Music

Departmental Aims and National Curriculum Statement(s)

NATIONAL CURRICULUM IN ENGLAND: MUSIC 2014

A high-quality music education should engage and inspire pupils to develop a love of music and

their talent as musicians, and so increase their self-confidence, creativity and sense of

achievement. [DfE, 2013]

September 2014 sees the implementation within maintained schools of the new National Curriculum

in England. Music as a compulsory subject is expected to be taught to and experienced

by all children in Key Stages 1, Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3. The new programmes of study set out

the minimum requirements for music as a starting point for schools developing innovative provision

to meet the needs of their pupils.

If taught well, music has the potential to make a significant contribution to children’s development:

increasing confidence and self-esteem, developing leadership, team working, concentration and

problem-solving skills, and developing identity and improving social cohesion within the school and

wider community.

INTU Watford Performance (November)

Trusty House Winners 2014 – Watford Community Housing

Chelsea Opera Group link for regular concert visits (6 Concerts per year)

Purcell School link G&T instrumentalists & Y10 GCSE Bushey Manor

Carol Singing in December at Bushey Station to raise money for Charity – at 7am. We

raised just under £500 in 2 hours December 2015!

Christmas Tree Dressing at St James Church, Bushey

Christmas Carol Concert at St James Church, Bushey

Regular Beaumont Care Home Visits throughout the year

Music Department Aims:

• To stimulate and maintain pupil interest and enjoyment in music.

• To enable students to work independently, collaboratively and part of a team.

• To allow students of varying abilities to have equal access to music.

• To develop an awareness of music history and elements of world music and to develop informed

opinions that can be communicated by speaking and writing.

• To provide extracurricular activities for all students and to provide opportunities for G+T students

to further develop their skills.

Objectives:

These objectives are related to the aims stated above and intend to show how the aims are put into

place within the department.

•

To allow students to experience a variety of activities such as performing, composing, listening and

appraising. Students should be encouraged to communicate musical opinion by means of writing

and speaking.

• To provide students with the opportunity to perform, compose, listen and appraise individually, in

a pair and in groups.

• To employ a variety of teaching styles to benefit the learning of all students of varying abilities.

•

To provide students with the opportunity to develop their knowledge of music history, music

technology and develop an awareness of diverse forms of music of the musical world. Students

should be made aware of musical features, instrumentation, equipment and the role of music

within varying societies.

• To provide varied opportunities for students to perform and rehearse as a member of one or more

of the school ensembles.

Staff

Miss Heidi Anderson – Subject Leader of Music/Staff Governor

Mr Faye Wilkinson – Teacher of Music

Mr Colin Gall – Teacher of Music/ Assistant Principal: SEN

Facilities and Resources (eg teaching spaces, equipment, kit)

The Recording Studio-a purpose built functional recording studio. We have a fully equipped digital

recording studio. Available for anybody to use, the recording studio is often used by our Rock School

and many of the Academy's students. Although we do hire out the recording studio commercially,

our main aim is to give direction and an extra edge to student’s time learning with us. We have

successfully recorded GCSE and A-Level recordings so that students can have a 100% professional

recording of their hard work. A full time Audio-Visual Technician is provided for every recording

session and we can provide musicians should they be required.

The Bushey Academy prides itself on the strength of its extra-curricular music provision. We have

over 100 pupils taking instrumental lessons, with visiting staff covering strings, woodwind, voice,

guitar, drums and keyboard. Instrumentalists perform in school and with the Watford School of

Music, with a number performing in county groups. Singing is a strength of the school, having a staff

and student choir. The choirs regularly perform both in school and the local community. Recent

highlights have included singing in the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London as part of the National

Orchestra for All (NOFA) movement. As well as this we have a large number of Rock and Pop bands,

a theory club, and chamber choir.

We hold frequent formal and informal performances throughout the year. In November we have a

large House Music Competition, which is always very competitive. The Bushey Academy performs a

Christmas Carol Concert at a local church every year, as well as charity performances in retirement

homes and the local community. In the summer term we alternate a large variety show (Summer on

the Quad) with a large scale musical in the school’s theatre seating 300. Recent musicals have

included We Will Rock You, High School Musical and Bugsy Malone. The Music and Drama

department are now underway with their Grease rehearsals for this year’s bi-annual musical. We

have informal concerts during lunchtimes, and regularly perform in school assemblies.

The Music Department has a strong link with the Purcell School, where we have done numerous

projects. Most recent, year 7 pupils have performed in a festival at The Purcell School, where they

have composed their own pieces with a Purcell mentor, and jointly performed covers of popular

works.

Useful Websites: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/music/ GCSE Music Bitesize http://www.musicatschool.co.uk/games/revision/ Music At Schools http://www.naxos.com/education/glossary.asp# Excellent Music Glossary www.soundjunction.co.uk www.musictheory.net Revision guides: OCR GCSE Music Study Guide [Illustrated] [Paperback] Reece Galley, Margaret Marshall Graeme Rudland (Author) GCSE Music OCR Areas of Study Revision Guide [Paperback]