Music education thrives at Sheffield secondary as other UK schools forced to reduce subject due to pandemic

The Heart of the School is Missing report, produced by the Incorporated Society of Musicians (ISM), said there is “genuine cause for alarm” over the impact of Covid-19 on music provision, with singing, instrumental lessons, extracurricular activities and end-of-term concerts all badly hit.

In a survey carried out by ISM at the start of the academic year, more than two-thirds (68 per cent) of primary school teachers and more than a third (39 per cent) of secondary school teachers reported a reduction in music provision as a direct result of the pandemic.

Almost 10 per cent of primary and secondary schools are not teaching music at all, while some lessons “contained no practical music-making”, the report says.

Extracurricular musical activities are no longer taking place in nearly three-quarters (72 per cent) of UK primaries and two-thirds (66 per cent) of secondaries.

In addition, more than half (53 per cent) of primaries and almost two-thirds (63 per cent) of secondaries that usually hold a Christmas concert won’t be doing so this year.

The report said that, while music education was facing significant challenges before the pandemic, it is now facing an “unprecedented crisis.”

Tapton School, in Crosspool, was forced to suspend its GCSE music course in 2019 following a decline in student numbers although it later funded the first year after a successful campaign.

Despite the constraints of Covid-19, it has been able to continue its music provisions unlike many other schools.

Gemma Page, Subject Leader for Music, said: “Practical music making is such a key part of the curriculum and an extremely important activity for promoting mental health and wellbeing in schools.

"Every setting is different and I realise it hasn’t been possible in all schools, but we have been extremely lucky at Tapton to be able to continue our music provision.

"With the support from leadership and hard work from our music teachers, we have been running extracurricular ensembles in year group bubbles every day of the week.

"We have also been able to put measures in place to allow our team of visiting music teachers to continue to teach our pupils.

"In these strange times, the demand from pupils to take part in our rehearsals, as well as those in the drama department, have demonstrated just how valuable and crucial these experiences are for young people and how important it will be for all schools to build their provision back up again when possible.”

Tapton has implemented extra cleaning and quarantining of instruments between year groups, as well as curriculum changes and new routines.

Ms Page added: “It will be amazing when we can bring singing back into the classroom, but for now, the music is still playing here in some way or another.

“Like many schools, we are now in the final stages of editing our Christmas virtual concert which is going to be full of Christmas treats - we are excited to be presenting a recorded programme of solos, year group ensembles, Christmas numbers and a grand finale consisting of contributions from our whole school community.”

In these confusing and worrying times, local journalism is more vital than ever. Thanks to everyone who helps us ask the questions that matter by taking out a digital subscription or buying a paper. We stand together. Nancy Fielder, editor.