Music Curriculum Intent
Our music curriculum is designed to cover a variety of genres and topics that will spark interest in our students and help extend their subject knowledge, listening, performing and composition skills. This curriculum is supported by a number of peripatetic staff who teach a variety of instruments, and our extra curricular program that encourages pupils to extend their knowledge and skills outside of the classroom.
The key stage 3 curriculum is based around musical elements and focusses on performing, composition and listening. Within each unit there are opportunities for singing as this supports subject knowledge retention, confidence building and improves overall musicality. To start with in year 7, pupils are introduced to the foundations of music performance and composition: Singing and a variety of vocal techniques, rhythm and how to read standard rhythmic notation and pitch, learning how to read and interpret a musical score. Once the basics are embedded, pupils explore more complex units that build on previous knowledge. Students are formally assessed at the end of each half term and a grade is given, however every learning conversation within the music classroom is designed to identify strengths and targets for pupils to work on.
In key stage 4 pupils follow the OCR examination board which focuses on performance, composition and listening, building on the learning carried out in key stage 3. Students taking music at GCSE will be assigned an instrumental tutor and given lessons once per week to support their performance controlled assessment. As part of the GCSE requirements pupils are assessed on their listening skills via an end of year examination, performance skills via a solo and ensemble performance and composition skills by composition a free composition and a composition to a set brief.
