News / music
Southmead kids to benefit from £1m music programme
As a classroom full of year three pupils sing along and strum their ukuleles happily to a song about eating a strawberry ice cream sundae, three young members of the class from Southmead speak excitedly about the music programme at the school.
At Horfield Church of England Primary School, a school where 67 per cent of pupils are from Southmead, Henry, Angelo and Mirage say that they have been playing music since reception.
They have now been able to learn to play the glockenspiel and the ukulele and will learn to compose opera when they reach year five, thanks to the Earthsong Programme.
is needed now More than ever
Mirage, a Southmead resident, exclaims that one day she will be an Olympic gymnast and a doctor, but that for now her favourite days at school are the ones where she can play music, to which Henry and Angelo nod in agreement.
Year three pupils from Southmead excitedly reflect on the Earthsong programme
The Earthsong Programme has delivered music education to 3,150 pupils across 13 Bristol schools from 2019 to 2024, focusing on those in disadvantaged areas or with a high number of pupils who speak English as an additional language.
Funded by a £500,000 partnership between Bristol Beacon and the Earthsong Foundation, the programme offers free instruments along with music and singing lessons, and group workshops led by professional musicians.
Following a £681,000 donation from the Earthsong Foundation, the programme has been extended for another five years across 11 of the original schools.
It will now reach over 4,000 children and include composition workshops alongside its core music lessons.
Adam Kent, 43, the director of creative learning and engagement at Bristol Beacon, emphasises the importance of sustained engagement.
“If you want to have a real impact on schools and the community, you have to be in it for the long term,” he says.
Pupils engage in group workshops as part of the programme
Explaining the collaboration made between Bristol Beacon and the Earthsong Foundation, Adam adds, “Neither of us liked doing these flash-in-the-pan projects; we wanted to provide support in a much bigger and meaningful way.
“We did quite a lot of evaluation in the first five years and it went well. We saw some really positive outcomes in terms of young people’s sense of wellbeing.”
Speaking to Suze and Seb Pole, co-founders of the Earthsong Foundation, the two explained their hopes for this next phase and what they believe music brings to the children.
Suze explains, “Music gets you through hard times in life, and we want to equip children to continue with music in some form throughout their entire lives.”
“What I am hoping that happens in the second part of the programme is that the children become encouraged to become musical leaders and grow their confidence, we are talking about having youth leadership teams”
This renewed funding arrives as government cuts – including Rachel Reeves’ proposed reductions to Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport spending – threaten music and arts provision in schools.
Kirsten Cunningham, 50, assistant head at Horfield Church of England Primary School, says the funding couldn’t be more welcome.
“The funding is focused right across the city, and the schools were chosen very carefully, so it touches every corner of Bristol that needs it.
“We have a lot of children from Southmead, and the Fonthill Primary School in Southmead works closely with us. We feel privileged that those children have access to music now.”
Southmead faces steep challenges: over a quarter of children live in low-income households, just 61.3 per cent meet early development benchmarks, and 16 per cent of residents don’t speak English as a first language.
“We looked at children across the programme, their attendance, favourite days, and how music made them feel as people and as learners,” Kirsten says.
“It had a remarkable impact on their confidence and community engagement.”
Classes are led by professional musicians and specialists employed by Bristol Beacon
Reflecting on the impact of the programme, Seb Pole notes how music can encourage inclusivity within schools.
“Children who have English as an additional language, which is very common in these schools, have learnt English a lot more quickly than expected because of the singing games.
“Music unites the community, regardless of someone’s background, they will be connecting with other children in their class when making music”.
Focusing on the coming five years, Adam Kent is hopeful that the Earthsong programme will benefit those children who need it most.
Considering Southmead specifically, he says that having such active engagement from pupils and teachers has ensured the success of the programme, “the school really values the importance of music, which is brilliant”
“We couldn’t find a better partner than Horfield School.”
Maelo Manning is reporting on Southmead as part of Bristol24/7’s Community Reporters programme, aiming to amplify marginalised voices and communities often overlooked by mainstream media.
This initiative is funded by our public, Better Business members and a grant from The Nisbets Trust.
All Photos: Maelo Manning
Video: Bristol Beacon
Read next:
Our newsletters emailed directly to you
