Our History

Music Stuff was established in 1999 by Stephanie Portersmith and later joined by Lenny Portersmith. Stephanie, a recent graduate of LIPA with a degree in Community Arts, was brimming with innovative ideas, while Lenny, a working musician, was training to become a teacher. United by their shared passion for community development, music, and the arts—and their dedication to supporting young people to thrive—Music Stuff was born.

Originally operating as a home-based business partnership, Music Stuff quickly moved into its first location at the old Labour Club in Droylsden. A pivotal opportunity arose when we joined a local project with Openshaw Youth, in collaboration with Groundwork and filmmaker Sarah Domville-Maguire. The project’s success, coinciding with the launch of the New Deal for Communities (NDC) programme, enabled Music Stuff to secure funding for an eight-month pilot project. This was made possible through NDC funding via ESF monies, along with the unwavering support of Alun Francis, then NDC Youth Development Officer, and Sue Brookes from Manchester Youth Service.

Music Stuff subsequently relocated to the Youth Service facility at Crossley House and became a not-for-profit company in March 2002. Over the years, it steadily grew in size and reputation. In July 2011, we moved to the Cuthbert Centre, just down the road. By then, we had been collaborating with schools in Manchester and Tameside for several years, and in March 2012, we registered with the Department for Education (DfE) as an independent school.

Since then, Music Stuff has continued to expand, adding centres in Clayton, Levenshulme, Burnage, additional units within the Cuthbert Centre, and our latest site in Fallowfield. While our ethos of working with and supporting young people remains unchanged, our expertise, experience, and professionalism have grown exponentially, enabling us to go from strength to strength.

Today, Music Stuff operates across seven centres spanning three main sites in Openshaw, Burnage, and Fallowfield. We are a full-time school dedicated to supporting children with Social, Emotional, and Mental Health (SEMH) needs. Additionally, we provide full-time alternative provision places. Our mission is to support pupils’ social, emotional, and mental health well-being alongside their academic education, empowering them to become successful and resilient adults. We achieve this through a relational approach rooted in trauma-informed practices.

We hope you find everything you need on our website, but if you would like further information, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Andrew Portersmith                               Lyndsey Murray

    Proprietor                                             Interim Headteacher