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King Edward VI Handsworth School,
Rose Hill Road, Birmingham B21 9AR
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In this section
Music
Introduction:
In Music, pupils get the opportunity to develop their composing, performing & listening skills by completing a range of interesting & challenging projects. Pupils are expected to:
- Learn to use tradition forms of musical notation and other aspects of music theory
- Improve their cultural understanding of music by exploring world music
- Improve their critical understanding of music as they engage with & analyse music in popular, world & classical styles
- Improve their performing skills as they improvise, refine and share they work
- Develop their creative skills by composing in a range of styles
- Improve their Music ICT skills by learning to use notation and sequencing software
‘Music is a world within itself, with a language we all understand’ Stevie Wonder
Aims
As a curriculum subject, we aim to help pupils understand the unique language of music – without resorting to jumpsquiffling ears!
We also hope to encourage creativity through an emphasis on practical work
Expressing and justifying opinions, along with giving constructive feedback to one another, is an important aim of the work we do.
We try to provoke a thoughtful response to the differences that exist between styles and over time, and look at how they are being combined today.
Curriculum and Assessment Maps
Year 7
Key Learning Constructs to be developed over the academic year
Performing
Composing
Listening and Appraising
Music Theory
Scheme of Learning Autumn Term
Notation; Rhythm and Pulse; African Drumming
Assessment Pieces Autumn Term
Composition of a percussion piece
African Drumming composition and performing Task
Scheme of Learning Spring Term
Minimalism
Assessment Pieces Spring Term
Minimalist Composition
Scheme of Learning Summer Term
Four Chord Songs: Keyboard, Ukulele, Drumming and Singing
Assessment Pieces Summer Term
Outside the taught curriculum
Music runs a large amount of extra curricular activities including a keyboard club and music theory club to help students reinforce work done within the curriculum. All students also attend a concert at Symphony Hall performed by the CBSO.
Suggested wider reading/enrichment for Year 7
Listening to a wide variety of music actively; attending musical events; taking part in school concerts and other extra curricular music activities. Learning to play a musical instrument.
BBC Bitesize https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/z9xhfg8
Year 8
Key Learning Constructs to be developed over the academic year
Performing
Composing
Listening and Appraising
Music Theory
Scheme of Learning Autumn Term
Blues Music; Film Music
Assessment Pieces Autumn Term
Pupils compose and perform an improvised piece based around the Blues. Pupils compose a piece of film music to a short extract of film.
Scheme of Learning Spring Term
Gamelan Music
Assessment Pieces Spring Term
Pupils compose and perform a piece of music based on the Indonesian Gamelan tradition.
Scheme of Learning Summer Term
Music for Celebration.
Assessment Pieces Summer Term
Pupils compose a piece of music for celebration.
Outside the taught curriculum
Music runs a large amount of extra curricular activities including a keyboard club and music theory club to help students reinforce work done within the curriculum.All students have the opportunity to attend music trips to see a concert and a musical during the year.
Suggested reading for Year 8
Listening to a wide variety of music actively; attending musical events; taking part in school concerts and other extra curricular music activities. Learning to play a musical instrument.
BBC Bitesize https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/z9xhfg8
Year 9
Key Learning Constructs to be developed over the academic year
Performing
Composing
Listening and Appraising
Music Theory
Scheme of Learning Autumn Term
Soul Music and Jazz
Assessment Pieces Autumn Term
Pupils compose and perform a piece of jazz or soul music.
Scheme of Learning Spring Term
Music Production
Assessment Pieces Spring Term
Pupils take on the role of a music producer and create a piece of music from a variety of different musical materials.
Scheme of Learning Summer Term
Song Writing
Assessment Pieces Summer Term
Piece write and perform their own songs
Outside the taught curriculum
Music runs a large amount of extra curricular activities including a keyboard club and music theory club to help students reinforce work done within the curriculum.All students have the opportunity to attend music trips to see a concert and a musical during the year.
Suggested reading
Listening to a wide variety of music actively; attending musical events; taking part in school concerts and other extra curricular music activities. Learning to play a musical instrument.
BBC Bitesize https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/z9xhfg8
Year 10
Key Learning Constructs to be developed over the academic year
Performing
Composing
Listening and Appraising
Theory
Scheme of Learning Autumn Term
Film Music.
Introduction to GCSE Performance
Assessment pieces Autumn Term
Written assessment on Film Music based on GCSE style questions.
Scheme of Learning Spring Term
Music for Ensemble.
Introduction to GCSE Composition
Assessment pieces Spring Term
Written Assessment on Music for Ensemble based on GCSE style questions
Scheme of Learning Summer Term
Popular and World Music
Solo Performing and Composing
Coursework 1
Assessment pieces Summer Term
Written assessment on Popular and World Music.
Y10 Exam
Outside the taught curriculum
Pupils should listen to a wide variety of music critically as well as attending concerts/performances when able.
Youtube can be used to see various performances, key pieces of music that we study.
