Passion for music and creativity drives chair

INTRODUCTION TO OUR GOVERNORS

THE SOUND of music filling the Longridge corridors and chapel was one of the reasons why Isabel Cheer agreed to make room in her retirement for a board of governors’ role.

The former Director of Music from Scotland’s north-east taught for 15 years at Longridge and has been a governor since retiring in 2022, after 35 years in teaching. We launch our series of interviews with the Longridge governors this week with the Chair of the Board having agreed to step into the post earlier this year, and she said she feels more passionate than ever about the value of Longridge.

“When I was asked to join the board after my retirement, I was actually really keen because I do believe passionately in the kind of rounded and specialist education that Longridge offers,” she said, “and being a governor was a great way to continue supporting the Longridge community.

“I believe strongly that Longridge is a special place anyway but when you see challenges across education in Scotland and England, there is no doubt that there is a greater need than ever for a school like this as part of the educational provision on offer to children and their families in this area.”

A love of music developed in the north-east

Isabel hails originally from the north-east of Scotland, attending the wonderfully named Kittybrewster Primary School (kittybrewster was apparently the Gaelic name for a broken cattle pen) and then Powis Academy (now St Machar Academy) in Aberdeen. She has always had a deep love of music and qualified as a music teacher in 1986, before going on to teach across the UK from Orkney in the far north to Brighton on the south coast.

She moved to Longridge in 2007 to take up the post of Director of Music and went on to become Head of Pastoral, special educational needs coordinator (SENDCo) in the Senior School and safeguarding lead before retiring in 2022.

“Music was a passion of mine from an early age,” she agreed. “My mother was quite horrified because my best friend’s parents were a piano teacher and a violin teacher, and at the age of six, I trotted up the road with a very small violin and announced I was now having violin lessons.

“They were just shocked I’d decided myself at six years old I think, but they did encourage me. My older brothers played piano, so I was very interested in doing that as well, and they put me to piano lessons … and the rest is history!

“I think my generation were fortunate, particularly in Aberdeen and Grampian, because I see the 1970s and 80s as the golden age of music education. We had Saturday morning orchestras and bands all the way through the school term and in the north-east we had the Grampian Region Schools Orchestra.”

Flautist (of Downtown fame) and world famous percussionist among peers

Two of Isabel’s peers went on to be very well-known professional performers. Dame Evelyn Glennie (pictured below) now a world leading solo percussionist, came through the orchestra system in Aberdeen, and, indeed, played together with Isabel in the Grampian Schools Orchestra.

Kevin Gowland (pictured below) was the youngest principal flute ever at the City of Birmingham City Orchestra, under Sir Simon Rattle, when appointed aged 22, and he has gone on to perform with the BBC Symphony and Philharmonic orchestras among many others. He even appeared in the first Downtown Abbey film.

“For me, that was an opportunity that many of my peers received in those years through state education,” said Isabel, “but ever since Michael Gove, as Education Secretary in the UK Government, started a big push towards STEM subjects we have seen music, drama, theatre, art and sport cut back and opportunities reduced.

“Of course, STEM subjects are vital and technology plays a big part in our lives, but the creative arts are also crucial because human beings are creative.

“I have seen so many young people in schools where I taught before Longridge, who maybe did not excel in STEM subjects but were amazing in creative subjects, and you only have to look at the shows put on and performance opportunities which Longridge provides to see how children can find a whole new side to themselves, a whole new confidence, when they step on to a stage and have an outlet for their art or music. They absolutely shine.

“That is why I believe passionately that Longridge stands out as a beacon as it can set its own agenda to a degree, and we value the provision of what I think is a much-needed service for children across this area in these subjects.”

Future is bright as Longridge and school sector evolves

As for the future at Longridge, Mrs Cheer is enthusiastic about how the school is evolving.

She continued: “As with all schools, Longridge has to evolve with our changing sector landscape, education, technology and challenges, but what I think makes Longridge special is it continues to hold on to what might be seen as quite traditional core values, and a lot of our parents tell me they value that.

“We have a real focus on outdoor education, for example, being involved with the community, Forest and beach schools and the Duke of Edinburgh programme, and in a time when there are real concerns about social media and its impact on children’s mental health, through the wider education at Longridge we see pupils’ social skills and ability to interact with other people developing really well through their school life.

“Personally, I was really honoured to be asked to be Chair of the Board and we have a board who are committed to supporting the incoming Headteacher, all the staff at the school and our pupils and their families, because we want Longridge to be the best it can be for every child that comes here.”

She added: “I think all of the governors naturally feel that the staff are the face of the school, and we prefer to stay in the background, and work away to support them, but we also recognise that we perhaps have to be more visible too. We need to show that we are here for a reason, that we are very proud to be part of a supportive community and to contribute our time and experience, across many fields, to support the Longridge community.

“It’s also very important that as governors we listen, to parents, staff, pupils and others we might wish to engage with the school.

“With a major change in management, there’s always a little bit of unease and nervousness, but as we look to a new school year with a hew Headteacher and new teachers joining us, there is a real feeling now of excitement, of hope and optimism, and what we can achieve going forward.”