I have been engaged in various professional development opportunities since arriving at Starks Field. Listed below are some examples:

1. MA Music Education (Institute of Education)

• I pursued an MA in music education and completed the course in August 2013. This was an intensive course in which I analyzed literature on critical issues in music education, including assessment, curriculum, and policy. During this time, the National Curriculum was being reviewed, and I spent a lot of time studying the progression of the National Curriculum for music since 1988.
• My MA report was an analysis of music hubs, and their function within the changing landscape of educational policy in the UK
• I took and Education Policy course to supplement my music studies. This acquainted me with the shifting paradigms in education policy (academies, privatization, curriculum policy, partnerships in education, globalization, etc)

2. Hansard Society Internship (Education Select Committee)

• In May 2013, the Hansard Society placed me in an internship with the Education Select Committee. This is not a typical professional development activity, but it provided an incredible amount of insight into the correlations between policy and teaching practice.
• During my internship, I conducted preliminary research for the academies report. The data provided by the House of Commons library didn’t provide overwhelming evidence that academies were improving outcomes, though there were some successes.
• Most of the Committee meetings that I attended were focussed on their inquiry into the Sure Start program. Committee members expressed particular concern for the mediocre Early Years provision across the country, despite the amount of money that had been invested in Early Years for the past decade.

3. Jolly Music (Enfield Music Service)

• During Autumn 2013 and Spring 2014, I participated in a Jolly Music course. Jolly Music is a scheme intended specifically for Reception children. The course included a book of nursery rhymes and chants which the teachers use to help children develop their inner hearing, listening, and vocal abilities. The songs can be extended to include lessons on pulse and rhythm. I incorporate these principles regularly into my lessons with Early Years and Year 1.

4. Early Years Graduate Employment Based Course (Middlesex University)

• Over the past couple of years, my interest in the Early Years has grown considerably. Therefore, I am participating in an employment based course, which will provide qualification as an Early Years teacher. My interest in this course began during my internship with the Education Select Committee. This is one of the schemes the government is promoting in order to raise the qualifications of those serving in the Early Years sector (both in schools and in other Early Years settings).