KS3 – Music

In Music at Key Stage 3, the curriculum encourages students to compose and perform music successfully. There is also an emphasis on collaborative learning as students are required to work as part of a team/ensemble in the schemes of work. A knowledge-skills-based curriculum is preferred. Theoretical aspects of both subjects are covered with greater importance than practical elements. Students will develop confidence and a love of the practical elements to enable progress to Key Stage 4 and beyond. There is a 60:40 split between practical and theoretical work. 

Our curriculum is based in alignment with the aims of the National Curriculum in Music are to:

• Perform, listen to, review and evaluate music across a range of historical periods, genres, styles and traditions, including the works of great composers and musicians
• Learn to sing and use their voices, create and compose music on their own and with others, have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument, use technology appropriately and have the opportunity to progress to the next level of musical excellence
• Understand and explore how music is created, produced and communicated through the inter-related dimensions: pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture, structure and appropriate musical notations.

The curriculum at UCGS covers:

• music from the Baroque to today, folk, world, classical, and popular music.
• singing, performance or composition assessments in Schemes of work. The instruments may include composing using keyboards, voices and computer technology. 
• listening activities in all SoWs, extended writing research projects, and the study of music elements, including regular rhythm and pitch reading activities.

The curriculum is delivered through: 

• the use of solo, paired and small group performances with success and grading criteria that are worded to include accuracy of pitch, fluency of rhythm and expression in terms of dynamics and phrasing. 
• Students improvise on keyboards using the blues scale and all SoW in Year 8, including higher-grade descriptions that involve improvisation relevant to the style/genre they are playing. Students compose drumming and popular music songs with all SoWs, including grading criteria, explicitly instructing students to extend and develop musical material. Keyboard projects use staff notation and, in popular projects, chord symbols notation. 

Analysis and use of different tonalities, scales and musical devices (iv) such as the major scale, pentatonic scales, the blues scale, walking bass patterns, arpeggios and chords.