Highbury Grove School with many new strings to its bow
A £29m building, dynamic headteacher and plans for half its pupils to learn an instrument
Published: 18th March, 2011
by PETER GRUNER
THE sound of eager young musicians tuning up instruments resonates from the purpose-built performance hall at Highbury Grove School.
The school has an ambitious plan that would see more than half its pupils learn a musical instrument by 2014.
The target marks the extraordinary renaissance of Highbury Grove. It’s exactly a year since the opening of the new £29million school, built under the previous Labour government’s Building Schools for the Future programme.
Today, budding prodigies mix with children who just want to make music at a school designated “outstanding” by Ofsted inspectors last year. There’s a dynamic new head, Truda White, and a new ethos. Not surprisingly, there’s also a waiting list of children who want to get into a school that includes music as a speciality.
Pupils have already won plaudits and shown their musical ability with a range of outside concerts, including one recently with the BBC Concert Orchestra at Hackney Empire.
One teacher credited with helping the musical transformation of the school is Australian Pierce Brown, 30, a violinist and head of expressive and practical arts.
Mr Brown believes learning a musical instrument can transform the lives of children. “It’s something practical that can give them confidence,” he said. “They can feel part of a group. It also improves their thinking.
“Three years ago we had just 25 pupils learning an instrument. Today, there are more than 300.”
With support from charity Music First, Highbury Grove aims not just to teach its pupils how to play an instrument, whether it’s for classical music or rock ’n’ roll, but to take the knowledge into primary schools and inspire younger children.
And with half the pupils from ethnic backgrounds, the four full-time music teachers and 10 part-timers are helping to form Turkish, Indian and African ensembles. Each pupil gets a free instrument, which means the school has to regularly appeal to the business community for financial support.
• Highbury Young Singers at Christchurch Highbury Barn are looking for new performers. Ages from six to seven sing at 4-5pm and from eight to 11 from 4-5.15pm. The 11-16 age group is seeking new members for jazz, beatbox and other forms. To find out more, email hys@ecelecticvoices.org.uk.