We know that NSW public primary schools offer students high-quality musical experiences through the syllabus and a wide range of co-curricular performance opportunities.

We believe that every child is entitled to access diverse musical experiences within a vibrant, equitable, and sustainable music education system.

We commit to ensuring that our teachers are well supported and confident in delivering this high-quality music education for every public primary and preschool student in NSW.

Video – Time for music (duration 1:45)

Links

Time for Music (Arts and Initiatives)

To meet this commitment, the department will:

1. Ensure that music education experiences are broadened to include Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander music and music from diverse and local musical contexts.
2. Provide a clear framework for high-quality, sequential and ongoing music education by developing professional learning for the implementation of every part of the Creative Arts K-6 Syllabus and support for the delivery of quality music education experiences in NSW public preschools.
3. Support the delivery of 20 hours per year of high-quality classroom music instruction for each year of primary school through the provision of a comprehensive set of teaching and learning resources.
4. Expand the music teacher mentoring program to work with teachers in more schools to build skills in teaching classroom and co-curricular music, including innovative delivery models for different contexts.
5. Support teachers in developing their own musical skills and confidence and support the delivery of vocal and instrumental learning and musical literacy so that every student has the opportunity to play an instrument during primary school.
6. Expand the range of opportunity for high-quality co-curricular musical experiences and performances in schools and across communities of schools by sharing centralised expertise and resources.
7. Explore the development of a credential for musicians and music tutors to work in schools alongside classroom teachers, increasing student access to music programs, particularly in rural, regional and remote areas.
8. Create a music education provider catalogue in the NSW Department of Education Marketplace to ensure that schools have the highest quality external support for student music programs, resources and professional learning.

Time for Music implementation guide

Time for Music supports the agreed actions of Our Plan for NSW Public Education to:

• ensure schools have access to the staff and specialists they need
• provide broad, inclusive and rich curriculum with strong co-curricular activities
• support staff development through high-quality and accessible professional learning
• provide high-quality, evidence-based curriculum resources.

The development of the 10-Year Plan will include publishing written and video resources on the importance of music education including:

• inherent value of arts participation for expression, agency, human flourishing
• benefits for wellbeing, engagement, social cohesion and collaboration skills
• benefits for focus and self-regulation
• benefits for literacy and numeracy
• benefits to teachers as well as students - music making is good for everyone.

At every stage of the implementation, consideration must be given to diverse student populations and school contexts including:

• Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander music as the first music of NSW, with a particular focus on local consultation
• diverse family and community music-making informed by a full range of musical traditions including Australian contemporary music, music made by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander musicians, music of diverse styles and genres and music from different cultures
• adjustments required to support music education for students with disability
• student access to musical opportunities outside school
• schools’ access to specialist staff, external programs and co-curricular offerings.

Progress against the goals of the plan will be monitored and reported on at the end of every second year.

A stakeholder advisory group will be established to advise the Department on implementation.

Timeline

2026 Development and launch

• Launch Time for Music: 10-Year Plan for Music Education in NSW public primary schools.
• Adapt the Music in Me mentoring program to allow for greater flexibility, hybrid delivery and centralised staffing.
• Develop framework for high quality, sequential music education aligned with the School Excellence Framework.
• Establish an industry advisory group to meet twice per year to advise the department on implementation.

2027 Building support

• Support implementation of new Creative Arts K-6 Syllabus with curriculum resources, advice and professional learning.
• Develop and publish a quality music education framework, aligned to the School Excellence Framework and the Creative Arts K-6 Syllabus.
• Provide the SoundTeach tool to primary schools to assess teachers’ musical skills and confidence, to identify future mentors and professional learning requirements.
• Develop support for schools for the flexible employment of music specialists.
• Audit of musical instruments in schools and create a centralised record of instruments available for sharing across schools.
• Share Teacher Professional Learning resources with Initial Teacher Education providers to enhance programs for pre-service teachers.

2028

• Work towards at least one music teacher mentor available in each School Performance Directorate. Include recruitment of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander mentors.
• Review resources available to teachers for learning an instrument and delivering music education to include on NSW Department of Education Marketplace.
• Develop resources to support local consultation and engagement with music made by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander musicians.
• Develop resources to support the delivery of high-quality music education experiences in public preschools.
• Develop resources to support teachers in learning an instrument, including music of diverse styles and genres and music from different cultures.
• Develop Stage 4 online skills assessment for secondary teachers to use to assess music knowledge and skills of new Year 7 students.

2029 Workforce development focus

• Publish illustrations of practice to support quality music education framework.
• Develop resources to support teachers in learning an instrument and quality assure online resources already available.
• Publish resources to support the delivery of high-quality music education experiences in public preschools.
• Launch catalogue of music providers on Marketplace, including student programs, digital tools and teacher professional learning.
• Pilot alternative models for employing music specialists eg specialists across communities of schools, secondary music teachers supporting feeder primary schools.

2030

• Ensure at least 2 music teacher mentors are available in each School Performance Directorate.
• Develop resources to support teachers in singing and teaching singing.
• Introduce credentialling for practising musicians to become accredited to work in schools.

2031 Co-curricular music focus

• Develop student focussed resources to support co-curricular instrumental learning (to complement teacher resources) using content from diverse musical traditions.
• Expand access to Arts and Initiatives musical instrument hire program.

Mid-plan review - may recommend a shift in priorities

Consolidate and analyse data across quantitative and qualitative data sources, including:

• Reach and impact of curriculum support materials using teacher feedback
• Stage 4 Online music skills assessment results
• SoundTeach results
• Repeat of 2025 Music Education: Right from the Start – Primary Teacher's Survey conducted by ACER, co-sponsored by the department
• Increase in Music in Me mentee teachers since 2026
• Traffic to Music Catalogue on Marketplace.

2032

• Review syllabus implementation support resources and develop additional resources and professional learning as required.
• Develop additional resources to support teachers in learning an instrument and quality assure online resources already available (expand to additional instruments).
• Develop additional student resources to support co-curricular instrumental learning (to complement teacher resources) using content from diverse musical contexts.

2033 Embedding music education in NSW public primary schools

• Ensure at least one music teacher mentor is available in each principal network.
• Publish additional illustrations of practice to support the delivery of high-quality, sequential music education in different contexts.

2034

• Commence evaluation of the impact of the 10-Year Plan for music education in NSW public primary schools.

2035

• Every public primary school has access to a teacher who has participated in music teacher mentoring or equivalent music specialist.
• Every NSW public primary school is delivering 20 hours per year of curricular music to every student in every year of primary school.

2036

• Every student in a NSW public primary school has the opportunity to learn a musical instrument for one year in primary school.

Final review

Consolidate and analyse data across quantitative and qualitative data sources, including:

• Stage 4 Online music skills assessment results
• SoundTeach results
• Repeat of 2025 Music Education: Right from the Start – Primary Teacher's Survey conducted by ACER, co-sponsored by the department
• Traffic to Music Catalogue on Marketplace

For more information, please email TimeforMusic@det.nsw.edu.au