St Mark’s CofE Primary School has been a Rocksteady school since 2019 and understands how valuable learning to play music as part of a band can be in supporting their pupils’ development.
Music Lead, Fern Galloway, has seen a significant improvement in attendance for those taking part and says, “Children want to come to school when they know it’s Rocksteady day. They LOVE the lessons and look forward to them each week!”
The school has also seen a positive impact on children with SEMH needs, as Fern explains, “We’ve used the match funding scheme to ensure some of our children with SEMH needs can access Rocksteady lessons. Attending has helped these children build resilience and motivation. It’s been an absolute joy to watch them shine with pride in their Rocksteady concerts!”
Pupils at St Mark’s feel supported and inspired in their band lessons. Fern says, “Our band leader is so welcoming and allows new starters to come and ‘have a go’, encouraging them to be the best they can be. All children remain engaged and motivated in lessons, which is evident in the increase of Rocksteady musicians we’ve had!”
The excitement of the end of term performances has spread throughout the whole school, as everyone gets involved to show their support. “The termly Rocksteady concerts bring our school together in a way no other event does,” Fern says. “They’re exciting, engaging, and the children and staff love them. It’s wonderful to see the other children cheering on their friends’ bands, often with home-made merchandise and banners!”
Even the teachers joined in on the fun, forming their own band called ‘No Direction’ with a little help from their band leader. Fern saw this as a fantastic way to build pupil and teacher relationships whilst showing children that “if you want to be a rock star, no matter who you are, you can do it with Rocksteady!”
St Mark’s CofE Primary School has seen first-hand the benefits of band-led learning and Fern says, “Children are not only developing their skills as musicians, but also their focus, confidence and ability to work as a team. We cannot begin to thank Rocksteady enough for having such a positive impact on our school.”