Music education at Bredon Hill Academy encourages an active involvement in music making activities. Through performing, singing and composing, in both individual and group settings, pupils have the opportunity to work collectively with others to achieve a common goal. This gives pupils a great sense of fulfilment through their creative ideas. Listening tasks help to develop pupils’ critical skills through an appreciation of music from a variety of different cultures and historical settings.

Intent

It is our intent that all pupils are given an environment in which they can explore creatively and be able to express themselves through performing, composing, singing and listening and ultimately make personal progress.

Implementation

Our music curriculum is designed to teach and revisit these main skills, allowing pupils multiple opportunities to build on their knowledge and improve their musical skills.

Performing

Alongside the use of body and classroom percussion pupils are taught instrument specific skills to develop their knowledge and understanding of performing. All pupils have the opportunity to learn and develop correct keyboard skills, and those in Years 7 and 8 also learn to play some chord patterns on the ukulele. All pupils are taught to read and interpret relevant musical notation.

Composing

Through structured tasks linked to the topic of work, pupils develop an ability to create and extend musical ideas of their own and draw on their knowledge of musical notation to communicate their ideas to others.

Singing

Regular singing within a group environment teaches pupils to love their voices, while developing greater confidence and vocal control. Warm-ups form a vital part of singing and pupils learn to express themselves through their voice.

Listening

Listening questions provide a structure to develop pupils critical thinking skills and to appreciate a wide variety of musical styles.

Music Curriculum 22/23

Year 6

Topic 1: Read It: Rhythm Notation

Topic 2: Read It: Pitch Notation

Topic 3: Popular Music: Keyboard Skills

Topic 4: Musical Traditions: Folk Music

Topic 5: Programme Music

Topic 6: Ternary Project

Year 7

Topic 1: I’ve Got Rhythm: Around the World

Topic 2: Keyboard Skills: Chords

Topic 3: Form and Structure

Topic 4: Sonority City: Programme Music

Topic 5: Variations

Topic 6: Ukulele Skills: Songs from different times and places

Year 8

Topic 1: Saharan Sounds

Topic 2: Hooks and Riffs

Topic 3: Ukulele Skills: What makes a good song?

Topic 4: All About the Bass

Topic 5: Dance Music

Topic 6: Computer and Video Game Music

Extra-curricular

Extra-curricular activities are run at lunchtime and aim to provide everyone the opportunity to further their musical interests through choral and instrumental work with like minded pupils. Individuals and groups perform in school concerts, productions and workshops and also in joint ventures with local schools.

Each week peripatetic instrumental staff visit the school to teach clarinet, drums, flute, guitar, piano, saxophone and violin. Pupils interested in learning to play a musical instrument should speak to Mrs Pilling.

Impact

When our pupils leave Bredon Hill Academy they should be able to:

• Follow rhythm and pitch notation to perform melodies accurately.
• Understand the differences between treble and bass clef.
• Use correct keyboard and ukulele technique to perform.
• Compose melody lines.
• Use the root notes of primary chords to harmonise melodies.
• Improvise new musical ideas over a groove.
• Sing with confidence in a group and include accurate pitching and dynamics.
• Sing pieces that include two or three parts.
• Identify the use of musical elements when listening to musical examples.
• Suggest musical meaning or purpose of the music when listening to musical examples