Education Programme

Brampton Abbotts Suzuki Project
This started in 2007 when the whole of Year 1 were given the opportunity to learn the violin or cello by the Suzuki Method under Barrie Moore who has an outstanding record as a teacher. Although there is no cost to them, an important element of the Method is the involvement of parents, so that practice and playing become part of everyday life at home, and it has been gratifying to see five mothers learning to play alongside their children. With the first group now in Year 2, we have extended the project to include the present Year 1.

It has caught the interest of children in other years at the school, and a number have now asked to join. There has been encouraging feedback from class teachers, suggesting that the children involved are responding positively in other aspects of school life. It is hoped that in due course these children will progress to their secondary school used to playing together to a standard which will provide a ready-made string section for a school orchestra.

The project has been generously funded initially by the Jordan Foundation, the Alan Cadbury Charitable Trust and Ross Live!

It's Sound Project
This is devised and led by Lesley Willcocks, a highly experienced practitioner used to working with young children from largely non-musical backgrounds. She works with instruments and voice to impart a sense of rhythm, pitch and the rudiments of music. Working with class teachers and a trainee assistant, the programme is being delivered in weekly hour-long sessions to the Ross Pre-school Group at the Larruperz Centre, the Ashfield Park Pre-school Group, and Reception at Brampton Abbotts CE Primary School.

The project has been funded by Youth Music and will run until December 2008. Meanwhile, we are seeking other funding sources to continue and extend the project to more groups.