders?

• Safeguarding and child protection• Clear communication of roles and responsibilities• Making sure the young singing leader has an

appropriate level of skills, knowledge, and experience

• Making sure the young singing leader is given appropriate opportunities to lead

• Recognising young singing leaders success through accredited and non-accredited means

A useful checklist of questions

• It is important to take into account duty of care, safeguarding, and legislationWhat policies and procedures are in place in your

workplace?Do older young leaders need a CRB disclosure to

work with primary school aged children? What boundaries and agreements need to be in

place within the group?

Skills and knowledge needed by adults

• How do adults know when to stop leading, step back and support young singing leaders?

• How does an adult recognise a child or young person’s interest in singing leadership, what signs do you look for?

• When do you point out to a child or young person that they have moved into a leadership role?

Conversations to have before starting a young singing leader’s project

• What accredited programmes is the school already involved in? Could this actively support and celebrate young singing leadership?

• How do you make young singing leadership work in Beyond the Mainstream settings?

• Are there issues for transporting pupils to other schools, rehearsals, or concert venues? This might be an issue for rural schools who have to rely on the parent taxi service or disadvantaged families

Success and continuing support

• What does success look like?• How do we celebrate success with young

singing leaders?• What opportunities can young singing leaders

can be signposted to?

Opportunities for accreditation

• Sing Up Awards www.singup.org • Arts Award www.artsaward.org.uk • Young Achievers Award www.youngachievers.co.uk • Youth Achievement Award www.ukyouth.org • Duke of Edinburgh Awards www.dofe.org • GCSE, AS Level, A level

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/EducationAndLearning/QualificationsExplained/index.htm

• 14-19 Diplomas http://yp.direct.gov.uk/diplomas/ • Creative Apprenticeships www.ccskills.org.uk

What next?

• You will receive a PDF of the Sing Up Young Singing Leaders How to Guide

• The How to Guide will be posted on the Sing Up website for you to amend, add to and comment on