The EMF is committed to introducing children to our musical heritage and, to this end, plans to include various educational elements in each Festival. In October 2006 an audience at Radley College had a foretaste of the long-awaited English Music Festival when they were treated to exceptional performances of some of the finest English music by students from a number of Oxfordshire schools at a 'Joint Schools Concert' hosted by Radley.

It was a fantastic opening to the Festival, attended by an enthusiastic audience. Music featured ranged from renaissance dance movements by Bloxham School's Recorder Consort, and Purcell's moving Music For a While (Patrick Berry from Bradfield College) through to Malcolm Arnold's Shanties for Wind Quintet - fiendishly difficult but brilliantly performed by Radley College boys.

Other highlights included an extremely accomplished performance of Holst's beautiful Choral Hymns from the Rig Veda, by students from Oxford High School, wonderful solos from Radley's Rory Robinson (on saxophone - Dave McGarry's Dreams of You) and Jonathan Williams (oboe - Richardson's Roundelay) and, astoundingly enough, an impromptu performance of an Andrew Lloyd Webber hit that surprised Radley's Anthony Williams, who was hosting the evening, as much as it did the audience! With music-making of such a high standard from Oxfordshire's youth, the Festival can only go from strength to strength.

At the 2008 Festival the educational element continued when Festival director Em Marshall gave an assembly to the local primary school in Dorchester, St Birinus, on Holst's Planets. It was warmly received by the children and she, in turn, was greatly impressed by the knowledge, enthusiasm and interest of her young audience.