'State of Playtime' continued.. Round 2 Schools come in different shapes and sizes yet they all appear to offer the same thing: a curriculum leading to public examination, pastoral care and opportunities for sport, cultural and co-curricular activities. However, any community is greater than the sum of its parts.

Convenience food style labelling – ‘state', ‘private' – will not provide clarity in what can be a confused and confusing debate.

Marc Jaffrey, the Music Manifesto Champion, launching the Music Manifesto Report No 2 this year said, ‘We are rightly proud of our music education system but unfortunately the quality of music education on offer depends far too much on where you live.'

The Music Manifesto itself was launched with the aim to build pathways for progression in music so that all young people, whatever their background or abilities, have access to a rich and diverse range of musical experiences, within and outside school. This is a vital aim if Britain is to maintain a world-class pool of talent for future generations.

John Myerscough in his 2003 report Developing Opportunities for Talented Children in Music and Dance commented, ‘the needs of the most talented children in music and dance provide a particular challenge which cannot be met within the maintained system as currently structured. The numbers concerned are minimal, yet their potential contribution to the arts and to national life is enormous'.

As long ago as the 1970s the particular challenges that this posed were recognized along with the need to educate and train, from an early age, children who are exceptionally talented in music. Professional music is highly competitive with increasingly high standards in terms of technical ability and personal commitment. The five specialist music schools which form part of the Government's Music and Dance scheme (MDS) have developed to meet this need and, ultimately, to provide suitable candidates for the profession. All are independent schools and yet all receive funding through the DfES to nurture talent.

Importantly the scheme gives the lie to those who look for a state/independent divide in music; they are simply good schools, which allow children to benefit from close association with similarly gifted children who provide stimulus, competition and example. Distinguished practitioners can be attracted to teach and take masterclasses. Timetabling in the schools can take account of the individual requirements of pupils and the need for practice, orchestras, ensembles, choirs and performances to be integrated with other parts of the school curriculum.
Wells, for example, quite apart from all the rehearsals and performances, delivers some 1300 music lessons each week and some 150 concerts with little interruption to the curriculum. The results achieved by pupils in MDS schools in public examinations have been consistently excellent. In 2004 MDS pupils achieved pass rates at A-level (Grades A-E) of 100 per cent, at AS-level of 100 per cent and at GCSE (Grades A*-C) of 92 per cent. More than 98 per cent of all MDS musicians left to go on to music conservatoires, universities – many on exhibitions/scholarships – or other FE institutions. There can be no doubt that these schools nurture the academic talents of the children in their care and direction as well as their musical development.

More vitally these schools refute the millionaire price tag. By receiving support with the costs of boarding, as well as tuition and music fees, pupils from all over the country can have an extended teaching day and practice facilities within the environment of the school. MDS now supports some 800 pupils. In 2004/5 of these pupils more than one in five parents had incomes below the thresholds (£10,507 for boarding and £13,045 for day places) and were therefore entitled to full-fee remission. Other independent schools are turning to means-tested bursaries to support talented young musicians, and are providing similar if more limited opportunities to those provided by the MDS scheme. And at Wells, because not all pupils are specialist musicians, the rest of the school benefits from this excellence. The extensive outreach activities of these schools, spreads their inspirational leadership into music departments across the country. Wells provides workshops for local schools free of charge on gamelan, steel pans, African drums and Indian and South Asian instruments. Its virtual Javanese Gamelan has given a full ‘hands-on' practical exploration of this aspect of music to many schools. Each autumn some 4,500 primary school children attend a concert introducing them to the symphony orchestra.

Importantly, Wells' children grow up in a world where dedication, determination, hard work, self-discipline and the pursuit of excellence are seen as ‘cool' and ‘the norm', desirable and possible. We often hear the words, ‘There are people like me here.' There is a network structure for gifted and talented young children and their parents who can often feel alienated in schools where their talents are unique. The number of highly talented musicians is only a proportion of the whole school population yet their potential contribution to the performing arts is enormous. Nurtured in a musically alive environment MDS music-school pupils are regular finalists and winners in competitions such as the BBC Young Musician of the Year and composition competitions. They are strongly represented in orchestras such as the National Youth Orchestra and frequently perform as soloists and in ensembles at home and abroad.
There are many pathways to excellence in music. For some the opportunities provided by their school and county music services will be excellent and fulfilling; for others there will be the opportunities provided by the new National Grants Scheme; for others the junior departments at the conservatoires provide a more traditional route. The independent schools, especially those within the MDS group, are a part of this pyramid of progression which provides a flourishing music sector. Working together we can ensure that all young people, whatever their background or abilities, have access to a rich and diverse range of musical experiences.

Charles Cain is deputy head of Wells Cathedral School