Sheffield school to run GCSE music following successful fundraising campaign

Tapton School in Crosspool, announced it would not be running its GCSE music course in September 2019 as too few pupils chose to study the subject.

A campaign, which aimed to raise £12,000, was launched in March following support from the community for the school to continue to offer music to Year 10 students.

Former students and alumni of Tapton School also expressed their concern at the decision to withdraw music as a GCSE subject in a letter written to the school’s governors and leaders.

Now the Tapton School Academy Trust, which governs the school, has revealed they have secured funding to allow them to run the first year of the course in the new academic year.

The trust has raised nearly £6,000 through donations and school activities.

Kat Rhodes, Headteacher of Tapton School, said: “We want to thank all the families and individuals that donated to the campaign.

“We would also like to thank all the students who have been really proactive in additional fundraising activities, and Tapton School alumni for their support.

“We are delighted that students will now have the opportunity to study their chosen subject.”

Further fundraising will continue until 2020 in order to raise the remaining £6,000 needed to run the second year of the course.

Activities will include bake sales, ice cream sales, a Christmas performance at Sheffield Waitrose and both a senior leavers and Christmas concert – with half of all proceeds taken from the concerts going towards funding the music course.

The school are also planning a charity concert and are keen to involve alumni who supported the fundraising campaign.

Any Tapton School alumni that are interested in being involved in the charity concert, or the promotion of music as a valuable subject for Year 9 students, should contact the school at [email protected]

To make a donation to the fundraising campaign please visit the donation page via: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fund/taptongcsemusic