Hackney primary school scoops up prestigious award for ‘inspiring’ music programme

Dafydd Williams, Rushmore Primary School’s music lead. Photograph: Dafydd Williams

A primary school in Hackney has won a national award for its music education programme.

Rushmore Primary School in Lower Clapton won the Outstanding School Music Department at the Music and Drama Education Awards 2026 on 12 February, despite being the only primary school and one of the only state schools nominated for the prestigious prize.

Dafydd Williams has been the school’s music lead for the past 12 years. He told the Citizen:  “[The award is] a wonderful recognition of the hard work that the kids and the staff have put in over the last few years.

“The children at Rushmore are absolutely brilliant, keen musicians who love making music every week. While it’s lovely to get awards as staff members, it’s also great for them to be acknowledged for the stuff they do every week”.

Williams said the school has built a “strong and vibrant music department” over the years. The school has seven visiting music teachers and two specialist classroom teachers, and every pupil takes part in at least one hour of music lessons as part of the curriculum.

Around 140 students also receive extracurricular music lessons, which can involve learning an instrument in additional lessons or being part of one of the school’s five music ensembles.

Any student learning an instrument receives an additional 90 minutes of contact time with members of the music department – 30 minutes for their lesson and 60 minutes with an ensemble.

Williams added: “We’re very lucky to have inherited a full set of steel pans, so you’ve got a steel pan ensemble.

“We’ve [also] got a string orchestra, a brass ensemble, a guitar ensemble, and a woodwind ensemble”.

Priority for extracurricular learning is given to students eligible for pupil premium funding, and the programme is monitored to ensure SEND students have equal access.

“We’ve got a culture of making music that shapes the whole school year – regular concerts and performances, drumming in the playground and singing each week in choirs. It gives a lot of shape to the calendar as well”.

Williams said the school uses the Kodály system, a singing-based method of teaching music developed by Zoltán Kodály which involves repeating sequences.

“It’s all based around singing and games and play”, Williams continued. “[It’s] teaching musical learning in small, discrete elements”.

The other nominated schools were Central Foundation Boys’ School in Islington; Kingsdale Foundation School in Southwark; Leighton Park School in Reading; Q3 Academy Great Barr in Birmingham; Radyr Comprehensive School in Cardiff; the Priory School in Herts; the Crypt School in Gloucester; and Thomas Hardye School in Dorset.

The awards’ website reads: “Rushmore demonstrated exceptional music education in a primary setting. Judges praised its inclusive, strikingly ambitious curriculum, extensive instrumental provision, strong singing culture, and Kodály foundation.

“As a primary school achieving this level of impact, it showcased what is possible and set an inspiring example for the sector”.

“If you look through the short list, we’re the only primary school named, we were one of the few state schools named”, Williams continued.

“It feels very special to have a small primary school getting some nice recognition”.