A SCHOOL in York wants the public’s help to name its orchestra.

Osbaldwick Primary School have an orchestra of 27 children, with more than 40 children regularly attending choir, more than 50 taking lessons on woodwind, brass, strings, guitar and piano, and 170 children having instrumental lessons each week.

Lesley Barringer, head teacher, and Karen Marshall, music specialist, have appealed for help to name their orchestra this spring.

Miss Barringer said: “Children get at least two years of whole class instrumental teaching with a specialist music teacher, and all children at Osbaldwick Primary from reception to Year 6 have weekly music lessons with a specialist music teacher.

“Children who show promise musically are spotted in weekly classroom music lessons and given the opportunity to start learning an instrument, and in 2014 we brought in music consultant Karen Marshall to improve the provision.

"At that point there were just 13 children in the choir and five children had instrumental lessons. Things have grown hugely via a whole school approach, and now senior leaders and classroom teachers all support children attending their music lessons.”

A quarter of all children taking peri lessons - in woodwind, brass, strings, guitar and piano - at the school are funded by the school or local organisations to help with costs, and all children are able to read music by the time they leave school.

Miss Barringer said: “The school is now a centre of excellence for music, and the orchestra has decided it needs a suitable name, so we would like the help of the readers of The Press to offer suggestions that the children can then vote upon.”

With a heading of ORCHESTRA, send suggestions to osbaldwick@york.gov.uk, before Saturday, April 22.