Music
Available at KS3, 4 & 5
Subject Vision & Intent
Penistone Grammar School's Music Curriculum offers an exciting, unique and enjoyable way for students to experience, perform and create Music. At KS3, in Music we aim to boost performance skills and attributes as a primary objective. Our curriculum is based heavily upon the fact that any area of Music needs a solid understanding of performance skills. This is our foundation on which to build further. Our curriculum will enable students to become more knowledgeable composers and devisers and when watching performances students are better equipped to analyse and make critical judgements about them. Our Curriculum in Music is very ambitious as we aim to help every student learn an instrument and every student build the self-confidence to call themselves a musician. We take great pride in the fact our curriculum is bespoke for every individual student, regardless of a student's previous musical experience, preference of instrument or musical interest and genres students gravitate towards, we cater for all our student's individuality. We are a very busy department that students flock to in and out of school time. Our extra-curricular offer is designed the same as our curriculum. A broad selection of musical strands are covered, from music production to performing in whole school productions, composing / song writing clubs and live outdoor concerts. Our Curriculum and extra curriculum are tightly woven to better prepare students for life beyond PGS as young confident performers, whether they perform on a stage, in a meeting or in an interview the performing arts will support our students by building self-confidence.
Aims & Expected Impacts
We aim to promote skills that will better prepare students for life beyond school. The schools 5 Core Values are integral for success in Performing Arts. Alongside Performing Music (on an instrument the student selects) Reading Music (standard notation / tab / drum notation / chord charts) and Analysing Music (we listen to many genres of music and pick them apart looking at using musical terminology).
Aiming high: Introducing students to performing and the high expectations demanded of any performer, whether that be a small-scale performance at a local theatre or a headline performance at Glastonbury all performers push to be flawless in their delivery and this is something our students can massively benefit from in all areas of their life. Students will be encouraged to strive and to achieve more than they thought possible.
Determination: Students will be taught to constantly refine and improve their own performance; this attention to detail can be frustrating, focussed practice and a determination to do better must come from the student and not the teacher as when in practice rooms or groups without the teacher leading a student must be able to give the time required to a challenge without giving up. This is vital to success in performing arts.
Kindness: All students will be expected to show kindness in the sharing of work. We recognise for some students standing on stage and performing could be one of their biggest challenges they might face in school, the confidence and bravery to express yourself in front of an audience is no easy feat. We will support as students to show kindness as an absolute necessity in all walks of life and in performing arts it is no different.
Supportive: It is essential that while being brave and confident, all students feel supported by their peers and staff and that students learn to be supportive with all other performers. To be able to make mistakes without the risk of negativity is the key to students wanting to express themselves and experiment with new ideas and that students are happy to try and fail so we can learn from these experiments. This will be engrained into our curriculum with regular teamwork participation and sharing of performances.
Pride: Finally the pride our students will feel through success at graded exams and various performances (linked very strongly with our extra-curricular offer), there is no feeling like being a part of a successful performance and an audience showing their appreciation for all the hard work, bravery and team work on display. This is something that will stick with our students for the rest of their lives and will help our brave, supportive, determined, proud and high achieving students go into the world well equipped for any challenges they may face ahead of them.
Termly Curriculum Overview
Autumn Term | Spring Term | Summer Term | |
Y7 | · Getting to know instruments · Reading Music | · Solo Performance Skills (Debut/Grade1) | · Band/Ensemble Skills |
Home Learning: | Reading Skills | Performance Practice | Performance Practice |
Y8 | · Reading Music · Solo Performance Skills | · Solo Performance Skills (Grade1/ Grade2) | · Band/Ensemble Skills
|
Home Learning: | Reading Skills | Performance Practice | Performance Practice |
Y9 | · Reading Music · Solo Performance Skills | · Solo Performance Skills (Grade2/ Grade 3) | · Band/Ensemble Skills
|
Home Learning: | Reading Skills | Performance Practice | Performance Practice |
