I M P A C T EVALUATION
IMPACT STATEMENT:
We have worked with six partner schools on a large-scale musical event held at Manchester Cathedral in December 2019. Our work shows increased levels of engagement and participation in musical activities as well as an increased sense of community among both state and independent school pupils. All partner schools share the same vision and ethos of helping those less fortunate than themselves and do not see the partnership as a temporary venture. The partnership also included work with two long-term partner organisations, The Booth Centre and Wood Street Mission, to fundraise for their projects. THE AIMS FOR MANCHESTER SINGS:
1 2
To increase engagement and musical appreciation in all pupils To increase awareness of the local issue of homelessness in our shared community
WITHINGTON GIRLS’ SCHOOL
3 4
To increase self-esteem and wellbeing by being involved in a wider community event To strengthen relationships between Withington Girls’ School and our partner schools and organisations
PROJEC TS & PARTNERSHIPS
WHO IS INVOLVED IN THE PARTNERSHIP: Schools involved:
Broadfield Primary School
St Kentigern’s RC Primary School
Whitefield Community Primary School
New Islington Free School
St Luke’s CE Primary School
Wilbraham Primary School
Withington Girls’ School
Other partners:
We are very grateful to Beaverbrooks as the lead sponsor of Manchester Sings and to dxg printers for their printing of our programmes. Thanks also to Mr Martin Griffin for his support of the event.
MANCHESTER SINGS IN NUMBERS:
THE TOTAL
NUMBER OF
PUPILS
INVOLVED IN THE PROJECT
PUPILS FROM
STATE SCHOOLS,
OF WHICH 28
ARE PUPIL
PREMIUM PUPILS
WITHINGTON GIRLS’ SCHOOL
32 PUPILS FROM WITHINGTON
GIRLS’ SCHOOL,
OF WHICH 2 ARE FULL
BURSARY PUPILS
NUMBER OF
FOR THE
COLLECTED FOR
COLLECTED
BOOTH
CENTRE
£
724.46
GIFTS
WOOD STREET
MISSION
150
OVER
242 210
TOTAL AMOUNT
PROJEC TS & PARTNERSHIPS
TACKLING DISADVANTAGE: The project was designed to actively remove barriers to participation and sessions were run with whole classes, or the existing choir, within the school day so that all pupils in a particular year group or class were able to benefit. Some of the participants were ‘harder to reach pupils’ who have little experience of music, of performing or of leaving their immediate local area.
Partner Schools: 22.86% PUPIL PREMIUM PUPILS
77.14% NON-PUPIL PREMIUM PUPILS
Backing track left with schools for practice
Manchester Sings booked at the cathedral for future years: 2020/2021/2022
Visited partner schools for feedback Programme planned for 2020
SPRING 2020
4/12/2019 Manchester Sings event
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020
Specialist music teacher visited partner schools on a 3 weekly basis
DECEMBER 2019
Partner schools invited to participate in the project
AUTUMN 2019
Initial idea for project proposed and agreed
SUMMER 2019
SPRING 2019
BRIEF TIMELINE OF PROJECT: Invitations to go to partner schools
Extra sessions implemented as required
CAPTURING FEEDBACK: The specialist music teacher and project leader went into each partner school and interviewed teachers, staff and focus groups of pupils to gather verbal and written feedback from all participants involved in the event1. The data is qualitative as there are no arguable hard outcomes in terms of improved academic results or GCSE uptake of Music as a direct result of this partnership. The invaluable soft skills gained by all participants include a greater sense of personal responsibility, a greater social awareness and an appreciation of music.
WITHINGTON GIRLS’ SCHOOL
Photographs and videos of the event and the build-up to it, also aim to demonstrate impact. This evidence can be found on the Schools Together website. To view the video please scan here or visit: https://vimeo.com/386282389 1
Please see copy of the questionnaire format in the appendix.
