Curriculum Intent and Rationale

Our aim is to provide a varied and interesting music curriculum which is suitable for all pupils, but provides suitable challenges for the more able. We intend the work to be enjoyable, and provide a foundation for pupils’ creativity. We include learning beyond the National Curriculum, and give pupils the opportunity to develop their musical talents across three core skills; listening and appraising, performing and composing. These skills run through key stage 3 and GCSE and A-Level.

We believe in the importance of music to a full and rounded education, as recognised by so many important organisations: Music touches the very heart of our humanity and a sense of the wonder of music has touched human societies throughout history. Music education offers young people the chance to understand, perform and create in an aural dimension that often sits outside our capacity to describe in words. For many pupils, the music they love will be part of the narrative of their lives and bring colour to the experiences that shape them. Ofsted: Research and analysis. Research review series: music (12 July, 2021)

Research has shown the many benefits a music education can bring:

  • Musical training helps develop language and reasoning: Pupils who receive early musical training will develop the areas of the brain related to language and reasoning. 
  • Motor skills: Pupils who practice musical instruments can improve their hand-eye coordination and develop fine motor skills. 
  • Listening skills: Musicians can better detect meaningful, information-bearing elements in sounds, like the emotional meaning in a baby’s cry. Pupils who practice music can have better auditory attention, and pick out predictable patterns from surrounding noise. 
  • Development in creative thinking: Pupils who study the arts can learn to think creatively. This kind of education can help them solve problems and be innovative. 
  • A mastery of memorisation: Musicians are constantly using their memory to perform and compose. The skill of memorization can serve pupils well in education and beyond. 
  • Building imagination and intellectual curiosity: Introducing music in the early childhood years can help foster a positive attitude toward learning and curiosity. Artistic education develops the whole brain and develops a child’s imagination. 
  • A sense of achievement: From learning the shortest piece to performing as part of an orchestra or a band, pupils who master music will be able to feel proud of their achievement. 
  • Wellbeing and emotional development: The physiological effect of music is well-documented. Listening to music has become increasingly accessible and can be relaxing, exciting and enjoyable. Musicians can be more emotionally developed, with empathy towards other cultures. They also tend to have higher self-esteem and are better at coping with anxiety. 
  • Building confidence and taking risks: With encouragement from teachers and parents, learning to play a musical instrument can build pride and confidence. Performing a musical piece to an audience can bring fear and anxiety. Doing so teaches pupils how to take risks and deal with fear, which will help them become successful and reach their potential. 
  • Independent, group task learning and discipline: Learning to play a musical instrument takes many hours of independent study and learning to play as an ensemble requires the skill of listening and adapting to others. Togetherness in music requires a deep understanding of joint purpose and the roles of individuals. Mastering a musical instrument requires many hours of practice and managing time and workload to include practice, and focusing practice to optimise progress requires discipline. 
  • Pupils learn to improve their work: Learning music promotes craftsmanship, and students learn to want to create good work instead of mediocre work. This desire can be applied to all subjects of study. 

Based on work by the National Association for Music Education, 2021.

Implementing our curriculum

Key Stage 3

We believe our curriculum is ambitious. At KS3 we have 18 projects, six a year, each lasting a half-term. Units of work cover a range of music, both modern and historical, local and international, style-based and free:

Year 7: Musical Openings, Keyboard & Performing Skills, World Music (Samba), Program Music, Music in Advertising and Minimalism.

Year 8: MOBO (Blues), Keyboard & Performing Skills, Film Music, The Baroque Concerto, World Music: The Gamelan and Fanfares. 

Year 9: Music for Dance, Keyboard & Performing Skills, Reggae, Musical Structure, Songwriting and The Best of KS3. 

All key stage 3 lessons blend the core skills with an increasing frequency of singing, post the pandemic. Lessons develop practical musical skills with instrumentalists encouraged to use their own instruments. 

