Music

Curriculum Intent: Music 

 

The Music Department, within the Faculty of Performing Arts works to maximise musical potential, develop empathy, and promote acceptance and awareness in all pupils. We aim to foster an appreciation of the value of music in enriching the lives of individuals, the school and the wider community.  Participation in practical music making is at the core of all we do, and we value the contributions to the music of the different cultures within the school and its wider community.

 

Through a series of carefully selected and sequenced modules at Key Stage 3 we aim to create pathways that develop and challenge our pupils understanding of the three core skills of performing, composing and listening and appraising in a range of genres. This includes both classical and world music alongside styles that pupils have ownership of outside of the classroom. 

 

We also aim to prepare for GCSE Music and provide opportunities to enrich cultural capital by exposing pupils to professional practice via collaborative performance work with our creative partners alongside visits to a range of productions and concerts that link to the set works studied. 

 

Skills, Knowledge and Understanding at the end of Key Stage 3:

 

By the end of Key Stage 3 we aim to have developed the holistic musician with the skills and understanding to both successfully undertake the rigours of GCSE Music and be able to contribute to the musical and cultural life of the whole school. A musician at the end of Year 9 should have a confident knowledge of notation, recognise the elements of music and understand basic compositional devices. They should also be able to assess their work and the work of others according to both teacher and pupil created shared success criteria.  Year 9 pupils should be able to perform confidently and stylishly with an awareness of genre on classroom instruments and/or their own instrument. They should be able to sing solo, in a pair or larger group and be able to compose (using music technology) material that suits a given brief, mood or situation. 

 

Skills, Knowledge and Understanding at the end of Key Stage 4: 

By the end of Key Stage 4 we aim to have developed a musician who is both creative and adaptive with the ability to flourish in a range of musical environments. They should understand, recognise and be able to evaluate the elements of music in both familiar and ‘unfamiliar’ pieces. Pupils should also be able to understand the context of music and how this influences a composer's choice of compositional techniques in both their own music and the music of others. As performers they should be able to play fluently, accurately and with a genre appropriate sense of style to meet both examination requirements and the rigours of playing alongside the department’s creative and cultural partners.