Music
Restore the Music’s Battle of the Bands
The school’s music provision is one of its strengths. It is delivered before, during and after school day.
- All students learn a musical instrument up to the end of Year 9.
- 140 students take individual music lessons at the school each week.
- The school runs a full orchestra, a string ensemble, a wind ensemble, rock bands, a jazz band, a drumming group and a choir. Practice for these groups takes place at ‘Music School’ which is run between 8 and 9 each morning.
- The provision caters for beginners as well as more advanced musicians.
- All activities and music lessons are provided for free.
 CFBS Strings Orchestra performs with Sinfonia Strings from Trinity Laban |
 Music Assembly |
CFBS Jazz Evening
Music forms a compulsory part of the school curriculum. Our ongoing partnership with the Music in Secondary Schools Trust allows every students in Yr 7-9 to learn and instrument, either a viola, violin or flute. The teaching is delivered both in class and small groups with MiSST music tutors.
Our termly music assemblies allow the students to play together, as a Year group.
Students who wish to develop their music skills further, attend at least one (often more) activity delivered through our CFBS Music School.
Advanced musicians attend Saturday MiSST Orchestra sessions and have opportunities to enter into national competitions such as Pro-Corda National Schools’ Chamber Music Festival, of which Central Foundation Strings Ensemble was the winner in 2023 and a finalist in 2024.
One of our long standing Music School students, now in Year 12, successfully auditioned for the National Youth Orchestra.
The students have numerous opportunities to perform both themselves and with professional musicians. The first annual Jazz Evening in 2024 started with our Jazz Band enjoying a tour and a jamming session at Ronnie Scott’s, an iconic London jazz venue.
CFBS Voices Choir
Over 10% of our student population has had several opportunities to participate in workshops with the Sinfonia Strings from Trinity Laban and the musicians from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama where they rehearsed with the professional musicians and then performed a piece together in our new Performing Arts Theatre.
Most recently, the CFBS musicians received a morning of coaching and playing with the world-renowned Simon Bolivar Orchestra of Venezuela who visited London for two special performances at the Barbican.
The students can also access summer residential courses such as those run at Blundell’s School and Ardingly Arts Festival in the summer.
Finals of the National Pro Corda Chamber Music Festival 2024
Winter Concert