Wardle Academy funding from EMI

Wardle Academy staff with primary school children for music lessons

Wardle Academy has been granted an £11,000 donation for music education by the EMI Music Sound Foundation in celebration of the charity’s 20th anniversary.  

The funding for 2018 includes the charity’s annual grant to the school, of £6,000, with a further £5,000 donation made in honour of the Foundation’s landmark anniversary. 

The increased donation of £11,000 will allow the school to continue to further develop and engage pupils at their feeder primary schools – St James, Littleborough, Smithy Bridge, St Andrews, Holy Trinity and Kentmere.

Wardle Academy has been part of the EMI Music Sound Foundation’s network of supported school since 2003 when the charity supported our specialist school’s bid to become a Performing Arts School with a grant of £30,000.

The school has continued to maintain and develop an extensive curricular and extra-curricular music programme, producing 100’s of musicians who have achieved major titles, including National and European Brass band champions.

For the last ten years, the foundation has donated £6,000 to each of its supported schools and, at Wardle Academy, it is invested by the music department across the following areas; wider opportunities in the primary schools and curriculum music. The funding has afforded us the opportunity to give hunrerds of pupils the opportunity to learn an instrument and in the future, we hope to continue this legacy.

While music education continues to be a postcode lottery for some children, we will work with our partners and the government to ensure that music is a skill that everyone has the opportunity to develop.

Mrs Morris, Head of Music at Wardle Academy, said:  “Without the support of EMI we would not be able to reach out to the hundreds of primary school children that we currently give this valuable opportunity to.  The money ensures that these young people are given the opportunity to access music and enjoy music making as part of their primary school experience.

Adam Barker, Chairman of Trustees, EMI Music Sound Foundation, added: “We are proud to work with Wardle Academy. It is brilliant to see how the school supports and continues to inspire their music students and teachers. Since our inception in 1997, the EMI Music Sound Foundation has donated over £8 million in grants helping to ensure that the benefit and joy of studying music stays available to more students across the United Kingdom.”