WHO ARE WE?
The Yehudi Menuhin School is a global leader in music education. Our mission is to provide a happy, healthy learning environment where exceptionally talented young musicians discover how to achieve their fullest potential.
Our unique curriculum weaves the highest level of musical training into an outstanding academic programme, to provide a world-class education.
Our diverse community is formed of pupils who are admitted on the basis of their artistic potential, not according to financial means.
OUR VISION: 21st CENTURY MUSICIANS
The Yehudi Menuhin School aims to harness its reputation as a leading authority in classical music education, to develop the performers and audiences of the future.
We aim to cultivate the next generation of happy, welladjusted musicians, who are team players, can express themselves articulately, are equipped to support their artistic expression with intellectual understanding, and who are on the path to becoming influential figures in the broad world of music and the arts.
We will continue to recruit the world’s most talented musical pupils to the school, ensuring that the mission of the school reaches all areas of the country. Diversity and inclusion will be a central focus of our mission, alongside other global priorities such as environmental sustainability.
We will ensure that all pupils are equipped with the emotional and practical tools to embrace life as a professional musician, be it in performance, composition, or any field within the sector. This will include education in music technology, recording, self-management, industry awareness, networking and other key skills, in addition to their musical and intellectual education.
We aspire for all our pupils to be powerful communicators, with something to say and the means to say it. We help them to develop a strong sense of artistic identity and integrity, fostered in a supportive and collaborative environment.
Building on the ambition of our founder, we seek to share the music made in our school to audiences near and far, contributing to the wider understanding, appreciation and reach of classical music.
Above all, our aim is not only to nurture good musicians and instrumentalists, but to develop ambassadors for music and the arts: industry leaders who will develop our traditions (and keep them relevant) for future generations.
THE DEFINING FEATURES OF THE YEHUDI MENUHIN SCHOOL OUR VALUES
A community of outstanding young musicians
Internationally renowned teaching staff
Admission based on talent, not financial means
Means-tested financial support
Small class sizes
Exceptional performance opportunities
On-site access to a worldclass public music venue
Focus on pupils’ aspirations and their unique paths
supportive, inclusive and nurturing environment Promotion of healthy ambition
The five key values of the school underpin our mission and vision for the future. All pupils and staff will be encouraged to live, work, and communicate in accordance with these values:
PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE
We aim for the highest standards of musical understanding and academic achievement. Our pupils are taught dedication, selfdiscipline and resilience, to overcome and relish the challenges of a life in music.
INTELLECTUAL CURIOSITY
In the understanding that intellectual growth informs and supports musical development, we encourage all pupils and staff to be creative and open-minded, and to adopt a love of lifelong learning.
INTEGRITY
Our pupils and staff demonstrate personal responsibility, honesty, and a mature sense of social conscience.
COMMUNITY
Our community is collaborative, diverse, inclusive, and mutually supportive, with teamwork at its heart. We share the work of the school in the local community, as well as reaching an international audience. We instil our pupils with a sense of their environmental and social responsibility.
KINDNESS
All members of our community understand the importance of humility, empathy and tolerance. Pupils and staff have respect for one another.
OUR
STRATEGIC PLAN AND OUR PILLARS
NURTURING ENVIRONMENT
CREATIVE CURRICULUM
SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
21st CENTURY MUSICIANS
A NURTURING ENVIRONMENT
At its heart, The Yehudi Menuhin School is a boarding school in which day pupils are integrated to the full programme, including evenings and weekends. We intend to become standard-bearers for positive mental health and wellbeing, and are committed to continuing to put pupils’ wellbeing at the forefront of all we do. We will continue to nurture a family-orientated, non-competitive approach to education in which pupils recognise the importance of compassion and support for each other.
WE WILL:
Provide the best possible environment to support the pupils’ wellbeing and to encourage a balanced approach to their daily lives.
Develop our boarding facilities to ensure that the school continues to feel like a home from home for all pupils.
Continue to develop our estate to provide excellent academic and music (including practice) facilities, with appropriate spaces to support the school’s operations.
Develop our peer-to-peer support programme, to give the pupils further access to pastoral support while simultaneously equipping them with the skills to support others.
Develop our staffing structure to provide enhanced pastoral, boarding and medical support for all pupils.
Review our approach to tutoring, providing protected time for one-to-one support for each pupil.
Develop the programme of activities available to boarders, to broaden interests and provide ample downtime from academic and musical study.
Develop in-house music-specific safeguarding training, to create champions and ambassadors for best practice.
Continue to focus on performance psychology, developing resilient young people with the confidence to present themselves in the public sphere as ambassadors for the arts.
A CREATIVE CURRICULUM
To keep pace with a constantly-evolving industry, we will equip our pupils with the emotional and practical tools to embrace life as a musician, be it in performance, composition, or any field within the ever-broadening classical music sector. We will encourage our pupils to develop the all-round abilities required for a sustainable, healthy and rewarding life in music.
Directed time for pupils will remain equally divided between music and academic study. We will review the shape of our school week to ensure that the appropriate balance is maintained, while introducing more opportunities for general academic pursuits, physical wellbeing, and supervised musical practice.
WE WILL:
Review the format of the school week, allowing time to provide a breadth of experiences and personal development.
Widen our provision, using recent developments in online communication tools, to develop online courses (‘The Virtual Menuhin School’) for promising young musicians who are not able to attend the school in person.
Refine our general studies course: a carousel for older pupils to provide a broad academic foundation.
Continue to develop cross-curricular opportunities to weave music into other subjects, creating an extensive academic curriculum with music at the centre, wherever possible.
