From the very beginning of Nursery, pupils at Newton Prep receive a weekly Music lesson taught by a specialist Music teacher. Throughout their time at the school, all pupils are given the opportunity to make music an integral part of their week.
In the Upper School, some of our most gifted musicians may spend 7-9 hours a week immersed in the subject. In all these cases, children do this because they have chosen to pursue something they enjoy. Newton Prep encourages children to sing in a choir, learn an instrument or play a role in the extra-curricular life of the school. Learning Music is fun; lessons are inspiring and a sense of enjoyment is created. Over a third of children in the School participate in a weekly choir rehearsal and over 200 children learn an instrument with one of the school’s team of 24 Visiting Music Teachers.
In Music lessons, our children are exposed in equal measure to the three key elements of performance, composition and listening. In addition to this, they are increasingly able to take full advantage of the role of technology within music by using our dedicated Mac Suite. Singing is fundamental to every Music lesson and our pupils are taught a diverse and engaging repertoire.
It is, however, outside of class lessons where music really comes alive for many pupils at Newton Prep. The opportunity children have to make and perform music is a real strength of the Department. Pupils are given regular opportunities to perform in concerts, as soloists or as part of ensembles, to listen and work with professional musicians and to travel outside of London to perform in some of the most prestigious buildings in the UK.
From Year 1, children can participate in a choir that is appropriate for their voice and, in the Upper School, the Christmas and Summer Concerts are real highlights of the academic year, showcasing the sheer joy that music brings to all of our lives.
