top of page
Rebates for Music Teachers

MUSIC

"Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything."

 

Plato

 

Subject Intent:

Music is a powerful, unique form of communication that embodies one of the highest forms of creativity.  As an integral part of culture, past and present, it brings together intellect and feeling enabling personal, expression, reflection and emotional development.  The music curriculum develops pupils’ ability to critically engage with a wide variety of music through active involvement in music making, both individual and communal, inspiring a love of music alongside increased self-confidence, risk taking, creativity and a sense of achievement. The music curriculum is fully inclusive, enabling all pupils to access the knowledge and skills regardless of their starting points and barriers to learning. Specific groups such as SEND, DP, MA are closely monitored and intervention, where necessary, is planned in order to reduce gaps and to allow pupils to meet their targets.’

 

We built the curriculum with the intent that students will:

  • experience a broad, deep and knowledge rich curriculum by performing, listening, appraising and creating music across a range of historical genres, styles and traditions.

  • be literate and numerate to communicate their understanding and personal and critical appraisal skills of the music they are experiencing.  Numeracy skills will underpin performance, composing listening and appraisal through the ability to structure, sequence and use of rhythmic notation.

  • have high expectations for their behaviour and achievement through a mutual respect of their own and others work and resources. 

  • develop their cultural, moral, social, mental and physical development through the embedding of singing to create and perform music on their own and with others, alongside the opportunity to learn a music al instrument

  • be prepared for life beyond the school by developing communication, independent learning, social and resilience skills.  We will address these skills through the strong links within the music curriculum to the place of music in society and the music industry.

 

Subject Implementation:

  • The curriculum is taught through the building upon and development of knowledge and key skills as it progresses from year 7 to 11.  Reinforcement of previous knowledge and skills are an integral part of the lessons allowing a secure understanding to enable progression to the next level.

  • This is approached through very practical lessons where the emphasis is on the pupil’s development of independent, critical, evaluative and transferable learning skills.  This creates an engaging and supportive learning environment to develop self-confidence.

  • Listen with increasing discrimination and awareness to inform their practice as musicians is an integral part of the lessons and this is embedded at KS3 to prepare pupils for the demands at KS4.

  • The SoL allows the development and appreciation of vocal and instrumental fluency, accuracy and expressiveness through the understanding of musical contexts, structures, styles, genres, traditions, identifying the expressive use of musical dimensions and use of music technology.

  • Rigorous use of assessment trackers allows for interventions and specific targeted planning for different cohorts across years 7-11.  Assessment is through teacher observations, the recording and monitoring of classwork alongside peer and self-feedback.  The outcomes are analysed and discussed and standardises within the department to enable the implementation of appropriate interventions at all levels.  Assessment outcomes are compared to targets to monitor progress. Specific groups such as SEN, DP, MA are closely monitored and intervention, where necessary, is planned in order to reduce gaps.

 

Subject Enrichment:

In the music department we believe that all pupils should have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument and be involved in musical ensembles.  We offer peripatetic lessons for vocalists and guitar, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. Within these lessons’ pupils have the opportunity to work towards graded music exams through recognised exam boards such as the ABRSM and Trinity, however the emphasis in the peripatetic lessons is very much on developing a lifelong skill and an enthusiasm for performing.  The pupils have the opportunity to participate in the brass band, wind ensemble, rock band, acoustic guitar group, beginner’s guitar ensemble, vocal group, keyboard club, ukulele club, music technology club.  Beyond the school environment pupils are able to experience performing for and within the local community to live audiences and the opportunity to participate in competitions within the wider community. 

As part of the Performing Arts department regular educational visits to theatres and performance venues both locally and further afield to allow all pupils the opportunity to experience live performances to enthuse, inspire and enable these experiences to be embedded within the curriculum.  Within the Performing Arts department pupils are able to take part in the school musicals and showcase performance events on offer throughout the year which are open to all year groups.

 

Subject Impact:

 

  • Prepare pupils to be able to play and perform in a range of contexts with accuracy and expression.

  • Provide pupils with a knowledge of musical structures, styles, genres and traditions which enables them to improvise, compose and extend musical ideas.

  • Ensure that sequences of learning build on previous knowledge and skills along with laying the foundation for subsequent progression.

  • Meet the needs of all pupils; enabling them to develop the knowledge, skills and fundamental British Values that will allow them to be active citizens in modern day Britain.

  • Allow pupils to fulfil their potential; academically, personally, physically, socially and morally, and be successful.

  • Prepare pupils to make informed choices at the end of each key stage and beyond.

  • Prepare pupils for the next stage of their education, employment or training.

Knowledge and Skills

 

Year 7:

 

Pupils will develop their knowledge of:

  • Staff and rhythmic notation

  • Elements of music – Pitch, dynamics, duration, tempo, texture, timbre

  • Chords and Chord sequences and how to use these as the basis of a composition

  • Blues music and its historical importance in the development of popular music

  • Stylistic features of Blues music – blues scale, flattened notes, improvisation, 12 bar chord sequence

  • Key composers/musicians of Blues music, popular music, ‘classical’ and dance music

  • The development of popular music and stylistic features

 

Pupils will develop their skills

  • Using music vocabulary through the use of MAD TSHIRT

  • Creating melodic and rhythmic compositions

  • Improvising melodic and rhythmical phrases

  • Performing melodies and chords on the Keyboard and Ukulele using the correct hand/finger positions

