Most units in the QCA/DfES schemes of work for music include activities that will demonstrate and develop gifted and talented pupils. As well as using these activities, teachers should constantly challenge pupils to provide the highest quality response through reinforcement, consolidation and revisiting material. These can help teachers specify more demanding criteria for some of their pupils.

Ongoing skills

Units 1, 8 and 15

In these units, gifted and talented pupils can be developed by:

• letting them start a song and getting the rest of the class to join in
• asking them to sing solo lines or sections, for example descants or verses
• providing opportunities for them to direct a song by showing when to start, stop, get louder, quieter, faster and slower
• asking them to act as the teacher, providing rhythmic/melodic patterns for the rest of the class to follow
• encouraging them to improvise or compose accompaniments to a song using rhythmic or melodic instruments, especially their own instrument
• letting them find and suggest songs for the class to sing
• asking them to describe how the singing could be improved.

Descriptive skills

Units 2, 7, 9, 13 and 18

In these units, gifted and talented pupils can be developed by:

• challenging them to strive for the best possible sound, and not to accept anything less than the best
• encouraging them to explore different combinations of sound
• allowing them to create their own pieces using their own instrument and by directing others in the class
• letting them explore more extended structures and use a wide variety of sounds
• asking them to describe what they wanted to achieve and to evaluate whether they have been successful
• encouraging them to suggest ideas for others to explore
• asking them to find music that creates the same effect as their work.

Discipline skills

Units 16, 21 (key stage 1) and 19 (key stage 2), 3, 4, 5 (years 1 and 2), 10, 12, 14 (years 3 and 4) and 16, 19, 2 (years 5 and 6)

In these units, gifted and talented pupils can be developed by:

• asking them to provide a steady pulse for others to follow
• challenging them to achieve accuracy, fluency and expression when playing or singing
• allowing them to use a wider range of notes when improvising using melodic instruments
• encouraging them to improvise using their voices
• challenging them to create longer phrases and to use musical structures
• asking them to analyse and evaluate how the work could be improved.

Ensemble skills

Units 6, 11, 17, 20

In these units, gifted and talented pupils can be developed by:

• asking them to direct others
• giving them a lead part (this could be a rhythmic accompaniment, a solo singing part, a descant or a more difficult instrumental part)
• encouraging them to help others learn a part
• asking them to sing and play an instrumental part at the same time
• asking them to analyse and evaluate how the class performance could be improved.