-KS3 Music

Curriculum

Intent

The performing arts department at Rainford High seeks to foster all students’ creativity and cultural awareness by facilitating exploration in a wide variety of practical ways through an accessible and inclusive curriculum. At all key stages we aim to challenge students to look beyond their existing views and cultural awareness by experiencing live and recorded performances from artists in all genres, from the past and present and from different cultures. We believe a robust performing arts curriculum is a crucial part of our students’ experience at Rainford as it contributes significantly to preparing them for life as fully rounded members of the wider community.

In music, we aim for all students to develop their creativity through sound by performing on their own and as part of an ensemble, creating and developing ideas in composition and listening to and analysing a wide variety of music. We believe in a ‘sound before symbol’ approach, enabling students to learn and explore music by engaging in practical activities which can then lead on to the use of a variety of notations.

Implementation

All students are taught music once a week at Key Stage 3. The curriculum is divided into six units per year and these are designed to develop students’ musical skills, knowledge and understanding in a cyclical way. Over the key stage, students are introduced to composition, performance, and listening and appraisal skills. As the curriculum develops, these skills are revisited within increasingly challenging contexts. Students are able to use a broad variety of instruments and music technology and are encouraged to work both on their own and in groups with their peers to share and structure their ideas. Performing and audience skills are a key part of all lessons, resulting in an atmosphere of mutual respect and celebration of work. We encourage resilience and determination whilst creating a safe environment where students can take risks in their learning. All work is recorded allowing students to listen back to, analyse and evaluate their own work and that of others.

Music is taught at Key Stage 4 and 5 where students follow rigorous practical based BTEC Tech Award and A Level courses offering clear pathways to higher education opportunities in academic, vocational and performance-based music.

Impact

We aim to deliver a wide ranging curriculum which enables all students to thrive, develop in confidence and celebrate their work and that of others. Students should make outstanding progress relative to their starting points when they join Rainford and, as they progress on their music journey through the school, we aim to foster a lifelong appreciation and love of music and the arts.

For those students studying at Key Stage 4 and 5, we will equip them with the skills, knowledge and understanding to progress on to higher education courses should they wish. Regardless of future career pathways, music will develop our students into creative, articulate, thoughtful, empathetic, resourceful, resilient and confident members of society.

Possible careers and opportunities

Music necessitates a wide variety of transferable and desirable skills needed in many career paths as it develops imagination and creativity, self-expression and resilience, listening and analytical skills, diverse cultural and historical awareness and the ability to work with and direct others. It can also lead directly to a future in performing, teaching, composing in a variety of genres (film, gaming etc.), recording and producing, sound engineering and media.

Facilities

The department has three fully equipped classrooms, three practice rooms and a recording studio. We have a large selection of instruments including keyboards, drum kits, guitars (electric and acoustic) and brass, string and woodwind instruments. We also have a suite of Apple Mac computers for developing music technology.

Support

The department runs a full programme of additional instrumental lessons on piano, guitar, drum kit, voice, woodwind and brass. These are offered to all years, and students studying music at Key Stage 4 and 5 are given instrumental lessons as part of their examination courses.  As a department we offer various levels of support to pupils including 1-to-1 intervention, after-school revision classes and holiday sessions to prepare students for their examinations. In addition, all key information, resources and knowledge organisers are available on the school website to support your child’s learning.

Extra-Curricular

Rainford has a full and varied music extra-curricular offer including concert band, choir, show band and student- led rock and pop bands. We celebrate students’ work in our Christmas and summer concerts and our more experienced students form the show band for our annual school production. Students are involved in our local Music Hub ensembles and in workshops with external arts companies in diverse styles and genres. The department organises regular concert trips to local venues including the Bridgewater Hall and the Liverpool Philharmonic.

Year 7 Curriculum:

Autumn term 

Introduction to Music/baseline assessment:

  • Development of individual or pair performance on keyboard.
  • Singing and rhythm activities as part of the class.
  • Graphic scores.
  • Compositions in groups using the potential of the voice.
  • Introduction to graphic annotation.