Develop our life skills course for older pupils, to include industry awareness, networking and other key skills to prepare them for the next phase of their lives. This will include exposure to a range of musical careers, as well as more general life skills.
Expose pupils to a wide range of visiting artists and musical styles, including symphonic repertoire.
Continue to provide an exciting range of performance opportunities for pupils –in school, within the local community and through high-profile tours in the UK and abroad.
Continue to instil in all pupils an awareness of their responsibility to uphold artistic traditions through the sharing of music with the widest possible community.
A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
Our ambitious plans to develop the provision for the main cohort of pupils (11-18) will require growth of the estate and greater engagement with the wider world. We will add to our loyal following at The Menuhin Hall, appealing to diverse groups of music lovers and will do our part to foster a love of music for generations to come. We are committed to placing The Yehudi Menuhin School at the forefront of musical innovation and community engagement, with a stated aim to become a leading resource of information, instruction, insight, and inclusivity.
CULTIVATING FUTURE AUDIENCES
WE WILL:
Launch new programmes (‘Little Menuhins’ and ‘Baby Menuhins’) to engage the very youngest members of our local community.
Forge mutually-beneficial partnerships with external organisations, to improve the educational experience of the pupils and the visibility of the school.
Diversify the programming at The Menuhin Hall, and expand the range of experiences on offer, to appeal to a wider demographic.
Continue to engage with our local community through performance and composition workshops, with a focus to support music education in other schools.
Substantially increase our visibility and accessibility as a musical authority, providing free resources in areas such as music theory, composition, and music appreciation
Share our educational methodology, through developing international collaborations, beginning with the opening of our sister school in Qingdao (YMSQ).
A SUSTAINABLE ESTATE
WE WILL:
Create new rewilded spaces on the estate.
Develop a net-zero plan for the school, exploring solar and other renewable energy sources.
Commit to net-zero projects for future estate developments.
A SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS
WE WILL:
Ensure new programmes, such as ‘Little Menuhins’, support the core operations of the school.
Explore the feasibility of a new Foundation Course for post A-level pupils to help prepare for conservatoire or music courses at university.
Provide an upgraded visitor experience at The Menuhin Hall, through improved facilities, including a new café, expanded terrasse, a rewilded garden and woodland walk.
Develop a YMS Summer School.
Widen the school’s donor base to increase philanthropic support and corporate sponsorship for the school’s charitable objectives, through engaging with new individual and institutional partners.
Maximise use of the school’s estate for income-generating activities and lets.
Invest time and resources into developing a comprehensive marketing strategy to:
– Widen awareness of the school, its mission and charitable objectives.
– Ensure we continue to recruit the best possible pupils to the school.
– Put The Menuhin Hall on the map as a world-class performance venue.
In order to achieve these plans, there will be a rejuvenated focus on the school’s estate, including:
A purpose-built facility for our new suite of programmes (‘Little Menuhins’), to incorporate additional practice rooms.
Major refurbishment of the girls’ boarding house (Music House).
Development of plans to expand boarding capacity to accommodate a 20% increase in the school roll.
A significant investment in the school’s estate, including refreshed public and administrative spaces, increased dining capacity, and staff accommodation.
KEY MEASURES OF SUCCESS
SUCCESS AFTER YMS
All pupils are admitted to first choice conservatoire or university courses.
FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY
Business streams provide operational surplus by 2026.
School roll of 100 pupils by 2027.
An increase in public engagement with YMS facilities.
ACCESS AND WIDENING PARTICIPATION
Continuing and expanding our local outreach programme.
Engaging with national music programmes.
The Menuhin Hall embraces diverse audiences through the introduction of relaxed, informal events.
YMS provides free digital resources to reach wider audiences.
1000 pupils in local schools connect with YMS through engagement activities.
AUDIENCES
Year-on-year rise in first-time attendees at The Menuhin Hall.
Concerts sold to at least 75% capacity on average by 2027.
The Menuhin Hall reports a greater diversity of audiences in response to new programming initiatives.
Hall audiences are attracted from a wider geographical area.
PUPILS’ PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
Annual attitudinal surveys points to pupil and parent satisfaction in:
– Balance of activities.
– School’s approach to wellbeing.
– Quality of spiritual, moral, cultural and social education.
PHILANTHROPY
A year-on-year increase in philanthropic income.
Increased number of benefactors to YMS at all levels of the donor pyramid.
Increased membership of the Friends of YMS.
An increase in multi-year grants to YMS.
Significantly increasing the school’s endowment for bursaries.
CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT
Success in competitions and academic examination results.
A year-on-year increase in pupil and parent satisfaction, as measured by annual surveys.
YMS continues to be represented at the top-ranked conservatoires.
YMS alumni are globally recognised as musical leaders. Attitudinal surveys demonstrate high levels of pupil preparedness for life after school.
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
An established programme of collaboration between YMS and YMSQ.
YMSQ has a school roll of 100 pupils by 2024.
VIRTUAL MENUHIN SCHOOL
100 children enrolled as VMS pupils by 2027.
BABY MENUHINS
• Two classes of Baby Menuhins run twice weekly at 60% capacity by 2023.
• Conversion rate of 50% from Baby Menuhins to Little Menuhins by 2026.
LITTLE MENUHINS
300 pupils engaged on a weekly basis by 2026.
Increased engagement in family programming at The Menuhin Hall.
PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES
Opportunities for all pupils to collaborate with world-class artists.
Increased opportunities to perform at prestigious venues at home and abroad.
Photography by Richard Lewisohn (cover, pages 2 and 11), Nigel Luckhurst (page 8) and Sara Porter (pages 6, 12 and 14)