Music
Curriculum intent
To have uncompromising aspirations for every individual and for our school to be an exceptional and inspirational community of lifelong learners.
To ensure all students have the knowledge to critically engage with the conversation of humankind.
Purpose
At Hayes, we want every student to know the power of music: to experience music ‘from the inside’ as performers and creators, and to understand how music fits into the world at large. We aim to give students the knowledge and skills they need for music to play a positive part in the rest of their lives, whether this involves performing, creating, or appreciating. Some of our students have gone on to be professional performers and composers; however, all Hayes students gain an appreciation of how music works, its power and place in everyday life, and how music fits into the world.
Key Concepts the underpin the Music Curriculum
- Pitch and time
- Ways of fitting notes together
- Structures; the balance between unity and variety
- Instrumental, vocal and ICT skills
- Audience awareness
- Social and historical context
How does our curriculum shape learners?
We want all of our students to have an appreciation and knowledge of music that they can enjoy for their whole lives. We want our pupils to be aware of the power of music, and have an understanding of the breadth and range of the music that exists, and its place within different cultures and over history. We want to give them some basic musical skills that will enable them to play chords on the guitar, ukulele and keyboard, and enough understanding to pursue further musical skills, either at GCSE, A level and beyond, or under their own steam via the internet or books.
| Academic end points | |
| Year 7 | By the end of Year 7, students will understand the fundamentals of the ways in which pitch and time are organised in music. They will be able to construct and play major and minor chords on the keyboard and ukulele, performing music with a limited range of chords with accuracy and fluency. They will be able to sing with accuracy and expression in large and small groups, holding a melodic part with others. They will have an understanding of how to present a performance, and respond appropriately as an audience member. Year 7 students will be able to improvise effective melodic and rhythmic phrases within identified styles and structures. They will be able to combine given musical material into a composition or arrangement that demonstrates an understanding of how notes are combined, and consideration of unity and variety. By the end of Year 7, students will be able to read standard rhythm notation and chord boxes with good accuracy, and will have a basic understanding of standard pitch notation, as well as playing simple music by ear. They will have listened to a wide range of music from different cultures and periods of history, and will be able to identify and describe musical features using appropriate terminology selected from the ‘Mad T-shirt' musical dimensions, showing an understanding of where music fits in to a range of cultures. |
| Year 8 | By the end of Year 8, students will be able to play a wider range of chords fluently, with an increasing awareness of voice leading through use of inversions and bass line patterns. They will sing more complex songs, and explore a cappella textures and holding an individual part in a small group. Through the Four Chord project, the 12-bar blues project, and the musical theatre project, students will develop their knowledge of chords, keys, and textures. They will be able to manipulate a more sophisticated range of given material and combine this with original ideas to create music with a good balance of cohesion and variety. Year 8 students will be able to play more complex music by ear, from standard notation, and chord boxes. They will have an increasing understanding of how to present a performance, and respond appropriately as an audience member. By the end of Year 8, students will have listened to an increasing range of music from different cultures and periods of history, and will be able to identify and describe musical features increasingly accurately using appropriate terminology selected from the ‘Mad T-shirt' musical dimensions, showing an understanding of where music fits in to an increasing range of cultures. They will be increasingly independent in using their musical knowledge to source listening and performing materials themselves in accordance with their interests. |
| Year 9 | By the end of Year 9, will be able to perform confidently on keyboard, ukulele, guitar or bass, playing appropriate parts in a range of music with some accuracy and sense of style. They will have a well-developed understanding of how to present a performance, and respond appropriately as an audience member. Through the Stormzy v. Mozart project, students will gain a deeper understanding of the ways in which the features and context of styles have changed over time, identifying and evaluating musical features and attempting to make objective judgements. The songwriting ‘culmination project’ allows students to explore creative ideas more freely within stylistic conventions. By the end of Year 9, students will have listened to a very wide range of music from different cultures and periods of history, and will be able to identify and describe musical features accurately using appropriate terminology selected from the ‘Mad T-shirt' musical dimensions, showing an understanding of where music fits in to an increasing range of cultures. They will be confident enough in their musical knowledge and experience to embrace unfamiliar musical styles with openmindedness and some understanding. They will be able to interpret freely-available online lead sheets and sheet music well enough to be able to develop their musical skills and pursue their own interests independently. |
