Key Stage 3

In years 7 and 8 students receive 2 lessons per fortnight. Each topic lasts about a half term and students are assessed through one of the strands above at the end of it.

The topics students learn about in year 7 are:

Pitch It - students study different types of scales and are assessed on a composition which uses techniques such as drone and ostinato and which uses the pentatonic scale.
It's All In The Balance - students learn about structure in music and the balance between contrast and unity. They are assessed on a ternary form composition which uses the theme from Beethoven’s 5th symphony.
Cops and Robbers - students learn musical elements of blues and jazz through the ensemble performance of the song “Cops and Robbers”
Musical Clichés - in this topic, students learn how devices such as bass ostinato and heroic melodies are exploited in music for film. They are assessed on a composition of music to accompany the trailer from the film Gladiator.
African Drumming - students study rhythms and songs from West Africa, and learn to play African instruments such as the djembé. They are assessed on a group performance and improvisation.
Swing Low - Students learn about the history of music of black origin and sing spirituals. They compose and perform an arrangement of the song “Swing Low Sweet Chariot” for their assessment.

The topics students learn about in year 8 are:

The Name’s Bond, James Bond - students learn to play some of the themes from Bond films. They then create their own pieces to accompany the Skyfall trailer using and developing these themes as their assessed piece of work.
The Four Awesome Chords - Students study song structure and songwriting using a very popular chord sequence as a starting point. Their final assessed piece of work is a completed song, with contrasting verses and choruses.
Music and War - students study music through the prism of war. They learn how music can inspire as well as represent the horror of war. They compose a programmatic piece which tells the story of a battle.
Gamelan - Students learn about Gamelan music and related culture of Indonesia and Bali, and perform a piece entitled Jeruk Bali.
All About that Bass - students learn about the structural device of “Ground Bass” in both classical and modern contexts. Their assessed piece will be a performance of their own composition of a ground bass piece.
Remix - students explore how technology can be used to create remixes and arrangements. They will learn how to fully exploit the music production software to create remixes of a song of their choice.

Parental advice - Students are encouraged to attend extra curricular clubs as well as any concerts or live performances. At home, students can be encouraged to listen to a diverse range of music and talk about aspects of the music they find interesting.

GCSE

In years 9 and 10 students receive 5 lessons per fortnight.

The topics students learn about in year 9 are:

Music theory
Compositional techniques - students apply what they have learnt studying explore basic
Performance practice - students explore what makes a good performance and how performances are assessed in GCSE Music. They develop their own skills and record their own solo and ensemble performances which form a benchmark from which they can improve in Years 10 and 11.
Area of Study 1: Haydn “The Clock” Symphony - students study musical elements of this work as preparation for the exam. They will learn how the piece fits into the historical context of the Classical period as well as studying the key features of the periods of Western Art Music such as Baroque, Romantic and 20th Century.
Related to the Clock Symphony, students will also study • The Coronation Anthems and Oratorios of Handel. • The orchestra music of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven. • The piano music of Chopin and Schumann. • The Requiem of the late Romantic period.

The topics students learn about in year 10 are:

Music Theory and terminology related to areas of study
Composition - students will undertake one of 2 pieces of assessed composition
Performance - students will record a solo and ensemble performance.
Area of Study 2: 3 songs from The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
Related to Area of Study 2 will also study and learn terminology related to • Music of Broadway 1950s to 1990s. • Rock music of 1960s and 1970s. • Film and computer gaming music 1990s to present. • Pop music 1990s to present.
Sequenced performance - students perform using technology a piece of their choice.

The topics students learn about in year 11 (from 2017-18 onwards) are:

Music Theory and terminology related to areas of study
Composition - students will undertake the second of 2 pieces of assessed composition
Performance - students will record a solo and ensemble performance.
Related to Area of Study 3 students will study and learn terminology related to Blues music from 1920–1950. • Fusion music incorporating African and/or Caribbean music. • Contemporary Latin music. • Contemporary folk music of the British Isles.
Related to Area of Study 4 students will study and learn terminology related to • The orchestral music of Copland. • British music of Arnold, Britten, Maxwell-Davies and Tavener. • The orchestral music of Zoltán Kodály and Béla Bartók. • Minimalist music of John Adams, Steve Reich and Terry Riley.

Parental advice - The specification we study is AQA GCSE Music (8271) which can be found here:

http://filestore.aqa.org.uk/resources/music/specifications/AQA-8271-SP-2016.PDF

Students who are involved in extracurricular music activities and who practice regularly at home will have better options and opportunities to perform at a higher level and achieve well in their GCSE. Similarly, listening to a range of recorded and live music will help improve students’ critical understanding and appraisal of music which will help with Unit 1 - Understanding Music.

In Years 10 - 11 we offer the Edexcel 2 year GCSE music course as an option. The syllabus is based around the four study areas:

* Classical Music 1600-1899
* 20th Century Music
* Popular Song
* Music from Around the World

The assessment for GCSE consists of both coursework and examination as follows:

PERFORMING

Solo Performance - coursework assessment (15%)

Ensemble Performance - coursework assessment (15%)

Performing using music technology, sequencers or microphones (30%)

COMPOSITION

Composition 1 (chosen from a study areas) - coursework assessment (15%)

Composition 2 (chosen from a different study areas) - coursework assessment (15%)

LISTENING & APPRAISING

Listening paper 1.5 hours - (questions on all four areas of study) - examination (40%)

Extra Curricular

Extra curricular Music is an important part of the Department's work, especially to support and enhance the efforts of those learning an instrument. We encourage students to extend their musical education by joining the choirs, windband, orchestra, jazz band and various other instrumental groups that take place during lunchtimes including rock groups. There are opportunities throughout the year to perform both within and outside of school.

Nearly 120 students currently receive instrumental and vocal lessons at the school, with our specialist visiting teachers. Opportunities exist for saxophone, all woodwind, all brass and all string instruments, Electric, Bass and Acoustic guitar and singing.