What are the aims and purpose of our curriculum?

This curriculum develops pupils as musicians, fostering a deeper understanding of the subject as a platform for a lifelong connection with music. Through performance, composition and engaged listening, pupils develop their musicianship and experience a diverse range of musicians and styles, enabling them to embrace creativity and expression and build their understanding of and confidence in making music both individually and with others.

What overarching curriculum principles inform the design of our curriculum?

This principle recognises the important role that knowledge, and vocabulary as a particularly important type of knowledge, play in learning. Our curriculum acknowledges the complexities of musical understanding and that knowledge of music needs teaching through interaction with musical sound. As such, there is a focus on practical music-making and engaged listening tasks that develop aural skills. We identify and map vocabulary across the curriculum, both in terms of the introduction of new vocabulary and the necessary repetition of vocabulary that has gone before. New vocabulary, called keywords, are signalled in bold in our lesson materials to indicate their importance.

A careful and purposeful sequencing of our curriculum content underpins the design of our curriculum, ensuring that pupils are able to build on and make links with existing knowledge. At its simplest this means ensuring, for example, that pupils explore rhythm patterns by clapping before being introduced to musical notation. Attention is paid to vertical coherence via threads, which map the developments of concepts over time. For example, the thread ‘Creating, composing and improvising’ includes units that are focused on building up the composites in composing successfully. At key stage 1, pupils will explore simple starting points such as unpitched patterns and small note cells, through to using the pentachord and 5-note raags in key stage 2 and the blues scale and major and minor scales in key stage 3.

Our evidence-informed approach enables the rigorous application of research outcomes, science of learning and impactful best practice both in education in general and at a subject specific level. For example, the design of our resources reflects findings from Sweller’s cognitive load theory and Mayer’s principles of multimedia learning whilst our lesson design draws on Rosenshine’s principles of instruction. We also draw on findings from research organisations such as the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF). At the subject level the curriculum focuses on the development of musical understanding through a focus on practical and creative music making and exploration of sound. Creative tasks are supported by pupils achieving the required domain specific knowledge needed to make appropriate musical choices. Performance tasks allow for the time needed for pupils to develop both their technical ability and expressive qualities. Resources consider how to make varied abstract musical knowledge accessible to pupils as concrete information. The curriculum aims to develop pupils as musicians, taking into account the complexity of knowledge of music, how pupils learn in music and the importance of appropriate sequencing in encouraging pupils to make connections across styles and develop a meaningful understanding of music.

Our flexible approach enables schools to use our resources in a way that fits their context and meets the varying needs of teachers and their pupils. Our curriculum can be used in its entirety or units can be selected to complement existing curricula. Our resources are adaptable so that, for example, teachers can easily change the styles or repertoire, can edit or add checks for understanding, or adapt practice tasks to better reflect the prior knowledge of their pupils or to use different instruments. At key stage 4 teachers and pupils can select pathways aligned to the most frequently used exam board specifications for GCSE Music: AQA, Eduqas, Edexcel or OCR..

Our commitment to breadth and diversity in content, language, texts and media can be seen throughout the curriculum, for example in the group of diverse school age characters that feature in our resources. This is particularly noticeable through the choices of repertoire, genres and styles in the curriculum. Breadth and depth are balanced to ensure that pupils have a strong understanding of both the differences and similarities of music and musical heritage around the world, and the curriculum embraces and celebrates a wide variety of musicians.

We aim to teach music from different cultures and traditions authentically, ensuring that the characteristics of the music drive the learning and the history and context of the styles are acknowledged. For example, in our year 8 unit ‘Reggaeton: from Puerto Rico to global phenomenon’, pupils learn about the fusion and importance of the different styles of hip-hop, reggae, dancehall and other Caribbean styles in defining the sound and character of the music. Pupils learn about the dembow beat and its relationship to the tresillo and the effect it has on the music. They make connections to electronic dance music (EDM) and other related styles to place the music in context, learning about its impact on music across the world as it developed from Puerto Rico to a global phenomenon.

