What is Aurora Classroom?
Digital learning platform Aurora Classroom gets your pupils playing instruments, singing confidently, and even creating their own music. All you have to do is decide whether to teach a lesson or let the on-screen presenter take the lead.
Based on Aurora Orchestra's award-winning Far, Far Away concert series, and developed in partnership with the Southbank Centre, Aurora Classroom is an ideal resource for general classroom teachers in need of more confidence, or music leads searching for fresh ideas.
Aurora Classroom...
- Empowers all teachers to deliver music provision effectively, regardless of their own musical abilities
- Features music from Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker and an original story by children's poet Kate Wakeling
- Follow ten-week schemes of work or build your own unit with curated activity and audio libraries
- Build bespoke schemes of work using SEND strands of learning to best suit learners in non-mainstream settings
- Aligned with the national curriculum and Model Music Curriculum
- Includes high quality CPD sessions for all teachers
- At-a-glance mapping documents to summarise learning objectives and show progression
- Programme summary document to support the Ofsted deep dive process
New content added every year!
Aurora Classroom is constantly developing to bring new and exciting resources into your classroom. The next unit, Meet the Instruments, launches in summer 2023, and the provision will expand into Key Stage 2 for the following year.
Recommended Usage
Each unit has been planned as a 10-week scheme of work. For EYFS, lessons last 40 minutes and can be delivered as one session or in shorter parts across a week. For KS1, lessons last 45 minutes and are expected to be delivered once per week as recommended by the national curriculum in England and the Model Music Curriculum.
Educational Impact
 Company | Business Name: Aurora Orchestra HQ Location: United Kingdom Founded: 2022 |
| Age Range | 0-4, 5-7 |
 Features | Music TeachingCurriculum PlanningOfstedVirtually LedSupport TeachersProvided Assessment FrameworkConnect With ParentsIn-built Cpd |
 Languages | English |
 Accessibility | Moderate features |
 Policies |  Terms of ServicePrivacy Policy |
 Requirements | Internet - Low BandwidthInternet - High BandwidthDesktop - MacDesktop - WindowsDesktop - ChromebookDesktop - LinuxMobile - iPhoneMobile - iPadMobile - WindowsMobile - Android |
 Set Up | You can sign up for your free trial in less than a minute - from here you will have full access to the platform for seven days. Once you upgrade your subscription you will be able to continue using the platform freely once payment has been made. |
 Training | Live Online We are very proud not only of our termly offer of online CPD for all teachers using the platform, but also the in-built CPD that exists within the lessons themselves. Here teachers can choose to lead the activity for themselves, or employ the support of our virtual workshop leader to demonstrate the activity. |
 Support | Email Please email learning@auroraorchestra.com for support or enquiries. |
| Home Learning | Parent Access School must create the account. Parents can access the platform through our 'Music at home' sharing link that can be created by any subscribing school. |
 Tags | MusicMusic teachingPrimary MusicVirtual classroomPerformanceSEND EYFSNurseryCPDOfstedCurriculumScheme of workLesson planHomework |
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Aurora Classroom PricingPricing Plans Free TrialPaid Subscription Aurora Classroom pricing starts from £180 / year Group pricing can be arranged for Music Hubs and MATs - please contact learning@auroraorchestra.com to discuss your requirements further.  Optimised for a quick response | |
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Aurora Classroom Reviews
from 7 Verified Reviews
User rating
Country
Nov 2023
It was such a great way for pupils to access classical music in an engaging, fun and skill-building way. The approach has multiple entry points so all children have a chance to access the content. It’s varied approach caters for both music and non-music specialists and significantly reduces planning time.
Emily Stratford found Aurora Classroom:
- Significantly reduces teacher workload“Using the strands to differentiate for each class has saved significant planning time.”
- Moderately improves teacher knowledge“I found it was great when a non-specialist teacher had to cover my lessons. They were able to use the teacher screen and be more hands on with the pupils.”
- Significantly improves attainment“Pupils found the video format helpful for engagement and attainment. Adults were free to model activities side by side and the screen content was engaging.”
