Surrey’s musical future in safe hands thanks to the next generation of rock stars
Thousands of primary school children across Surrey are discovering their musical skills thanks to taking part in the UK’s biggest band-based music education programme, which prioritises group learning, an accessible music curriculum and regular performance opportunities.
More than 4,000 children in Surrey are taking part in Rocksteady’s weekly in-school band lessons, where children are taught to play and perform music in their very own band - with termly whole-school concerts bringing friends and family together to see their musical progress in action and celebrate their achievements.
Currently in the Surrey there are 116 primary schools involved in the programme, with 259 children taking part through fully funded bursary places – ensuring more children who want to learn music can get involved for free.
Teachers say the impact is clear: children are growing in confidence, working together as bands, and feeling proud of what they can achieve both on stage and in the classroom.
These day-to-day experiences reflect Rocksteady’s wider national findings, showing how band-based music can transform children’s engagement in school life. Nationally, pupils’ excitement about going to school jumps from 64% on a normal day to 97% on a Rocksteady day, and 40% of teachers report attendance improvements for pupils who previously struggled thanks to being enrolled in Rocksteady.
The effect is even more pronounced for children with special educational needs and disabilities, whose excitement for being at school rises from 34% to 96% on their band lesson day.
Rocksteady’s large-scale research, which gathered insights from 9,681 children, teachers and parents - making it one of the largest studies into primary music education ever recorded - also found that 88% of teachers report being in Rocksteady supports children’s wider academic progress, while 95% say it boosts parental engagement with their school - benefits already echoed by teachers in Surrey.
Sophie Mulcahy, Deputy Headteacher at Weyfield Primary School in Guildford said:
“The children really grow in confidence when they take part in Rocksteady and you can see the difference in how comfortable they are when performing in front of an audience. The Rocksteady concert always feels like a community event as the entire school attends, which makes it really inclusive even for the children who don't perform.
“Our children with additional needs who take part have used Rocksteady as an opportunity to explore other learning areas that they love. We have had huge success in our Rocksteady programme and all of our children feel that they are able to take part and succeed in it.”
For local Band Leader, Jack Coffey, who teaches in schools across Surrey, seeing children realise what they’re capable of is the best part of the job:
“I've had the privilege of teaching thousands of children since 2017 - whether it's a Key Stage 1 child learning to play an instrument for the first time, or a Year 6 pupil performing their final concert. There's such a high standard of talent in the area and I'm always blown away by how well the children are able to retain everything they're taught.
“The children are continuously building and developing new skills, not only on their instruments, but in their confidence, teamwork, social skills and resilience. Being able to witness all of this, week in week out, is an absolute joy.”
As more pupils pick up instruments and perform together, local schools are helping spark a new generation of young musicians - meaning Surrey’s musical future is in safe hands!