Suggested reading
BBC Bitesize https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/zpf3cdm
Eduqas website: https://www.eduqas.co.uk/qualifications/music/gcse/
GCSE Music Specfication https://www.eduqas.co.uk/qualifications/music/gcse/eduqas-gcse-music-spec-from2016-d.pdf
Eduqas GCSE Music Textbook. Published by Illuminate Press.
Year 11
Key Learning Constructs to be developed over the academic year
Performing
Composing
Listening and Appraising
Theory
Scheme of Learning Autumn Term
Musical Forms and Devices.
Solo and Ensemble performance practice/recordings.
Complete Composition 1 and start Composition 2.
Assessment pieces Autumn Term
Written Assessment on Musical forms and devices.
Y11 Mock exams.
GCSE Performing and Composing marked and externally moderated.
Scheme of Learning Spring Term
Revision of all Areas of Study.
Solo and Ensemble performance practice/recordings.
Complete Composition 2
Assessment pieces Spring Term
Written Assessment on GCSE style questions.
GCSE Performing and Composing marked and externally moderated.
Scheme of Learning Summer Term
Revision
Assessment pieces Summer Term
GCSE Exam 1hr 15 Mins
Outside the taught curriculum
Pupils should listen to a wide variety of music critically as well as attending concerts/performances when able.
Youtube can be used to see various performances, key pieces of music that we study.
Suggested reading
BBC Bitesize https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/zpf3cdm
Eduqas website: https://www.eduqas.co.uk/qualifications/music/gcse/
GCSE Music Specfication https://www.eduqas.co.uk/qualifications/music/gcse/eduqas-gcse-music-spec-from2016-d.pdf
Eduqas GCSE Music Textbook. Published by Illuminate Press.
Year 12
Scheme of Learning Autumn Term
Co-taught with Handsworth Grammar, King Edward VI Handsworth Wood Girls’ Academy and King Edward Aston school.
20th Century Music
The development of the Symphony
Performing skills
A level Free Composition
Assessment pieces Autumn Term
Interim assessment of compositions and A level set areas of study.
Scheme of Learning Spring Term
20th Century Music
The development of the Symphony
Performing skills
A level Free Composition
Assessment pieces Spring Term
Interim assessment of compositions and A level set areas of study
Scheme of Learning Summer Term
Musical Theatre
The development of the Symphony
Performing skills
A level Free Composition
Assessment pieces Summer Term
Y12 Exam and Assessment of A Level Free composition
Assessment of A Level performances.
Outside the taught curriculum
Pupils should listen to a wide variety of music critically as well as attending concerts/performances when able.
Youtube can be used to see various performances, key pieces of music that we study.
Suggested reading
Eduqas A Level specification: https://www.eduqas.co.uk/qualifications/music/as-a-level/eduqas-a-level-musicspec-from-2016-d.pdf
Eduqas A Level Textbook. Published by Rhinegold Music
Year 13
Scheme of Learning Autumn Term
Musical Theatre
WCT Music
Performing skills
A level WCT Composition brief
Assessment pieces Autumn Term
Interim assessment of compositions and A level set areas of study.
Scheme of Learning Spring Term
WCT Music
Performing skills
A level WCT Composition brief
Assessment pieces Spring Term
Y13 Mock Exams
Interim assessment of compositions and A level set areas of study.
Scheme of Learning Summer Term
Revision
A Level Recital
Free and Brief Composition Work
Assessment pieces Summer Term
A level Compositions – externally marked.
A level recital performance. Visiting Examiner.
A Level Exam 2Hr 15 mins
Staffing
Mr E McIntosh (Subject Leader for Music)
Mr J Mills (Teacher of Music)
Mr N Heppel (Assistant Headteacher, Director of Sixth Form)
Further information
Staff
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Mr E McIntosh (Subject Leader for Music)
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Mr J Mills (Teacher of Music)
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Mr N Heppel (Assistant Headteacher, Director of Sixth Form)
How can parents help?
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Nothing beats live music, so the opportunity to play an instrument (or sing) and to experience live concerts (in any genre) is ideal. The very early stages of learning an instrument can be pretty painful for all concerned (would you judge the standards of under-8s Saturday morning football by those of the Premier League?), but the long-term benefits are amazing. These are often cited as a boost to educational attainment and social skills. The purely musical benefit of expressing human emotions through the language of music is the reason we all persevere.
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Singing together, in any setting, is a fantastic experience.
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Birmingham is a great place for live music, with venues like Symphony Hall and CBSO Centre, the Hippodrome and the mac. Many of the city’s professional groups run family concerts.
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Our partner company, Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, also runs free composing workshops in their ZigZag and Feel the Buzz programmes.
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BBC4 and Sky Arts have increased hugely the amount of music on television, and are always worth scanning.
Where next?
Music can be studied as a degree subject at a number of Russell Group universities as well as many conservatoires in the UK or abroad. A Music degree is a springboard to a wide variety of careers including performing as well as non-related careers such as law, finance and the creative industries.
Opportunities out of lessons
The School provides a huge programme of individual instrumental and vocal lessons, as well as a varied and structured array of ensembles to join.
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