Alison Turpin Music

We are delighted to announce that, as part of our Youth Music Funded 'Sound Beginnings' Project, we have two bursaries available for the Certificate For Music Educators: Early Childhood course! This distance learning course is offered through the Centre for Research in Early Childhood (CREC) in Birmingham.

The bursaries are worth a whopping £1300 each against the full course cost of £1625, and are available to early years practitioners/music practitioners in the North West of England, and who are able to begin the course in October 2026.

Full information on the course, as well as entry requirements and dates for the Core Learning Days, is available at www.crec.co.uk/cert-music-ed-early-childhood

If you are interested in applying for the bursary, please email [email protected] with your expression of interest (maximum of 500 words) by 5pm on Friday 13th March 2026 which outlines: your current role, your experiences of working with children and your reasons for wanting to do the course. If you would like to discuss the course before submitting an application please contact us at [email protected]

We look forward to hearing from you! 🎶

Looking forward to a very musical 2026...

First news to share from our Youth Music funded 'Sound Beginnings' project!

In January 2026, Associate Director Alison, will be beginning to work with preschool children and staff in nursery settings in Sefton and West Lancashire. The aim of this work is to encourage and build confidence in the use of music to support literacy and language development. As well as delivering music sessions for small groups of children, Alison will work with and support setting staff, to build their confidence in leading, and using, music in the setting. Through the project, we will also be able to provide each setting with resources to use in their music delivery.

We are also excited to be able to offer the following:

- An Early Years Conference in collaboration with Amp-Music and More Music to be held in Skipton on Monday 9th March
- Two Bursaries for the Certificate For Music Educators: Early Childhood course!
- Regional 'Gathering' events - an opportunity to meet in person for CPD, discussion and networking.

And that isn't all! Watch this space for news coming soon of how we're working with even more children, families, practitioners and organisations in our region!

📣📢We are really excited to announce that Note Weavers will be collaborating with Amp-Music and More Music on an Early Years music conference in early 2026. Save the date... more details coming soon!

TICKETS NOW ON SALE
**ONLINE CPD EVENT**

Tuesday 21st October, 7:30 - 9pm.

Introduction to using the Sounds of Intent Framework

Note Weavers Assistant Director Alison Turpin invites you to join our next online CPD session, discovering Sounds of Intent, a model of musical development that maps how we engage with music.

This session is ideal for practitioners new to Sounds of Intent or those beginning to deepen their understanding of the framework, with opportunities to learn, reflect and discuss its use in practice.

Drawing on her recent experience as a graduate of the PGCert in Music and Children with Special Needs: Sounds of Intent, Alison will provide an overview of the framework, focusing on music making with children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and children in the Early Years.

This session will:

Provide an understanding of the Sounds of Intent framework and how it can be used to assess and aid children's progress in musical development
Include time for questions and discussion relating to your own practice
Signpost useful resources and opportunities for your to further explore Sounds of Intent

Tickets cost £5. This session will be recorded. If you cannot attend in person, but would like to receive the recording, please purchase a 'Recording Only' ticket.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/introduction-to-using-the-sounds-of-intent-framework-tickets-1730718899819?aff=oddtdtcreator

“You can’t physically chuck a 13-year-old over a school gate and say: ‘Go on, get in.’”   @annamaxwellmartin, who’s navigated the SEND system as a parent, says that attitude is just as important as funding to help support children with special educational needs.   Today programme | Listen on BBC Sounds

We are excited to share that we are in the early stages of creating Sounds of Intent awards for schools to work towards. The awards will form an officialized recognition of the levels of inclusive music provision in schools. The hope is that they will not only recognise the good work already being done, but also promote increased efforts in this area, by providing a pathway to achieving excellence in music education.

We are hoping to run a pilot scheme in the Autum term 2025, with a full launch in January 2026. Watch this space!

We’re back to remind you that applications are open for the PGCert we offer, for September 2025 entry. Perhaps you are tempted yourself? Or perhaps you know someone who might be? Please share widely!

The PGCert is in Music and Children with Special Needs and will give you a thorough grounding in the Sounds of Intent framework of musical development, how to use it in practical settings and how it can drive curriculum and policy development in UK school and beyond.

Do visit the link here: https://www.roehampton.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-taught-courses/music-and-children-with-special-needs-sounds-of-intent/ to find out more about the course and apply!

Do you agree with Kellie Bright?

Sign our open letter to the Secretary of State for Education ➡️ https://tinyurl.com/MakeSpaceForTheArts

**ONLINE CPD EVENT!**
Note Weavers Director and Music Therapist Georgina Roberts will lead this CPD session which explores sound play as a sensory, inclusive, and child-led approach to supporting children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). Rather than focusing on structured music-making, the emphasis is on tuning into each child’s unique sensory sound world to enrich their experience and support learning.

Participants will experiment with found objects and simple instruments, developing confidence in using sound responsively and creatively. The session will examine why play—and specifically sound play—matters, how it supports key areas of development, and its particular relevance for children with SEND. Through hands-on activities, participants will engage in mirroring, call-and-response, and emotional attunement techniques, exploring how sound can foster connection, communication, and regulation.

Tickets are JUST £5 so do come and join us on Wednesday June 18th 7pm-8pm.
Book your ticket here: 👇
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/sensory-sound-play-exploring-inclusive-sound-worlds-with-children-with-send-tickets-1363029721589?aff=oddtdtcreator

Please Note:
-Breakout Rooms will be used in this session
-This event will not be recorded

If you're thinking that the Certificate for Music Educators: Early Childhood at CREC might be the course for you, but you have some questions before applying you can visit: https://www.crec.co.uk/cert-music-ed-early-childhood

Here, there are a list of FAQs, information on the course and team, alumni testimonials and photos that give a flavour of the Learning Days.
If you still have questions, then you can email [email protected] with a question or request a chat with one of the mentor team prior to application.

We're here to help!