Pupils should build on their previous knowledge and skills from Key Stage 2 through performing, composing and listening. The Music Department collects data prior to students arrival in year 7 and then updates at least every 6 months and at the beginning of each academic year thereafter. The data includes their curricular and extra-curricular experiences and also includes the following:

• Instruments studied (principle and secondary) including grade if known
• Whether they have had or are currently having peripatetic lessons
• Groups performed or performing in
• Past musical experiences, including the one most significant to them

Students should develop their vocal and/or instrumental fluency, accuracy and expressiveness, and understand musical structures, styles, genre and traditions, identifying the expressive use of musical dimensions.

They should listen with increasing discrimination and awareness to inform their practice as musicians. They should use technologies appropriately and appreciate and understand a wide range of musical contexts and styles.

Pupils will be taught to:

1. Play and perform confidently in a range of solo and ensemble contexts using their voice, playing instruments musically, fluently and with accuracy and expression.
2. Improvise and compose; and extend and develop musical ideas by drawing on a range of musical structures, styles, genres and traditions.
3. Use staff and other relevant notations appropriately and accurately in a range of musical styles, genres and traditions.
4. Identify and use the interrelated dimensions of music expressively and with increasing sophistication, including use of tonalities, different types of scales and other musical devices.
5. Listen with increasing discrimination to a wide range of music from great composers and musicians.
6. Develop a deepening understanding of the music that they perform and to which they listen, and its history. 

To aid further development, all students will be provided a Focus on Sound account which will enable them to access high quality music content from home.

Term 1-2 | The Fundamentals of Music

• All students know and understand the elements of music and learn appropriate terminology.
• All students know how to sing and improvise as part of an ensemble and learn how to recognise instruments and voices by ear.

Term 2-3 | Back to Bach - An introduction to music from the Baroque to the Romantic era.

• All students know and understand the features of Western Classical Music from the Baroque to the Romantic period, including time periods and prominent composers.
• All students know how to listen and recognise features of Baroque, Classical and Romantic music, including specific instruments, the development of the orchestra and key features, such as ornamentation and dynamics.

Term 4-6 | Music from South America - Samba

• All students know and understand the features of Samba music from South America and its role in society.
• All students know how to play and arrange Samba music as part of an ensemble.

Term 1-2 | Music in the Theatre

• All students know and understand features of Musical Theatre and Opera and the role they have played in Western culture.
• All students know how to recognise different voice types and be able to prepare and perform a number from a chosen musical or opera.

Term 2-3 | Music for Film and Media

• All students know and understand how music is composed for film and media and recognise the features in specific genres.
• All students know how to play/compose for film and media using their chosen technology.

Term 4-6 | African Drumming

• All students know and understand features of African music, including the role of music in West African society.
• All students know how to perform and compose using African drums using a variety of techniques, including improvisation, call and response and other rhythmic devices.

Term 1-3 | The Art of Song writing

• All students know and understand the fundamentals of song writing with examples from a range of musical styles and genres.
• All students know how to compose for popular music, using a variety of melodic, harmonic and structural devices.

Term 4-6 | Film Music

• All students know and understand features of film music, including the work of specific composers.
• All students know how to compose music for a film music genre of their choosing.

GCSE Music offers a broad and coherent course which encourages students to:

1. Engage actively in the process of music study.
2. Develop performing skills individually and in groups to communicate musically with fluency and control of the resources used.
3. Develop composing skills to organise musical ideas and make use of appropriate resources.
4. Recognise links between the integrated activities of performing, composing and appraising and how this informs the development of music.
5. Broaden musical experiences and interests, develop imagination and foster creativity.
6. Develop knowledge, understanding and skills need to communicate effectively as musicians.
7. Develop awareness of a variety of instruments, styles and approaches to performing and composing.
8. Develop awareness of music technologies and their use in the creation and presentation of music.
9. Recognising contrasting genres, styles and traditions of music, and develop awareness of musical chronology.
10. Develop as effective and independent learners with enquiring minds.
11. Reflect upon and evaluate their own and others’ music.
12. Engage with and appreciate the diverse heritage of music, in order to promote personal, social, intellectual and cultural development.

