The school has a long tradition in music and singing is at its very heart; children sing throughout the day, all staff lead singing in the classroom and they even have a large boys choir!
Lisa Soutar, the school music co-ordinator, is ecstatic. ‘Our school community is so enthusiastic about singing. I knew the Awards could give us recognition for all the singing that takes place at Derby High School. We are very proud of our achievement’
The school's journey wasn't easy. Part of Lisa's test was to help and encourage less confident teachers to sing out loud and proud. There have been many success stories ‘A year 5 teacher loves singing, but had always been embarrassed in front of others. Her confidence has grown so much that she now performs regularly in concerts! Her help has been invaluable’
Derby High’s Awards journey hasn’t stopped at the school gates. Lisa has started work supporting local schools, delivering staff training to teachers in Derbyshire.
We asked Lisa if she had any Awards tips for schools. ‘Make sure you start collecting evidence! Record, video or photograph any singing activities you do. Don’t ever underestimate what your children can achieve. Aim high and they will rise to the challenge!’
Teachers registered at primary schools can get involved in the Awards by visiting our Awards area.
The big arrival
For a lot of the children it was their first visit to the seaside and the buzz of a big city. Nikki Fryer, choir leader at Chesil Cove saw the reactions first hand, “The Hannah More pupils stood along the promenade and looked out over the beach with open mouths. When we visited Bristol, I was really amazed at how our children were really shocked by the different cultures. Very quickly though, they all started to introduce each other and one group began playing football.”
Sharing stories
Once everyone had settled in, the children from the schools were paired together. They had a chat and then sang songs from the Song Bank. Both the teachers and children loved every moment of it. Chloe, a Year 4 pupil from Chesil Cove found that Bristol was ‘really big and there were lots of cars and houses, but the thing I liked about Hannah More School was that all the children were being really kind’.
We are pleased that everyone involved enjoyed the exchange. It’s great to hear that plans are already under way to have future meetings. Nikki assured us that they had, ‘all agreed that we would like to do this again next year. Isn’t it great when you can make dreams come true?’
Cup o’ tea?
Supported by local radio, the project launched with a series of St George’s Day tea parties at three settings, to which local primary school children and senior citizens in Sheltered Housing were invited. Through this informal party setting, the two groups were able to meet and share a range of activities based around music, singing, discussion and play.
The project continued in each setting on a four-week rolling programme. The impact on both the children and the elderly has been significant. The children have learned how to interact and share ideas with older people; they’ve learned about history first hand from the people who’ve lived it and they’ve learned that their singing brings happiness to others, which has increased their confidence and furthered their enjoyment.
The project has also opened up a new level of companionship for the elderly residents. There has been much fun and laughter with participants trying out instruments, wearing silly hats, singing songs with actions and generally losing their self-consciousness. It has enabled participants who may not have sung for years to find their voice.
Congratulations
News of the £30,000 grant has caused quite a stir at Sing Up. Funded Programmes Manager, Jo Hunter, is absolutely delighted, ‘The project has really thought outside the box. The funding reflects the hard work and dedication the team have put in to making this community a successful one. We are thrilled.’
The project has met with great interest and the model has proved so successful that the format is now being put to use in Worthing. For Christine Ward, Assistant Music director at Southampton Music Service, the grant is just the boost they need, ‘The financial backing means we can sustain and expand the project. It shows that the council really understand the benefits of our project and we are looking forward to spreading ourselves further into the community.’
Want to know more about our Sing Up Communities? You can find out more in the About Us section.
Working Together
"Gradually, we all worked towards the Silver Award, gaining more confidence as a singing school. We held regular singing each Friday and formed two choirs. It was a communal school effort, and some staff members - myself included - were not too confident with singing, but with the help of the Song Bank, we all slowly embraced it. Soon it because clear that the children were singing at home and in the playground and staff could even hear them making up their own songs too. This really was uplifting!
Silver Award
"It was to our great surprise we found that not only had we gained the Award, but we were the first Silver Award school in the whole country! As you can imagine we were absolutely delighted and the children screamed with excitement. We held a celebration event, invited all the parents and let the children decide which song to sing. We had the local press, radio and television all wanting to make our children stars!
"Sing Up is an integral part of our school now, and visitors have observed and commented on the positive vibes emanating from staff, children and parents. As always, we look to the future and are looking towards our next stage. I'm now confident and excited aiming towards the Gold Award; we certainly are a proud 'St Martin's Silver Singing School'."
]]>Starting Out
Singing had always played an important part in the school day, bringing smiles to the pupils’ faces and helping their learning. When Sing Up was introduced, Ian Squire, Red Marsh’s Music leader, wanted all teachers to get involved; ‘At first some were very reluctant to sing in front of their children. But gradually teachers and teaching assistants that hadn’t sang much with their children began to do more and more singing. Sing Up has massively increased our repertoire and has proved to be a big hit with the children.’
The Big Concert
In the autumn, all the hard work paid off. Ian and his students were invited to sing at the Sing Up for Your Friends concert at Preston Guild Hall. It was a day that they will never forget. Ian comments, ‘It was awesome singing with 600 other children. The sound we all made was amazing, especially accompanied by the excellent live band. The children still sing the songs from the concert and one boy, James carries the CD of the songs around with him everywhere! In terms of raising their confidence and self-esteem, it was invaluable.’
Advice for Others
For Red Marsh, Sing Up has inspired both children and teachers alike. When asked if he had any tips on newcomers Sing Up, he advises that teachers simply immerse themselves in it; ‘Don't be afraid to join in and have a go. There are songs for every occasion and theme. The children will soon tell you which songs they love. You never know, you may even start to enjoy it!
We are delighted to announce that Red Marsh have now received their Silver Award. Start your own journey by visiting the Awards area.
Have you got an inspiring Sing Up story? If so, we’d love to hear from you. Email us through Contact Us.