National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) has been awarded funding to develop a training programme to improve the delivery of music sessions for nursery-aged children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

NDNA has been awarded £75,000 from The Foyle Foundation and the Eastern Counties Educational Trust (ECET) to support settings in areas of deprivation. It will offer the 24-week music programme to 15 settings across five regions.

The aim of the programme is to provide childcare practitioners with research and practice-based knowledge of how children with SEND engage musically. It aims to improve musical engagement, musical skills and the social-emotional and language development outcomes for children with SEND in a nursery setting.

Stella Ziolkowski, NDNA’s director of quality and training, said: “Music can support attention and focus, enhance short term and working memory and provide opportunities to encourage decision-making and planning. It can develop and enhance physical motor skills and promote an increase in emotional wellbeing. We hope this will really help settings to give their children the best outcomes.”

The programme has been written by Camilla Farrant, head music therapist at Music Therapy Tree, which provides music therapy to vulnerable children and young people across London. Farrant will deliver the training online with  pre-recorded videos, an online handbook containing supporting resources and live webinars.

The seven online learning sessions will cover practical skills and techniques around issues such as engagement and interaction, emotional expression, physical engagement and autism spectrum disorders.

“Inclusion in music is about embracing every child’s unique musicality and expressivity. Through a child-directed, flexible approach to music-making, we can see communication and relationship grow in all children,” said Farrant.

The NDNA’s corporate partner Hope is donating a range of musical instruments in support of this new programme.

 To take part in the programme settings must be based in England, have children with additional needs regularly attending the nursery and be committed to completing all seven sessions in the 24-week period. Priority will be given to settings in areas of deprivation, with a high proportion of children with additional needs.

 Providers can sign up here: https://survey.zohopublic.eu/zs/TUCXnF