In its latest funding round, music charity Restore The Music has awarded £240,000 in grants to the music departments of 14 state schools in London, Newcastle, Manchester and Birmingham, reaching 11,000 pupils and enabling access to nearly 1,500 instruments and resources.
With grants of £10,000 being awarded to primary schools, and £20,000 to secondary schools, in London eight schools were identified by RTM as among some of the most underserved in the capital and were awarded grants totalling £150,000, and a total of £90,000 was awarded to six Northern schools.
Since inception in 2013, RTM has awarded £2.6 million across nearly 150 state schools that have an average 50-60% of children on free school meals, providing over 30,000 musical instruments to 110,000 children aged 4-18.
As well as increasing participation in music, RTM also aims to increase attendance and attainment. Recent impact reports across schools are showing positive results, which has led RTM to announce a new research study, ‘5 Year Case Study Spotlight’, at RTM Grantee schools.
“Nationally there has been a decline of 12% of entries at GCSE/BTEC Music,” said Diane Stirling, senior music consultant, Harris Federation. “At Harris, we have seen a rise of just over 32% in numbers of entries, which is drastically bucking the trend. I can say with absolute confidence a huge part of this has been RTM funding support.”
Rebecca Hickey, secondary director, Harris Federation, said: “Restore The Music has injected a phenomenal level of investment to our music departments, resulting not only in state-of-the art equipment, but a significant lift in engagement. Student enjoyment and success is vital to us and Restore the Music has supercharged this vision. We are immensely grateful!”
Polly Stepan Moore, CEO and co-founder of Restore The Music, said: “I’m thrilled to share the results of this latest funding round, and the beginnings of impact of RTM grants on attendance, participation and attainment. We are committed to increasing access to music in the areas of greatest need in the UK to redress the huge gaps created by the persistent cuts to music education, and we believe that social change is possible by putting musical instruments in the hands of schoolchildren, unlocking potential and enriching the lives of those most in need. Young musicians face more barriers to progression in the North of England, as demonstrated by Youth Music’s new report, so we remain committed to supporting the Northern cities and targeting areas of highest deprivation in Newcastle, Manchester and Birmingham. Meanwhile, eight schools in the capital were identified with music departments that were some of the hardest hit, and where receiving a grant will be pivotal.”
“I am proud to work with an organisation that cares so much about making a difference to young lives by bringing music to children of all backgrounds in the areas of greatest need,” Alexis Ffrench, chart-topping Sony classical pianist, composer and Restore The Music ambassador added. “With demands on school funds at an all-time high, it is truly inspiring that Restore The Music has raised £2.6 million and reached over 11,000 children so far. Having worked in music education for many years I know that for some children, music is the highlight of their lives, so I am delighted to continue this important work with Polly and Restore The Music.”
Matt Griffiths, CEO of Youth Music, said: “It’s great to see Restore The Music ploughing crucial funding into the North of England, as our new research – the Sound Of The Next Generation report – shows young people from the region are feeling less supported and nurtured musically than ever. Let’s be clear, this is not due to a lack of musical and creative talent in the North. However, the grassroots organisations supporting these young people are having to focus on short-term survival, restricting their ability to plan for the longer-term. Which is why investment like this is so important.”
“Restore the Music continues to demonstrate fantastic impact on music provision in state schools across the UK,” said Charlotte Edgeworth, Sony Music UK director of diversity, inclusion and social impact & co-chair of Social Justice Fund. “We remain hugely proud of this partnership, as RTM expand their reach across the country.”
Head of Birmingham’s Ark Boulton Academy Laurence Cole commented: “I was absolutely delighted to learn that our school has been selected to receive Restore the Music funding. This will be transformational for our music department, enabling us to buy new instruments and equipment, to allow our pupils to practise as a band in a whole class setting, Key Stage 4 students to study for a Music qualification and even professionalise our school productions. We know the importance of the Arts and through this pivotal music provision and the excellence of our Creative Arts faculty, we want to see even more pupils pick an Arts subject for GCSE.”
Alexander Armstrong, actor, comedian, singer, Classic FM broadcaster and Restore The Music supporter, added: “This award from Restore the Music directly into the music departments of schools across the country will kickstart a lifelong relationship with music for so many. This is truly wonderful news!”
PHOTO: Barney Curran