PROJEC TS & PARTNERSHIPS
INPUTS/OUTPUTS/OUTCOMES: INPUT
OUTPUT
OUTCOMES
Specialist music teacher time
Pupils attend weekly choir sessions
Greater awareness of social issues
Venue, transport for pupils and parents, business sponsor and WGS funding
Partner school staff value specialist music teacher’s expertise
Increased enjoyment for singing (especially in boys)
Pupils engage and participate actively in choir sessions
Improved social cohesion
All participants are able to access the venue and perform at an event with a band, lighting and costumes
Improved wellbeing and selfconfidence in all pupils Strengthening of existing partnerships and fostering of new partnerships Increased confidence of partner schools to deliver music sessions Awareness of historic buildings and their role in Greater Manchester Harder to reach pupils were able to participate in a venue and at an event that they would not normally have been able to access
WITHINGTON GIRLS’ SCHOOL
PROJEC TS & PARTNERSHIPS
CASE STUDIES: 19.5% of English postcodes are less deprived than M45 6DP
MORE DEPRIVED
LESS DEPRIVED
DEPRIVATION
1
Partner school 1 is located in a deprived area of Greater Manchester where not many children often leave the immediate area.
0%
80.5%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
19.5%
90%
100%
30% of the children participating in Manchester Sings are pupil premium pupils, although the whole school numbers indicate that 52% of children qualify for pupil premium. This school did not have a choir prior to the project, but are now looking at how to go about setting one up. Attendance and behaviour in this particular group of children has always been good. Since the event, there has been an increased enthusiasm for music lessons and singing assemblies. The main impact for this school seems to have been widening the pupils’ experiences and giving them valuable experience outside of their immediate geographical location. All parties at the partner school found value in the event and the Head teacher would like to deepen the partnership by partnering with Withington Girls’ School Juniors to arrange a joint visit to the Cathedral.
2 3
Partner school 2 is a faith school located on the outskirts of Greater Manchester. This school is particularly keen to deepen the partnership with Withington Girls’ School and would like to self-fund the transport to the event in future years. The outcomes for this school as a direct result of this project are all positive and varied. This school had a choir before the event, but attendance and commitment were varied. After the event, there has been a noticeable increase in attendance and focus, as well as an increase in personal responsibility. The children have reported that their interest in music and singing has increased and they are now listening to a wider range of music. The teacher currently in charge of the choir has also taken things away from the event like the performance skills of the Withington Girls’ School choir and is going to implement these in the school choir. As this school is a Church of England school it is interesting to note that many children had no direct experience of being in a cathedral as they do not leave their immediate geographical area. The children were very impressed with the building they performed in and were interested in the different roles of the clergy during the performance. In terms of the social impact, in one case family relationships were improved by siblings both performing in the choir together. The older children have been encouraged to think more about the city in which they live and were particularly concerned about the plight of the homeless in Manchester. One child, who is in receipt on pupil premium, bought some food for a homeless person in her hometown due to her involvement in this event.
Partner school 3 is one of the closest schools in terms of location to Withington Girls’ School with 43% proportion of their total pupil population qualifying for pupil premium. This school had a school choir already established, although they have seen a rise in the level of commitment since the event. The choir is now going to perform at two further concerts this year. The children were particularly impressed with the cathedral building and many had not been in a cathedral before. The event seems to have encouraged more cross-curricular work within school too. The school have introduced a piece of music of the week which the whole school listens to and responds to via pictures, creative writing and discussion. The school would be interested in getting involved in the creative writing element of the project in subsequent years and Withington could offer support in this, as well as supporting them as the expand their musical activities. The children seem to report increased levels of happiness and wellbeing and the ability to cope better with moods.
WITHINGTON GIRLS’ SCHOOL
PROJEC TS & PARTNERSHIPS
WHAT WAS SAID ABOUT MANCHESTER SINGS: Sample of staff from partner schools: “ It was a wonderful experience for our pupils - one that they will cherish” “ Mutual respect – anybody could take part - didn”t matter about your background.”
“ A joyful experience. The effort from the children as a team, to then join the teams (choirs) from other schools to create the most joyful afternoon of Music. I watched the childrens confidence grow and then watched the smiles and looks of pride on the faces of pupils, parents and staff” “It has been an amazing experience”
“The children loved it”
Sample of pupils involved in the partnership: “Singing is really powerful” “Liked the meanings of the songs” “ We got to meet other schools and sing with them” “I felt like a hero raising all that money” “One of my best experiences” “ I thought it was amazing to hear withington girls’ school choir sing with us. They sung different parts to us, but together it sounded wonderful!”
