Est. 1921

Music

INTENT:

What is the curriculum aim / vision for this subject?

To enjoy music (both listening to and playing/creating/composing)
To learn how to play instruments
To learn how to read music and develop transferrable skills
To develop social skills in being able to talk about music and to gain confidence in performing both individually and working in a team
To be resilient in learning: rehearsing and refining performances and being self-critical
To appreciate all styles of music

What do we expect students to get from this subject?

Enjoyment
Appreciation and understanding
To make positive contributions
An insight into the mood of the music and an understanding of links and benefits
Knowledge and achievement
Tolerance and empathy

Year 8 students

IMPLEMENTATION:

How does learning develop over the five years?

Focuses on appraising, performing and composing music through topics
Year 7 are taught how to read music and keyboard technique (treble clef) and play various simple pieces; world music is also incorporated
Year 8 builds on this and we introduce bass clef and the left hand accompaniment to melodies. Genres studied include: Rap, Blues, Jazz and Musicals
Year 9 consolidates this and by now it is hoped they have confidence in their sight-reading ability and playing ability to perform with both hands. More composition and group work is undertaken. Genres include: Rock ’n’ Roll, Reggae, Film Music and Minimalism/Dance Music
Years 10 and 11 – AQA GCSE is studied through 4 areas of study. Some have been covered in Years 7 to 9 though there is much greater depth and analysis. Students build their knowledge and gain more technical ability and language

What principles have guided our decision making in developing this curriculum? What is distinctive about our curriculum?

Enjoyment and appreciation of a WIDE variety of music
Learning by playing and creating music
Opening students’ eyes and ears to the world of music
In addition to well-known pieces to perform, we also keep it up-to-date with popular chart tunes and use these to engage the learning

How is the timetabled curriculum supplemented or enriched by other approaches to learning?

There is a wide-range of extra-curricular activities and groups to become involved in plus:

Year 8 students

In what ways does our curriculum help to develop?

Cultural diversity and identity: World Music; ‘Music and Me’; song of the week
Physically and mentally healthy lifestyles: Stand up, sit down games, samba (carnival), music for dance
Community participation: Students encouraged to join school and outside music groups. Performances at local places/events
Careers and enterprise: Careers in music discussed with Year 9s in particular
Technology and the media: Music and the media topic
Creativity and critical thinking: Composing in all years. Sight-reading/listening and appraising music; exploring sound and mood.