Curriculum considerations in music education in England: spiral thinking, spiral planning and its impact on contemporary thought

Abstract This article considers the impact that Swanwick-Tillman spiral (Swanwick & Tillman, 1986) has had on contemporary thinking in music education England. Building a discussion concerning antecedents of notion spiral, ways which generalist curriculum can be planned and organised are discussed. Drawing example Model Music Curriculum (DfE, 2021), then charting this as arising from graded examination repertoire-based way planning, goes to explain why still relevance, well much teach us today’s very different world where assessment, measurement accountability dominant. Although centred situation England, there nonetheless implications for planners many other jurisdictions too.