Kent & Medway Conference 2024; Building a Musical Legacy
This year’s Kent & Medway Schools Conference brought together more than 150 passionate music educators, advocates, and professionals from across the region for a day full of inspiration, learning, and connection. With attendees from all corners of Kent and Medway—Dartford, Gravesham, and Maidstone topping the attendance charts—it was fantastic to see so many familiar and new faces.
We packed the day with workshops, discussions, and performances that aimed to spark fresh ideas and renew your energy for music education. From Samba and singing to rapping, songwriting, advocacy, and wellbeing, there was something for everyone—whether you’ve been leading music in schools for years or are just starting out.
Creating a Musical Legacy
The theme of this year’s conference was “Creating a Musical Legacy,” and it guided everything we did. Together, we explored:
- How we can nurture a lifelong love of music in our students.
- How large-scale events can inspire and energise children to want more.
- How we can grow and develop our school music offers to make lasting change.
We wanted every session to leave you with practical ideas to take back to your schools and classrooms—and plenty of inspiration to keep your work moving forward.
Highlights of the Day
The day was packed with memorable moments, but here are just a few that stood out:
- For Primary Teachers: Our Samba workshop was a real hit, with participants drumming, moving, and leaving with smiles all round.
- For Secondary Teachers: James Mainwaring’s session on running a music department on a shoestring budget offered invaluable tips that teachers are already calling a game-changer.
- For Special Schools: The “song drawing” workshop was a creative and inclusive approach that inspired new ways of engaging students.
- For Everyone: Emily Barden’s singing sessions stole the show, leaving all of us buzzing with energy and ready to bring more singing into our classrooms.
It was also fantastic to see so many of you enjoying the opportunity to connect with colleagues. Networking came up time and again in your feedback as one of the best parts of the day—whether it was sharing stories, swapping ideas, or simply enjoying time with others who share your passion for music in education.
A Lasting Impact
We hope that everyone who attended left the conference with a few new ideas, a renewed sense of confidence, and a reminder of just how important your work is. We were delighted to receive so much positive feedback – see a few of the comments we received:
We want you to know how much we value the incredible work you do. If the conference sparked a new idea or gave you the confidence to try something different, we’d love to hear about it. Share your success stories with us—send us a recording or let us know what’s worked well so we can celebrate alongside you!
Looking Ahead
We’re already planning the 2025 conference, and your feedback is helping us shape something even better. Until then, why not explore our Schools pages for free CPD opportunities, resources, and updates to support your teaching?
Thank you for making this year’s conference such a special day. Your passion and enthusiasm for music education are what make events like this so inspiring, and we can’t wait to see you again next year.
Find out more about how we work with schools
We work with schools across Kent & Medway to support the development and implementation of high-quality music in schools. Our support includes facilitating networks and workshops, professional development and teacher training, specialist consultancy and providing music lessons.