At Teach Major, we are lucky enough to work with some of the best teachers and administrators from across the country! This week we are pleased to welcome Kate Day, Interim Principal at Lake Farm Park Academy, as she shares how Teach Major’s music education classes have impacted her students there.
Congratulations on another strong school year! As it draws to a close, what impact have you seen through your students’ involvement with music education?
We find our students’ confidence really grows along with their ability. Being taught by specialists and then showing that knowledge off through performances for parents or local crowds is priceless in terms of self-esteem development.
How has arts funding changed for schools over the past few years?
Unfortunately, there’s always a great demand on school budgets and lately this has meant a dramatic decrease in arts funding for schools.
What would you say to people who say that music education is “in crisis” or that the arts are somehow “less serious” school subjects?
There seems to be the perception that arts subjects become less meaningful to students after the primary education stage, but as a school administrator I couldn’t disagree more. The arts are a crucial part of the school day at any age. However, it is true that current funding requirements make it very difficult to prioritise the arts in terms of curriculum focus – but nothing is “in crisis” as long as there are people who advocate for it!
How do you believe schools and government can compensate for this to ensure students have educational access to the arts?
I truly believe the key is national funding. There are so many benefits academically and personally when students are given access to arts education, so these kinds of projects should to be accessible to all students. There also need to be opportunities bringing arts access from the classrooms out into our communities, because arts in our public spaces can be very inspiring to children!
What do you look for in a great teacher for artistic disciplines?
We love all our teachers to be creative, confident, and knowledgeable – and our students always respond best to teachers who are genuine!
What kind of impact has the Teach Major program had this year at Lake Farm Park Academy?
Oh, I’ve got a long list – and they’re not all for the students, either! Of course, our students are growing musically from Teach Major’s tuition and subject specialism, but our staff and administrators also benefitting from the timetabling and instructional support. On top of all that, access to Teach Major’s resources allows us at Lake Farm Park Academy to provide increased extracurricular clubs to our students, encouraging them to get involved with the arts in different ways through new environments.
Thank you, Kate!
We always appreciate hearing how our passion for music education affects the people around us – after all, our mission is to share the joy music brings with students all over the UK.