We’re thrilled to announce that Treloar School is the winner of the National Association of Independent Schools & Non-Maintained Special Schools (NASS) ‘Breaking Barriers’ Award!
Being shortlisted and winning is a huge achievement, said Head of Treloar School, Lisa Bond, as there are 370 school within the Association.
Treloar School was shortlisted for two awards:
Breaking Barriers: for its work with Clarion
Impact: for its development of School Literacy Curriculum
About 'Breaking Barriers' Award
Lisa Bond, Head of Treloar School, said: "Treloar School does not accept commonly recognised limitations. We break down barriers through our exemplary multi-disciplinary holistic approach to education and develop personalised and bespoke curriculums which enable students to achieve their best and meet their full capabilities. From when a student arrives at Treloar’s, specialist staff harness their expertise to break down barriers and nurture students from their individual starting points, learning of their interests and ambitions for the future."
Treloar’s Music Department is a great example of this. The team has taken this further by building a relationship with Open up Music and their creation ‘Clarion’. Clarion is an innovative accessible instrument that can be played expressively with any part of the body, including eye movement using iPads and PCs. Clarion technology works with the movement of the musician rather than the musician having to adapt to an instrument.
The Music Department has more than developed the use of Clarion at Treloar School. They look beyond seeing it as a stand-alone instrument for students by increasing opportunities for access and enabling creativity and expression. Treloar's staff have seen first-hand the benefits of this collaboration which has enabled students to increase their access to music but more importantly offering them the chance to develop musical skills, progressing from playing single notes to performing both internally and externally as part of an orchestra. Treloar’s invests in the future and sustainability of the use of Clarion by employing a peripatetic music teacher to lead both individual and group Clarion music sessions.
Through the absolute dedication of the Music Department the team has developed future student influencers demonstrating their musicality to others. We have seen:
- record number of students accepted in to the National Open Youth Orchestra
- one student performed with Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra (BSO) Resound, at a professional level
- increased number of clarion users year on year
- parents and carers requesting Clarion workshops to support at home
The Music Department collaborates with external and internal departments to continually push boundaries and go further than other settings to adapt the use of Clarion. Most recently, Treloar's Assistive Technology Department has used 3D printers to create templates which acts as guides to section off areas of the iPad screen. This enables students who have limited mobility to access the instrument with independence. This template once refined will be something that can shared increasing the reach of Clarion beyond its initial intended use.
The department has teamed up with other settings to challenge the Associated Board of the Royal School of Music (ABRSM) examining board to ensure Clarion is recognised as an examinable instrument. Treloar School was chosen for the Clarion pilot with ABRSM. This will break down the access barriers for all individuals with a physical disability wanting to complete a music exam.
Treloar's Music Department continues to promote the valuable work of Clarion technology and advocates for the opportunities it offers people of all ages with complex physical conditions.