Welcome to the Music Department

Students take part in a range of integrated activities and are encouraged to improve their performing, composing and listening skills while developing knowledge of musical styles, traditions and cultures.

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Music Curriculum Overview
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Curriculum Content

Key Stage 3

Year 7

In year 7 students have one lesson of music a week, they look at different styles of music and production of music:

  • Folk Music – Students will study the cultural and social aspects of Folk Music alongside developing their rehearsal and performance skills.

  • Find Your Voice – Students will study how to use their voices in a safe, effective and enjoyable way. Students will also build upon their rehearsal and performance skills.

  • Descriptive Music – Students will study the instruments of the orchestra alongside classical performance pieces. Students will compose their own piece of descriptive music.

  • TV Theme Tunes and Advert Jingles – Students will learn how to compose to a brief and understand how to compose a short and catchy melody.

  • Rap Music – Students will study the cultural, social and political aspects of rap music alongside developing their songwriting and performance skills.

  • Samba and Stomp – Students will learn how to use their bodies to create a percussive sound. Students will study world music traditions through rhythm.

Year 8

In year 8, students continue to develop their rehearsal, compositional and performance skills:

  • Blues – Through performance and composition, students will study the conventions of blues music including improvisation and structure. Students will study the cultural, social and political aspects of Blues music.

  • Rock & Roll – Students will study the cultural, social and political aspects of Rock & Roll and the influences that blues music had on the genre. Students will continue to build upon their rehearsal and performance skills.

  • Reggae – Students will perform reggae songs focusing on the social contexts of reggae music. Students will build their performance skills as part of band and will learn about syncopation.

  • Popular Music – Students will study the arrangement of a popular song through performance. Students will study how to compose a popular song and build on their songwriting skills.

  • Solo Performance – Students will study how to rehearse in a safe, effective and enjoyable way, whilst learning a piece of music of their choice. Students will showcase their performance skills in a final solo performance of KS3.

Year 9

Students in Year 9 will undertake a number of assignments designed to introduce them to the RSL process including:

  • Band Skills: Students will be asked to work on a song of their choice whilst working as part of a band. Students will study how to rehearse and communicate with one another effectively.

  • Cover Songs: Students will study how to use their own unique sound to create and effective cover song. The cover songs will then be used as part of a performance with the Year 9 Drama students.

  • Musicals: Students will work in small groups to compose a piece of music for a specific scene in a musical using ideas from musical songs they have performed.

  • Film and Game Music: Students will work in small groups and use a mixture of technology and live instruments to compose a soundtrack for a short piece of film.

  • Song Writing: Students will build upon the Popular Music unit in year 8 and learn the theory behind songwriting whilst composing their own songs.

  • Music Festival: Students will plan and perform at a musical event, carefully considering their song choices and understanding how to set-up equipment at a live musical event.

Key Stage 4

Year 10 & 11

In Year 10 and 11 students follow the RSL Music Practitioners Certificate in Performance, during which students will undertake assignments from the following units:

  • Unit 201ta – Music Knowledge – Students will study contrasting popular music genres looking in particular detail at their inception, important artists, important events and fashion and imagery. Students will work on their listening skills and provide a track review as part of this unit.
  • Unit 204ta – Instrumental Study – Students will learn how to maintain their instrument, warm-up effectively and how to plan a regular practise routine, taking into account all the health and safety issues related to their instrument. Students will set SMART targets and will use their rehearsal time in and outside of lessons to successfully achieve these.
  • Unit 202ta – Live Performance – In this external exam students will perform as part of band, working with other musicians to create a setlist, stage plan and musical arrangements. Students will plan a rehearsal schedule for the performance and will provide an evaluation of their final performance.