Independent boarding schools vary enormously in style, atmosphere and philosophy. Just as each child’s strengths and problems vary, so boarding schools have different fields of specialisation and expertise. Yet they all share a common dedication to providing the very best education for your child. Boarding schools understand that some children may need a more specialised education and support system than those found within mainstream schools. Whether a child needs extra help to overcome a physical or learning disability, or whether a gifted child needs to be with like-minded pupils, boarding schools are dedicated to developing your child’s potential.
Choir schoolsFor children who are musically gifted, a choir school education is one of the best ways of nurturing their talent from an early age. Forty-four schools, educating a total of around 21,500 pupils, including more than 1,200 boy and girl choristers, make up the membership of the Choir Schools’ Association (CSA). Twenty-three schools are preparatory schools, educating children up to the age of 13, 15 educate pupils to age 18, and the rest are associate members of the CSA. (There are also 14 associate members without choir schools, bringing the total number of CSA member schools to 58.) Some choir schools are for boarding choristers alone, others for day pupils only and a third category includes both. All but three of the member schools are independent establishments, and the Church of England, the Roman Catholic Church, and the Churches of Scotland and Wales all have schools in membership of the CSA.
Very few choir schools are for choristers alone, which means that choristers receive the same education as the other children in their school, although choral responsibilities may prevent them from taking part in some after-school activities. This is compensated for by the special and thorough musical education they receive from some of the best musicians in the country. The training develops their musicianship and their voices, and usually includes tuition in one or two musical instruments.
It is not unusual for choristers to be amongst the best academics, athletes, actors and artists in their respective schools because, as a part of their training, they learn to concentrate and aim for high standards from an early age. The high quality of their academic and musical training enables many to win valuable academic and musical scholarships to some of the most prestigious senior schools.
Choristers rehearse at least twice a day, usually before lessons in the morning and before evensong, and many also learn one or more musical instruments. Most choirs sing evensong on five days of the week and have one day free when choristers can join in school activities. On Sundays, a morning service and an afternoon/evening service is the common practice, and there will be several other special occasions each term when the choristers are required to sing. Broadcasts, television appearances, recordings and foreign tours play a part in many choristers’ commitments and they are required to be on duty during important church festivals such as Easter and Christmas.
Financial support
Fees to attend choir school are usually much lower than the average for attendance at an independent school, and the CSA aims to make it possible for all successful candidates at voice trials to become choristers regardless of financial circumstances. Nine out of ten choristers qualify for financial help from the school, through the Government’s Choir Schools Scholarship scheme or the CSA’s own chorister fund. The Government pays about £175,000 per year to support choristers, while the CSA aims to ensure that no child is denied a place merely through lack of funds.
Voice trials
Voice trials for entry to a choir school tend to be held in the spring and/or autumn, but vary from school to school. Applications are usually sought for children between the ages of seven and nine years, although older applicants, particularly girls, may be accepted. The trials are often quite informal and most organists or directors of music are happy to hear a child before the day of the voice trial to give an opinion on potential. The tests are intended to bring out potential – it is very rare at this stage to discover a developed singing voice. Schools will assess a child’s voice and musical ability alongside their ability to cope with the academic side of a choir school education and the demanding choral workload.
Visit the Choir Schools’ Association website [link to www.choirschools.org.uk] for more information.
Music and dance schools
There are five specialist music schools and four dance schools in England and Scotland, and they all have their own particular ethos and character. These schools are designed to foster excellence in children who have particular talents in the performing arts as well as providing pupils with a broad and balanced education. Around 2,000 pupils receive funding under the Government’s Music and Dance Scheme.
Music schools
The five specialist music schools are as follows:
• Chetham’s School of Music is the largest of the specialist music schools and educates around 290 musicians aged 8–18. Based in Manchester, the School has close ties with the Royal Northern College of Music and the Bridgewater Hall, Hallé and BBC Philharmonic Orchestras.
• The Yehudi Menuhin School in Stoke d’Abernon, Surrey, is an international school where more than 60 musically gifted pupils between the ages of 8 and 18 can develop their full potential on stringed instruments and keyboard in addition to studying a full academic programme.
• The Purcell School for Young Musicians in Hertfordshire is Britain’s oldest specialist music school, educating approximately 175 musicians aged 9–18.
• Wells Cathedral School in Somerset educates 200 specialist musicians within a conventional co-educational school of around 800 pupils. The cathedral choir is considered to be one of the best in the world, while a pre-professional course trains highly gifted music students.
• St Mary’s Music School in Edinburgh is Scotland’s specialist music school as well as being the choir school of St Mary’s Cathedral, educating young instrumentalists, composers and singers from age 9 to 19.
