Fairfield High School (FHS) has been nominated as a Music Mark School in celebration of its commitment to excellent and high-quality music education. Unlike other awards, this status recognises the work already being carried out by Fairfield on a day-to-day basis, rather than the school conducting specific work in order to achieve the mark.
Fairfield has built a long-standing relationship with Bristol Plays Music over the past six years, including being involved with the development of a ‘Bristol Music Curriculum’ which has been rolled out in partnership with the organisation. This has led to a more representative and diverse Bristol-focused curriculum being offered to students across the city and is one of the accolades identified by the Music Mark.
“Fairfield has been an active member of the new and exciting ‘Bristol Music Curriculum’ which has been developed in partnership with Bristol Plays Music and other schools,” explains Tim Roderick, Head of Music at Fairfield High School. “This means that through the process of this consultation and partnership, we’ve had a meaningful input in how music is delivered across the city including to our own students. As a result, I am proud to have seen enhanced engagement within the subject as well as more focus on Bristol specific elements in our Key Stage 3 schemes of work.”
Furthermore, for those students wishing to pursue individual instruments, the choice of lesson provision in the school is vast, with options ranging from singing, piano, guitar, drums, woodwind, violin and brass. In addition, students are now having the opportunity to study music production, song-writing and beat-making alongside more traditional instruments and singing, giving further support to the Post-16 opportunities and pathways they may wish to choose.
This year Fairfield also intends to add beatboxing, rapping and DJing to that list. This too has been recognised by Music Mark for being exceptional practice.
FHS looks forward to continuing to build upon this important educational and creative journey, and supporting its students with these and other opportunities to engage with music-making both within, and outside of school in the wider community.