Nelson Primary School: Music & Drama Education Awards 2023

‘Is this really happening?!’ I heard myself say this aloud as, accompanied by the head teacher, Fiona Cullen, and deputy head, Jo Cull, from Nelson Primary School, I headed towards the stage at the UK's Music and Drama Education Awards 2023. We all shook the hand of host Aled Jones and took in a generous round of applause as we accepted this year's award for Outstanding School Music Department. Comparable ovations as a conductor paled into insignificance because the journey of our diverse East London primary school towards national recognition has been decades in the making.

Long before my time at Nelson Primary School, my predecessor, Jo Cull, had developed a culture of universal music engagement based on communal singing. Supported by a partnership with Sing Up (which led to being awarded Platinum Status), Jo formed an upper KS2 choir and persuaded Kate Phillips, a Year 6 colleague and fellow singer, to help run rehearsals. Kate then formed a lower KS2 choir and by the time I arrived, in 2016, the school boasted five choirs for all pupils from EYFS to Year 6 and even a staff choir. It will come as no surprise that Jo became an Advanced Skills Teacher (remember those?), and when Jo was promoted to deputy head, I was appointed as music lead.