Sounds of Intent Charity and Trinity College London are delighted to announce the launch of the first fully inclusive music qualifications – suitable for all learners across the spectrum of neurodiversity.

The Awards and Certificates in Musical Development are industry-first, regulated qualifications for musical learners with learning difficulties across the whole spectrum of abilities and needs.

First fully inclusive, regulated music qualifications

Designed to formally accredit the Sounds of Intent Framework of Musical Development, these new qualifications represent the first fully inclusive, regulated qualifications for music learners.

Established in 2002 by the University of Roehampton, the UCL Institute of Education and the Royal National Institute of Blind People and based on more than 20 years of research, Sounds of Intent aims to investigate and promote the musical development of children, young people and adults with learning difficulties.

Sounds of Intent framework is freely available

Freely available to anyone who wishes to use it, the Sounds of Intent framework is designed to recognise how everyone engages with music. This ranges from children in the early years to older people with dementia, from those with profound learning difficulties who are still learning to process sound, to others on the autism spectrum who are regarded as advanced musicians.

Trinity has now created a set of fully regulated qualifications that recognise learners’ musical achievements at Sounds of Intent Levels 2–6. Qualifications range from Entry Level 1 through to Level 3, with Level 3 carrying UCAS points.

These ground-breaking, fully accessible, regulated music qualifications are open to all learners, enabling them to have even the smallest steps in musical progression formally recognised.

Designed for any music setting

The Awards and Certificates in Musical Development have been designed for any music setting: for learners working individually to those in the classroom or in any other music-making context. Each learner’s musical achievements can be recognised through any type of music-making activity.

Learners are assessed through a process of ongoing observation within regular opportunities to engage in musical activities.

Available from September 2022, these qualifications are now open to any UK school or other organisation that works with learners with special educational needs, additional support needs or disabilities.

Organisations can register to provide the qualifications

Organisations can register as a validated course and assessment provider to deliver the assessment of young people’s musical engagement against Trinity’s Awards and Certificates in Musical Development.

For further information please visit trinitycollege.com/sounds-of-intent.