CURRICULUM SUBJECT

Music

“Music can change the world because it can change people”  Bono (Musician)
 

Music is part of the fabric of Kew House School. When pupils join us in Year 7and through to Year 8, music lessons will form part of their weekly curriculum.

The Music department consists of four teachers of curriculum music, an assistant and a team of around twenty visiting instrumental teachers to provide students with expert teaching from a range of specialists. 

We are proud of our excellent facilities; a music suite housing 12 computers with state of the art software including Sibelius and Cubase, a main teaching room with three additional practice rooms and a wonderful theatre space which we use regularly for concerts and performances.

There is a passion for singing at Kew House School and all children sing regularly in year 7 as a way of developing musicianship, notation reading and to gain an understanding of musical elements. 

We give all Year 7 pupils lessons with specialist teachers on violin, clarinet, and trombone, which we call the ‘El Sistema’ programme. During their weekly curriculum lesson, all pupils participate in a 30 minute lesson in a small group for a term, rotating between instruments, as we believe learning an instrument is an important part of music education. 

 A highlight of the annual school Christmas carol service, is the Year 7 massed choir. This welcomes the new year 7s into the music department and celebrates their first term in the school. We are delighted that this event inspires many students to join the school’s Junior Choir as an extra-curricular activity. 

 As well as the Junior Choir, the collection of vocal ensembles includes a large Senior Choir which have demonstrated versatility by performing music varying from the Bohemian Rhapsody to Mozart and Rachmaninov. Senior students also come together in smaller groups to form vocal ensembles or perform as soloists. 

Weekly Extra-Curricular Groups 

• Junior instrumental ensembles: Strings, Brass and Woodwind 
• Junior Choir and Senior Choir 
• Soul Bands 
• Rock Bands 
• Jazz Band 
• Classical Guitar Ensemble 
• Flute Group 
• Baroque Chamber Ensemble, for advanced instrumentalists 

We offer a full range of instrumental music lessons in school with visiting music tutors. All lessons take place at lunchtimes or after school between 4-6pm to minimise any disruption to other academic subjects. There are also trips to concerts, workshops, and conferences, and talks from visiting specialists

The GCSE course is designed to inspire. It develops life skills, including critical thinking, aesthetic sensitivity, emotional awareness, self-discipline and self-confidence.
Students will develop their musical skills and interests including the ability to make music individually and in groups.
To study music at this level, students must be able to perform on an instrument or sing and must be prepared to take lessons in a given instrument or vocal in preparation for the exam.
The course is 60% controlled assessment and performance, leaving on 40% of marks awarded in the Summer of Year 11

The A Level course is a continuation and extension of the study that student undertake at GCSE level, where students advance their musical skillset and personal style to become dynamic and expressive musicians.