Commonweal School has secured a £75,000 grant to build a new music block – but doesn’t have enough money to pay for instruments.

Their current building is more than 50 years old and has started to fall apart.

Thankfully, the school were able to secure a 75k grant from the Department of Education's Condition Improvement Fund last April to build a new one, but it's also hoping to raise £10,000 to furnish the building with instruments and IT equipment.

The CIF is an annual bidding round to which some academies and sixth-form colleges can apply for capital funding.

Work began on the new music block in October and it is expected to be finished by July.

The school’s shopping list includes 40 keyboards. 20 PCs, three drum kits, six electric guitars, six bass guitars, numerous amps, two PA systems, 70 pairs of headphones, six tablets, 16 ukuleles, desks and chairs, whiteboards, and an electric piano.

Ali Sutcliffe, Head of the Performing Arts faculty, said: “Our current building is not fit for purpose, it’s condemned and it’s falling apart, the walls are like sponges.

“The funding we applied for was just to rebuild the block, it wasn’t a development grant, the idea was for us to move our equipment into the new building.

“However, having a shiny new building full of old broken equipment would not be very inspiring to the pupils.

“The money doesn’t stretch to funding the equipment needed to deliver an exciting and vibrant curriculum to Key stages 3, 4 and 5.

“The old building has an IT suite and a keyboard room, but a lot of the pupils have asked for IT equipment in both rooms and space for a wider variety of instruments like electric guitars.

“We need help to raise £10,000 to bring our new classrooms into the 21st Century and allow interactive learning for all,”

Josie Williams, the school’s social media and marketing officer set up a crowdfunding page to bolster the money raised from school events.

So far, £300 has been raised through the page and around £2,000 has been funded from school events.

Upcoming events including a staff cabaret and a sponsored stay-awake for pupils which should hopefully be enough to reach the target amount.

Josie said: “We need a lot of equipment, please give generously as every penny really does count, we’re doing well so far and heading in the right direction.

“Everyone who has kindly donated to enhance teaching and learning in music will have their name inscribed on the new music block’s Hall of Fame.”

To donate, visit https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/commonweal