Pipe bands linked to better exam results for pupils
The results showed that students in the pipe band achieved more qualifications and had better overall outcomes than their peers.
According to the study, 52% of pipe band members attained five or more Highers, compared to 39% nationally and 27% at Preston Lodge; 41% left school with one or more Advanced Highers, compared to 18.7% nationally.
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The Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) identifies areas of deprivation in the country and is commonly used to measure the attainment gap between Scotland's most and least disadvantaged students. The index uses income, employment, education, health, access to services, crime and housing to assess deprivation and is typically split across five quintiles from most deprived (SIMD 1) to least deprived (SIMD 5).
Results from the Preston Lodge study found that 45% of pipe band pupils from the most deprived areas left with three or more Highers, compared to 38.2% nationally. The difference was greater at Advanced Higher level, where 40% of pipe band pupils earned at least one qualification compared to 10.5% nationally.
Preston Lodge was one of the first schools in Scotland to take part in the Scottish Schools Pipes and Drums Trust (SSPDT) pipe band programme, which provides grants, free instrument loans, internships and other opportunities to make music tuition more accessible.
Preston Lodge Head Teacher Gavin Clark said that the impact of piping at the school is 'impossible to overestimate.'
'Our Pipe Band has grown significantly over the past two decades from a tentative group of new players in 2007, into the flourishing figurehead of our school and its community it is today.
'While we've always known that our young people of all ages and abilities, across the primary and secondary sector, have benefited immeasurably from the skill development and self-esteem building that piping and drumming can provide; we now have evidence which indicates that pipe band participation has also had a significant impact on their attainment at school.'
There are 100 members across the school's three bands, with another 100 connected pupils at its feeder primaries.
In response to the study, many alumni said that the findings reflected their own experiences of being in the pipe band.
High school teacher and former band member Hannah Yorkston said that being in the band helped her form relationships and provided an outlet that increased her confidence away from schoolwork.
Kerilee Doran echoed this, saying that the band served as a place of respite for students from all walks of life.
'What made it special was the way that we all worked together and got along, regardless of our background.
'It was looked at as a place where many could escape from anything that was going on at home and just have fun and really enjoy what you were doing.'
Jordan Smith added that the musical skills he learned were far outweighed by the relationships he made.
'The band is simultaneously a friendship group, a learning experience, a safe space and support network, a chance to travel, an outlet for emotion, a self-discipline builder and a music group.
'The camaraderie and enthusiasm that the whole band shared for playing with each other, bringing together people with a variety of backgrounds to do so, is an experience I was incalculably lucky to be part of.'
SSPDT Chief Executive Lindsay MacKenzie said that the Preston Lodge study could lead to changes in education policy and new ideas for making school more accessible to pupils from all backgrounds.
'While previous research has linked learning an instrument to academic achievement, such opportunities are more easily accessible to affluent students. However, this study demonstrates that pipe band membership attracts and retains students from all socio-economic backgrounds, including the most deprived areas.
'Crucially, the findings suggest that students who remain in a pipe band programme for an extended period show significantly higher attainment levels across all SIMD groups when compared to national averages.
'This evidence supports the idea that structured, well-resourced musical engagement – specifically within pipe bands – can provide a powerful tool for educational equity.'
Ms MacKenzie added that more schools and music tutors across Scotland should try to replicate the study and improve
'This study provides strong indications that our investment in school pipe bands is delivering real educational benefits.
'While this is not a large-scale study, its decade-long scope and consistency in findings suggest a significant impact that could be replicated across Scotland.'
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5 days ago
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