Dance schools
Four schools in England receive funding for dance under the Music and Dance Scheme:
• The Royal Ballet School in Richmond, Surrey, educates approximately 180 pupils between 11 and 16, whilst those between 16 and 18 are now educated at the School’s prestigious Covent Garden site next to the Royal Opera House.
• The Elmhurst School for Dance is an associate school of Birmingham Royal Ballet and educates over 200 students aged 11–19 at its five-acre campus in Edgbaston.
• Tring Park School for the Performing Arts educates a maximum of 300 pupils between 8 and 19 in dance, drama and musical theatre. Although pupils are funded only for ballet, they mix with equal numbers of drama and musical theatre pupils.
• The Hammond School in Chester combines tuition in music, dance and drama with a broad academic education for approximately 160 pupils aged 11 upwards.
Boarding opportunities
Most of these specialist schools are predominantly boarding. Talented children often feel isolated in a conventional school, and the joy of the specialist school is that pupils mix with like-minded children. Geographically, the pupils are often widespread, so it makes sense, both economically and educationally, to select carefully and provide good boarding accommodation.
These pupils will often have previously spent many hours travelling to and from their music and dance classes, and by having all the facilities they need on one campus they are able to make better use of their time. All the schools have a multicultural flavour, and therefore the pupils have an enriched educational experience.
All the schools aim to provide a world-class training combined with a broad and balanced education. Selection procedures are rigorous and the schools deliberately concentrate on music or dance, organising the academic curriculum around the need to stretch their young pupils’ talents. The Music and Dance Scheme schools are a major national and international artistic resource: artistically talented children have very specific needs and the schools within the scheme are world-class examples of how the needs of these children can be met.
Special needs provision
Boarding schools have always been innovative and have ensured that they are at the forefront in developing effective methods of working with pupils with special needs. They have always believed that every effort must be made to provide support that will ensure each child has the opportunity to succeed and develop. There are schools that will cater for dyslexia, dyspraxia, speech and language dysfunction, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Asperger’s syndrome, severe emotional difficulties and a variety of physical handicaps. Some of these schools aim to bring progress within a mainstream school approach; others are dedicated special needs schools where all the pupils will have similar difficulties.
The benefits of boarding
It is in the whole-school approach that every boarding school has an advantage over its day-school counterpart. The strong communication between academic staff and those providing pastoral care ensures that any problems can be dealt with quickly and with a minimum of fuss. Individual education plans are commonplace in boarding schools that deal with special needs, and it is far easier to implement these when they can be assessed and followed over the whole day rather than just in class time.
Achievement is essential and, with time being at less of a premium in a boarding school, pupils have a greater opportunity to achieve at some level in all the extracurricular activities on offer. Thus children can be the recipients of praise as they achieve success, which means that self-confidence is improved. Also, if interests are known, then learning strategies can be accurately directed to keep a pupil stimulated.
The generous amount of time available allows extra academic support to be provided, which either cannot be provided at home or would place an enormous burden on the family. Homework done with specialist staff in attendance helps those doing coursework and accelerates progress with reading and spelling. Similarly, help with social skills to improve interaction with peers, or counselling to help behaviour modification, or speech and language assistance to help communication skills, can all be continued during the evenings.
Choosing the right school
It may be reassuring for parents to know that somewhere there is the right school for their child; however, finding the correct placement becomes a more complex task as a result of the choices available.
There are a number of organisations that can help parents of pupils with special needs in their search for a suitable school. The British Dyslexia Association and Dyslexia Action (formerly the Dyslexia Institute), for example, can help parents of dyslexic children find a school offering the right level of provision.
Parents should visit a number of schools to ensure that they understand what special needs provision is on offer, and whether the aims and ethos of a particular school are what they wish for their child. This is important both before a child enters a school and later, when progress has been made.
Glossary
Choir schools: Schools associated with cathedrals, churches or chapels.
Choir Schools’ Association (CSA): An association of 44 UK institutions that provide a choir school education.
Chorister: A pupil who is a member of a church, chapel or cathedral choir.
Evensong: The choral evensong is a Christian service of reflection held in the evening.
Music and Dance Scheme: A Government funding programme that assists schools offering specialist music or dance tuition and academic education to gifted children.
Choir schools: Schools associated with cathedrals, churches or chapels.
Choir Schools’ Association (CSA): An association of 44 UK institutions that provide a choir school education.
Chorister: A pupil who is a member of a church, chapel or cathedral choir.
Evensong: The choral evensong is a Christian service of reflection held in the evening.
Music and Dance Scheme: A Government funding programme that assists schools offering specialist music or dance tuition and academic education to gifted children.