- Significantly builds student knowledge“Pupils were able to build on skills through practical activities. They enjoyed using the videos to get familiar with songs that focused on pitch and pulse. They enjoyed seeing Jessie on the screen and repeating activities that became familiar”
Jackie
Music Lead
Used Aurora Classroom weekly for 7–12 months
Sep 2023
Its user-bility! Its flexible, simple to read (you aren't reading reams of instructions/ unnecessary blurb "take home" section. Importantly, it doesn't dumb down music!
Jackie found Aurora Classroom:
- Significantly reduces teacher workload“One stop shop for all aspects of primary music - so easy to find what you need quickly. Perfect for picking bits and bobs when you need them!”
- Moderately improves teacher knowledge“Although I am responsible for teaching music I have been able to share parts of it with SEND and Nursery colleagues who use ideas (Hello Song etc) in their every day interventions with children.”
- Significantly improves attainment“Definite improvement re listening stamina with out tiny children in Nursery and Reception.”
- Significantly builds student knowledge“Although I try to give the children as much experience of live music and giving them hands on with real instruments, have your instrumentalists on the screen was so engaging. Watching the younger children dancing around playing their imaginary bassoons was wonderful. They could name it, describe the sound, what it looked like etc”
Sep 2023
Kia Stephen found Aurora Classroom:
- Significantly reduces teacher workload
- Moderately improves teacher knowledge
- Moderately improves attainment
- Moderately builds student knowledge
May 2023
I think this is an amazing resource that all teachers and schools should have.
Jenny Lewis found Aurora Classroom:
- Significantly reduces teacher workload“Teachers can focus on the learning and have more time for reviewing and rehearsing with the materials”
- Significantly improves teacher knowledge“Technical naming of instruments, the sounds they make, how they are played, etc.”
- Significantly improves attainment“children are able to experiment with and combine sounds and instruments. The singing elements enable children to use their voices creatively.”
- Significantly builds student knowledge“Better understanding of instruments, how they are played, how to create and combine sounds.”
Apr 2023
I treasure what the resource adds to my bag of tricks, to how effectively I can work and to what my learners walk away with.
Patxi del Amo found Aurora Classroom:
- Significantly reduces teacher workload“The resource packs so much that it saves a lot of looking-for-things time. It also makes setting cover work a walk in the park!”
- Moderately improves teacher knowledge“The range of Teaching and Learning approaches the resource banks on means that there is almost certainly something new for every practitioner to explore.”
- Moderately improves attainment“I see high engagement levels among ASD learners and opportunities for higher-order skills to be developed all the time. It is really impactful.”
- Significantly builds student knowledge“It is a massive open window to the arts, and my children benefit in terms of understanding the world, improved cultural capital and (evidently) subject-specific music skills.”
Mar 2023
It is amazing. It is creative, saves lots of time and provides a great stimulus for lots of different activities and lessons for my students. I would say that the SEND area could do with developing further; i.e. dividing into SEND Secondary and Primary (but appreciate Aurora Classroom is in early stages of development still, and it is also difficult to cater for Secondary SEND sometimes without coming across too childish, given most SEND Secondary schools utilise a lot of areas of the primary NC).
Zoe Divers found Aurora Classroom:
- Moderately reduces teacher workload“Pre planned schemes of work that are generated around my areas of interest for the class groups are just amazing.”
- Significantly improves teacher knowledge“Understanding of the links between sound, rhythm, visuals and understanding of types of music. It has broadened my approach to introducing students to a wider range of music.”
- Slightly improves attainment“Students are engaged and love the style of learning, some find it more interesting than others.”
- Significantly builds student knowledge“Students gain a broader understanding of different types of music and the elements that build songs and sounds.”
Alice
Music subject leader, Phase 1 Manager, Classroom Teacher
Used Aurora Classroom weekly for 7–12 months
Mar 2023
Great resource for both specialists and non-specialists. Children love the stories and the interactivity. Great for building confidence in teaching music in the classroom ensuring children are learning great subject knowledge.
Alice found Aurora Classroom:
- Significantly reduces teacher workload“Resources list available, breakdown of lessons, videos available to watch to build confidence”
- Significantly improves teacher knowledge“Videos available to watch before or instead of teaching, builds on specific vocabulary knowledge”
- Significantly improves attainment“Ensures correct vocabulary is used, defined and discussed as well as correct instrumental techniques”
- Significantly builds student knowledge“Correct knowledge is thought to children which is relevant and matched to the correct age range”