Tuning In to Children

Liverpool Philharmonic has announced a new, two-year music partnership with All Saints Primary School and Anfield Children’s Centre.

The partnership builds on Liverpool Philharmonic’s successful Tuning into Children music-making programmes for under 5s in Anfield, Everton and Kensington Children’s Centres.  Supported with funding from the National Foundation for Youth Music, these programmes, which have now been completed, have been led by Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra oboist, Ruth Davies, alongside teams of Liverpool Philharmonic musicians and use music to help accelerate children’s development, wellbeing and early years education.

All Saints Primary School – the parent school to Anfield Children’s Centre – will now jointly fund with Liverpool Philharmonic, the continuation of an expanded programme from October 2014 through to July 2016.  It will build on the strong music focus already in the school, which includes wind and brass instrument teaching for KS2 children delivered by Liverpool’s Resonate Music Education Hub. Resonate is one of a national network of Music Education Hubs funded by Arts Council England through the Department for Education, which brings together groups of organisations in local areas who are passionate about delivering excellent music education opportunities for children and young people.

Again led by Ruth Davies working with teams of Liverpool Philharmonic musicians, the programme will provide Tuning In to Children in both All Saints and Anfield Children’s Centre, It  will be delivered universally for all children, with more targeted work for children with additional needs.

It will feature performances, training for teachers to build skills and confidence in delivering music-making with children, training for parents to help build confidence to use music at home, and work with primary school teachers to build on Tuning In to Children in order to integrate it into the school curriculum.

All Saints Primary School will also become a hub in Anfield for Liverpool Philharmonic’s work in developing new audiences from local communities for concerts and events at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall.

A Tea and Tunes concert for children, parents and staff and governors, performed by musicians from the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra will launch the partnership today at  3.30pm  at All Saints Primary School.

Jeremy Barnes, Head Teacher of All Saints Primary School said: “We’ve been impressed by the  benefits that Tuning In to Children has brought to Anfield Children’s Centre and were keen to see it continue and expand so that our primary school children could benefit too. We are looking forward its continuation, and to working with Liverpool Philharmonic in enabling our school and wider local community to attend concerts and events at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall.”

Michael Eakin, Liverpool Philharmonic’s Chief Executive said: “Thanks to the initial funding from Youth Music for Tuning In to Children, we are delighted to announce this new partnership with All Saints Primary School which enables us to continue and build on the great work in the last year led by Ruth, with our musicians in the Orchestra.  And we look forward to welcoming children, parents and staff, and members of the wider Anfield community to Liverpool Philharmonic Hall.”   

Matt Griffiths, Executive Director of the National Foundation for Youth Music said: “We’re really pleased that this new partnership between Liverpool Philharmonic and All Saints Primary School ensures the continuation of Tuning In to Children in Anfield as a positive legacy of Youth Music’s initial funding support over the last year.  As this programme has already demonstrated, music can be extremely valuable in enhancing children’s development and we look forward to following further progress over the next two years.”

Liverpool Waterfront