This 15 minute film is part of the five ‘Best Practice’ case studies made to accompany the 2012 Ofsted report into Music Education (‘Music in schools: wider still, and wider’)… Whitefield Schools and Centre in NE London is the largest special school in Europe with more than 300 pupils on roll with a wide range of Special Educational Needs. The film shows a range of musical activities catering for the varied musical interest and needs of the children who attend the school. This includes Music Therapy, a gospel choir and a rock’n’roll band and we also see examples of use of accessible music technology. The film focuses on the links made between the school and outside professional musicians and how this impacts on the quality of the provision delivered in the school.

It is significant that a film focussing purely on SEN/ Disabled music provision is featured by Ofsted and reflects the rising profile of disabled young people’s musical needs in the Henley Report, the National Music Plan and the Ofsted report itself. More details about the film are available on the OFSTED website from where you can also download the full case study.