At Limehurst, our Music curriculum enables students to engage in a wide range of music making activities that incorporate performing, compositing and appraising skills.  Through listening to music from around the world, and taking an integrated approach to the subject, students develop their own musical skills and interests that can be further extended through a range of extra-curricular activities that we offer.  Putting students at the heart of the subject, we believe that fostering a love for music is best achieved from practical hands on experience, which can be seen in the wide range of activities that students take part in. 

All students study music in years 7, 8 and 9 and can choose to take Music as option in years 10 and 11.  We currently offer BTec Level 1/2 First Award in Music and Edexcel G.C.S.E., and will we run one of the courses depending upon the students who choose to study music at key stage 4. 

Knowledge and Understanding 

Music is a universal language that embodies one of the highest forms of creativity. 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. Pupils should build on their previous knowledge and skills through performing, composing and listening. We ensure that students build up their knowledge and understanding each year through the development of musical concepts that are both consolidated and then extended.  In addition to the use of singing and conventional instruments, students also develop their understanding of how to manipulate sounds within musical structures using a range of musical technology. 

Skills 

At Limehurst students are taught to; 

• play and perform confidently in a range of solo and ensemble contexts using their voice, playing instruments musically, fluently and with accuracy and expression. 

• develop their ability improvise and compose; and extend and develop musical ideas by drawing on a range of musical structures, styles, genres and traditions. 

• use staff and other relevant notations appropriately and accurately in a range of musical styles, genres and traditions. 

• identify and use the inter-related dimensions of music expressively and with increasing sophistication, including use of tonalities, different types of scales and other musical devices. 

• listen with increasing discrimination to a wide range of music from great composers and musicians and from other students. 

• develop a deepening understanding of the music that they perform and to which they listen, and its history. 

• develop the ability to think both critically and creatively. 

The Future 

Trough the appreciation of a wide range of musical genres from different places and times as well as mutual respect and understanding, music can help develop emotional intelligence.  It also incorporates the use of critical thinking skills with extra creativity that are great assets to have in the place of work.  Team-work and group skills are also central to this subject and, along with regular performances and concerts, help develop the self-confidence and presentation skills of students and enable them to be prepared and organised individuals.