A new music school for children to learn instruments put on its first public performance in Romford with a mission to revamp “disorganised” music education in primary schools.

Children as young as five were put through their paces in Market Place over the Easter holiday, joined by professional musicians.

The performance was staged by the new Focus Music company which opened at Collier Row’s Forest Row Community Centre in September to turn round what the founders saw as disorganisation in school music tuition.

“The music education sector is disjointed,” co-founder Chris Hatwell told the Recorder. “Everything is torn apart.

“Commercial music education is about ‘numbers’ rather than nurturing talent and run purely as a business.

“Too many music companies take advantage of schools and don’t deliver what they promise. The schools get complaints from parents when a teacher doesn’t turn up or children only get five minutes’ tuition — that’s not enough. It needs organising.”

The 27-year-old from Hornchurch set up Focus Music with his old schoolmate from Havering Sixth Form, Liam Hughes, also 27, and former work colleague David Holley, 35, from Romford’s Musicland instrument store where he used to work.

They run tuition and rehearsals every Saturday and Sunday and have since started weekday sessions in three primary schools.

“We are hoping to sign up more schools to promote music on a proper community footing,” Chris explains.

“Our aim is to bring a sense of community back, something that has unfortunately diminished over time.”

Sessions are being held at Harold Wood Primary School, Fairlop Primary School and Ray Lodge Primary School in Woodford Green. But Chris wants to expand into more Havering schools.

Romford Market was the first public performance by his 22 young musicians. But Chris is also ambitious for the youngsters to perform in places like Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch.

Weekend tuition sessions at the Forest Row centre in Lodge Lane include keyboard and guitar, with violin lessons starting next September. An after school club runs during the week.