Music

It is widely known that Music can help develop the skills, attitudes and attributes that can support learning in other subjects. This includes listening skills, creativity, perseverance, the ability to concentrate, the ability to work in a group, self-confidence and sensitivity towards others. At Court Moor we value Music tremendously and see it as an integral part of the school curriculum. The Music curriculum at Court Moor aims to engage and inspire pupils to develop their love of music and their talent as musicians, and so increase their self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement.

Music lessons will aim to develop the three main musical disciplines; Listening/Appraising, Composing and Performing. These skills are developed through the study of a variety of different genres of Music, covering a wide range of different time periods and countries. 

Key Stage 3

At Key Stage 3, music is about providing the opportunity to learn new skills and primarily enjoy the subject. We aim to provide every student with the opportunity to learn at their own pace and develop their skills as a musician through listening, composing and performing in curriculum time and, if they so wish, in instrumental lessons and ensembles.

We aim not just to assess formatively at the end of a unit, but provide an opportunity for performance and to demonstrate creativity. Assessment in music is continuous and takes place throughout all our units. We aim to provide a level of teaching which caters for the needs of all learners and supports those who are at any point in their musical journey. Sequenced knowledge is a key part of our teaching and the natural steps we take through learning music reflect those that are used in the learning of a musical instrument. Our units relate closely to each other and progress from one to the next by building on prior knowledge and expanding on key concepts.

Key Stage 4

At KS4 students study the AQA GCSE Music syllabus, which is a relevant and contemporary GCSE qualification that offers students the chance to study a wide range of musical genres, with more opportunities for practical learning. The Subject content is divided into the three components:

• Understanding music

• Performing music

• Composing music.

The areas of study provide an appropriate focus for students to appraise, develop and demonstrate an in-depth knowledge and understanding of musical elements, musical context and musical language. Students will listen attentively to unfamiliar music from all four areas of study and identify and accurately describe musical elements, musical contexts and use musical language.

Students will also learn how to critically appraise the music from a selection of specified study pieces using knowledge and understanding of:

• The effect of audience, time and place on how the study pieces were created, developed and performed

• How and why the music across the selected areas of study has changed over time

• How the composer’s purpose and intention for the study pieces is reflected in their use of musical elements

• Relevant musical vocabulary and terminology for the study pieces.

Music Technology is becoming an increasingly important part of any modern Music Curriculum, particularly given its importance in opening routes to further study. At Court Moor we have invested in a full iMac computer suite with MIDI keyboards and use Logic Pro X to ensure that our students have access to the latest music-making technology. The use of this technology is incorporated into our Music Curriculum at KS3 and KS4.

To contact the curriculum leader for music email: music@courtmoorschool.net