Surrey Homes | SH101 | June 2023 | Education Supplement inside

Music to
our
Ears
Local schools tell us how they inspire
pupils to play and enjoy music
IN HARMONY
At Chinthurst, we want our children to be happy and
confident young people, with a lifelong love of learning and
the foundations for a happy and successful adulthood. Music
enriches life and is an important part of the curriculum.
We aim to foster a passion for music by making it fun
and inspiring – an exciting and a joyful part of the day.
The whole school sings together at assemblies and three
choirs regularly rehearse and perform to a high standard.
Every year group benefits from specialist music teaching
within the curriculum, developing their musical abilities
as well as their appreciation of music. Musical learning
is approached primarily through singing; lower school
children benefit from whole class recorder lessons, playing
tuned and untuned percussion instruments and creating
individual and group compositions. In the upper school
the children have the opportunity to participate in whole
class instrument tuition as part of the curriculum, including
whole class violin, ukulele and djembe drumming tuition.
They also use music technology when composing.
There is a strong instrumental programme and visiting
teachers provide over a hundred one-to-one lessons a week on
a wide variety of instruments. Our young instrumentalists also
enjoy the opportunity to join our school orchestra to develop
their ensemble playing. The children have many opportunities
to showcase their musical talents, as soloists, as part of an
ensemble and at school performances throughout the year.
Music nurtures language, motor skills, emotional
intelligence and collaboration skills and is an
important part of the fabric of life at Chinthurst.
chinthurstschool.co.uk
WHAT A
PERFORMANATCE
By Natasha Smith, Head of Music
at Claremont Senior School
Music is an integral part of school life at Claremont.
From DJ-ing and electronic music production, to
singing in Senior Choir and composing classical works,
students have access to a multitude of music-making
opportunities all year round.
Music is offered at GCSE and at A level with
Music Technology, but it doesn’t stop there. A varied
co-curricular programme includes opportunities to
perform in the Concert Band, compose in Music
Tech Club, and sing with Senior, Lads’ and Ladies’
Choirs who celebrated category wins in their debut
performances at the Hastings Music Festival this year.
Students also regularly participate in music-themed
visits and workshops, which this year have included
a songwriting workshop run by BAFTA-winning
composer Ellie Wyatt and a Music Technology trip to
Sugar Ray’s vintage recording studio.
Sixth Form students and Music scholars are
encouraged to run their own co-curricular activities,
whilst many take an active lead in Concert Band.
Music also plays an important role in the delivery of
our award-winning Performing Arts programme. This
year the Concert Band accompanied performers in
the dance show In Motion, and GCSE and A-Level
drummers accompanied an informal dance showcase
for parents and friends. Earlier in the year, our young
musicians took charge of sound tech for the BTEC
Drama students’ performances of The Importance
of Being Earnest, following in the footsteps of those
who formed the ‘Shakespeare Band’ for an outdoor
production of Romeo and Juliet. The student pit band
performed alongside professional musicians for
the show-stopping production of Guys and Dolls
and continue to support our younger musicians at
Prep School performances throughout the year.
Collaborative work even extends to the community
at Claremont, with music students supporting drama
outreach workshops for primary schools.
Supported by an experienced team of academic
teachers and peripatetic staff, everyone at Claremont
can explore music in all its guises, as well as take study
and performance to the next level. #whataperformance
claremontschool.co.uk