Y10 | · C1 – Performance Solo · C2 – composition exploration · C3 Theory and analysis skills | · C1 – Performance Ensemble · C2 – composition free · C3 Theory and analysis skills | · C1 – Performance Ensemble/Solo · C2 – composition free · C3 Theory and analysis skills |
Home Learning: | Performance Practice – Composition research of Genre – Theory Papers and Tasks on Focus on sound | Performance Practice – Composition research of Genre – Theory Papers and Tasks on Focus on sound | Performance Practice – Composition research of Genre – Theory Papers and Tasks on Focus on sound |
Y11 | · C1 Performance Ensemble · C2 Composition to a Brief
| · C1 Performance (Both performances complete) · C2 Composition to a Brief (Both compositions complete) | · C3 – Exam Prep and Exam. |
Home Learning: | Performance Practice – Composition research of Genre – Theory Papers and Tasks on Focus on sound | Performance Practice – Composition research of Genre – Theory Papers and Tasks on Focus on sound | Performance Practice – Composition research of Genre – Theory Papers and Tasks on Focus on sound |
Y12 | · C1 – Solo Performance · C2 – Compositional techniques and exploration · C3 - Western Classical Tradition + Theory | · C1 – Solo Performance · C2 – Compositional Free creation · C3 – Rock and Pop Analysis | · C1 – Solo Performance · C2 – Compositional Free creation · C3 - Western Classical Tradition + Theory |
Home Learning: | Performance Practice – Composition research of Genre – Theory Papers and Tasks on Focus on sound | Performance Practice – Composition research of Genre – Exam Questions and Tasks on Focus on sound | Performance Practice – Composition research of Genre – Exam Papers and Tasks on Focus on sound |
Y13 | · C1 – Solo Performance · C2 – Compositional techniques and exploration · C3 - Western Classical Tradition + Theory | · C1 – Solo Performance and Real Exam · C2 – Compositional techniques and exploration Finish and send off · C3 – Rock and Pop + Theory | · C3 Real: Exam Prep |
Home Learning: | Performance Practice – Composition research of Genre – Theory Papers and Tasks on Focus on sound Logbook | Performance Practice – Composition research of Genre – Exam Papers and Tasks on Focus on sound Logbook | Theory/Exam Papers and Tasks on Focus on sound |
Assessments / Examinations
Key Stage 3
Teams quizzes / performances to teacher / performances to peers / quizzes in class related to analysis.
Key Stage 4 & 5
The key areas areas assessed are: performance, composition and musical analysis. We also use: teams quizzes / performances to teacher and peers / focus on sound quizzes / past papers / composition making.
GCSE Exam Board: EDUQAS
A-Level Exam Board: EDUQAS
Home Learning
Key Stage 3
Home Learning is done via a termly teams quiz looking at key terms we have looked at in lesson.
Key Stage 4 & 5
Performance - Weekly practice on pieces selected for coursework (2-3 hours minimum per week.)
Composition - Compositional tasks to support coursework (at least one session outside of lessons per week). We hold a composition club to support this element that would be helpful to attend. Research task on a blueprint of how to compose a particular type of genre.
Analysis - Students are given an account when they take music at GCSE/A-level to a website called focus on sound. This is a brilliant resource with lessons and tests and an audible dictionary. We set tasks on this for home learning
A-level students should expect to also do much more score analysis and individual research tasks regularly, involving lots of score analysis / historical context reading and compositional practice.
Enrichment / Personal Development
Extra-Curricular / Intervention | Trips / Visits / Events |
Musical | Christmas Fayre |
Set Club | Carol Concert |
Musical Band | Battle of the Bands |
Musical Singing | Musical (March) |
Carol Concert | Barnsley Beats |
Choir | PGS Live |
Music Ambassadors | KS4/5 Theatre 1 |
F. Gov. 7/8 Musical or Choreographer | KS4/5 Theatre 2 |
Radio PenFM | Excellence Trip |
KS4/5 Music Intervention | KS3 Trip (panto/theatre) |
KS4 Drama Intervention | Theatre Company visit to school |
KS5 Drama Intervention | A-Level Recital Evening |
Music Practice Rooms (Mon-Thu) | Varsity |
Drama Rehearsals (Mon-Fri) | Open Evening Performances (x3) |
Celebration Assembly | |
Year Group Assemblies |
Careers
Performance & Creative Roles
Session Musician
Solo Artist or Band Member
Composer (Film, TV, Games, Theatre)
Songwriter/Lyricist
Music Producer
DJ
Conductor
Arranger/Orchestrator
Technical & Production Roles
Sound Engineer
Live Sound Technician
Recording Engineer
Mixing/Mastering Engineer
Music Technologist
Foley Artist (for film/TV)
Education & Academic Roles
Music Teacher (Primary/Secondary)
Instrumental/Vocal Tutor
Music Therapist
Musicologist
Lecturer in Music
Business & Management Roles
Artist Manager
Music Promoter
A&R (Artists and Repertoire) Representative
Music Publisher
Record Label Executive
Tour Manager
Music Marketing Specialist
Media & Communication Roles
Music Journalist
Radio Presenter
Music Critic
Podcast Producer
Music Video Director
Other Related Roles
Music Licensing Specialist
Copyright Consultant
Music Data Analyst
Music App Developer
Music Curator (e.g., for streaming platforms)