The Wiltshire Music Service has been reviewed and found to be outstanding and highly effective in engaging young people with music-making.

The review took place by the Federation of Music Services in January 2011 and evidence was collected by watching music lessons, talking to pupils, teachers and members of the management team.

The results showed that pupils continue to achieve above the national average, with very high achievement in orchestral instruments.

A parent questionnaire showed 41 percent of parents feel their child’s progress is excellent and 73 percent of schools involved reported the teaching ability in the service also as excellent.

Wiltshire Music Service runs 34 music ensembles outside of schools, and these were found to be outstanding with group leaders marking 91 percent pf performances as good or better.

Valerie Hayward, head of the music service at Wiltshire Council, said: “It’s great the review has come back as outstanding, it just shows how much hard work the young people and staff put into the service”.

Special mention was also made of the Wiltshire Music Connect project that the service ran in partnership with Wiltshire Youth Arts partnership and Wiltshire Music Centre. This exemplary project involved more than four thousand young people in a year-long project designed to increase participation in music making.

Gifted and talented musicians excel through the partnership with the South West Music School (a centre for advanced training), the Wiltshire and Swindon Youth Orchestra (a partnership with Swindon Borough Council), and with the Wiltshire Youth Jazz Orchestra.