Music
The Music curriculum at
TGS aims to inspire and develop our aspiring young musicians. Through teaching a varied and current curriculum, we hope to instil a love of music within all our students.
Music Development Plan
Curriculum Information
MiSST
In 2022 The Grange School became the 26th MiSST school in the country. MiSST (The Music in Secondary School Trust) are a charity
funded and championed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, providing opportunities for students to learn an instrument who may not otherwise have done so. MiSST helps secondary schools by providing not only funding for classical instruments for key stage 3 students, but also support in the form of regular tuition, opportunities to perform and a programme of excellence that is unrivalled in the UK. Each year MiSST holds an annual concert in which all schools come together to perform in world class concert venues such as the Barbican, London Palladium and the Cadogan Hall.
Every Year 7 student at The Grange will be given an orchestra instrument (violin, flute or trumpet) at the start of this academic year, which will be theirs to learn, play and take home until they finish studying music at the end of Year 9 or Year 11 if they take GCSE. Mrs Park (TGS music teacher) will be leading the programme with the support of specialist instrumental teachers. The curriculum is a blend of schemes written by MiSST to deliver whole class instrumental tuition and practical theory activities, as well as input from the Twynham schemes of work, providing a broad and balanced curriculum. Students will also be able to take part in extra-curricular rehearsals outside of lesson time.
MiSST have seen incredible successes in the short time it has been operating. Working with thousands of students across a small number of schools nationwide, students who normally would not have had this opportunity, going on to study music at A Level, university and even some joining professional orchestras on the international stage.
Key Stage 3
The three main areas of performing, listening and appraising, and composing are explored throughout our KS3 curriculum along with instrumental tuition on an orchestral instrument. We aim to develop students’ creative and evaluative skills that will equip them with the necessary tools for success across all curriculum subjects. In complementing the skills learned within the classroom, we also offer a wide variety of extra-curricular groups where students can choose to follow their chosen path and develop their skills even further. During each year at KS3, students will study the topics of Melody, Structure, Music Technology and Harmony.
Year 7 
In year 7, we cover the following content:
- Solo performance – instrumental tuition on orchestral instrument
- Ensemble performance – mixed ability ensembles, performance technique
- Singing for success – developing singing skills through a variety of song styles
- Music Theory - kodaly, notes on the stave, rhythm words, metre, tempo
- Rhythm 1 – learning about rhythm through the study of Samba music.
- Music Technology 1 – learning how to use garageband to create an EDM track
- Melody 1 – learning the techniques of good melody writing.
Year 8
In year 8, we cover the following content:
- Solo performance – instrumental tuition grade 1, improvisation
- Ensemble performance – mixed ability ensembles, performance technique
- Singing for success – Developing singing skills through a variety of song styles
- Music Theory - Kodaly, rhythmic dictation, notes on the stave, rhythm words, metre, instrumentation, Rhythm writing, melody, degrees of the scale
- Melody 2 – developing techniques of melody writing through looking at Blues music
- Music Technology 2 – developing compositional skills within garageband
- Rhythm 2 – learning about how rhythm is combined with melody through playing the Jumbie Jams
Year 9
In year 9, we cover the following content:
- Solo performance – instrumental tuition grade 2, improvisation
- Ensemble performance – mixed ability ensembles, performance technique
- Singing for success – Developing singing skills through a variety of song styles
- Music Theory - Kodaly, rhythmic dictation, notes on the stave, melodic dictation, metre, intervals, triads
- Melody 3 – refining knowledge of the devices used to develop melodies through the study of film music
- Music Technology 3 – further developing music technology skills through using garageband
- Rhythm 3 – refining rhythmic skills through combining West African drumming with tuned percussion
Key Stage 4 Options Information
| Exam board: AQA |
| Qualification: GCSE in Music |
| Specification: AQA GCSE Music |
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Assessment: The three pillars of music making (Composing, Performing and Listening) will form the basis of the assessment process:
You will have considerable preparation time for this task to create a solo and ensemble performance. This is recorded in year 11 for final submission to an examiner.
You will have considerable preparation time for this task to create two original compositions. One set to a brief, the other as a free composition. Each one will be written up for final submission to an examiner.
Completed as an exam at the end of the course, it is in two parts. The first section is an hour of general listening questions across the four areas of study across the course. The second part focuses on two set pieces where students are to answer extended questions within an essay format. |
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Who is the course for? This course is designed for students who want to develop both practically and theoretically in the study of music. Students will be expected to study solo performance and ensemble performance techniques, alongside creating their own compositions and engaging in the listening and appraising of music over the last 400 years. Genres studied come under four areas of study:
At the same time, music GCSE provides you with the musical grammar and syntax that might previously have been alien to you and ultimately, you will finish your course with greater knowledge and skills as a musician. Students who want to study music should:
Involvement in active music making on your instrument or with your voice is essential. You should be willing to work hard at your skills as a performer and commit to peripatetic music lessons and extra-curricular activities where possible. There will be opportunities for trips to perform and watch concerts and shows to gain a greater understanding of live performances. |
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What will I do on the course? Over the course you will develop your skills within the three main areas of music study; performing, composition and listening and appraising.
Composition: As a composer, you will learn to utilise all your musical skills to express yourself in a methodical and organised manner. You will learn to use software on the Mac or iPads to help you with this process. You will also get to experiment with new techniques and new sound worlds to broaden your musical horizons. Whether you are interested in producing dance tracks or writing Symphonic Variations, you will learn new skills to make your compositions original. Listening and Appraising: As a listener, you will learn to enjoy music critically with historical and theoretical understanding. You will be equipped with the skills to analyse music and get to the core of what you are listening to. In time, your musical tastes will widen and you will have a greater understanding of different musical styles and genres. |
Performing: As a traditional performer, you will learn to become better as both a soloist and as an ensemble musician. GCSE music allows development in all styles of music, and there are no restrictions or prejudice against any individual musical genres. Ultimately, you will become better at expressing yourself as a performing musician. There is also a Music Technology option where you will be able to act as a producer in recording other people's performances or perform a DJ set.
Music is a subject that can enrich our students within everyday life for enjoyment. Therefore, this course enables students to gain a greater insight into how to understand music in greater depth. The course is split into three areas – performing, composing and listening and appraising. This covers all aspects of music as a subject, both practically and theoretically, to enhance the musical knowledge of our students and make them better musicians. Many employers and academic institutes value music highly as it teaches and develops a number of skills that can benefit and enrich you as a person. Therefore, the study of music at GCSE will impact upon your future aspirations.
