Arts Award and Orchestras for All

We have a large number of students taking part in Arts Award at all levels at the school and we support Orchestras for All through the funding of their Arts Award moderations. 

Aims

Habs recognises the value of music and music teaching at all levels. One of our teachers is involved with the charity and we offer support in terms of assessment , moderation and funding.

Background

The National Orchestra for All (NOFA) provides a platform to young people who would not normally get the opportunity to participate in music-making together and helps to ensure young people are better equipped with the skills they need to achieve their aspirations.

The importance of access to musical experiences and a high quality musical education is widely accepted. Research indicates the importance of music-making as it:

· Transcends educational ability, socio-economic status and disability

· Gives young people a unique way to express themselves

· Can provide a safe space for young people to escape from challenging home or school lives

· Brings multiple benefits: confidence and self-esteem, self-efficacy and cultural awareness

Playing in an ensemble provides additional proven benefits, including providing access to a broad and diverse social network and improving teamwork and communication skills. Yet music education and high quality musical experiences are inconsistently resourced across the UK, and young musicians with complex lives are often the first to miss out. Opportunities for orchestral music-making too often go towards those who are already privileged in some way. A 2014 Youth Ensembles report conducted by the Association of British Orchestras highlighted that 92% of British Youth Orchestras set a minimum entry standard and 80% charge an annual membership fee.

This means disadvantaged young people can miss out on the unique opportunity of ensemble music-making and cannot realise all the non-musical benefits that playing in an ensemble can develop.

 

Frequency

The teaching and assessment is ongoing with the moderation taking place once a year.

We are hoping to expand our involvement with NOFA.