Lead Schools

Lead Schools are essential to music hubs in England, promoting music education and collaboration locally. They offer high-quality music education and instrumental tuition for students of all abilities, while coordinating programmes that meet local and national standards. By partnering with other schools and community organisations, they broaden music education access through performances and workshops. Lead Schools model best practices, support educator professional development, and foster a vibrant musical culture, encouraging a lifelong appreciation for music. Overall, they shape music education in England, ensuring all children receive quality musical experiences and skills development opportunities.

Our 2025-26 Lead Schools:

  • Primaries: Reid Street Primary (Darlington), Coxhoe Primary (Durham), Bill Quay Primary (Gateshead), Hotspur Primary (Newcastle), WestGate Hill Primary (Newcastle), New York Primary (North Tyneside), Shiremoor Primary (North Tyneside), Bishops Primary (Northumberland), Toner Avenue Primary (South Tyneside), Barmston Village Primary (Sunderland)

  • Secondaries: Belmont School (Darlington), Easington Academy (Durham), Cardinal Hume Catholic School (Gateshead), Heworth Grange School (Gateshead), Gosforth Central Middle School (Newcastle), Kings Priory School (North Tyneside), Queen Elizabeth High School (Northumberland), St Anthony’s Girls’ Catholic Academy (Sunderland)

  • SEN/ALT/PRU: Sir Charles Parsons School (Newcastle), Thomas Bewick School (Newcastle), Collingwood School (Northumberland), Barbara Priestman Academy (Sunderland)

Each Lead School has been chosen for its high-quality music provision, commitment to inclusion, and dedication to music teacher development. Their role will involve:
- Supporting local schools through mentoring and collaboration.
- Helping to shape Hub activities and training opportunities.
- Advocating for music education and sharing success stories.

This means more support and opportunities for all schools in our region. If you’d like to learn more about how the Lead Schools can help strengthen music in your setting, we encourage you to reach out—we’d love to connect you!