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News 2 > Our Partner Schools > The Hathershaw College, Oldham

The Hathershaw College, Oldham

The Hathershaw College, Oldham joined MiSST in 2020.

There are currently 480 students on the Andrew Lloyd Webber programme learning the violin, viola, flute and trumpet. The Hathershaw College is a mixed 11 - 16 comprehensive school of around 1100 students, drawn from diverse local communities. Its ethos of Respectful, Responsible, Ready to Learn pervades everything from the vibrant art works on the walls to the behaviour of the students. For many of the students at The Hathershaw College the chance to 'own' an instrument and the opportunities offered by the ALW Programme is unique and it is a joy to see the pleasure of a student's face at a piece well-played! The implementation of the MiSST Programme was the key success of the Music Department last academic year and continues to be highly regarded by our students. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, our students all received high quality tuition both in school and online and so have continued to make progress. Partnerships have been formed with Orchestras for All and Chethams Outreach. Through these our students have further musical opportunities throughout the year. The School Orchestra participated in two masterclasses with musicians from the BBC Philharmonic and we continue this link with students attending face-to-face events during this current academic year.

Quote from Head of Department Kathryn Dawson

“Students have embraced the opportunity to learn to play an instrument and are excited to perform at events in the coming academic year. I am already starting to see some students develop their resilience and there are several students with improved organisation. Students are keen to improve and impress and many students are trying to find ways of completing their practice without disturbing family members and neighbours. During Parent’s Evening, it became increasingly clear that lots of our parents are incredibly supportive, some of whom had previously been concerned about the responsibility for an instrument. Despite having missed many performance and visit opportunities this year, a number of students are already considering music as a viable Key Sage 4 option, which is fantastic to hear!”

Quote from Head Teacher Mark Giles

“As Principal of the Hathershaw College, I am extremely proud of our association with MiSST. My vision has always been and will continue to be to provide children from disadvantaged backgrounds with the opportunities their peers have in more affluent areas of the country. I am also passionate about the arts leading the way in raising aspirations by providing opportunities for students to develop their cultural capital. Despite the current pandemic and the disruption that this occasionally causes to school life, I watch children arrive to school carrying their violins in eager anticipation. This is more than about teaching children to play an instrument, this is also about providing them with responsibility and opportunity. I am determined to move Hathershaw from being an OFSTED rated good school to one that is regarded as outstanding, not for the personal accolade, but for the opportunities and self-confidence that this will bring to our community. MiSST is central to this vision.”

 

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