Our curriculum is intentionally designed to facilitate high-quality teaching as a powerful lever to support pupils with SEND. Aligned with EEF guidance, our resources have a focus on clear explanations, modelling and frequent checks for understanding, with guided and independent practice. Lessons are chunked into learning cycles, practical tasks are scaffolded through use of success criteria and redundant images and information are minimised to manage cognitive load. We have removed reference to year groups in our resources so that they can be used when pupils are ready, regardless of their age. Our resources are purposefully created to be accessible, for example by using accessible fonts, colours with good contrast, and captions in our videos. Our music curriculum embraces singing, acknowledging the importance of the voice as our principal instrument and a learning tool for the development of musical literacy. At key stages 3-4, keyboard proficiency also becomes important as a tool for accessing the curriculum.

What subject specific principles inform the design of our curriculum?

Develops pupils as musicians through performing, engaged listening, composing and improvising

We focus on knowledge and skills that develop pupils’ musicianship through practical music-making and engaged listening tasks. Content centres around developing knowledge of music (rather than about music) to ensure pupils develop a worthwhile understanding of the music they are learning about. Performance tasks consider expression, instrumental fluency, ensemble skills and accessibility. At key stage 2 the nuances of how to practise effectively and how to work as an ensemble are taught explicitly. Composition tasks promote development of creativity through a balance of artistic freedom and structured stylistic and theoretical guidance. Listening to, engaging with and understanding music is integral to the curriculum, as is developing an understanding of the musical elements.

Develops understanding of the elements of music and how these elements combine expressively through their application in sound

Understanding, recognising and the practical application of the musical elements in performance, composition and engaged listening is sequenced over time, and vocabulary and the application of the elements becomes more sophisticated as the units progress. For example, lessons introduce musical elements in turn, teaching how they can be altered to affect outcomes. This lays the foundation for more sophisticated application of the elements overtime.

Builds musical knowledge, techniques and specialist language;

Promotes the understanding of a diverse range of genres, traditions and styles;

Develops pupils analytical skills in responding to different types of music.

Units are carefully sequenced over time to ensure knowledge of music is developed incrementally and with the time needed to embed practical skills, nurture creative skills and secure understanding of key musical terminology. The curriculum develops aural skills and promotes understanding of the musical elements and how to use them. Pupils are given the tools to articulate their understanding of and respond to and appreciate a diverse range of music from different genres and cultures.

Promotes co-curricular learning for all pupils through signposting to opportunities beyond the classroom.

Practical music-making is at the heart of this curriculum. This is shown through a major focus on singing during key stages 1 and 2, the explicit teaching of practice and ensemble skills, and a range of approaches to composing creatively and joyful examples of making music together. It is through this active musical curriculum that we hope to inspire young musicians to continue their learning beyond the classroom, and set them up to take advantage of wider music opportunities in line with the National Plan for Music Education.

How does our curriculum reflect the aims & purpose of the national curriculum?

Our curriculum has been designed to reflect the aims and purpose of the national curriculum by supporting pupils to develop their knowledge of music and skills in music-making, instilling a love of music and musical learning as well as fostering creativity, expression and confidence.

The national curriculum has the aim that ‘pupils learn to sing and to use their voices, to 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’. In our curriculum, early key stages develop the voice as the principal instrument, embracing the joy of singing together and the confidence this can develop. Concepts are taught and embedded through song. Pupils learn how and why they sing, and rehearsal and ensemble skills. Later key stages further develop musical skills and understanding, encouraging instrumental proficiency, confidence in composing and embedding musical literacy skills to allow pupils to engage with music beyond the curriculum.

The national curriculum has the aim the ‘pupils understand and explore how music is created, produced and communicated, including through the inter-related dimensions: pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture, structure and appropriate musical notations.’ Our curriculum focuses on performance, composition and engaged listening, through which pupils develop an understanding of the musical elements and how they can be used creatively and expressively. They will engage with and listen discriminatively to a diverse range of music from different times and places, ensuring they also meet the national curriculum aim that pupils ‘perform, listen to, review and evaluate music across a range of historical periods, genres, styles and traditions, including the works of the great composers and musicians’.

What teaching time does our curriculum require?

