Hiya Penny,

Spoke to this fabulous and enthusiastic teacher at a Special school in Horham, Nr Heathfield, Sussex about getting in a music teacher to do some interesting things. Unfortunately I can’t help on this one but I’m sure there is an artist in the network who can!

Here’s his email…

Love Kerry x

Hi Kerry

Thank you for getting in touch – and providing these contacts. I am sure they will be valuable.

As the non-musician responsible for music at our ‘special school’ I am expected to deliver music teaching for our Key Stage 3 pupils.

Our school used to serve boys and girls with medium learning difficulties and those with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties (SEBD); it is in the process of changing to focus entirely on SEBD boys.

It is not uncommon for our pupils to have quite a short attention span and they respond best to enthusiasm and diversity. Whilst some pupil behaviour can be challenging, class sizes restricted to 8, taught by a teacher supported by a teaching assistant, mean that difficulties are minimised.

Whilst much of the formal music curriculum may not really suit our pupils, I am determined to find a range of music (and other art forms involving music) that can benefit and enrich them. At present an African Drum specialist is proving very successful.

From next September we plan to timetable all our music classes on the same day of the week, so that teachers/artists can work with each class in turn, all within the one day (ages 11 – 14). We are authorised to budget to pay up to £150 a day; if we have to pay more then the boys will have to endure other lessons with no music specialist at all.

It would be marvellous if we could find those who could take on a series of lessons, thus working for a day a week over a number of weeks. Exercising my grey cells I have considered things like Morris Dancing (Border looks messiest – so perhaps most attractive to our boys), Clogging and Gypsy dancing, creating Skiffle Groups or other ‘Rubbish’ instrumental bands and learning to play the simpler (?) musical instruments like the Tin Whistle, Harmonica or Jews Harp; I would love to think there are also inspirational musicians out there that could do series of lessons on almost anything music related, with such creativity and enthusiasm that they would hold the attention of our boys.

I hope this brief description of our needs is helpful. Feel free to include my name in any information that goes out, but I would rather you offered the school telephone number rather than my own: 01435 812278.

Thanks again and best wishes,

Geoff Ridsdale
geoff_at_ridsdales_dot_co_dot_uk

PS I seem to be having some E trouble and not receiving some emails. It appears to be quite random! If I do not reply to you soon, please try emailing again or phone/txt me on 07703 639 720. Thanks, Kerry