Castle Rock School launch Year 7 Instrumental Programme

The Castle Rock School is a 2024/25 Music Mark School, educating students from 11 to 18. The school has launched a new programme for Year 7 students to learn a violin or woodwind instruments that have been underused for several years, widening access to instrumental learning at the school.

The Castle Rock School in Coalville, North West Leicestershire has launched a new music initiative which has given Year 7 students the opportunity to learn either a violin or woodwind instrument (flute, clarinet or saxophone).

The programme, which began after the May half-term break, is delivered through 50-minute music lessons in the school timetable and supported by extracurricular clubs during breaktimes and lunchtimes. Students are using school-owned musical instruments that have been under-used for several years and now brought back to life thanks to the dedication of the trust Technician, Jonathan, and the school’s Head of Music, Anna Hill. She said:

 “Our goal at Castle Rock is to ensure that the instruments we have are in the hands of children, opening them up to the enrichment that music can bring into their lives.

“The programme is proving such a joy to teach. Students who struggle to access curriculums have experienced success and satisfaction when they were the first to get a sound out of the flute, clarinet, or saxophone.

 

“Students who find behaviour expectations hard to meet have left music sessions having treated instruments with respect, feeling self-efficacy because they could ‘play the clarinet like Squidward now!’”

The programme aims to provide students with meaningful access to music-making, helping them build confidence, develop new skills and discover the joy of performance.

The initiative also aligns with The Association of British Orchestras’ ‘An Orchestra in Every School’ campaign, which aims to ensure that all children can access a high-quality music education and highlights the value of UK orchestras in everyday life.

All instrument repairs and maintenance have been funded through ticket sales from the school’s Christmas and Spring concerts, which raised over £900. These events form part of Castle Rock’s wider commitment to performance opportunities, with three concerts held annually.

Looking ahead, the school plans to expand the programme to include brass instruments and launch an ‘Open Orchestra’ to further support ensemble playing and musical development – several students have already expressed an interest in this new initiative and ongoing instrumental lessons with a peripatetic teacher in school. Students signing up for the Open Orchestra will be able to borrow school instruments ongoing upon sign up in September.

The programme is a bold step forward in ensuring that music remains an accessible part of school life, one which nurtures creativity and ensures students can pursue passions beyond the classroom.