Music: Secondary: Key Stage 3
Music: Secondary: Key Stage 3
Music: Secondary: Key Stage 3
Music
Secondary: Key Stage 3
Curriculum plan 2020-21
1. Curriculum Principles
Our curricula build on the National Curriculum for Music and specifically aims to equip pupils with the knowledge
and skills that will enable them to:
● Discover and develop their performing skills to a level of proficiency that enables them to participate in social
music making activities.
● Gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the music they engage with through systematic analysis
and reflection.
Phase Structure Organisation of pitch Texture Tempo, metre Dynamics and Sonority
and rhythm articulation (performing
Melody Harmony and forces and
tonality playing
techniques)
Put Repetition + High + low Pleasant + Full and sparse Fast + slow Loud + quiet Instruments
simply contrast clashing Long + short Smooth +
detached
Year 7 Repetition, riff, Step, leap, Pentatonic, Solo, unison, Pulse, tempo, Loud (forte), Voice
ostinato, groove, balanced major keys, two-part, layers, bar, bar line, quiet (piano), (vocalising,
bar, phrase, phrase, question major and minor full, sparse, simple time mezzo piano, singing,
balanced and answer, triads, chord polyrhythmic, signatures, mezzo forte, beatboxing),
phrase, sections, treble clef, scale relationships, melody and semibreve, fortissimo, body percussion,
intro, verse, degrees, stave, tonic, dominant, accompaniment minim, crotchet, pianissimo, gumboot
chorus, outro, semitone, staff primary and , harmony, call quaver, crescendo, dancing,
addition, notation, secondary and response semiquaver, diminuendo, keyboard,
subtraction, improvisation, chords, root rest, rhythm, staccato, legato, ukulele, acoustic
song, call and ostinato note, 3rd, 5th, polyrhythms, accent guitar, drumkit,
response inversions, chord syncopation, strumming, stab
charts, chord sustained,
symbols on-the-beat,
off-beat, dotted
crotchet, tie,
count-in, upbeat
Year 9 Head, solos, Hook, Extended Backing vocals, Clave, quantise, Fade in, Synthesized
loops, mix-in, A melismatic/ chords, minor counter melody, 120bpm, crescendo, fade sound, reverb,
section, syllabic text keys (D homophony, habanera, out, panning, filter,
breakdown, setting, harmonic doubling, mix-in, repetition, tal – diminuendo, FX, automation,
build, drop, arch-shape, minor), key breakdown, sam, theka, free balance post-production,
pre-chorus, conjunct, relationships, drop, chordal, tempo, trimming, zoom,
chorus, middle disjunct, sus chords, arpeggio interlocking, stinger, drum
eight, chromatic drone, rag, moderato, fills, picking
instrumental, passing notes, extended allegro Afrobeat: ‘horns’,
alap, jhalla sargam – sa, re, chords, Aeolian percussion—clav
pa, tihai, grace mode on C, es, maracas,
notes, upper chord shekere, conga
mordents, relationships, Neotango:
development, bitonality, bandoneon
motif atonality, note North Indian
cluster classical: sitar;
bansuri; tabla;
tanpura
Afro Celt Sound
System:
bodhran,
whistle,
● Have access to high quality musical experiences that deliver life-enhancing benefits through curriculum, and
adopt habits and behaviours that foster a respectful and joyful community
● Experience a knowledge-led curriculum where pupils gain new musical learning and the ability to retain it.
8 The Beauty of the Baroque Melody, harmony and texture 13 Keyboard performance; staff
(classical) notation (treble clef)
8 Band Musicianship 2: The Blues Melody and harmony (popular) 13 Instrumental performance
9 Using technology musically: Harmony, texture and sonority 9 Keyboard; how to manipulate
EDM (popular) musical elements
9 Using technology musically: Tonality, texture and orchestral 9 Keyboard; how to manipulate
Film Music sonority (music for stage and musical elements
screen)
9 Band Musicianship 3: Songs for Melody, harmony and rhythm 9 Instrumental performance;
a better world (popular) composition
Purpose In this unit, pupils will be Pupils are introduced to Pupils develop an
performing (using their bodies pentatonic scales and learn the understanding of harmony,
and voices as instruments), secrets of effective melody chords and chord relationships,
composing and notating a writing. They begin to navigate whilst developing basic
‘Stomp’ inspired piece. Pupils staff notation in the treble clef. instrumental or tech skills. They
will also explore how the voice develop ensemble skills that
can be fully utilised in support connected playing and
performance and composition. are introduced to chord charts
Pupils will compose within a and rhythm grids.
given structure using 4 beat
rhythmic patterns as their
building blocks. Pupils will learn
how to notate their rhythmic
patterns using staff notation.
Outcome Pupils understand how rhythm Pupils understand how Pupils understand how different
is what gives music its energy balanced melodies are musical styles employ different
and movement. They structured. They understand kinds of accompaniment and
understand that much music is that the pentatonic scale is used that many pop songs are made
made up of a series of patterns in a variety of music including up of just 4 chords. They
and how these patterns can fit folk, jazz and classical. understand how harmony
together to create a larger supports melody.
structure.
Purpose Pupils work with increasingly Pupils develop their ability to Pupils look to progress their
complex rhythms, textures and play an independent line within ensemble skills as they perform
structures. They drive forward a polyphonic/contrapuntal and improvise within a band.
their ability to improvise, texture by playing Baroque They consolidate and extend
perform independent parts and music. They deepen their their knowledge of harmony
create new music that understanding of the and improve their musical
embraces the traditions of relationship between melody literacy as they work from staff
djembe drumming and more and harmony by composing notation, chord charts, and
contemporary music from short original melodies to fit a tablature.
across West Africa. given ground bass.
