Explore Our Department
Music at the West London Free School
The WLFS has been a music specialist school since its foundation, and the department is well resourced, with four full-time music teachers, supported by a full-time assistant and eighteen visiting teachers. Twelve pupils each year enter the school as music scholars. As such, music is central to the life of the school. We believe that music makes our pupils’ lives, and our school community, richer in spirit. In this the department is fully supported by the senior leadership team.
Academic Music
At Key Stage 3, pupils benefit from a remarkable two hours a week of classroom music teaching, which enables them develop a thorough theoretical and practical grasp of traditional music notation and to start developing proficiency in composition. Our proportion of pupils taking Music GCSE is among the highest for any secondary school in the country. At A-level we offer both Music and Music Technology, and former pupils often go onto study music at the country’s most prestigious universities, with some alumni winning choral scholarships, recent successes including Merton College, Oxford.
The music department, consisting of three spacious classrooms (equipped with Macs and iPads) and ten individual practice rooms, enjoys a prime position at the entrance of Palingswick House, with dedicated music facilities for the Sixth Form, including a recording studio, at Franklin House.
Co-curricular Music
Around half of pupils at the school participate in either an after-school music ensemble or receive instrumental and vocal lessons, with almost 300 individual lessons taking place each week and tuition available on almost every instrument. A scheme exists to encourage the study of ‘rare’ orchestral instruments, with subsidised lessons offered, and a large collection of school instruments available to hire (pupils interested should speak to the music office). Instrumental competitions and informal concerts give opportunities for soloists to perform and to practice their pieces ahead of ABRSM exams.
Pupils who have reached Grade 5 standard are encouraged to join the school orchestra, which tackles mainstream symphonic works, and enjoys an annual residential UK trip. There is also a string group and a wind band, playing an eclectic repertoire of film scores and popular classics. Chamber music coaching has led to some very successful string quartets and a recent piano trio forming at the school.
The choral programme consists of choirs for each year group, running throughout the school, and from Year 10 onwards, pupils may opt to join the ‘Choir Forms’ which enables them to sing together each morning in a chorister-style format. At the start of Year 7, choir is compulsory for all pupils. The Chamber Choir is an auditioned ensemble which runs across all year groups and tackles challenging repertoire, with an excellent level of musicianship expected. Recent large-scale performances have included Duruflé’s Requiem, Vaughan Williams Five Mystical Songs and Britten’s St Nicolas. In 2026-27 the choir will collaborate in performance with the professional consort group Stile Antico and the choral scholars of St-Martin-in-the-Fields, and enjoy a busy Christmas season, with regular engagements including isinging for one of London’s oldest livery companies.
All groups perform regularly as part of a busy programme of concerts, foreign and UK tours (previous trips have included North Germany, Paris, Barcelona, and to Normandy in March 2026), as well as cathedral visits, such as Westminster Abbey, Salisbury Cathedral and Lincoln Cathedral. There is an ambitious history of school musicals (with such recent memorable examples as The Sound of Music, Sweeney Todd, Into the Woods and Les Miserables). The musical for 2026 was Guys and Dolls.
For pupils aspiring to play in a rock band, structured coaching prepares pupils for annual opportunities to perform at a Cabaret evening, with further openings for experienced bands.
Music Staff
Mr de Voil joined WLFS as Director of Music in September 2025, with expertise as an organist, pianist, French horn player, and choral conductor. His role includes teaching music up to Sixth Form, directing the School Orchestra and Chamber Choir, and overseeing the music scholarship programme, as well as seeking opportunities to promote WLFS music locally and nationally, working closely with community partners.
Mr de Voil is ably assisted by Miss Gooda, Music Administator, an accomplished pianist, organist and active choral singer with groups including The Sixteen. As well as helping to run the KS3 choirs and the Theory programme, Miss Gooda is the first port of call for instrumental lessons, music exams, and all other general enquiries.
As Assistant Director of Music, Ms Rose brings her extensive choral directing experience to bear on a number of the school choirs, as well as being Musical Director for the biennial musical production. Ms Rose plays a key role in the delivery of the academic curriculum, with a particular emphasis on the middle school, and together with Miss Ogunjobi, Head of Music Technology, co-ordinate bands across the lower school and Sixth Form.
Completing the teaching team is Miss Rowdene, Teacher of Music, who as a former Oxford and Cambridge choral scholar, helps to deliver the school’s busy choral programme. A woodwind specialist, Miss Rowdene runs the Wind Orchestra alongside Miss Ogunjobi (herself a bassoonist and former cathedral chorister) and assists with the direction of the School Orchestra.
A number of the school’s Visiting Music Teachers work closely alongside the full-time staff to deliver sectional rehearsals and string groups, including Mr Matuszewski (violin) and Ms Cooper (cello), as well as to coach rock, pop and jazz.
