Pathways to Excellence: Developing Young Musicians and Athletes at Kent College Prep School

At Kent College, we believe that everyone should have access to high quality performance opportunities and that Music and PE should be accessible to all. We believe in nurturing talent but also passion, which is fundamentally important in becoming successful in both areas. At Kent College Prep School, we have introduced Music and PE Pathways where skilled and / or passionate pupils in Key Stage 2 are recognised for their contribution to Sport and Music and are invited to join the Pathway programme.

Opportunities for Music Pathway pupils

As part of the Music programme, pupils are invited to join in senior ensembles such as senior orchestra or the scholar's choir. They perform at the Autumn Term Carol Service and perform solos in our Key Stage 3 concerts. Each pupil is also assigned a senior school mentor, who they meet every term. For the Pathways students, it is inspirational for them to work alongside musicians who are further along in their journey and to get valuable advice from them. Our senior students benefit enormously from developing skills in mentoring and teaching.

PE Pathway: Developing Confident, Capable Young Athletes

The PE programme is designed to bring our gifted sports people together across both Prep and Senior schools and is dedicated to nurturing talented young athletes in the fields of football, hockey, rugby, netball, cricket, and swimming. It is a programme designed for children in Years 3-6 who exhibit exceptional aptitude, ability and motivation. Each pupil is given a Senior School PE scholar mentor with one-to-one meetings each half term as well as a weekly coaching session with the Prep PE lead member of staff. The scholars provide inspiration for the younger pupils and useful hints and advice on improving performance and team play. Again, our senior students benefit enormously from developing skills in mentoring and teaching. Depending on each pupils’ physicality, maturity and general well-being, there are opportunities for them to 'play up' for teams in older year groups.

Building Confidence and Community

The Pathway opportunities and initiatives, combined with the naturally collaborative nature of music and PE have strengthened both communities within the whole school and proved to be very successful. It has been wonderful to see the Pathways pupils perform with such confidence and maturity alongside students up to year 13. As well as improving their confidence, skills and well-being, they also have a lot of fun!

60 Seconds with Ms Bruce, Director of Performing Arts and Chamber Choir

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