Music

Welcome to the Sandringham Music Department. Our objective is to provide a rich and diverse music curriculum that encourages our students to be reflective, creative and open-minded, with an appreciation for music from a wide range of traditions and an intellectual curiosity about how music is connected to the world around us. This is supported by our varied enrichment and concert programme which offers opportunities for all students to regularly perform both in and out of school in our extracurricular instrumental groups and choirs.

Students have an hour of music each week in Years 7-9 and we offer Music GCSE and BTEC and Music and Music Technology A Level. The department is made up of two large teaching spaces, a Mac suite for whole class KS3 and 4 lessons, a specialist recording studio and KS5 music technology space, and smaller rooms for student practice and instrumental lessons.

Key Stage 3

Creativity and performance is central to our music curriculum at Sandringham and our aim is to develop students skills in performing, listening and composing through a strong practical focus. At KS3, students are taught in form groups for one hour a week and in Year 9 can also opt to take a Music and/or Music Technology module which each offer an extra hour a week.

Over the course of the three years, students study a wide range of musical styles from different traditions and parts of the world. Students are introduced to the contexts in which these different styles are composed and performed and explore these styles through their own performance and composition work. Genres studied include reggae, programme music, blues, western classical music, world and film music, musical theatre and songwriting.

Over the course of the three years, students learn the keyboard, guitar, bass guitar and ukulele and learn how to rehearse effectively both as individuals and as part of a band. Students also look at how music technology is used to perform and compose and over the course of KS3 use a range of apps as well as GarageBand, Logic and Sibelius.

Key Stage 4

We offer Music GCSE through AQA and students receive five hours of lessons over the course of two weeks.

The AQA course consists of a listening exam (40%) and coursework comprising of composition (30%) and performance (30%).

Students study a wide range of musical styles within the topics listed below.

Western classical tradition 1650–1910
Western classical tradition since 1910.
Popular music
Traditional music

GCSE students participate in our extra-curricular groups and regularly perform in evening and lunchtime concerts both in the school and in the wider community.

Key Stage 5

Sandringham School is responsible for delivering both A Level Music and Music Technology (Edexcel syllabus). Since we are part of a highly esteemed sixth form consortium with Beaumont and Verulam School, our students often study Music as part of a consortium class.

Music A Level requires students to listen to and analyse set works, be able to place them into context, draw comparisons between different styles and traditions and confidently discuss the features of music that is played to them. Students also learn how to compose expressively within a range of structures and styles. The course is broken down as shown below.

Performing 30%
Composing 30%
Appraising (exam) 40%

Music Technology A Level is delivered at Sandringham for students across the consortium and requires students to develop an understanding of production techniques and listening and analysing skills. The course consists of study in three areas: ‘Recording and production techniques’, ‘the principles of sound and audio technology’ and ‘the development of recording and production technology from 1930’. This is assessed as follows:

Audio Recording coursework 20%
Composition coursework 20%
Listening & Analysing exam 25%
Producing & Analysing exam 35%

How can I support my child’s learning?

There are a number of ways that you can support your child’s learning in music. Regular practice is key to making progress on any instrument or singing and our instrumental teachers use practice books as a way of helping students remember what their focus should be each week. Students interested in learning more widely about music can use any of the websites listed below to improve their listening skills or just to discover new composers and styles of music!

Music Faculty Enrichment Activities

Monday
Lunchtime: Sandringham Wind Band (Yrs 7-9), Ukulele Group
After School: KS4 composition clinic

Tuesday
Lunchtime: Junior Choir (Yrs 7-9), Close Harmony Groups
After School:

Wednesday
Lunchtime: Jazz Combo (Yrs 11+)
After School: Music Tech Club, Jazz Band, KS4 composition clinic

Thursday
Lunchtime: Chamber Choir (Yrs 9-13), Sax Ensemble, Junior Jazz (Yrs 7-9)
After School: Sinfonia, Rock School (externally run)

Friday
Lunchtime: String Group, Guitar Group
After School: Show Choir (Yr 9+ audition only)

All students are welcomed to the groups shown in bold. Other groups may be for older students, incur a cost or be invite only but please do ask if you would like more information. After school rehearsals and classes run until 4.00pm and all rehearsals take place in the Music Faculty.