Music

At the heart of the Music curriculum is developing a high-quality music education that engages and inspires students to develop a love of music and their talent as musicians. Students learn through a performance-based curriculum, with all students encouraged to take up or continue learning a musical instrument.

Overview

The Curriculum builds on students' previous knowledge and skills through performing, composing and listening. Building on the Key Stage 2 Music National Curriculum students develop their vocal and instrumental fluency, accuracy and expressiveness, and understanding of musical structures, styles, genres and traditions, identifying the expressive use of musical dimensions.

Student are taught:

To develop imagination and the tools to express themselves creatively through Music.
To develop self-confidence and raise self-esteem through Music.
About the educational, historical, social and cultural purposes of Music.

Homework

Students taking musical tuition are expected to practice regularly at home. Students are also be assigned extended pre learning activities in preparation for school performances/shows.

In Music, pre learning activities focus on improving performance and consolidating classroom learning.

Assessment

Students are assessed through:

Performance: how they practise, rehearse and perform with awareness of different parts and the roles and the contribution of the different members of the group
Composition: how they improvise, exploring and developing musical ideas when performing and on how they produce, develop and extend musical ideas.
Listening: how they listen and identify the expressive use of musical elements, devices, tonalities and structures; and identify the contextual influences that affect the way music is created, performed and heard.

Extended Learning

The Music Department encourages students to learn instruments individually and to participate in the wide variety of extra-curricular musical activities.

We offer tuition in a variety of instruments, and we also benefit from several practice rooms and a music technology suite. We have a range of ensembles, and students perform at assemblies, special events and concerts. We also have a school choir.