Outcome Pupils understand that rhythm is Pupils understand how Pupils understand how layers
an essential element in all music combining ideas which stay the and parts work in a 12-bar blues
and that it can be used to add same and those which are ever structure. They understand the
energy, build excitement, or changing builds interest in music devices inherent in this
communicate stillness and calm. music. They are familiar with style and can include these in
They understand the status that performance practices of the their own practical work.
music in West Africa has and late 18th century and learn to
how this music is learnt and led. recognise some musical devices
of the Baroque period.
Year 9 Unit 7 - Fusions Unit 8 - Using technology Unit 9 - Band Musicianship 3:
musically: EDM and Film Music Songs for a better world
Purpose Pupils explore the characteristic Pupils apply their knowledge of Pupils approach this unit with a
ideas of different musical styles melody, rhythm and harmony rounded sense of musical
and traditions through to the world of Electronic Dance understanding and
performance and analysis, and Music, learning how to performance technique. They
critical listening. manipulate texture and exploit can apply that understanding
technology. across a number of contexts
Outcome Pupils understand the purpose Pupils understand how the Pupils understand how, for
of musical devices found in careful structuring of ideas is centuries, music has been used
music from a range of cultures vital to successful composition, to draw attention to political
and traditions, such as tango, regardless of the genre, style or issues and draw attention to
bhangra and afrobeat, Students tradition. They understand how social change in pursuit of a
understand how fusion music music can communicate and better world.
relates to its origins. enhance mood, character and
setting.
Each unit of learning lasts approximately one term. This is so pupils have the opportunity to develop and consolidate
their musical understanding at each stage before moving onto the next. We recognise that in this context, teachers
may need to set smaller selections of work, therefore each unit is broken down into a number of shorter 'cycles' of
learning with knowledge checks and assessment tasks built in.
8 Composing in a structure
9 Understanding what a griot and an oral tradition are, and the role of music in West African
society
12 Comparing and exploring West African musics through performance and composition
13 Comparing and exploring West African musics through performance and composition
9 Composing a bassline
11 Composing a more elaborate melody that uses passing notes, Baroque rhythms and
staccato/legato articulation
12 Learning about instrument playing techniques in order to communicate the blues genre
8 Developing melodic, harmonic and rhythmic ideas from the styles or traditions of music
studied
9 Fusing melodic, harmonic and rhythmic ideas from the styles or traditions of music studied
10 Fusing melodic, harmonic and rhythmic ideas from the styles or traditions of music studied
4 Exploring basslines
9 How balance, FX, panning and dynamics can musically enhance a dance track
1 Understanding how and why film music has changed from mickey-mousing
6 Developing musical elements in an underscore to reflect the mood or setting in a film clip
7 Exploring tonality and harmony in an underscore to reflect the mood or setting in a film clip
8 How to exploit sonority, dynamics, pitch, rhythm and tempo to compose successful leitmotifs
1 Understanding how John Lennon employed melody to communicate the lyrics of his protest
song ‘Imagine’
2 Understanding how and why tempo, metre and rhythm choices help to communicate the
message of a song
Musical Understanding is a distinct and unique form of musical knowledge, which many have long considered the
most important aspect of learning for curriculum music*. It acts as the driver for all practical activity in the
classroom, with each unit of work designed to develop learning at a particular stage of musical understanding.
Practical skills, and knowledge about theoretical concepts, are therefore important not simply because they are
useful in themselves, but primarily because they enable progression in musical understanding.
At its simplest, musical understanding has been described as knowledge ‘of’ music: a deep, personal and
internalised understanding of how music ‘works’ and how it enables meaning. This usefully distinguishes it from
other forms of musical knowledge: knowledge of ‘how to do’ music (i.e. the musical skills of performing, composing,
etc) and knowledge ‘about’ music (i.e. concepts such as the elements or dimensions of music, and information
about composers, notation, styles of music, etc).
It has been defined clearly over the years by both significant music educators and by various bodies connected with
the National Curriculum for music. The most recent of these include the original Level statements for music in the
National Curriculum, the Secondary Strategy KS3 programme, the Assessing Pupil Progress project, and the
Exemplification of Standards materials. Although not all of these offered a single, overarching definition, they each
provided a set of written statements defining progression in musical understanding, and in some cases also
provided examples of pupils’ music making and thinking which reflected the different stages of progression.
1. Each unit is designed to develop a particular stage of understanding, with all the units for at least one year’s
set of units addressing a similar stage. This is because progression through the stages is a long-term process,
and requires careful introduction, consolidation and development across a range of musical contexts before
moving on to the next stage. This provides a very clear rationale as to why certain units and their associated
activities / learning are placed where they are. It also enables teachers to be explicit with pupils as to why
certain activities or music are being studied: ‘this will help you understand how music is created in layers,
instead of in sequences of single sounds’; or ‘this will help you understand how music from this tradition / part
of the world uses a different process for making music than we’ve seen in other sorts of music we have
explored’ .
2. The creative challenges which can be offered to pupils are both more sophisticated and more targeted: rather
than just asking pupils to make a contrasting section for their ‘stomp’ parts for instance, teachers can ask
pupils to find out how many different combinations they can make from the parts or layers of sounds they
have already created – solos, two parts in different pairings, three layers of sound, etc; or rather than just
asking pupils to ‘create a blues’, teachers might ask pupils to find their own way of ‘walking’ the bass line from
one chord root to another. The consequence is that there is potential for pupils to be given lots of short,
focused creative challenges rather than long, broad tasks.
*Teachers may wish to explore the new resources on the ISM web site, which describe and explain the history of
musical understanding over the course of the past 50 years, including its importance within the National Curriculum
in England.