Music

Music at Breckenbrough is offered throughout the KS2, KS3 and KS4 curriculums. Enjoyment, engagement and achievement is reached through the use of aural, practical and composition lessons, where students are able to experiment with the many different instruments that we have here in the Music Department.

In curriculum lessons, students gain and expand their knowledge on the origins of different musical styles, how music can be notated, how music can be arranged/changed, how we listen to music, different composers across musical history, music from other countries and much more. It is a chance for students to express themselves in a practical, expressive and constructive way.

We also include the Arts Award scheme within the Music curriculum, ranging from Discover in Yr6, Explore in Yr7, Bronze in Yr9, Silver in Yr10 and Yr11. Here, students explore the different ‘art’ forms that are around and then create work to show others what they have learned. There are opportunities to take part in Music workshops which are put on by outside groups as well as watching concerts here in school. The Arts Award is a way of using a variety of ‘art’ forms in a totally individual way; there are specific outcomes which must be completed, but the journey itself is not prescriptive.

GCSE Music (AQA) is also offered in Yr10 and 11. This is a much more detailed and in-depth curriculum, which requires the student to understand the Theory of Music, be able to listen to & understand Music from the Baroque period of history through to modern music, to be able to perform both a solo and an ensemble piece as well as to compose two different pieces of music. This is more for those students who can already play/sing. The overall course is split into a final listening exam (40%), a recorded performance of solo and ensemble pieces (30% for the them both) and two compositions (30% for them both).

Music sessions can be made available during enrichment and take a different approach to structured lessons, specialising in learning to play a specific instrument. Students are given time to experience the instruments in a much more relaxed setting, but will be guided into hopefully improving their chosen instrument.