Sing Up Area Leader for London, Anna Williams (left), is invigorated by a visit to Twyford School, where singing has had a big impact on school life.
Where in a high school would you find children from year 7 to year 13, boys and girls, sharing an activity, connecting and interacting, smiling, laughing and learning together?
Singing, of course! Perhaps the only activity in a school that is not divided by gender or age.
In my role as Sing Up Area Leader for London I recently had the opportunity to visit Twyford Church of England High School in Acton. I was accompanying the Singing Ambassador, Howard Goodall, to look at ways for Twyford School to become involved in Sing Up, the Music Manifesto National Singing Programme.
Twyford has been a specialist music college since 2005 and recently did very well in the Songs of Praise School Choir of The Year competition, even though their choir has been singing together for less than two years. In its development plan the school aims to 'use music to raise attainment and maximise inclusion'. Twyford has rapidly become a 'hub' of musical activity, increasing uptake of musical opportunity for students across the whole ability spectrum.
On our visit we were privileged to hear the gospel and chamber choirs perform and talk with the students and staff about the impact of singing on school life, both academically and socially. Howard praised the students on their passion and energy for singing and how articulate they were in putting forward the positive effect singing has on their lives and the life of the whole school.
There are 24 Sing Up Area Leaders spread across England. My role in London is wide, covering all the 32 London boroughs. My strategy therefore is to work with the London Music Services, training organisations and vocal leaders, to develop new networks and partnerships and develop new training and continuous professional development opportunities for current and potential vocal leaders.
Building a partnership with a school such as Twyford is exactly what Sing Up is about. Both supporting their current outreach programmes and community work with local primary schools, and developing transition programmes to support year 6 children moving schools and to develop Twyford students into young vocal leaders.
Twyford School now has the opportunity to be part of a Sing Up network made up of six London boroughs, working together with training organisation Voces Cantabiles Music to develop a vocal training programme for 120 primary school staff and sixth form students, increasing singing opportunities for thousands of primary-aged children. Twyford Church of England High School and other schools like it can make a huge difference to singing opportunities in primary schools as well as being an excellent role model for other high schools to follow.
By the time I left Twyford School I had more energy than when I arrived. The power of singing had yet again made my day!