St Malachy’s College Music Specialism

In September 2006 St Malachy’s became a Music Specialist School as part of the Department of Education Pilot to last for four years.  Specialism had been a concept in England and Wales for some years, but the Northern Ireland model was to be different in several important ways.  Local Specialist Schools were to have areas of acknowledged excellence form which the rest of the school could learn.  This was not to imply that the chosen subject was the only area of excellence, rather that there were practices from which others might learn and that these practices might be rolled out to the wider community as well.

In music classes there are modes of learning which come naturally because of the nature of the subject – practical, kinaesthetic, group work, self and peer evaluating.  There is a growing realisation that some of these learning modes can be applied to other areas of the curriculum.  Many staff hours have been spent examining these methods and sharing best practice from department to department.

The Community Plan is a vital part of our specialism and 30% of the specialist funding is spent in this area.  We have made formal links with 10 local schools, all of whom receive music tuition funded by the plan.  In addition we visit these schools regularly to deliver workshops and recitals.  The pupils in the partner schools greatly enjoy these visits and the St Malachy’s boys who deliver the sessions are gaining invaluable experience in performance, coaching and mentoring.  On occasion the schools will come together for massed music making, most notably the 200 children who performed at the 175^th anniversary concert in the Waterfront Hall in April 2008.

The resources available to us from the specialism have enabled the whole school to develop its thinking about teaching and learning.  They have been of great practical benefit too, for example enabling us to buy the new bus which arrived three years ago.  The music department has been able to extend its work with the provision of new instruments and ICT hardware.  This enables us all to continue to grow as a school where excellence is valued and good practice shared.

As for the future: the pilot has one more year to run after which there should be a one year extension before the whole plan is reviewed in 2011.  Meantime we are proud to be the only Specialist School in Ireland devoted solely to music; proud of the marvellous achievements of our musicians; proud of the links - local, national and international – we have established; and proud of the fact that so many young men want to come and study here and to be part of the thrilling world of music we inhabit.

The gallery below will give you a visual flavour of the Specialism at work.