Today Reach Academy Feltham and East London Arts and Music announced a partnership to broaden the access to an exceptional music education for young people in London.
From September 2019 , Reach will be delivering ELAM’s innovative Extended Diploma in Music, a course which has rapidly developed a reputation as the industry standard course. ELAM will share their curriculum and train and develop the Reach music teachers, while giving Reach students access to the wide range of opportunities that their trainees enjoy.
Since the school opened in 2012, Reach has developed a high quality music provision in the school with more than a hundred pupils learning an instrument, a thriving cohort studying music at Key Stage 4 and choir, groups and performance opportunities. Executive Principal Ed Vainker said: “This is an incredibly exciting development. We have long admired ELAM and are delighted that Music at Reach is going to take another big step forwards with students studying an innovative course and being prepared for a career in the music industry.”
The collaboration comes at a time when music education is struggling, with the BPI reporting a 21% decrease in music provision in state schools over the past five years and a worrying decline in music in schools serving vulnerable communities.
ELAM, which opened in 2014, was set up to address the abundant support of young creative talent across East London and the growing demand within the UK’s creative sector. The collaboration will increase access to ELAM’s approach. Principal Charlie Kennard said: “ELAM is getting 500 applications a year for 75 places in Music and we are having to turn away a lot of talented musicians with great potential. Working with Reach, in another part of London, is a pilot that could become the way we provide more young people with this experience”.
Students interested in the course should visit https://www.reachacademysixthform.com/ for more information. For more information or to arrange an interview, email ed.vainker@reachacademy.org.uk or ckennard@elam.co.uk.
Notes:
1) Reach Academy Feltham is an all-through free school in the London borough of Hounslow. The school was judged outstanding in 2014 and recently featured in the documentary ‘H is for Harry’. More information at www.reachacademyfeltham.com
2) ELAM is a 16-19 Academy specialising in music, games design and film and television. It was judged outstanding in 2016 and developed exceptional links with the creative industries. More information at www.elam.co.uk