A BASINGSTOKE school has been given a five-figure sum which will help bring the sound of Brazil to young pupils.

The Vyne Community School has been granted an £11,000 donation from music education by the EMI Music Sound Foundation in celebration of the charity’s 20th anniversary.

The funding for 2018 includes the charity’s annual grant to the school of £6,000, plus a further £5000 donation made in honour of the foundation’s landmark anniversary.

The expanded donation will allow the school to further develop its music technology provision, as well as continuing to support students in instrumental tuition.

Music teachers from The Vyne will also be working on a Samba project with Year 6 pupils from South View Junior School.

Debbi Ledwith, from The Vyne's music department, said: “We are delighted to work so closely with EMI Music Sound Foundation. They have enabled us to support so many pupils in their musical development over the past years and have helped us to offer wonderful music opportunities both to our own students and those in our feeder schools.

The Vyne Community School has been part of the EMI Music Sound Foundation’s network of supported school since 2002 when the charity supported a bid to become a Performing Arts School with a grant of £25,000.

For the last ten years, the foundation has donated £6,000 to each of its supported schools and, at The Vyne Community School, it is invested by the music department in musical instruments and instrumental tuition.

The funding has also afforded the school the opportunity to keep up-to-date with music technology and in the future, it is hoped to develop lighting and sound equipment in the school theatre.

Adam Barker, chair of trustees at EMI Music Sound Foundation, added: “We are proud to work with The Vyne Community School. It is brilliant to see how the school supports and continues to inspire their music students and teachers.”