Our curricula for key stages 1-3 are designed for 36 weeks of curriculum time across the school year, leaving time for other activities both within and beyond the curriculum such as assessments or school trips. At key stage 4, year 10 also has 36 weeks of curriculum time, but year 11 has only 24 weeks (approximately 2 terms) to recognise that schools will not be teaching new content in the run up to the GCSE exams.

At key stages 1-3, our curriculum has been designed to teach one weekly lesson of approximately 1 hour to align with the recommendations of the National Plan for Music Education. At key stage 4 we have provided approximately 2 lessons per week. In order to maximise flexibility and choice across exam boards there are more lessons provided in the sequence also including non-examination assessment units to support flexible, independent study (but without providing any guidance or support for coursework elements).

We understand that exact time dedicated to music can vary greatly between schools due to differences in curriculum planning, resource allocation and school-specific priorities. Therefore we fully expect and encourage teachers to adapt our curriculum and resources to best suit their needs and available curriculum time.

We use threads to signpost groups of units that link to one another, that together build a common body of knowledge over time. We use the term thread, rather than vertical concepts, themes or big ideas, because it helps us to bring to mind the visual concept of a thread weaving through the curriculum.

Practising and preparing for a performance

Threads in music refer to the recurring themes or concepts that are woven throughout the curriculum to provide continuity and depth. Most units explore the main practical musical elements of performance and composition, however some of the threads are designed to direct to a unit where skills, concepts or understanding are a particular focus. For example the thread ‘Music over time and in different places’, where pupils put the music they have learned into context by learning where music comes from, and learn about the social significance and what other styles were popular around the world at that time. Listening to, engaging with and understanding music is integral to all units and is therefore not assigned a thread.

Recommendations from subject specific reports

How does our curriculum address and enact recommendations from subject specific reports (e.g. EEF guidance reports & Ofsted Research Review)?

Our music curriculum implements several recommendations from the recent Ofsted subject report. The report highlights the time needed to develop musical knowledge and skills incrementally: our content is suitably challenging with opportunity to develop quality of ideas and responses. The use of learning cycles in our curriculum resources suitably chunks content within lessons. The report also highlights the importance of providing high-quality musical responses and ensuring that feedback develops both technical and expressive aspects of musicianship. In our curriculum, modelling is used to share a clear picture of practical, expressive and creative outcomes to support both student understanding and teacher assessment. For example the year 7 unit ‘Keyboard fundamentals’ the lesson teaches both the technical competencies required to play the melody of Ode to Joy as well as introducing expressive considerations like dynamics and phrasing. As recommended in the Model Music Curriculum, singing, listening, composing and performing are key elements of our curriculum.

How does our curriculum deal with elements that arise from the specific needs of the subject?

What instruments feature in our curriculum?

Our primary curriculum harnesses our voice as the musical instrument whilst our key stage 3 curriculum uses the keyboard to encourage the development of instrumental proficiency. Where the keyboard is used, the curriculum can be adapted to use other instruments to match school and pupil needs.

Why does our curriculum focus predominantly on the keyboard at key stage 3?

We have made a choice to focus on the keyboard due to its accessibility and versatility. This choice will allow for development of instrumental proficiency in the curriculum time available and it can be used as a compositional tool and when using a digital audio workstation (DAW). Practical units can also be adapted to utilise other instruments should that be more suitable for schools and pupils.

What is our approach to teaching notation through the curriculum?

The curriculum uses a variety of notation types including graphic scores, rhythms grids and stave notation. The overall approach is to teach sound before symbol to ensure pupils experience musical learning before notating and repertoire has been carefully chosen to sequence the understanding of notation and promote musical literacy. Western notation is carefully scaffolded and is taught through performance and with relevant styles with a focus on its application.

Knowledge Schools Trust

 have collaborated with us on our secondary music curriculum offer. West London Free School, the founding school in the trust, are a specialist music school dedicated to developing musical aptitude and offering extensive extra-curricular opportunities for all students. They offer a wealth of experience in music curriculum planning and design.

Secondary

Music

Key Stage 1

Key Stage 2

Key Stage 3

Key Stage 4

Primary

Art and design

Core

GCSE

Citizenship

Computing

Cooking and nutrition

Design and technology

Edexcel

Eduqas

English

French

Edexcel B

Geography

German

History

Maths

Physical education

Science

Spanish

Religious education

Group singing and solfege

Expressive elements

Instrumental fluency

Rhythm

Drum grooves

Improvisation

Composition and song writing

Harmony

Romantic concerto

Classical concerto

Setting the scene with title themes

Playing a film theme

Melody and harmony of a film theme

Creating a new film theme

Harmonising a film theme

Film music 1

Baroque solo concerto

The European orchestra

The eras of classical music

The treble and bass clef and their relationship

Writing a melody using notation software

Writing an accompaniment in notation software

Improvising new melodies that are then notated

Intro to writing for melody and accompaniment

12 bar blues

Metre and instrumentation in popular music

Standard popular song structure 

Hooks and riffs in pop songs

Composing pop chord sequences with inversions

The rhythm section and basslines in popular song

Composing a pop song

Intro to song writing

Frozen Planet

The use of modes in film music

Playing the theme from Chocolat

Harmonising a modal melody

Off beat quavers in a film score

Composing a modal melody

Film music 2

Fusions and Bhangra

The origins of rock: blues into rock ‘n’ roll

The origins of rock: rock ‘n’ roll

Fundamentals of rock

The development of rock in the 1970s

The guitar solo in rock music

Developing understanding of pop music: rock, blues and rock 'n' roll

Latin percussion and the clave

Salsa and merengue

Calypso, mento and soca

Samba, bossa nova and other Latin dance music

The development of reggae

Rhythms and conventions of Latin and Caribbean music

Samba

Pop ballads from the 1970s to the 1990s

Texture in pop ballads

Vocals in pop ballads

Later developments in pop music

Building a pop ballad to a climax

Extending understanding of pop music: pop ballads and modern pop

Musical fusion in the Americas and Africa

South Asian and Celtic musical fusions

The origins of bhangra

Bhangra as fusion

Composing bhangra

The developments in the sound of computer game music

The musical features of Rainbow Road

Composing chords for the worlds of Mario Kart

Composing melody for the worlds of Mario Kart

Percussion in the worlds of Mario Kart

Dynamics and sound effects in computer game music

Computer game music

Melody and timbre in North Indian classical music

Voice and rhythm in North Indian classical music

Structure in North Indian classical music

Introduction to West African percussive music

Delving deeper into West African percussive music

North Indian Classical music and West African drumming

Creating a musical melody

Creative chord progressions

Composing rhythmic ideas

Experimenting with texture

Exploring timbre and colour

Free composition: Creative starting points

Making more of melodies

Developing chord progressions

Making more of rhythmic ideas

Exploring texture and timbre

Thinking about structure

Free Composition: Extending ideas

The sound and style of Israeli folk dance

Idiomatic accompaniment in Israeli folk dance

The sound and style of Palestinian folk music

Idiomatic accompaniment in Palestianian folk dance

The sound and style of Greek folk dance

Idiomatic accompaniment in Greek folk dance

Eastern Mediterranean and Middle Eastern music

Dictation

Describing melody, harmony, tonality and texture

Describing rhythm, tempo, timbre articulation and dynamics

Describing unfamiliar music

Analysing musical purpose

Choosing elements and comparing music

Listening: long-form writing

Listening to musical elements

Finding shapes in melodic patterns

Finding shapes in melodies

Audiating a known melody

Audiating an unknown melody

Audiating a fragment from an extract

Notating conjunct melodies

Notating melodies with arpeggios

Notating melodies with sequences

Notating melodies with accidentals

Play and perform confidently in a range of solo and ensemble contexts using their voice, playing instruments musically, fluently and with accuracy and expression

Improvise and compose; and extend and develop musical ideas by drawing on a range of musical structures, styles, genres and traditions

Use staff and other relevant notations appropriately and accurately in a range of musical styles, genres and traditions

Identify and use the interrelated dimensions of music expressively and with increasing sophistication, including use of tonalities, different types of scales and other musical devices

KS3 & KS4 music curriculum

Unit sequence

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Year group

Year 7

Year 8

Year 9

Year 10

Year 11