Our MUSIC CURRICULUM

Music is for all.  At Coopers this means that all pupils, regardless of background or ability, receive a high quality, broad and balanced music education. Pupils develop skills in performing, composing, improvising, listening, and evaluating. They acquire powerful knowledge of great composers and musicians, including Saint-Saens, Debussy, Louis Armstrong, and modern artists. To experience a rounded music education, pupils explore African Drumming, Gamelan Music, Programme Music, Reggae amongst others. Each topic is carefully spiralled to ensure that skills are revisited and developed throughout their musical education. 

Coopers Values: Trust, RESPECT AND RESILIENCE

In Music we develop trust by: 

• Going outside of our comfort zones to compose and perform
• Rehearsing and practising sensibly  
• Trusting in our own abilities and by performing in concerts and events 

In Music we develop respect by: 

• Listening to each other’s opinions 
• Using equipment sensibly 

In Music we develop resilience by: 

• Having a “can do” approach 
• Not giving up on the first go 
• Trying your best  
• Learning a musical instrument 
• Learning from your mistakes 

 WHOLE SCHOOL INTENT: INCLUSIVE

In Music we ensure our curriculum is inclusive by: 

• Pupils embrace every musical style and genre of music. 
• Being responsive to young people’s musicality and interests, and having an ability to draw that out to help a young person find their musical voice 
• All pupils are given opportunities whatever their age, ethnicity, attainment and background to engage in music activities. Clubs are free
• Scaffold by personalising the learning based on individual pupil need

WHOLE SCHOOL INTENT: FOCUSED

In Music we identify powerful knowledge that were having a good understanding of it is a prerequisite for understanding other related content. 

By clearly identifying the powerful knowledge in each unit, teachers can ensure that their teaching and assessment is focused on the content that makes the biggest difference. 

We share this with pupils and their families using Knowledge Organisers. These are valuable tools for revision and retrieval practice

WHOLE SCHOOL INTENT: SEQUENCED

In Music we sequence our curriculum using spaced practice. This means large areas of knowledge are broken into smaller chunks, with intervals of time between them, to improve pupil learning and recall.

Music Curriculum Map

WHOLE SCHOOL INTENT: COHERENT

In Music we ensure our curriculum is coherent by the use of the Big Ideas  that underpin all the learning in our subject. Each lesson is linked to a Big Idea, shared with the pupils at the start of the lesson, so they can call on prior learning and understand where each lesson fits within our curriculum. 

Our Big Ideas are: 

• Everyone Can Sing - Singing is good for the mind, body and soul. When groups come together to sing, this can be a powerful sound as well as enjoyable. We can all express ourselves through the power of song.
• Composing Develops Creativity - Our pupils need to be creative, to think freely and bend the rules. Creatively composing can explore a pupil’s wildest ideas. The nature of creatively composing can be transferred to problem solving in other subjects.
• The Music Industry is the largest growing industry in the UK - Artists, mathematicians, business pupils and ICT pupils could all consider a career in the music industry. Music companies need logos, accountants, business plans and someone to keep the social media and websites up and running. Exploring pathways into the music industry is fascinating.
• Performance Builds confidence - Everyone one day has to go for that important interview. College, University and job interviews need us to present our best selves. Learning how to be confident is a vital skill pupils can acquire by performing music.
• Music from different cultures helps us to understand the wider world - Pupils at Coopers are taught to have an appreciation of music outside of their normal experiences. This allows them to understand how and why other types of music are created and heard.
• Music Production is a digitally creative outlet - Here at Coopers Academy, the pupils are able to work and develop their music on state-of-the-art computers and create music for film, media and video games. Pupils are also given the opportunity to use the recording studio to record their own songs.
• Listening enriches the music to give deeper meaning- pupils are exposed to a wide range of listening material ranging from the Classical greats such as Beethoven and Mozart. Pupils get to question the creativity and musical interpretations of Schoenberg, Cage and Debussy. This gives pupils a deeper understanding of the way in which music has evolved over time. It gives them the opportunity to question what they like, challenge new genres and expand their own listening playlists. Coopers teaches pupils how to articulate their own opinions about different musical styles and artists.  

 KS4 QUALIFICATIONS

BTEC Tech Award in Music Practice (2022)

WJEC GCSE Music