Bluecoat Aspley Academy Curriculum Intent Statement for Music
In the Music curriculum, schemes of work enable students to build upon their skills and knowledge as they progress through the key stages. Students develop their understanding of key musical concepts and develop the skills to be able to explore a wide range of genres and cultures.
Projects allow students to develop their reading of music, composition and performance skills, exploring their use of the musical elements such as rhythm, tempo and dynamics. In addition, students develop contextual understanding by researching the work of historical and contemporary musicians and composers.
Collaborative skills are a cornerstone of the curriculum running through all topics. Students develop ensemble playing and strong musicianship skills, respecting and appreciating each other’s performances and embedding the core values of the school into every lesson.
Metacognitive skills are woven into the curriculum with students learning to prepare and plan for future developments in their work and to monitor and reflect on their progress.
Expand each Key Stage to access the Curriculum Map and see an overview of what is covered in this subject:
At KS3 in Music students have one hour a week, please see the curriculum map to see what students will learn over the course of their study. Music continues to develop from what pupils learnt at KS2 in Music where students have the opportunity to; play and perform in solo and ensemble contexts, improvise and compose music for a range of purposes, listen with attention to detail, use and understand music notation, appreciate to understand a wide range of live and recorded music from different traditions and develop an understanding of the history of music.
In line with the National Curriculum National Curriculum – Music Key Stage 3 Students will learn key skills and understanding of music which will then be developed further in playing and performing confidently in solo and ensemble contexts with fluency, accuracy and expression. To improvise and compose drawing on a range of musical structures, styles and genres, use staff and other relevant notation appropriately, identify the use of tonality, scales and other musical devices. Students will also develop listening skills to grow a deepening understanding of music of a wide range from great composters and musicians.
At KS4 in Music students have two hours a week. As part of BTEC Tech Award in Music Practice students are provided with the opportunity to build upon prior learning from KS3 and develop their practical skills as well as gain a deeper understanding of how great music is made and how the music industry works. Students can explore their own creative output through performance on their chosen instrument as well develop ensemble playing skills working with their peers. Students acquire a deep knowledge and understanding of the building blocks of music and how they are applied to multiple different genres and cultures. Students will then use this knowledge and see how it is used within the music industry in a professional capacity. They will also develop their listening skills and learn to use this to analyse, dissect and discuss pieces of music. This will culminate in original pieces of both written and practical work. Students gain several transferable attributes such as an ability to experimental, take risks, develop confidence as well as analytical and investigative skills.
At KS5 in Music students have five hours of lessons a week. We follow Edexcel A-Level Specification Edexcel A level in Music, Students studying A-level Music will be presented with opportunities to develop their intellectual, imaginative, creative and intuitive capabilities. Alongside this they will develop their investigative, analytical, experimental, practical, technical and expressive skills. Students will do this through both practical study of their chosen instrument(s) as well as in depth study of music history, theory and their impact upon multiple great works studied. Students will be provided with opportunities to foster an enthusiasm and enjoyment for music as well as a respect and understanding of music from multiple time periods and cultures. They will gain knowledge of real-world context and, where appropriate, links to the creative industries. Students are encouraged to not only to work independently and develop themselves as musicians but also to play as a group, building upon team working and ensemble skills imbedded throughout KS3 and KS4.