  • Composing using rhythm grids and traditional notation

  • Analysing and evaluating their own and others work

  • Working as part of an ensemble – rehearsal and performance techniques

 

Year 8:

 

Pupils will develop their knowledge of:

  • How music is used in the media and its importance in the film/ T.V/Gaming industry

  • Key composers/musicians of film, game and T.V music

  • Bass clef notation

  • Elements of music - Pitch, dynamics, duration, tempo, texture, timbre, articulation (MAD TSHIRT)

  • Popular music instruments and the different parts they play  -Bass riff, chords, melody, accompaniment, electric guitar, bass guitar, keyboard/synthesizer

  • Structure – Binary form, Ternary form, Rondo form, Stophic form, Verse, Chorus, Middle 8, Intro, Outro, Bridge, Hook

  • Key orchestral composers from Baroque, Classical and Romantic period and their music

  • The history of the music they are performing

 

Pupils will develop their skills in

  • Using music vocabulary through the use of MAD TSHIRT

  • Creating melodic and rhythmic motifs to create a specific mood/atmosphere

  • Composing and developing Leitmotifs

  • The use of a DAW to create and manipulate motifs and accompaniments

  • Performing on the Keyboard and Band instruments (Guitar, Ukulele, Cajon, Drum Kit/Drum pad)

  • Analysing and evaluating their own and others work

  • Working as part of an ensemble – rehearsal and performance techniques

 

Year 9

Pupils will develop their knowledge of:

  • Staff notation –Treble, Alto, Tenor and Bass clef

  • Note values  - semiquaver, quaver, crotchet, minim, semibreve, breve, dotted notes, triplets

  • Major and minor scales and chords up to 4 sharps/flats (circle of 5ths)

  • The elements of music through the use of MAD TSHIRT

  • The stylistic features and their importance in the development of popular music from 1960’s - Current

  • Current industry trends in music in the media and popular music

  • Different cultures and the influence, importance and use of music within them

  • The stylistic features of world music (Samba, Indian, Fusion)

  • Western classical music and how it developed from the Baroque – 21st Century

  • Transferable skills across each of the three areas of appraisal, composing and performance

 

Pupils will develop their skills

  • Using music vocabulary through the use of MAD TSHIRT when analysing their own and others music

  • Using a DAW to create, develop and manipulate musical ideas into compositions

  • Performing on a variety of  instruments/voice making use of specific/appropriate performance techniques

  • Critically appraising and evaluating their own and others work

  • Solo and ensemble performance work and rehearsal techniques

  • Through the application and development of stylistic features/musical devices in world music in performance and composition work

  • Creating cover versions of popular pieces of music, applying appropriate stylistic features/musical devices

 

Year 10

 

Pupils will develop their knowledge of:

  • reading and writing treble, bass, tenor and alto clef staff notation in simple and compound time

  • roman numerals for chords I, ii, iii, IV, V and vi in a major key

  • contemporary chord symbols for chords within a major key e.g. C, Dm, Em, F G(7) and Am

  • reading and writing key signatures to four sharps and flats

  • musical vocabulary related to the four areas of study (AoS)

  • the diverse heritage of music, in order to promote personal, social, intellectual and cultural development.

  • Music of the Baroque, Classical and Romantic eras through the study of binary, ternary, minuet and trio, rondo, variation and strophic forms.

  • the use of texture and sonority in diverse musical styles composed for ensemble, such as jazz and blues, musical theatre and chamber music

  • how music for film is created, developed and performed, and the impact this has on the audience.

  • the musical idioms associated with a variety of popular music and the impact music technology has on the way music is developed and performed in popular music.

Pupils will develop their skills in

  • The use of technical control, expression and interpretation within performance pieces

  • developing musical ideas with technical control and coherence within compositions

  • appraising their own and others music by making evaluative and critical judgements

  •  appropriate use of the elements of music to create contrasts in tone colour and moods

Year 11

 

Pupils will develop their knowledge of:

  • genres, styles, musical features and techniques (Popular music 1960’s – present day, world music and fusion, music for media, western classical styles of music , jazz and blues)

  • the impact of technology on musical styles, instruments and genres

  • creative and technical musical skills

  • responding to a music brief to address the aims of the brief

  • the resources and skills development needed to produce a final piece of music

  • the stylistic features and characteristics (scales and modes, instrumentation, harmony, rhythmic and melodic techniques, production techniques)

  • the different types of music product: live performance, audio recording, original song or composition, Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) project.

  • Personal and professional skills in the music industry: time management, self-discipline, working with others, correct and safe use of equipment, identifying resources required, auditing skills and maintaining a development plan

  • Methods of capturing musical development and ways to communicate and share their work within the music industry

  • Performance, creation and production techniques and how to develop these to create a complete piece

 

Pupils will develop their skills in

 

  • Identifying, explaining and evaluating how styles and techniques are used in a wide range of genres

  • Demonstrating the use of different musical creation techniques and resources

  • The use of music theory to inform and support creative choices

  • responding to feedback

  • their participation, development of and responses to professional and personal skills used in workshops

  • Evaluating their current strengths and weaknesses in performance, creation and production skills

  • making qualitative judgements

  • the effective and controlled application of techniques and skills required to develop musically

Contact the Head of Faculty for Performing Arts and Physical Education:

Mr Milthorpe - a.milthorpe@smithillsschool.net

 

Contact Lead Teacher of Music and Peripatetic Teachers:

Mrs Elliott - J.Elliott@smithillsschool.net

bottom of page