Listen to pupils explaining why singing at school is so important to them

Children across the country may soon be setting off to school with a spring in their step and a song in their hearts if a new government scheme achieves its aim of boosting their enthusiasm and confidence.

Alan Johnson, the Education Secretary, hopes that devoting more school time to fostering a love of music will encourage pupils to become more self- assured and to communicate more easily.

A singing ambassador has been appointed to lead the campaign and the Government hopes that, within five years, every child will be belting out his or her favourite songs or playing a musical instrument with local choirs, orchestras and opera companies.

Although music is compulsory until the age of 14, less than an hour a week is devoted to the subject in most primary schools. Only 13 per cent of primary school children learn a musical instrument. But there is a growing appreciation of music as a “social glue” that helps children to play together and learn while having fun.

At St Francis Roman Catholic primary school in Gorton, Manchester, song imbues almost every hour of the school day. The pupils sing the register, the school prayer, the alphabet and even have a song about how to tidy up the classroom.

Louise Frize, the head teacher, said: “We had assemblies and did the usual hymns, but there was no enthusiasm for the arts. So I tried to bring in arts initiatives to enrich the curriculum, to raise enthusiasm and, of course, standards.”

With the help of the Manchester Singing Schools project, each year group was given a CD and book of songs that they could learn quickly and repeat during the day.

Three years later St Francis’s is the city’s most improved school and Ms Frize credits the programme with driving up the children’s self-esteem in one of the poorest parts of the city. “The fact that the children are enjoying coming to school, and that their confidence is raised because they feel they can sing, has helped the discipline,” she said.

The scheme was developed by Maurice Walsh, a trained singer who realised that although there were pockets of excellence in the city, not all children were getting the opportunity to sing.

By providing free songbooks and CDs of “daft, silly” songs for lessons, he injects fun into singing and learning. “I call it a benevolent con trick,” he said. “If children sing a song about their times-tables, then they’re practising their tables but in a way that doesn’t rub the sore spot.”

Each year group has about 100 songs — mostly written by Mr Walsh — on their CD. Children who develop a singing talent join an area choir and are trained by professionals.

It is this sort of approach that attracted the attention of Mr Johnson, a keen guitarist and one of few ministers to bring out his own single as a teenager — Hard Life, by the Areas.

Times recommends

• Pupils to be given lessons on debt
• Children 'reaching 3 without saying a word'
• Tories want children in care at boarding school