VLE
Music is all around us. It is a cultural medium which can provide lifelong pleasure, whether in the form of classical, popular, folk, world music or jazz – or a fusion of these. It is the aim of music lessons to help the students to understand how to listen to, appreciate, perform and compose a variety of music for pleasure.
Music is a practical subject and the emphasis throughout all year groups is on the composing, making and performing of music. Music is largely assessed through performances. These are recorded and the best pieces frequently end up on our NUMU site.
Music is compulsory for all students in Years 6-8. Each tutor group receives one 65-minute lesson per week.
In Year 6, students develop skills in playing guitars and keyboards. They study world music, including percussive Samba from Brazil. The emphasis is on developing ensemble and instrumental skills that will allow them to access the Musical Futures curriculum at the start of Year 7.
In Years 7 and 8, students embark on our Musical Futures programme, a series of models and approaches that can be personalised by teachers, practitioners and others is based on the belief that music learning is most effective when young people are engaged in making music, and when their existing passion for music is acknowledged, reflected on and built upon in the classroom. The scheme of work is student-led and uses a variety of non-formal and informal teaching methods to encourage collaboration skills and allow the education to become very child-specific. For further information, you may wish to peruse the Musical Futures website.
In Year 9 students may select to continue their musical education as a subject option. Those who choose to do so embark on projects that develop their skills in music technology, sound recording and production.
In Years 10 and 11 students may elect to take GCSE Music or GCSE Music Technology.
In Years 12 and 13, students who have successfully completed GCSE Music may select to participate in the AS and A2 Music courses.