A trust-wide digital learning strategy for music

The David Ross Education Trust (DRET) is a network of 34 schools – 22 primary schools, 11 secondary schools and one special school. This represents over 1,000 teachers and 13,500 students. Music education and extra-curricular enrichment activities are at the core of every school across the Trust.

As in so many schools, diversity is both a strength and a challenge. DRET wanted to draw together the strengths from the 11 secondary music departments and bring a higher, more equal standard of music education to every school. To facilitate this, DRET recruited an executive director of music: Simon Toyne. He was tasked to analyse each school and find the best ways for the Trust's schools to work together for mutual benefit. DRET has now established a reputation for its strategic development of the quality and scope of music making for thousands of young people. Their strategy is designed to enable music to be an integral part of the Trust's vision to transform young people's lives.