The importance of providing a balanced education

We believe in providing a holistic education where creativity is encouraged through providing a broad and rich curriculum that doesn't just  focus on the traditional academic subjects like English, Maths and Science. Our students are given opportunities to flourish across a wide range of subjects.

I read a recent news article about the music curriculum within state secondary schools in the UK. The article highlighted educational budget cuts and a reduction in curriculum time away from music provision, which I found particularly saddening.

The performing arts are creative keys that can unlock  a child’s imagination and significantly transform their education. 

Music in particular, can play a transformational role in child's education, promoting cultural literacy and key skills such as creativity, critical thinking and collaboration.

Mr. Sherratt
Head of Secondary

I feel especially fortunate to be able to teach Music at NAIS Manila, and also incredibly proud of the curriculum that we provide your children.

We dedicate a significant amount of time to Music, with all students from Early Years up to Year 9 enjoying approximately 2 hours of music lessons per week.

As an arts subject, Music gives students the chance to truly express themselves, regardless of language barriers. They get the chance to develop their composition, performance and listening skills through a variety of topics throughout the school year.

Students in Year 2 to 9 take part in the Primary and Secondary Instrumental Programme. They have the opportunity to learn the clarinet, violin, keyboard or guitar in groups of around 10 students. This gives every child a chance to be an instrumentalist – something usually reserved for those partaking in individual lessons elsewhere.

Mr Fazakerley, our Head of Music, talks about the Music curriculum at NAIS Manila

Here at NAIS Manila, we believe that for students to truly embrace their own creativity and to get the most out of a music curriculum they need this opportunity. Our PIP and SIP groups perform at school, showcasing their talents with the guidance of  Ms. Crisitina, Mr. Sarreal, Ms. Pen and myself.

As we are aware, it is very difficult to predict what the working world will be like for our young people. It can be argued that many of the jobs graduates are going in to today may have either changed considerably or fail to exist by the time our students begin their careers.

Therefore the development of creativity becomes even more important, allowing students to be adaptable and able to come up with solutions to problems they may not have faced before. These skills are learned through music, and other arts subjects. Fear of failure is often an obstacle for creativity. We work hard to create a learning environment where students understand that failure is a part of their learning journey. Not that failure is celebrated, but rather that it is recognised as an important step towards success. I believe that at NAIS Manila we work very hard on this school-wide, not just in our individual phases or subject areas.

As we look forward to next academic year we will be welcoming the Juilliard curriculum in to our school, With an even greater emphasis on the arts, creativity and expression this will certainly be an exciting time for NAIS Manila students. Having the unique opportunity to take advantage of this fantastic collaboration shows our commitment to creativity, and solidifies its place in our curriculum.

Mr. Fazakerley
Head of Music