Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.

 

The Framework of our intent 

Music is an intrinsic part of our society, often used to define particular moments in our lives and having the power to move emotion in a way few other things can. It is a powerful method of self-expression and extraordinary at balancing mental health. 

Our curriculum aims in Music at Guilsborough Academy are to promote a life-long love of music and to equip students with the skills to be able to engage with it fully. We aim for students to be wholly successful through a rigorous programme of composition, performance and listening activities. With equal measure, we aim to develop these skills so that students can access music through any one of these mediums and experience a broad and balanced musical education which enables them to be successful, if they so desire, in taking the GCSE Music examination. 

To do this, we ensure that we cover a balanced combination of performing, listening and appraising skills at KS3. We specialise in Year 9 in order that students can be more fully prepared for the demands of the listening and appraising paper at GCSE and students cover a rigorous programme of learning in composition, performance, listening and music theory. 

Quite simply, we believe that every student deserves to leave our academy with the gift of music. We aim to develop their performance, composition and listening skills so that students can access music through any one of these mediums, at any point in their lives, and benefit from the extraordinary power of music. 

What to expect from the Music Department: 

• A united vision amongst our staff, including peripatetic staff. We aspire to do the best for the students in our care and in equal measure expect our students to hold themselves to the same standard. 

• Teaching to the Top – we are constantly sharing and developing frameworks to support adaptive teaching and teaching to the top. 

• Strong and passionate leadership and vision from the Head of Subject, with an outstanding work ethic for amongst department staff, including passionate delivery of our subject and an infectious enthusiasm for music. 

• Evidence of independent learning, visible in every classroom, in on-line learning and in student homework. 

• Parity between the experience students have in each classroom so that students gain similar experiences, regardless of who teaches them. 

• Students gaining much enrichment and enthusiasm from the broad range of extra-curricular activities we provide, including multiple ensemble groups. 

• Music being the foremost language in our classroom. 

Guilsborough Academy Vision	How the Music Department embed this
We aspire to be our best and to do our best for others	We aim to provide a broad and balanced curriculum through a rigorous programme of composition, listening and performing. We hope that the insistence we have on our staff doing their best is palpably felt by the students and that they hold themselves to an equally high standard. We ensure all students reach their potential regardless of personal circumstance by aiming to create independent learners, and providing early intervention for students that are not making the required progress in order to reach their potential.
We respect ourselves and others	Learning about the music of other cultures in a central feature of our curriculum. These experiences allow students to have an understanding of other cultures and to respect others beliefs. We provide a varied programme of events that allow our students to be shining examples of excellence for the academy and other opportunities for students to give back to the local community. They learn grit, resilience and independence whilst preparing performances.
Our learning knows no limits	We constantly review our curriculum provision, ensuring that it is the highest quality and provides for every learner, regardless of their circumstance. We provide a wider range of extra-curricular musical experiences to enrich students musical experience. We ensure that we provide for students of all educational needs within the music classroom
We are global citizens ready for the 21st Century	We embed this through establishing group work and parameters of behaviour that we expect whilst taking part in this work. We strongly believe in fostering independent learners, particularly in solo and ensemble practice at KS4. We use a wide variety of technology, including notation software, sequencing software, on-line music classrooms, and paperless classrooms in order to prepare students for the technology they will face as they enter the world of work. We are constantly reviewing our Tier 2 and 3 vocabulary to ensure that students are literate. Students learn cooperation and shared goal setting through their group work.

Our Music curriculum journey shows how we develop the skills of our students and the topics the students cover in each year. Click on our learning journey below to view it in more detail.

What is Music like at Guilsborough?

Please watch our short video to see what studying Music at Guilsborough is like.

 

Where will Music take me past Year 11?

SIXTH FORM

We don't currently offer Music as a sixth form option however, the skills learnt during Music lessons are transferable to other areas. Musicians have great discipline which is needed in all subjects studied at A level. The ability to write answers and explanations concisely when analysing music is able to be transferred to analysing other sources in many essay based subjects.

CAREERS

If you were to pursue a career in music, the following career options are available. Each career also has a link to explain this career choice in more detail;

• Music producer
• Music therapist
• Musician
• Private music teacher
• Secondary school teacher
• Sound designer
• Sound engineer
• Sound technician, broadcasting/film/video
• Special effects technician
• Arts administrator
• Broadcast engineer
• Choreographer
• Community arts worker
• Event manager
• Marketing executive
• Private tutor
• Radio broadcast assistant
• Radio producer
• Talent agent
• Theatre stage manager

Useful resources to support learning in Music

These resources are useful for students to help consolidate knowledge learnt in lessons and to aid revision ;