“ Singing in a choir makes you feel not alone” “ Felt important as the mayor was there” “ Since Manchester Sings, I’ve been singing more – go home and search on tablet (for) songs to sing”
“ Really inclusive – all colours, every creed.” “ I thought I couldn’t be in it because I’m different but then I realised everyone is different but we all enjoy singing and now I’ve made new friends”
“ Before choir, I was shy and didn’t think I could sing. Manchester sings has made me feel confident”
“ It wasn’t competitive – we were all in it together. Even if you weren’t the best you could still be part of the team – totally inclusive”
“ It was so exciting to sing amongst lots of other children from other schools”
“ Even though I am in year 13 I would like to come back next year to sing or help”
Sample of parents from partner schools: “ So delighted to see our daughter perform at the Cathedral”
“ I just wanted to personally send you an email to let you know how amazing the Manchester Sings concert went. Your singing club teachers have done an amazing job, their faces were alight with pride watching the children sing. I’m so very proud and was super emotional watching it. I would love for you to pass on our heartfelt thank you to both the teachers and the school for bringing the joy of singing to (name) & rest of school”
WITHINGTON GIRLS’ SCHOOL
PROJEC TS & PARTNERSHIPS
WHAT WAS SAID ABOUT MANCHESTER SINGS: “ Manchester Sings 2019 was the first of what we hope will become an annual event. The brainchild of Withington Girls’ School’s Director of Music, it involved bringing together children and staff from primary schools across Greater Manchester to sing together in Manchester Cathedral in the very heart of the city. As part of Withington’s commitment to partnership working, to building and enhancing great working relationships, bringing young people together in inspiring projects and spreading the power of music, the school made it possible for the Director of Music to go into 6 primary schools on a regular basis throughout the Autumn Term in order to engage the children in the idea of singing and to rehearse a selection of carefully chosen songs which they would then perform together for the first time on the day of the concert. The outcome was a wonderfully uplifting and highly successful event which brought the children together to perform with huge commitment and integrity, supported and encouraged by the choir from Withington Girls’ School. In the audience were friends and family from all schools – some of whom had never entered the cathedral before – and visitors to the cathedral on that day. The fact that two integral Manchester charities – Wood Street Mission children’s charity and the Booth Centre for the Homeless were also represented at the event and supported through collections, enhanced the very special feeling of community and social cohesion even further. The event was supported by the Dean of Manchester Cathedral, the High Sheriff of Greater Manchester and the Lord Mayor of Manchester, all of whom attended on the day and gave much encouragement and praise to the performers
– adding to the inspiring sense for the children of what is possible, what can be achieved together and what it means to be part of a community. The positive impacts of this project are many and varied – the most important being the new experiences for the children, the opportunities for them to discover the joy and the power of music, of teamwork, of listening skills, of imagination and creativity, and many aspects of personal and social development – not least of all building self-confidence and self-esteem through doing something challenging and finding that singing and music enhance wellbeing and happiness. The project has also been an outstanding example for the children of how people from different parts of the city, some from different cultures, can come together to create something profound. There was a very strong sense in the cathedral that day that something very special was taking place and we hope that the excitement, the pride, ambition, widening of horizons – and the special memories - can be sustained and will encourage all who took part to embrace other challenges they may face and perhaps go some small way towards helping them to have more confidence in their own abilities to learn new things and ‘stand in the light’. We are proud to have been able to initiate and lead this project and, now that we have a model which we know is successful, are very much looking forward to continuing to work with our friends and partners in Manchester Sings 2020 – and to welcoming new participants so that together we can take the project from strength to strength. Thank you very much indeed to everyone who has taken part.” Mrs Sarah Haslam, Headmistress of Withington Girls’ School
WITHINGTON GIRLS’ SCHOOL
PROJEC TS & PARTNERSHIPS
“ Manchester Sings is an event that embraces children of different cultures from across different parts of Manchester. It has helped our children become aware of the whole community and of the need to support those less fortunate than themselves; values that underpin our school ethos – of equality, inclusion and diversity.” Head Teacher of a partner school
“ On the back of Manchester Sings, the school choir has now been asked to participate in another community event – a joint project with Fallowfield Community. They will be singing some of the songs from Manchester Sings.” Head Teacher of a partner school
“ Delighted with the parental engagement and how many attended the event. Loved the fact that the coaches were all organised.”
