THE music department at Holy Trinity School and Sixth Form Centre in Kidderminster is delivering online weekly music lessons during lockdown.

With the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music cancelling all exams for the foreseeable future, Head of Prep Music at the school, Sarah Paterson, decided to take matters into her own hands and set up Zoom examinations for twenty of her students.

Previously taught alongside internationally recognised professional recorder players in New Zealand, Sarah said that this was probably the best results her students had ever achieved.

She has put the success down to the lockdown and the fact that her students had been encouraged by the school to utilise their time wisely, which in the process had helped them find a new focus.

Using identical marking criteria to create an authentic student experience and to maintain the students’ success of last June, when an independent examiner attended the school, all students rose to the challenge.

Said Sarah: “I am so happy for my students. They have worked so hard throughout the year and I really wanted them to have an opportunity to shine and receive objective feedback on their progress.

"They absolutely rose to the challenge and focussed like never before, hanging on to my every word during our online lessons, working so hard to put my advice and tips into effect."

The students’ results were a 100 per cent pass rate from Grades 1-3, with 70 per cent achieving the top grade of Distinction and the remaining 30 per cent of students achieving a Merit grade.

Following a Zoom meeting the students have now agreed on their next project, a video medley of their music.