| Year 10 | By the end of Year 10, students will have deepened their understanding of the musical dimensions through a reinvestigation of the ‘Mad T-shirt' concepts. They will have practised a range of compositional approaches in a way that enables them to make informed decisions about the way that they wish to produce their GCSE free composition, together with its style and structure. They will be continuing to develop their instrumental/vocal skills in conjunction with their individual peripatetic teacher and extra-curricular activities. Through work on AoS2 (Concerto Through Time), AoS5 (Conventions of Pop) and AoS4 (Film Music), students will have applied their ‘Mad T-shirt' knowledge and terminology to a range of styles within their cultural and historical contexts, identifying and analysing characteristic features of familiar and unfamiliar music. |
| Year 11 | By the end of Year 10, students will have deepened their understanding of the musical dimensions through a reinvestigation of the ‘Mad T-shirt' concepts. They will have practised a range of compositional approaches in a way that enables them to make informed decisions about the way that they wish to produce their GCSE free composition, together with its style and structure. They will be continuing to develop their instrumental/vocal skills in conjunction with their individual peripatetic teacher and extra-curricular activities. Through work on AoS2 (Concerto Through Time), AoS5 (Conventions of Pop) and AoS4 (Film Music), students will have applied their ‘Mad T-shirt' knowledge and terminology to a range of styles within their cultural and historical contexts, identifying and analysing characteristic features of familiar and unfamiliar music. |
| Year | By the end of Year 11, students will have demonstrated a high level of competency in performing, composing and listening. They will have performed as a soloist and as part of an ensemble, showing accuracy, control and expression. They will have produced a free composition and a composition to a brief, showing an awareness of stylistic conventions, structure, texture, and development of ideas. Through work on AoS3 (Rhythms of the World), and further work on the other AoS, students will demonstrate analytical skills and an understanding of a wide variety of cultural contexts. They will be able to use musical terminology accurately to describe the features of familiar and unfamiliar music, and relate these to characteristic features of each of the styles studied. Through the study of the AoS, they will develop an increasing understanding of the ways that notes can be put together in different ways in a range of styles. By the end of Year 11, students will have enough musical experience and understanding to embark on a range of post-16 courses of study, and pursue their own musical interests independently. |
| Year 12 Music | By the end of Year 12, students will have continued to develop their instrumental/vocal skills in conjunction with their individual peripatetic teacher and extra-curricular activities. They will have studied a range of music from the Western classical and popular traditions using scores, lead sheets and aural analysis, using an increasing range of terminology to describe features and identify characteristics. Students will learn the conventions of Western tonal harmony including the principles of tonality, chord voicing, and voice leading, and will demonstrate this by using a range of standard harmonic progressions to harmonise melodies. They will also explore various creative approaches to free composition, to a point where they can make decisions about their own free composition, its style and structure. They will make connections between the styles studied, and begin to develop a deeper understanding of musical conventions and functional harmony. |
| Year 12 Music Tech | By the end of Year 12, students will learn the principles of signal path and the basics of analogue and digital sound capture and manipulation. They will know how to record a range of instruments using correct microphone placement, and be able to edit their recordings and apply effects and processing effectively. They will learn how to use a range of functions within Logic software for sound recording, sequencing, sampling, and synthesis. They will have a broad understanding of the relationship between recording technology and musical styles over the last hundred years, and be able to identify and describe the sonic features of a range of familiar and unfamiliar music using specific technical terminology. |
| Year 13 Music | By the end of Year 13, students will be able to perform complex music on their chosen instrument/voice with a high level of accuracy and expression. They will be able to compose music which demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of stylistic conventions, together with skilled manipulation of harmony, texture, sonority, melody and rhythm. They will be able to harmonise chorale melodies in the style of J.S.Bach with an excellent understanding of stylistic voice leading and chord voicing. They will have an advanced understanding of a range of musical styles, and will be able to accurately to identify and describe the details of familiar and unfamiliar music, using a sophisticated range of musical terminology. They will use conventional musical notation fluently, both to communicate their own musical ideas and to analyse the music of others. Beyond musical competence, we encourage students to be open minded about musical traditions, to be curious, reflective and resilient learners and to equip them with the skills to support them in their future musical lives. We are very proud of the way in which our students have a portfolio of musical competencies by the end of their GCSEs, and by the end of A Levels, students are fully fledged musicians. |
