Young West Rainton musicians to get new school practice room

Talented young musicians from a County Durham primary school are set to get even more chances to practice and play with the installation of their own dedicated band room. West Rainton Primary School set up a steel band two years ago to give pupils the chance to learn a new musical instrument and enjoy making music together.

Its steel pans are currently stored in a side room off the school hall, meaning they have to be taken out and packed away at the start of every practice session, which shortens the amount of time available for the pupils to play.

But now, plans to install a new modular building into the school playground in which they will be permanently set up and available for pupils to play whenever they want are moving forward, with an £8,000 grant from regional employer the Banks Group’s Banks Community Fund taking the school past its £40,000 fundraising target.

Final plans for the installation of the 40 square metre modular building are now being agreed and it is expected to be in place during the spring, by when the school will be preparing to celebrate its centenary, which begins in September 2026.

The 20-strong steel band is the only one of its type in County Durham and is made up of children between Year Three and Year Six, with a number of former pupils also coming back to the school for Friday evening rehearsals to keep their places in it.

Led by Holly Fagin of the Durham Music Service, the band started off using a borrowed set of steel pans, but now has its own set which feature the school crest. 

It made its debut at the school’s annual picnic in 2023 and has since given a number of public performances, including at the Durham Miners’ Gala and at Banks Homes’ launch event at the Ramside Hall Hotel for its new Cathedral Meadows residential development, which is being built over the road from the school.

The school is also hoping to capitalise on interest in the band from local residents by forming an adult steel band which will also be able to use the new band room.

Alison McDonough, headteacher at West Rainton Primary School, says: “Our steel band has taken off far more quickly than we’d ever imagined and having our own dedicated practice space is the next big step forward for it.

“As well as helping pupils develop their musical skills, it is teaching them about things like teamwork, relationships and rhythm, and the confidence they get from creating music together is clear for all to see. 

“We don’t currently have the space to leave the pans set up all the time and it can take an awful lot of time to get them out of storage and set up, and then even more to take them down again and put them away.

“Having somewhere where they’re available for use all the times will make our band practice sessions flow much more smoothly and will also mean pupils can play them whenever time allows, which should help them improve their skills much more quickly.

“The interest that the steel band has created across the village is something that we want to capitalise on and it’d be great to see an adult steel band using the new room in the future.

“Everyone is so excited at the new opportunities our band room will offer, especially as it will be in place for our centenary year, and we can’t wait to put it in place.”

Kate Culverhouse, community relations manager at the Banks Group, adds: “This is a fantastic project that will help make this thriving school band even more successful and we’re very pleased to be part of making it happen.”