Curriculum

Music

Why study Music?

Music is a universal language that embodies one of the highest forms of creativity. Our music curriculum aims to engage and inspire pupils to develop a love of music and their talent as musicians, and to increase their self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement. As pupils progress, they will be empowered to develop a critical engagement with music, allowing them to compose, and to listen with discrimination to the best in the musical canon across a wide range of genres. It builds a stronger sense of self-identity, character and cultivates a better tolerance and respect of the diverse cultures that shape the world we live in.

Pupils access a discretely timetabled music lesson every week in Years 7, 8 and 9. The option to study music at Key Stage 4 will be available to the current Year 9 cohort when they choose their GCSE courses for Years 10 & 11 in Easter 2022.

Our curriculum aims to ensure that all pupils can:

perform, listen to, review and evaluate music across a range of historical periods, genres, styles and traditions, including the works of the great composers and musicians
learn to sing and to use their voices, to create and compose music on their own and with others, have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument, use technology appropriately and have the opportunity to progress to the next level of musical excellence
understand and explore how music is created, produced and communicated, including through the inter-related dimensions: pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture, structure and appropriate musical notation

What will I study at key stage 3?

In Year 7, pupils build upon musical knowledge they have from a primary level and develop a strong knowledge of melody, rhythm and musical structures through STOMP. Pupils develop keyboard and ukulele skills through a wide variety of genres.

In Year 8, pupils build on the previous year’s knowledge to know: the elements of music more deeply and melody and rhythm through a variety of composing, performing and listening tasks. Pupils develop a richer appreciation of how chords and basslines are structured through different genres and sub-genres of music such as The Blues.
Year 9 pupils know about other musical features and devices. They use their knowledge to compose, perform, listen to and appraise a wide variety of genres based on specific cultural and social musical contexts.

Enrichment

Several Music clubs run after school and during lunch time. Pupils can further develop their classwork or learn to play different instruments.

Careers

Music can lead to future careers ranging from becoming a video game composer or sound designer, artist, composer or sound engineering technician.