Music
CURRICULUM INTENT
All pupils:
- Enjoy learning about music for its own sake
- Learn through the language of sound; learning music musically
- Have a conceptual and practical understanding of the inter-related processes of performing, composing and listening
- Enjoy signing and use it to develop their critical ear
- Comprehend the theory that underpins all western art music and write with notation where appropriate
- Have opportunities to engage in music’s unique creative contribution to our shared culture, society, and economy
- Study music from across the world and make connections between time, place and culture
- Have additional opportunities to enhance their own talents through their own musical learning
KEY STAGE 3
At Key Stage Three (KS3) music focusses on the deliberate development of all the knowledge and skills it takes to be a musician. Pupils do learn about a broad range of musical genres including: minimalism, popular songs, western classical music, soul, reggae, songs based on riffs, film scores, and musical fusions BUT as in drama, our primary focus is the deliberate development of a pupil’s ability to:
- perform on an instrument effectively
- compose music that sounds good, and improvise ideas confidently and stylistically
- listen with increasing discretion to develop their critical ear, and understanding of different musical histories and traditions
- sing with confidence, refinement and for their own joy!
Music is taught through year 7, 8 and 9 and has a larger teaching allocation than in the new National Plan for music. It is valued as a practical and academic subject. Our focus when teaching is always on trying to teach music musically, meaning the greatest emphasis is on a pupils practical learning in performing, composing, listening and singing so that pupils learn through their experience of music. We do assess all of these elements formally, but our greater focus is the ongoing feedback dialogue with pupils to differentiate and support them appropriately to a point where pupils feel like their learning is personalised.
Music lessons are taught in two purpose-built music classrooms that are well equipped for the range of music we teach and have a range of instruments and professional level music technology.
We would always encourage any pupils who have private lessons to bring their own instrument to school for their timetabled lesson.
KEY STAGE 4
At Key Stage all pupils study Eduqas GCSE Music as it gives pupils the most rounded musical education at GCSE and allows them to continue their music study on any course at A Level.
Students are assessed in much the same way as at key stage three in performance, composition and listening and appraising. Students study four different areas of music:
musical forms and devices, including the western classical tradition
music for ensemble, including chamber music, musical theatre, and jazz
film music, and all the styles of film that exist around it
popular music, including musical fusions and Bhangra
We study a range of different pieces of music and study two works in depth: ‘Africa’ by Toto and the Bach’s ‘Badinerie’. As with KS3 there is a focus on teaching music musically, where the practical activity of performing, composing, singing and listening are the primary focusses of the learning.
MUSIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN SUMMARY
EXAM SPECIFICATIONS
CURRICULUM LEADER
Mr C Reed
WHAT CAREER?
SESSION MUSICIAN
MUSIC MANAGEMENT
TEACHER
ARMED FORCES
BROADCAST MEDIA