Schools win £420k funding boost for music – with Restore the Music’s biggest ever grant round

Pupils at Hallsville Primary School, Canning Town, London Borough of Newham, who received £10k in early 2023.

More than 16,000 pupils in 29 state schools in areas of high deprivation in London, Birmingham, Manchester and Newcastle will soon have access to new musical instruments and equipment – thanks to £420,000 of funding from Restore the Music UK. So far, 120 state schools have benefited from £2.2 million of funding from the charity, reaching 80,000 pupils aged 4-18.

CEO Polly Stepan Moore says: "Music unlocks potential which makes it a powerful tool for change. Yet young people – particularly those facing the biggest barriers – are being denied this. We invest in all young people, reaching them through our grants to school music departments. Music is not just a nice-to-have, it's a must-have."

Alice Johnstone, head of music, Ark Academy Acton, has received funding through the Music Tech Fund, sponsored by the SoundStart Foundation. She says: “[There has been an impact on] the mental wellbeing and behaviour of pupils. Pupils who have been close to exclusion have found their place within the music department and have been able to become active and happy citizens within the school.”

A Music Tech Fund sponsored by Sound Start Foundation has been part of this funding round. Brendon Stead, CEO of Sound Start Foundation, says: “We passionately believe in the positive and enriching impact music can have on young people’s lives – it’s why we do what we do. Everyone at Sound Start is thrilled that we are helping this exceptional initiative continue its mission to enable equal access to music learning opportunities and instruments, which will unlock the potential of the next generation of young music talent.”

Gary Powell, Drummer, The Libertines and Dirty Pretty Things; DJ and record label owner (25 Hour Convenience Store), and Restore the Music ambassador, says: “It’s great to see Restore the Music reach even more young people and schools music departments. I’ve witnessed the results of their work. And I believe that these schools' investment in music education is creating well-rounded young individuals that will go on to become the leaders, the creatives, and the fixers of our society in the future.”

 
Media enquiries: Polly Moore, CEO, Restore the Music, 07767 776934, polly@restorethemusicuk.com

NOTES TO EDITORS

More about Restore the Music 

“The difference Restore the Music is making for our most disadvantaged students is truly life changing.”

“It has been wonderful to see how passionate children have become about music and hear stories of how this has fed into their homes and had a positive impact on their experience of and motivation for learning at school.”

“The Restore the Music funding has greatly improved the perception of the music department within the school. Students are more excited, engaged and happy within lessons. Students are enjoying learning how to play different instruments and working with their band members to perform pop songs.”

Founded in 2013, Restore the Music was originally a London-centric grant programme. It became a charity in 2017 and its Restore the Music Capital Grant Programme is now also open to applicants in Birmingham, Manchester and Newcastle. The fund offers grant awards of £10,000 and £20,000 for diverse and accessible instruments and equipment in primary and secondary state schools. It also runs annual battles of the bands and music teacher celebration dinners to celebrate the outcomes of the funding.

The funding is targeted to schools with well above-average Free School Meals and Pupil Premium percentages. 

Applicants must be schools serving families in areas of high socio-economic deprivation, measured against a range of factors including household income, Free School Meals, and Pupil Premium.

Uniquely, the application process involves an interview which the head of the school must attend with the music lead, to ensure music is taken seriously by the senior leadership team. The grant fund does not prioritise specific genres or instruments. Instead, it requires schools to use the funding for instruments and equipment that reflect pupils’ passions, interests and cultural backgrounds. For this grant round, a Music Tech Fund sponsored by the SoundStart Foundation was available to current Restore the Music grantees.

The schools benefiting from this round of funding are: LONDON Albion Primary, Southwark; Gladstone Park Primary, Brent; St Mary’s Lewisham CE Primary; Cardinal Pole Catholic School, Hackney; Chobham Academy, Newham; Harris Science Academy, Newham; Lilian Baylis Technology School, Lambeth; Harris Academy St John’s Wood, Westminster; Bolder Academy, Hounslow; ARK Acton; ARK Walworth, Southwark; Eastlea Community School, Newham; Harris Academy Clapham, Lambeth; Oakwood School, Hillingdon; Oasis Academy Shirley Park, Croydon; Skinners’ Academy, Hackney; School 21, Newham. BIRMINGHAM Lea Forest Primary, Kitts Green; St Benedicts Primary, Small Heath; Holyhead School, Handsworth; Lordwood Boys’ School, Harborne. MANCHESTER Dukesgate Academy, Salford; Abraham Moss Community School, Crumpsall; Our Lady’s RC High School, Blackley; Salford City Academy; East Manchester Academy. NEWCASTLE Thomas Walling Primary, Blakelaw; Benfield School, Newcastle; Walker Riverside School, Newcastle.

Supporters and donors include: the Sony Music Social Justice Fund, Warner Music, Universal Music, Save the Music, Big Give, Story of Christmas, Blavatnik Family Foundation, The Childhood Trust, Steinway & Sons, Bowers & Wilkins, Taittinger, Soundstart Foundation. 

Ambassadors include: Gary Powell, The Libertines and Dirty Pretty Things; Andew Levy, The Brand New Heavies; Kara Mukerjee, VP, Digital Strategy & Business Development, Warner Music Group; Mike Dolbear, professional drummer and founder of Young Drummer of the Year; Riopy, French pianist and composer.

Find out more: www.restorethemusicuk.com

More about the schools music funding crisis

It is a statutory requirement for schools to provide music education in the classroom for pupils up to the age of 14 (year 9/key stage 3). However, money and time allocated for classroom and out-of-school-hours music has reduced in the last decade, with some schools reducing or even removing classroom hours allocated to music. This is due to a number of factors including:

●      Schools performance measures such as the EBacc – which mean schools are judged on results from a small range of subjects, which don’t include music. 

●      Sustained cuts to school and local authority budgets.

●      The increase in academies - which are not required to follow the National Curriculum and therefore have no statutory duty to provide music.

●      Local authority contributions to music services/music education hubs have decreased dramatically (from £14.3million in 2012/13, to £5.7 million in 2017). Local authorities have also cut funding for youth services, which were a major provider of informal music learning outside of school, complementing the music provided in school.

More about the value of music education

A growing body of academic research[1] and evaluations of music programmes is showing how participation in music can be central to a young person’s development. It can wire the brain for effective learning, help develop skills for life, and have an impact on social, neurological and emotional development and mental wellbeing.  For more information, see our Why Music? page, and also www.musiceducationworks.org.uk

[1] E.g.  see The Power of Music – an exploration of the evidence. Susan Hallam, Evangelos Himonides, July 2022.