GCSE Music require students to develop and demonstrate their musicianship skills through performing, composing and appraising. Students are required to demonstrate of the musical elements, musical contexts and musical language and to apply these to performing and composing. 

 Musical elements 

1. Organisation of pitch (melodically and harmonically); including simple chord progressions e.g. perfect and imperfect cadences and basic melodic devices e.g. sequence.
2. Tonality; including major, minor and basic modulation e.g. tonic – dominant
3. Structure; organisation of musical material including simple structure e.g. verse and chorus, call and response, binary and theme and variations.
4. Sonority; including recognition of a range of instrumental and vocal timbres and articulation e.g. legato and staccato.
5. Texture; how musical lines (parts) fit together including simple textural combinations e.g. unison, chordal and solo
6. Tempo, metre and rhythm; including pulse, simple time, compound time and basic rhythmic devices e.g. dotted rhythms.
7. Dynamics; basic dynamic devices e.g. crescendo and diminuendo. 

Musical contexts 

8. The effect of purpose and intention (e.g. of the composer, performer, commissioner) on how music created, developed and performed in different historical, social and cultural contexts.
9. The effect of audience, time and place (e.g. venue, occasion) on how music is created, developed and performed in different historical, social and cultural contexts.

Musical language 

10. Reading and writing of staff notation including treble-clef and bass-clef note names, rhythmic notation in simple time, key signatures to four sharps and four flats.
11. Major and minor chords and associated chord symbols including traditional and contemporary notation as appropriate e.g. IV or G7
12. Recognising and accurately using appropriate musical vocabulary and terminology related to the Areas of Study e.g. slide, repeats and stepwise. 

Perform 

13. Make use of musical elements, techniques and resources to interpret and communicate musical ideas with technical control and expression. This must be achieved by one or more of the following means: playing or singing music, improvising, or realising music using music technology.
14. Perform music with control, making expressive use of phrasing and dynamics appropriate to the style and mood of the music. 

Compose 

15. Make use of musical elements, techniques and resources to create and develop musical ideas with technical control and coherence; freely as the composer chooses, and responding to a brief or commission supplied by others.
16. Compose music that develops musical ideas, uses conventions and explores the potential of musical structures and resources. 

Appraise 

17. Analyse and evaluate music in aural and/or written form, using knowledge and understanding of musical elements, musical contexts and musical language to make critical judgements about repertoire within the Areas of Study.
18. Use knowledge and understanding of musical elements, musical contexts and musical language to analyse unfamiliar music (i.e. individual pieces of music that have not been stipulated with the specification).
19. Make critical judgements about music, using appropriate musical vocabulary.
20. Formulate critical judgements, which will be achieved by attentive listening (rather than just hearing) and aural perception.

Term 1-2 | Area of Study 1 - Musical Forms and Devices and Component 1 – Solo Performance

• All students will know and understand the meaning of Western Classical Tradition and why it is important. The forms and structures how music is presented and organised during the classical period. Typical musical devices used by composers, as well as the necessary information about the prepared piece set for detailed study.
• All students know how to develop performance skills on their chosen instrument, including developing knowledge, fluency and technical control on their respective instrument(s) or voice.

Term 2-3 | Area of Study 3 - Film Music and Component 1 – Solo/Ensemble Performance | Component 2 – Free Composition

• All students will know and understand the origin of film music. How music for film is created and developed. The use of musical elements to create different moods and effects in film music. Some musical devices and techniques commonly found in film music. 
• All students know how to develop performance skills on their chosen instrument, including developing knowledge, fluency and technical control on their respective instrument(s) or voice.
• All students know how to compose to a brief set by themselves, including how to use a variety of compositional techniques appropriate to the style or genre.