Our curriculum ensures that:

  • Pupils develop accurate listening and analysis skills of music from different periods, styles and locations (all UOW)
  • Pupils learn to sing and develop the use of their voices (separate SOW)
  • Pupils learn to play a musical instrument (Keyboard Skills)
  • Pupils are encouraged to take part in our extensive peripatetic, ensembles and concert program to enrichment their school lives (Extracurricular)
  • Pupils are familiar with a range of music from great composers, songwriters and performers.
  • Pupils learn to be creative as they learn how improvise, refine and compose music in a variety of styles using a variety of resources (all UOW)
  • Pupils develop their confidence by performing practical work to their peers in class and wider contexts (all UOW)
  • Pupils develop a better understanding of technology as they use computers to compose and record
  • Pupils understand tradition music notation, a system of codifying music (5+ UOW)

Key Stage 4

Specification: AQA GCSE Music 8271

GCSE Music builds on the knowledge and skills acquired and developed at key stage 3. Music is constantly evolving, inspiring creativity and expression in a way that no other subject can. At GCSE, we have chosen an exam board that has designed a relevant and contemporary GCSE qualification that offers our pupils the chance to study a wide range of musical genres, with more opportunities for practical learning. AQA GCSE Music 8271 brings theory, listening and composition to life in new and engaging ways, and links to the world around. We know that every pupil has different learning styles and musical tastes, which is why we chose a GCSE specification that values all music styles, skills and instruments and that broadens students’ minds and fosters a love of music.

There is nothing like the study of and engagement in music-making to improve pupils’ creativity.

In GCSE Music lessons, pupils will have the opportunity to:

  • Learning how to describe and analyse music with technical vocabulary
  • Learning how to perform with increasing control of instrumental techniques and understanding of period and style
  • Learning how to structure and compose music in various styles

The main teaching content of the course is based three components:

  • Understanding Music (2 sections; listening and analysis)
  • Performing (two: one solo and one ensemble)
  • Composing (two: one from a given stimulus and one free choice)

The knowledge content of component one is organised into four areas of study (AOS):

  • Western Classical Tradition (1650-1910)
  • Popular Music
  • Traditional Music
  • Western Classical Tradition (1910+)

Listening (component one), performing (component two) and composing (component three) are the main activities that form each lesson. These often take the shape of short tasks designed to help pupils develop the necessary skills to successfully complete the coursework component. Pupils should be able to perform on an instrument to a reasonable level, grade 3 is a good starting point. Pupils will learn how to identify musical features through listening and how to compose in different styles. Pupils will use Sibelius or Musescore software to help them to compose. Of the four Areas of Study listed above, pupils will be able to demonstrate a good knowledge and understanding of all of them through listening and two of them through analysis. There are several set-works to choose from, including the musical The Little Shop of Horrors and Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto in A major.

Key Stage 5

Specification: AQA GCE A-Level Music 7272

A-Level Music builds on the knowledge and skills acquired at GCSE. Music is constantly evolving, inspiring creativity and expression in a way that no other subject can. At A-level, we have chosen an exam board that has designed a relevant and contemporary GCE qualification that offers our pupils the chance to study a wide range of musical genres, with more opportunities for practical learning. AQA GCE A-Level Music 7272  brings theory, listening and composition to life in new and engaging ways, and links to the world around. We know that every pupil has different learning styles and musical tastes, which is why we chose a A-Level specification that values all music styles, skills and instruments and that broadens students’ minds and fosters a love of music.

There is nothing like the study of and engagement in music-making to improve pupils’ creativity.

In A-Level Music lessons, pupils will have the opportunity to:

  • Learning how to describe and analyse music with technical vocabulary
  • Learning how to perform with increasing control of instrumental techniques and understanding of period and style
  • Learning how to structure and compose music in various styles

The main teaching content of the course is based three components:

  • Understanding Music (3 sections; listening, analysis and context)
  • Performing (a ten minute recital)
  • Composing (two: one from a given stimulus and one free choice)

The knowledge content of component one is organised into seven areas of study (AOS) of which three are chosen:

  • AOS1 Western classical tradition 1650-1910 (compulsory)
  • AOS4 Music for Theatre or AOS 3 Music for media 
  • AOS5 Jazz

Listening, analysis and context (component one), performing (component two) and composing (component three) are the main activities that form each lesson. These often take the shape of short tasks designed to help pupils develop the necessary skills to successfully complete the coursework component. Pupils should be able to perform on an instrument to a high level, grade 7 is a good starting point. Pupils will learn how to identify musical features through listening and how to compose in different styles. Pupils will use Sibelius or Musescore software to help them to compose. Of the three Areas of Study listed above, pupils will be able to demonstrate a good knowledge and understanding of all of them through unfamiliar listening, AOS1 (compulsory) through analysis and the other, selected, AOS through context. There are several set-works to choose from, including Baroque Solo Concertos of Purcell, Vivaldi and Bach and Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro.

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