Students from Dunstable school enjoy songwriting lesson with choirmaster Gareth Malone

Year 10 students from Queensbury Academy in Dunstable, part of Anthem Schools Trust, were privileged to have a GCSE songwriting lesson with choirmaster of BBC fame, Gareth Malone OBE.

The Queensbury students attended the session at St Mark’s Academy in Mitcham with other students from schools within Anthem Schools Trust.

Gareth Malone’s support gave the students the chance to explore songwriting in a deeper way, develop their musical ideas and build confidence in their own ability to create and perform.

The workshop was organised as part of the multi-academy trust’s new enrichment programme, Anthem Aspire, which will offer life-changing activities to almost 8,000 students across its network of 15 schools.

The Music Without Limits element of Anthem Aspire aims to give every student the chance to experience high-quality instrumental tuition and music provision.

Commenting on the workshop, student Summer said: “It was an amazing experience I would always want to do again. Gareth Malone was an inspiration with music and lyrics. We made inspirational pieces and made a lot of new friends; I would love to do this again.”

Student Ciaran added: “It was great! The trip helped me with my coursework and allowed me to perform as part of an ensemble, which helped me with my ensemble performance for GCSE. Gareth was friendly and helpful. A worthwhile day out.”

Helen Palmer, Headteacher of Queensbury Academy, said: “We were incredibly proud to be able to give one of our students the opportunity to take part in this songwriting workshop with Gareth Malone.

“Experiences like this nurture creativity, confidence and self-expression. We look forward to offering more social and cultural enrichment opportunities to our Queensbury students as part of the Anthem Aspire programme.”

Elma Lawson, Executive Director of Education at Anthem Schools Trust, said: “I know from personal experience that music changes the lives of young people. It develops their confidence, their self-belief, it helps them connect with others and it helps them discover their own potential.

“This is why Anthem Schools Trust is delighted to be in partnership with Gareth Malone, reclaiming music education for every child - regardless of postcode, income or experience. This is about more than enrichment, this is about equity and we know that confidence changes everything.”

David Hatchett, Chief Executive of Anthem Schools Trust, said: “Our vision at Anthem is to create ambitious and successful schools in which every child thrives and Anthem Aspire is a powerful and tangible expression of our commitment to that.

“By offering exceptional opportunities, like this songwriting workshop with Gareth Malone, we are making sure that every child, regardless of background, can access transformative experiences that will help them excel in and beyond school.”

Anthem Aspire creates transformative opportunities for children to engage in sport, literature, music, and the great outdoors through four flagship projects, delivered in partnership with leading national organisations.

The aim of Anthem Aspire is to go beyond classroom learning and focus on the whole child, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, to give them experiences that enhance their personal development.