She has argued that music, art, and drama are essential for a “broad and balanced” education and that they are vital, not “extras”.
Phillipson wants to stop music from being a “preserve of the privileged,” ensuring all children can learn instruments, regardless of background.
This is very welcome news for us at St Mary’s in Hornsey, where music has always played a huge, and integral, part in our daily life, and we have been fortunate enough to be able to keep up the musical momentum over the years.
My day is always so varied – the challenge of songwriting and teaching composition to Year 6 is very different to getting our nursery children involved and engaged in singing our Easter songs!
I love teaching the different ages of children that I am privileged to work with – it makes every day in my job so special and hugely enjoyable.
I get to go home every day full of joy and wonder at the things that children have said or done in one of my lessons.
In addition to my teaching, we are so fortunate to have Haringey Music Service WCIT (Whole Class Instrument Teaching) service come in to teach violins to one Year 4 class and trumpets/trombones to another.
Children are able to continue into Year 5 and beyond if they are interested, or join the ensembles run out of school hours. Children in Year 3 are taught recorder by me.
We also add enrichment in the form of after-school clubs too.
I run Band Club on Mondays and Choir on Tuesdays as well as a lunchtime ukulele club.
The children have enjoyed professional workshops on steel pans and African drums and performed at our International Evenings, celebrating the variety of cultures and customs of our families.
We have a very strong singing culture in school and visitors are always impressed when they hear the wonderful sounds when we come together to sing, whether in assemblies or termly concerts celebrating musical achievements.
Our children have recently sung at the Royal Albert Hall, St Paul’s Cathedral and Alexandra Palace.
- Coren Peacock is a specialist music teacher at St Mary’s CE Primary, Hornsey teaching each class from Nursery to Year Six (stmarysn8.co.uk).
