Wokingham

Wokingham District Addington Special School in Woodley was alive with the sound of music on Thursday (November 17) when it officially celebrated its specialist music status.

Pupils and teachers joined in the festivities and spent the day playing instruments, performing in concerts, taking part in sensory and musical workshops and creating works of art instead of their normal timetable. Music is an important medium for many Addington pupils, enabling them to express themselves and explore their emotions.

And special guests, the Life Guards Band of the Household Cavalry, joined the pupils throughout the morning. The whole school gathered for a demonstration from the 30-strong Royal Marching Band.

Wokingham District Council’s chairman Cllr Iain Brown officially declared the specialist music school open and the children released 200 orange balloons, to match the colour of music specialist status, to mark the occasion.

Addington Special School, Wokingham was awarded specialist status by the government in January - the only special school in the country to have been designated specialist music status.

The Wokingham District school, located off Loddon Bridge Road, is one of only 16 schools across the country to achieve music specialist status. Their success will mean improved facilities both for the school and the local community as specialist status brings extra in grant funding over the next four years. To submit the bid for specialist college status to the government last year, the school had to raise £50,000 themselves through events and business sponsorship.

Specialist status will allow Addington School, Wokingham to extend skills in music and information and communications technology (ICT) which will lead to improvements across the whole school.

Specialist music status also brings opportunities to extend the creativity already established within the curriculum and will allow the school to increase inclusion with other local schools and community groups which in turn supports the government’s policy outlined in ‘Raising Barriers to Achievement’.

Peripatetic teachers, who work in more than one place, have been brought in to teach music instrumental lessons for groups of children. The development of information and communication technology is also planned for the future, which will include the purchase of whiteboards and software.

Liz Meek, headteacher at Addington Special School, Wokingham said: “The launch day was about celebrating and enjoying music alongside the recognition of the positive enrichment music has on the curriculum. Everyone associated with the school was very excited about receiving specialist status. I am very proud of the achievements already made in music at the school and am delighted to have such a talented Music teacher, Matthew Kemp, who has brought us to this exciting stage in the school’s life.”

Wokingham Council chairman Cllr Iain Brown said: “The day was a very special one for the Addington pupils. Music is very important to them and it was a great honour to see the Life Guards Band of the Household Cavalry joining the pupils.

“Specialist status brings great benefits to the students at Addington Special School as well as the local community too. It means improved facilities for pupils with extra grant funding over the next four years. I would once again like to congratulate all those involved with putting the bid together – it took a lot of hard work and fundraising. I hope that everyone thoroughly enjoyed the celebrations.”

Wokingham District Council ~ November 22, 2005