THORNBURY Primary Leadership Academy has started the year on a high note after receiving a delivery of brass instruments, which is music to the ears of pupils.

Year 5 children at the school now have access to their own trumpet or cornet and will receive weekly music lessons from a specialist tutor, thanks to a grant from the Essential Life Skills Fund.

Pupils will be striking a chord with their classmates, and at home when they take their instruments home to practise.

Thornbury Primary Leadership Academy received £18,000 funding to enable its pupils to benefit from learning to play a brass instrument.

The school received the funding after a successful bid to Bradford Council’s Essential Life Skills Fund.

It is part of Bradford’s Opportunity Area Programme, a series of targeted investments to improve social mobility across the city.

The Essential Life Skills Fund is aimed at increasing participation in extra-curricular activities that help children and young people.

The activities are designed to develop resilience, team working, communication and other ‘essential life skills’, proven to increase confidence, broaden horizons and support social mobility.

Evidence shows that these skills can be developed through activities such as arts, sports, volunteering, young enterprise and social action projects.

Clare Daddy, Principal at Thornbury Primary Leadership Academy, commented: “We are delighted that we have been able to secure this funding which gives our pupils the opportunity to learn a new skill.

"There is a great deal of scientific research to suggest that learning music has all kinds of additional benefits, such as increased coordination and neural activity.

"Our children are enjoying their lessons, and we hope that many pupils discover a talent for the arts over the coming years.”