Music
head of department: mrs githu
KS3
Intent
The curriculum will enable all students to become fluent in the fundamental elements of music used in every aspect of practical and theoretical music. This will enable students to develop a conceptual understanding and the ability to recall and apply knowledge and understanding rapidly and accurately.
Music is a specialist subject requiring specific skill sets which include the ability to confidently read and write music, understand complex theories in the composition of music, perform, compose, and understand the history and evolution of music. The KS3 curriculum map has been designed by focusing on the key skills required at KS4 and 5, filtering skills, knowledge, understanding, application, and creativity into lessons.
The curriculum at Key Stage 3 is designed to ensure that every student has been given the opportunity to develop their knowledge, understanding and skill set in line with individual interest in the subject and dedication to their instrumental practice to prepare them for Key Stage 4 and 5.
Implementation
The music curriculum is a creative, practical, and theoretical subject. It requires creativity and imagination as well as a historical understanding of the evolution of music, sub-genres of music and application technical terminology to the appropriate genre and culture of music. Students will be given many opportunities to create their own music using music technology, instruments within the classroom and their voices based on a given brief. The students will require a broad range of subject based skills which they will build upon at each stage within the Key Stages preparing them for examination-based learning and assessment.
Through regular performances, compositions, skills-based assessments and musical history units of work, the students will gain a broad and experienced understanding of the intricate details of music which will prepare them for examination board focused tasks.
High quality Music education has a positive impact on society as it can offer resilient young people, self-disciplined work ethic, creativity, culture, and mental well-being.
Impact
By the end of Key Stage 3, students will have a breadth of knowledge and understanding of musical notation, theories in music, musical history, musical theatre, cultural music, compositional and performance techniques, music within the film industry and other fundamental principles within musicianship. Students will be able to evaluate and track their own progress, understand how to progress to the next stage in their learning journey through responding to feedback and being given time for personal reflection.
Students will be able to make a well-informed decision when choosing music as an option at GCSE and or A level and will have a true understanding of the level of ability they need to be in order to progress and reach their full potential. All students will have been given the opportunity to learn a musical instrument with a private teacher to gain the experience they will need for the performance aspect of the GCSE and A Level course which will enable them to truly experience the practical element of music at Key Stage 4 and 5. The planning and delivery of Key Stage 3 curriculum will enable students to make informed decisions about their musical education and equip them with the fundamental tools they will need to be successful alongside their own work ethic and pedagogy.
KS4
Intent
The curriculum will enable students to develop their knowledge and understanding and musicianship skills embedded during KS3. Students will further develop their musical theory skills to allow them to undertake more complex and challenging musical theories and incorporate them into their own compositions. Students will have a deeper conceptual understanding and will have built on prior knowledge of elements and fundamental notations and foundations of musical theories.
The curriculum behind KS4 is designed to allow students to build confidence within their performance skills through instilling discipline within their solo performance studies and giving them the opportunity to develop their ensemble skills. They are given time to refine performances and work towards Grade5 practical grading within their own instrumental skill set. Students will also be given the time to build upon their compositional skills through exploring sounds, implements their knowledge and understanding of harmony, texture, structure and other elements of music. They will work within two frameworks; one is a free composition and the other a set brief as outlined and determined by the examination board. Students will have the opportunity to learn how to use music technology to create their compositions and be given the freedom of creating compositions in a traditional manner by annotating should they choose to do so.
Students will also gain a holistic overview of 8 set works spanning 1600-present day musical forms and structures. They extend their learning beyond the classroom by listening to wider listening pieces to deepen their breadth of knowledge and are given opportunities within the KS to develop their listening and appraising skills by annotating and analysing the 8 set works in line with the specification established by the examination board.
Implementation
The GCSE course is a creative, practical, theoretical, and inspiring course. It allows students to immerse themselves in the history of music, the theoretical traditions of Western and non-Western music.
The Edexcel examination course is taught in a balanced way, allowing room for personal growth as musicians and young people. Regular performances in front of peers is a healthy and essential way of developing confidence as young performers and young people. It provides them with experience for KS5 and gives them the opportunity to prepare for their final performances as included within the course criteria.
Compositions are eased into throughout the first year, with an introduction to composition taking place in the second half of the first term once an extensive musical theory has been introduced and embedded. Students have the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the music technology and implement and apply the tools they have been taught. This is an essential step in ensuring that quality learning has taken place and to enable the students to confidently embark on their own Free Composition.
When looking at the set works, students will be taught the process of understanding the history and background to the set works, the composer and time in history. Once this has been embedded, students will be taught how to read score notation and then annotate by using the theoretical techniques they have developed during the first half term. Once annotations have been completed, students will consolidate their learning by completing examination questions, musical dictation and essay-based questions to prepare them for the end of course examination.
High quality Music education has a positive impact on society as it can offer resilient young people, self-disciplined work ethic, creativity, culture, and mental well-being.
Impact
By the end of Key Stage 4, students will have a fully established wealth of knowledge and understanding of musical notation, complex musical history and theories, compositions skills, musical technology skills, performance technique and skills and be able to give a sophisticated response to questions regarding a range of musical styles.
Students will always be given the opportunity to evaluate and track their own progress and musical journey through regular self-reflection and assessment/evaluation. This allows for growth in mindset and pedagogies.
Students will be able to make well-informed decisions about the next stage in their musical journey, whether that be a Music A Level or keeping music as an integral part of their lives not in an academic sense. Whichever they choose, they will have a wealth of musical knowledge and musicianship that will stay with them.