At Key Stage 3, Music is taught across three half terms a year. Music is taught both in practical and academic ways. Pupils are taught the key concepts of music theory so that they have the knowledge to start reading music independently and use the correct terminology to describe the music that they listen to and compose.
In practical terms, pupils will learn singing, keyboards, guitars and drumming, in preparation for Key Stage 4.
Year 7
Cycle 1: Learning the musical notation of rhythm in the context of Samba Drumming. Pupils learn how to recognize the basic elements of music and use the correct terminology to describe the music that they create and hear.
Cycle 2: Notation on the staff. Pupils will learn about pitch notes in the context of keyboard playing. Pupils will have the opportunity to learn a variety of basic tunes to increase their skills over the half term.
Cycle 3: Composition: Pupils will learn how to compose a fanfare.
Year 8
Cycle 1: Learning the musical notation of the guitar tab. Pupils will learn bass line riffs and then apply their knowledge to singing with a bass line riff accompaniment.
Cycle 2: Pupils learn the key chords on the guitar to learn as group how to play and sing a song.
Cycle 3: Pupils will apply their guitar skills to compose a pop song
Year 9
Cycle 1: The Blues: Pupils learn about The Blues in the context of becoming a band.
Cycle 2: Reggae: Improving their band skills students will start to rehearse more independently.
Cycle 3: Technology and composition. Students will learn to use technology to compose Film Music
Year 10
Students learn to work together as a band to improve their skills developed in Key Stage 3.
Unit 1: Pupils work on a performance. It can be individual or part of a group. Each pupil gets an individual grade but can use other pupils as non-assessed candidates in the performance of their piece. The written coursework is a write up of the pupil’s research into the performer they are interested in, their intention of how they will perform the piece and evaluation of their performance based on feedback given by the class. The written coursework takes 10 hours in total. It is marked in school and moderated by the exam board.
Unit 2: Creating. Pupils will work to a brief given by the exam board to compose a piece of music. They can compose one piece or a portfolio of pieces to suit the brief. This is individual work, but students can use other pupils to play their music composition in the presentation of their piece. The written assessment for this will take place in a computer room where students write up their research, their composition process and evaluate their work based on feedback given during the presentation of their pieces. The written coursework is an exam which takes 10 hours in total. It is marked in school and moderated by the exam board.
Year 11
Uniy 3: Performing Arts in Practice
In this unit, pupils work as if professional producers, directors and performers to develop ideas as part of the business of Performing Arts. Pupils will develop ideas for a range of performances and compositions in response to a brief given by the board. Past briefs have been a music festival to celebrate your local area, music to reflect art in your local area and music to celebrate the opening of a museum of transport.
The Pupils have to write up their research into the topics of the brief, their ideas of what they intend the music to sound like in a venue of their choice, understand the funding implications of the performance as shown in a pitch to an imagined group of investors, how they developed at least three compositions for the performance, and evaluate their work based on feedback. The assessment takes 20 hours broken up into sections. It is externally marked by the exam board.
Exam board
EDUQAS Vocational Award in Performing Arts.