Spring term

Music from China:

  • Exploration of Chinese music and the links to Chinese New Year traditions.
  • Keyboard composition using features of Chinese music.
  • Introduction to Rhythm Notation.
  • Introduction to conventional rhythm notation.
  • Group work using percussion instruments following, structuring and writing rhythmic patterns.

 

Summer Term

Introduction to Pitch Notation:

  • Introduction to conventional pitch notation.
  • Keyboard performances following standard staff notation.
  • Ensemble Performance.
  • Whole class ensemble performance of Wonderwall.
  • Use of keyboards, guitars, drum kit and vocals.

 

Assessment

Your child’s progress will be assessed against the Music Progress Ladders.  Your child will be assessed formally in our whole-school Assessment Fortnights twice a year. In addition, students will perform their work in progress on a regular basis during the lesson for teacher and peer feedback. All finished work is recorded and students listen back to and assess their work.

Resources

To help support your child’s learning we have detailed Knowledge Organisers on each topic we teach. To help develop your child’s vocabulary and foster a love for reading, we also set four reading homeworks a term which are published on Show My Homework.  Further useful resources include: https://quizlet.com/subject/music

Year 8 Curriculum:

Autumn term

Music for Adverts:

  • Introduction to music technology and its use in the media.
  • Creation of a soundtrack to an existing advert using Garageband.

Music from Asia: Gamelan

  • Exploration of the music of Asia and the cyclical nature of Gamelan.
  • Keyboard performance following Gamelan notation.

 

Spring term

Ensemble Performance:

  • Development of ensemble skills started in Year 7 and exploration of song structure.
  • Whole class performance on keyboards, guitars, drum kit and vocals.

The Classics: Form and Structure:

  • Exploration of Pachelbel’s Canon and its use as a foundation for many contemporary songs.
  • Performance on keyboards of Pachelbel’s ground bass and developing variations.
  • Creation of own variation to go with the original ground bass.

Summer term

Music of Africa:

  • Discovery of the features of African music.
  • Performance of African song and polyrhythms.
  • Group composition of original piece in African style using voices and percussion instruments.

Science Fiction and Fantasy Music:

  • Exploration of the creative potential of the keyboards and their synthesised sounds.
  • Creation of Sci –Fi and Fantasy music following features of film and TV examples.

 

Assessment

Your child’s progress will be assessed against the Music Progress Ladders.  Your child will be assessed formally in our whole-school Assessment Fortnights twice a year.  In addition, students will perform their work in progress on a regular basis during the lesson for teacher and peer feedback. All finished work is recorded and students listen back to and assess their work.

Resources

To help support your child’s learning we have detailed Knowledge Organisers on each topic we teach. To help develop your child’s vocabulary and foster a love for reading, we also set four reading homeworks a term which are published on Show My Homework.  Further useful resources include:

Year 9 Curriculum:

Autumn term

The Blues:

  • An exploration of the structure and origins of the Blues.
  • Keyboard performance of chords, walking bassline and improvised melody.

Dance Music and Music Technology:

  • Development of Music Technology work started in Year 8.
  • Exploration of EDM styles and the manipulation of original and looped sounds using technology.
  • Creation of original composition using Garageband.

Spring term

Ensemble Performance:

  • Development of ensemble work from Year 7 and 8.
  • Whole class performance on keyboards, drum kit, guitars and vocals.

Music for Film:

  • Discovery of the importance of sound in film and gaming.
  • Exploration of musical clichés used in different film genres.
  • Creation of film music on keyboards or Garageband.

Summer term

Song:

  • What makes a successful song?
  • Exploration of song structure, use of hooks and riffs, chords and importance of lyrics.
  • Creation of own song or rap.

Final Performance:

  • Sharing of ‘best’ work from the year in class performance.

 

Assessment

Your child’s progress will be assessed against the Music Progress Ladders.  Your child will be assessed formally in our whole-school Assessment Fortnights three times a year.  In addition, students will perform their work in progress on a regular basis during the lesson for teacher and peer feedback. All finished work is recorded and students listen back to and assess their work.

 

Resources

To help support your child’s learning we have detailed Knowledge Organisers on each topic we teach. To help develop your child’s vocabulary and foster a love for reading, we also set four reading homeworks a term which are published on Show My Homework.  Further useful resources include: