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Music

Music students at SSA will be creative in the way they perform, listen to, explore, create, and appreciate music. They will be capable of critical, and analytical listening, which will in turn help them understand the processes of performance and composition. Students will be given the knowledge that will inspire them to discover new styles of music, both as listeners and performers. They will have opportunities to make music that plays to their strengths and challenges them to develop as musicians. They will develop their own cultural capital and explore the cultural significance of music and it's influence on society today, gaining an understanding of how the development of music through history sits within the wider cultural and political stories of societies.

At Key Stage 3, students will develop their knowledge as musicians through four areas of study: The Mechanics of Music, World Music, Descriptive Music and Genres of Music. Each year group will focus on answering one or two of the big idea questions that fit into these areas of study.

KS3

In Year 7, the big idea question is ‘What are the mechanics of music?’ This begins with looking at the musical elements and fundamental language needed for music analysis and develops into learning how to read a range of music notations.

In Year 8, there are two big idea questions. The first of which ‘How does music connect across the world and influence culture?’ the second is ‘How can music tell a story?’

In Year 9, the big question is ‘How has music developed since the advances in technology of the 1950s? Students will build on and deepen the knowledge they have acquired in years 7 and 8.

KS4

At KS4, Students study the OCR specification looking at five areas of study: My music, Concerto through time, Rhythms of the world, Film music and Conventions of pop.

Our aim is to teach students how to engage critically and creatively with a wide range of music and musical contexts and reflect on how music is used in the expression of personal and collective identities.

Through the GCSE music course, students will develop more advanced skills in music performance as both a soloist and ensemble player. They will gain the ability to appraise music in more detail, being able to discuss and explain the use of musical elements with correct musical vocabulary. Students will learn to compose their own music and gain the technical skills needed to become an effective composer.

We encourage students to develop their learning further through a range of opportunities such as our accelerated musicians programme, after school clubs and participation in performances and concerts within school and the wider community.