“ The experience has improved our choir’s confidence levels in terms of performing publicly and without a shadow of a doubt the children have loved the song choices and the buzz of performing in the Cathedral with other school children. Similarly, our staff team who accompanied the choir, just loved the whole experience.” Head Teacher of a partner school
Head Teacher of a partner school “ What a truly inspirational event for all involved. The opportunity to join together and sing as part of a much larger choir is something that will live long in the memory of all the children that took part. Words of hope and dreams sang in perfect harmony from our young children across Greater Manchester in a truly inspiring setting. A very proud moment for our families and children.” Head Teacher of a partner school WITHINGTON GIRLS’ SCHOOL
“ Thank you so much for including us in what was such a memorable experience for all involved, the children, parents and staff absolutely loved the whole experience. I thought the organisation, timings, location and chosen songs were all spot on. Many of our parents collected the choir’s siblings early that day so they could come along and watch them, which was wonderful. I really would find it difficult to suggest any improvements as it was faultless in terms of both content and organisation. We would love to be involved in future events. Also thank you for the photographs, they look brilliant.” Head Teacher of a partner school PROJEC TS & PARTNERSHIPS
UNINTENDED OUTCOMES: One partner school commented that some parents from the school had never been into Manchester on their own before. While the children were rehearsing, the parents went into the city as they “felt safe” as they were in a school party. This was a positive experience for the pupils to see their parents try something new. Many of the schools involved in the partnership have seen their profiles in the local community positively raised. Many of the partner schools commented on the venue where the event was held and how struck the children were by the impressive building. One partner school which is a Church of England school had never visited a cathedral before. ‘Going to the cathedral gave them a greater sense of being a church school and part of a wider community’. This has contributed to their Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural development.
National recognition of the partnership - casting directors from Britain’s Got Talent contacted the school to ask about Manchester Sing’s involvement in a national television show based on what they had read about the event in a press release. Although we always strive for inclusivity, many of our partners commented on the inclusiveness and diversity of this event. The music was chosen carefully not to exclude any faiths and we will continue to put much thought into the words and messages that we would like relayed in future events. Another primary school has inquired as to how they can get involved with the project next year.
PLANS FOR THE FUTURE: Manchester Cathedral has been booked for this event up to 2022. The event needs to be publicised earlier so that the cathedral will be full. There have been requests from various partner schools for Withington Girls’ School to be involved in more of their music programmes, for example, help in holding music assemblies, concerts and a Saturday morning choir. All partners involved this year would like to be involved in future Manchester Sings events.
WITHINGTON GIRLS’ SCHOOL
Some partner schools would welcome a link with Withington Girls’ School English department to assist in the creative writing aspect of the project. A few partner schools would welcome a link with our Junior School to attend a joint workshop at Manchester Cathedral to aid their understanding of different cultures and faiths. In terms of sustainability, one school would like to deepen our partnership links and is keen to help fund the Manchester Sings event through their Pupil Premium funding. We would like to increase numbers of pupil premium pupils and this question will be addressed from the start of the project for 2020.
PROJEC TS & PARTNERSHIPS
APPENDIX: How many members of the choir are Pupil Premium pupils? Before Manchester Sings, did you have a choir? Do you now have a choir? Before Manchester Sings, were there any attendance issues with these pupils? Was there any difference after Manchester Sings? Was there any difference in behaviour – lessons, rehearsals, performance? Has there been an increased understanding/ greater awareness of issues in society? Has there been a greater awareness of the City in which they live? Has there been increased engagement in musical activities and general musical appreciation? What do you think the impact of Manchester Sings has had on the children? What were the benefits to your school/the community/staff/pupils? Would you consider participating in Manchester Sings again? Would you be interested in the creative writing aspect of the project and working with English teachers from WGS? How could we develop future links with your school? Assemblies, Ukuleles, Choir, another performance during the school year? Headteacher Comment Staff Comment Parent Comment Pupil Comment
WITHINGTON GIRLS’ SCHOOL
PROJEC TS & PARTNERSHIPS
Withington Girls’ School, Wellington Road, Fallowfield, Manchester M14 6BL Tel: 0161 224 1077 Email: office@wgs.org Registered Charity No. 1158226