PopUK: social, moral, spiritual & cultural learning

Pop UK offers supported educational programmes of social, moral, spiritual and cultural learning delivered through a vibrant singing and recording project and also a bank of lively songs, accompanied by teaching videos, based on Christian values. Outcomes draw heavily from the areas of Health and Wellbeing, and Skills for Learning, Life and Work, as well as RME. The focus is also on making links across a school cluster and between school and community. Previous workshops have included songs about Christmas, Easter, and various Health and Wellbeing topics. Visit their website for more information, example songs and contact details for costs.

A professional team visit a schools or group of schools to enable children to learn and perform songs over a period of time from a day to a week with a concert the following week.

It is useful for primary schools (either individually or in a cluster) and members of a community who want to serve their local school. It benefits the school(s), parents and the wider community.

This vibrant singing and recording project helps primary schools to demonstrate their ethos and values to the local community. It involves every child in a school working together towards recording a CD and performing in an exciting community concert.

The children learn 7 life-affirming pop songs over three days; the fourth day is recording day; the following week a high profile concert is planned at a local community centre, high school or church. All the songs build life-affirming values in the children involved.

A headteacher from Alloway in Ayrshire commented on their experience: ‘The whole school loved every minute of it. It was wonderful that the three schools could work together, delighted to recommend the project to anyone.”

There are many more positive comments on the PopUK website.

PopUK offers a bank of lively songs, accompanied by teaching videos, based on Christian values.

The songs are specially written to be ‘inclusive, invitational and inspiring’*, encouraging children to think about the big questions of life and to consider the ways we can behave and act for the common good.

Every song includes a key idea that can be developed to explore faith at a level appropriate to each school’s context. We also provide songs to celebrate the major Christian festivals.
*Church of England Collective Worship Document May 2021

Taster songs can be heard on the PopUK YouTube channel.

Tags: Age 5 to 8, Age 8 to 12, art, Assembly/Religious Observance/Time for Reflection, citizenship, cooperative learning task, creativity, drama, early, expressive arts, festivals, First, Health and wellbeing, life and work, music, philosophy, religious and moral education, rich task/interdisciplinary activity, Second, skills for learning, support for teachers and others, Values