Bracknell Forest

Music 4 Slough

Bracknell Forest

Bracknell Forest Pennywhistle Project

We have been working with Bracknell Forest Borough Council since 2005 in targeted primary schools to provide Pennywhistle Clubs for year 3 & 4 pupils.

Aim

To introduce instrumental playing into a school that has a reasonable percentage of take up for instrumental lessons but would like to try music from a different genre.

The work is designed to extend pupils musical experiences and lead to lessons on folk instruments at our academy or through local music services provision.

All participating pupils are given free pennywhistles provided by the Clarke Tinwhistle Company.

St Michael's CE Primary School in Sandhurst 2005/6 Autumn Term

Broadmoor Primary School 2005/6 Spring Term

Wooden Hill Primary School 2005/6 Summer Term

Cranbourne Primary School Ascot 2006/7 Autumn Term

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St Michael's CE Primary School in Sandhurst 2005/6 Autumn Term

St. Michael's is a Church of England voluntary aided primary school situated on the western edge of Sandhurst.

A total of six places were offered to children from the school at our academy, four of which joined the folk music academy at South Hill Park as a result of this work. Two already played music, three had not played before one had behavioural problems.

LSA for this work was Melanie Tonry who was excellent throughout. She was willing to learn alongside the children and this always has an impact on their enthusiasm for the work. Her own playing improved throughout the project and if she has the time I would suggest that she is best suited to carry on the penny whistle club at the school.

Acting head-teacher Goeff Boulaine was also very helpful and supportive towards our requests to change the group lists and schedules at various points during the 10 weeks and to stage a final performance at an assembly.

Some discipline problems cropped up on the 9th visit but I put this down to a combination of over excitement and the school being short staffed due to illness and therefore Melanie not being available to help me.

Additional young musicians found out about our academy through the BYMT violin teacher who works at the school. Such co-operation is a very good way of attracting existing players to the academy and I was encouraged by the willingness of the BYMT tutor to help.

On the whole

Good pupils who were very enthusiastic to try something new and had the perseverance to see it through in terms of regular practice outside the lessons, taking good care of the whistles and all learning materials and general concentration throughout.

Problems

For those pupils who did not join the academy and yet were enthusiastic about continuing to learn pennywhistle in the new-year, there may be nothing in place to facilitate this so if possible there might be some kind of lunch/after school club run by the children themselves with help from an LSA.