Young children’s experiences of music and soundings in museum spaces: lessons, trends and turns from the literature

This article considers the value and role of early years music and sound activities in museum spaces – in relation to children themselves, as well as to their families and wider communities. The article reviews literature around early years music and sound activities; early childhood and the museum; and the use of music and sound in museum spaces – reflecting on reconceptualisation’s of the child within museum spaces and in relation to music and sound. In particular, the article highlights gaps in the literature that present an opportunity to explore the role of music and sound with young children (and particularly with so-called ‘hard-to-reach’ communities or families) within museums

In pursuit of quality: early childhood qualifications and training policy

This paper aims to critique policy discourses around the pursuit of quality in early years education. Taking England as a focal point, it problematizes the use of the term ‘quality’ and attempts to standardise its meaning; highlighting the disconnect that exists between policy and practice. The paper combines discourse analysis of a small number of key government documents with a series of interviews with early years stakeholders in order to identify issues that will have resonance and can inform a much needed continuation of debates about what quality might mean. Over the course of the research it became apparent that there was considerable disquiet amongst early years practitioners with regards the current qualifications and training landscape, particularly with regards to what many viewed as ideologically-driven policy-making, not informed by proper dialogue with the sector

Identifying an educational response to the prevent policy: student perspectives on learning about terrorism, extremism and radicalisation

School responses to the Prevent agenda have tended to focus primarily on ‘safeguarding’ approaches, which essentially perceive some young people as being ‘at risk’ and potentially as presenting a risk to others. In this article we consider evidence from secondary school students who experienced a curriculum project on terrorism, extremism and radicalisation. We argue that a curriculum response which addresses the acquisition of knowledge can build students’ critical capacity for engagement with radicalisation through enhanced political literacy and media literacy. We further argue this represents a genuinely educational response to Prevent, as opposed to a more restrictive securitised approach

The impact of the prevent duty on schools: a review of the evidence

The UK has emerged as an influential global player in developing policy to counter violent extremism, and therefore it is important to consider the emerging evidence about the impact of this policy in education. The Prevent Duty came into force in the UK in 2015, placing a legal responsibility on schools and teachers to implement anti-terrorist legislation and prevent young people from being drawn into extremism or radicalisation. This article reviews all of the material based on empirical studies in England involving school teachers and students published between 2015 (when the Duty was introduced) and the beginning of 2019 (27 articles and reports in total) to consider the impact of the policy on schools. The key themes emerging from our analysis of this evidence base are related (1) to the ways the policy is interpreted within Islamophobic discourses, (2) the emergence of Britishness as a key feature of fundamental British values, and (3) the implications of framing Prevent as a safeguarding issue. We argue that the evidence gives support to those who have been critical of the Prevent Duty in schools, and that it seems to be generating a number of unintended and negative side effects. However, the evidence also illustrates how teachers have agency in relation to the policy, and may thus be able to enact the policy in ways which reduce some of the most harmful effects

Musiceum: Museums as Spaces for Early Childhood Music-making – a Mapping Exercise

The study recognizes that museums represent a potentially rich space for families with young children in disadvantaged communities to access, and hence enjoy multiple benefits. Specifically, museums hold the potential to engage such families in Early Years music making programmes, which have been shown to offer myriad cognitive, social, emotional, and educational advantages (Pitt & Hargreaves, 2017; Pitt & Hargreaves, 2016; Osgood et al., 20132). However, despite the recent and dramatic increase in museum education, disadvantaged communities neither regularly access museums nor do museums offer inclusive music programmes for Early Years. The literature shows overwhelming gaps in Early Years music making programmes, provision and practice in museums. This pilot study (2017-2018) will inform the development of a large grant application to the AHRC

MUSICEUM: museums as spaces for early childhood music-making: a mapping exercise: report to the Research Committee, University of Cambridge Faculty of Education

This pilot study, funded by Cambridge University, brought together a team of experts at the University of Cambridge (Early Years Creativities & Music practice), Middlesex University (Early Childhood Education & Museum Education), Manchester Metropolitan University (Museum Education, Communities, Childhood, Sensory Ethnography and Visual Methodologies), Roehampton University (Early Childhood Education, Early Years Music Education) and Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences (Early Childhood Music Education and Community Music)