• Term 4 | Area of Study 4 – Pop Music and Component 1 – Solo/Ensemble  Performance | Component 2 – Free Composition
• All students know and understand popular music from the 1950s to the present day. This unit will take students through the development of pop music, introducing important artists and songs that have shaped the music we listen to today including information about the prepared piece set for detailed study.
• All students know how to develop performance skills on their chosen instrument, including developing knowledge, fluency and technical control on their respective instrument(s) or voice.
• All students know how to compose to a brief set by themselves, including how to use a variety of compositional techniques appropriate to the style or genre.

Term 5-6| Area of Study 2 – Music for Ensemble, Component 1 – Ensemble Performance and Component 2 - Free Composition

• All students will learn the meaning of sonority, timbre and texture. What is meant by the term ‘ensemble’, chamber music ensembles, ensembles in musical theatre and jazz and blues ensembles.
• All students know how to develop performance skills on their chosen instrument, including developing knowledge, fluency and technical control on their respective instrument(s) or voice.
• All students know how to compose on a brief set by themselves, including how to use a variety of compositional techniques appropriate to the style or genre.

Term 1-2 | Component 1 – Solo and Ensemble Performance, and Component 2 - Set Brief Composition

• All students know and understand how to compose to a set brief, including how to use a variety of compositional techniques appropriate to the style or genre.
• All students know how to perform as part of an ensemble on an instrument of their choice, including developing knowledge, fluency and technical control on their respective instrument(s) or voice.

Term 3 | Revise Areas of Study 1-4 and Final Solo/Ensemble Performances

• All students know and understand key features of each Area of Study, including instrumentation, style and musical devices and exam technique.
• All students know how to perform a solo and as part of an ensemble on an instrument of their choice, including developing knowledge, fluency and technical control on their respective instrument(s) or voice.

Term 4-5 | Revise Areas of Study 1-4

• All students know and understand key features of each Area of Study, including instrumentation, style and musical devices and exam technique.
• All students know how to write about music with clarity and sophistication

Term 1-2 | Area of Study A (including set work) – The Development of the Symphony and Solo Performance

• All students know and understand how to develop and improve their skills as a performer, including developing knowledge, fluency and technical control on their respective instrument(s) or voice.
• All students will develop an understanding of musical characteristics of the Western Classical tradition and how musical elements were used. They will develop an understanding of how the symphonic genre and the orchestra developed, through examples from different composers from the Classical and Romantic periods (1750-1900). Students will develop an in-depth knowledge of the chose set-work.

Term 3 | Optional Area of Study (2) and Solo Performance

• All students know and understand how to develop and improve their skills as a performer, including developing knowledge, fluency and technical control on their respective instrument(s) or voice.
• All students know how to listen and compare a variety of musical compositions by composers from the relevant Area of Study, including a range of musical techniques and devices.

Term 4 | Optional Area of Study (E), Solo Performance and Free Composition

• All students know and understand how to compose music to a brief they have set for themselves, including how to use a variety of compositional techniques appropriate to the style or genre.
• All students know how to listen and compare a variety of musical compositions by composers from the relevant Area of Study, including a range of musical techniques and devices.

Term 5-6 | Area of Study B – Rock and Pop, Solo Performance and Free Composition

• All students know and understand how to compose music to a brief they have set for themselves, including how to use a variety of compositional techniques appropriate to the style or genre.
• All students know how to listen and compare a variety of musical compositions written prominent composers and performers of that style and genre and are able to write about them with clarity and sophistication. 

Year 13

Term 1-2 | Revise all Areas of Study, Set Brief Composition and Solo Performance

• All students know and understand how to compose to a set brief, including how to use a variety of compositional techniques appropriate to the style or genre.
• All students know and understand how to perform to a high level, with fluency and technical control on their respective instrument(s) or voice.

Term 3 | Revise all Areas of Study and Solo Performance

• All students know and understand how to perform to a high level, with fluency and technical control on their respective instrument(s) or voice.
• All students know how to listen and compare a variety of musical compositions written prominent composers and performers of that style and genre and are able to write about them with clarity and sophistication.

Term 4-5 | Revise all Areas of Study

• All students know and understand a variety of exam techniques in preparation of final assessment.
• All students know how to listen and compare a variety of musical compositions written prominent composers and performers of that style and genre and are able to write about them with clarity and sophistication.