Curriculum Intent

Our vision is to inspire and empower students to develop their creative potential and performance skills, to have an appreciation and understanding of music and to build confidence.

Our curriculum will provide students with the specialist knowledge needed to be successful in examinations and the depth of knowledge to allow them to have a full and deep understanding of the subject studied.  The curriculum is sequenced in a way to remember that powerful knowledge and apply skills in context.

The curriculum consists of:

KS3

Providing a structured sequence of lessons to give a grounding in knowledge and skills that allow students to function as effective and confident performers now and, in the future, as well as preparing them to study GCSE Music during key stage 4 and beyond. The course includes:

  • Knowledge and Understanding of the Elements of Music
  • Listening and Appreciation of Music
  • Understanding Notation
  • Composition skills and knowledge
  • Keyboard skills and knowledge
  • Building confidence as a performer
  • Knowledge of Music within the historical and wider cultural context

Year 7 Music Long Term Plan

Year 8 Music Long Term Plan

Year 9 Music Long Term Plan

KS4

Creating a sequence of lessons to build upon the knowledge and skills developed at key stage 3. The aim is to effectively prepare students for performing and composing throughout the course as well as the final listening exam at the end of year 11, as well as equipping them to study the qualification at a higher level. The course will include:

  • Musical knowledge and ability to articulate their thoughts and feelings about music using the appropriate theoretical language
  • Knowledge of different musical styles and the various distinctive traits that comprise them.
  • Build a wider contextual and theoretical knowledge of music through analysis of key stylistic and musical elements present within different genres and cultures of music.
  • Be able to listen, identify and analyse these different styles of music
  • Understand how to maximise their ongoing development as an instrumentalist,
  • Develop their confidence to complete solo and ensemble performances
  • Develop their notation and theory skills to complete compositions

Year 10 Music Long Term Plan

Year 11 Music Long Term Plan

Extra-Curricular

Frederick Gent School offers a range of instrumental lessons for students to access as extra, paid-for lessons, supplied by the Derbyshire Music Hub. We have an excellent and dedicated group of peripatetic teachers who deliver quality one-to-one lessons on guitar, vocals, and piano. Students are given application forms on request and are added to a timetable on a first-come-first-served basis. Lessons are £10 for 20 minutes but support plans are available for SEND and PP students.

Frederick Gent School is proud to put on three large-scale events every academic year. Freddie’s Got Talent in December is a whole school talent show. Performers compete in the first half followed by musicians, dancers and staff performing in the second half of the evening. In March/April, we perform a school musical theatre production. Students from any year group can join the company and auditions are often in September. Finally, we have a whole school outdoor summer festival where students can showcase their musical and dance talents in front of a live audience again.

Frederick Gent School Music Development Plan