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Year 13 Music Tech |
By the end of Year 13, students will have an advanced understanding of sound recording, and will be able to select and position microphones appropriately for a range of instruments/voices in order to capture sound with fidelity and a minimum of noise. They will be able to edit and mix recordings, apply appropriate effects and processing, and create finished multi-track recordings of near-professional quality. They will be able to use technology creatively, including sampling and synthesis, to manipulate sound and compose music to a brief. They will have a detailed understanding of the relationship between recording technology and musical styles over the last hundred years, and be able to identify and describe the sonic features of a wide range of familiar and unfamiliar music using specific technical terminology. Beyond technical competence, we encourage students to be open minded about musical traditions, to be curious, reflective and resilient learners and to equip them with the skills to support them in their future musical lives. We are very proud of the way in which our students have a portfolio of musical competencies by the end of their GCSEs, and by the end of A Levels, students are ready to tackle degree courses or jobs in sound engineering, sound design, music production or commercial music. |
Click here to visualise the Music learner journey
Key features of learning
We provide a structured programme of skills-building and knowledge-building at KS3, coupled with weekly ‘wider listening’ activities that build cultural capital and broaden students’ horizons. This includes exposure to great works of musical art through playing, listening, and watching on video and performed live. We run GCSE Music, and A level courses in both Music and Music Technology. An extensive extra-curricular programme designed to provide opportunities at all musical levels, with plenty of opportunities open to all but also some ‘progression’ routes for more experienced musicians. Extra-curricular activities also provide leadership opportunities for students via our ‘Music Leaders’ scheme. Every year the Choir (which is open to all) and Concert Band go on tour to a different European destination. It is possible for all students to take up individual lessons on an instrument, voice, or DJ-ing. This is fully funded for Pupil Premium students. There are trips to concerts and workshops and performances from visiting artists. We have extensive links with Bromley Youth Music Trust (many of our students participate in a wide range of ensembles there) and other organisations such as Musical Futures, Sing Up, and Handbell Ringers of Great Britain.
Our curriculum develops students’ resilience and teamwork, as well as their self-discipline, empathy and fine motor skills.
What will you see in Music lessons?
The emphasis is on musicking – making music. Students will be playing instruments, singing, working collaboratively, and listening actively to a very wide range of music. They may be working as a whole class, in small groups, or individually. Each KS3 lesson starts with Wider Listening – a different piece each time – that aims to expose students to the widest range of music from different times and cultures. There may also be some low-stakes testing of terminology or aural skills before the main practical work begins.
KS4 and KS5 students may be using computers (Logic/Sibelius software) to compose music, or may be listening and discussing music, or doing group performing/composing work. Music tech students may be in the studio, learning recording skills through practical work.
What will you see in Music books?
Written work is much less important for us than for most other subjects, as the emphasis is on working with actual music – sound waves in real time.
At KS3, booklets are used only for recording the Wider Listening done in each lesson, for low-stakes tests, and making a note of summative assessments and targets.
At KS4/5, student folders are used to store their notes and tests. Their actual music work needs to be heard in real time or electronically (recordings of performances, audio files of compositions).
What formative assessment will you see in Music?
Individual verbal feedback in lessons is our most valuable form of formative assessment. We also have a system of using radar diagrams on paper to track progress against success criteria when we are doing extended projects at KS3.
There may be written formative assessment at KS4/5, but again, individual verbal feedback is the most important means of ensuring student progress.
What is the department currently reading and why?
Ofsted research review – music – to get the current Ofsted thinking about music teaching at KS3 in particular, and ensure that what we do (at least) satisfies this.
Music as a Second Language – the Little Kids Rock teachers’ manual – because this outlines the kind of pedagogy that we believe in, and contains lots of brilliant ideas!
Click here to view the Music Curriculum map
