Music Development Plan 2024-25

Music Development Plan Summary: Guiseley Music

Overview

This is a summary of how our school delivers music education to all our pupils across three areas – curriculum music, co-curricular provision and musical experiences – and what changes we are planning in future years. This information is to help pupils and parents or carers understand what our school offers and who we work with to support our pupils’ music education.

Part A: Curriculum Music

This is about what we teach in lesson time, how much time is spent teaching music and any music qualifications or awards that pupils can achieve.

KS3

Students in KS3 receive one dedicated lesson per week for Music. Students have the opportunities to develop proficiency in several instruments (including keyboard, ukulele and samba percussion) and also become proficient in the use of industry-level Music Technology. Skills development spirals each year allowing students to consolidate their skills and knowledge and then at a greater depth against all three pillars of the National Curriculum.

Performance

Across all of KS3, students develop performance skills on keyboards and ukuleles as well as having access to drum kits, guitars and bass guitars. Year 9 students access Samba percussion when we explore the music of Latin America. There are opportunities to enhance body percussion and vocal skills throughout schemes of learning also. Students develop solo performance skills through guided and independent practice but there is a heavy emphasis on ensemble playing on a paired level and whole-class level. Students often share their individual progress in an ensemble setting. Students explore the Western Classical Canon whilst also experiencing a diverse range of genres and styles from across the world allowing them the opportunity to develop a diverse repertoire of skills and knowledge.

Composition

Students compose throughout KS3. Composition-focussed schemes are sequenced to reduce support and increase creative risk over time to encourage independent creative decisions. Students predominantly compose using DAW (GarageBand and Logic) on Macs but context is always different. Like performance, composition skills spiral allowing for greater depth in knowledge and skills – for example, students in Year 7 complete a mickey mousing project as an introduction to composing for media and cartoon. By Year 9, they’re creating suspense and tension with complex harmonic devices to create appropriate atmosphere in film trailers.

Listening and Appraising

Listening and appraising music is embedded across the KS3 curriculum. Students are exposed to a plethora of genres (including Renaissance, Classical, Romantic, LateRomantic, 20th Century-‘ism’s and popular music styles) through listening and appraising. Students explore the instruments of the orchestra, learning to define them by sound, as well as more genre-specific instruments (e.g. bandoneon with Argentinian Tango). Listening tasks encompass the musical elements and encourage students to analyse what they’re hearing against key musical elements (dynamics, pitch, rhythm, melody, harmony, instrumentation) from the beginning of their music education at Guiseley School.

SEND and Inclusion

Music lessons are accessible for all. Through our 8 Principles of Great Teaching, Neurodiverse Non-Negotiables and expert classroom practitioners, all students have a right to a safe and accessible music education. Reasonable adjustments are made for students with SEMH barriers to learning, and physical adaptations to schemes are made where possible for students with physical/sensory needs. Through a Guiseley approach, students are nurtured into budding young performers that are inspired to share their musicality with their peers in, and out of, the classroom.

KS4

Students who opt for Music at KS4 study the AQA GCSE Music Course. Students who do not opt for further music study are still encouraged to engage with the faculty’s extensive extra-curricular offer.

KS5

Students who opt for Music at KS5 study the AQA A Level Music Course. Students who do not opt for further music study are still encouraged to engage with the faculty’s extensive extra-curricular offer.

For further information on our curriculum provision, please visit: Curriculum Maps - Curriculum - Guiseley Schoo

Part B: Co-curricular Music

This is about opportunities for pupils to sing and play music, outside of lesson time, including choirs, ensembles and bands, and how pupils can make progress in music beyond the core curriculum.

Peripatetic Music Provision

Through a strong partnership with the West Yorkshire Music Hub and a team of expert professionals, Guiseley School boasts a thriving peripatetic provision where over 10% of students from Y7-13 engage with additional music lessons on a 1-1 or small group basis. We have a team of 7 teachers delivering lessons on Piano, Voice, Guitar (acoustic, bass and ukulele), Woodwind (clarinet and sax), Flute, Drums and Percussion and upper strings. Students are given the opportunity to access additional graded exams (ABRSM, Rock School, Trinity) in these lessons. On average, over 30 students per academic year access these exams as milestone measures of their progress. Students can hire instruments (wind, strings and brass) if they don’t have access to them for incredible PP and SEN students are overrepresented in this cohort. 25% of all students accessing these lessons have a SEND need, 15% of peripatetic participants are PP, 8% are PP+. PP students are eligible for discount on lesson fees allowing all students to access the provision.

To support KS4 and 5 students with their performance coursework preparations, Guiseley School generously subsidises 50% of lesson fees for these students.

Link to peripatetic application form and pricing info: Music Lessons and Instrument Hire

Extracurricular

Guiseley School boasts an ambitious extracurricular offer with over 12 ensembles rehearsing weekly. Both classroom teachers lead some ensembles whilst our team of expert peripatetic teachers lead others. There’s something for everyone from beginner KS3 ensembles to advanced audition/invitation-only ensembles. We have a student-run Jazz Band. Included in our extracurricular offer is our Sound and Lighting club where students get the opportunity to receive industry-level training in technical aspects of live music and theatre. Opportunities include, lighting and sound design, live studio recording and being a touring technician with our ensembles. Over 15% of our students engage with our extra-curricular programme each week. We run at least one full-scale musical per year with a full student pit-band. 

For more information on our extracurricular offer, please click this link: Extra-Curricular Activities

We have a suite of 5 practice rooms where our peripatetic lessons are hosted. Students can also reserve these at lunchtime and afterschool to conduct solo or ensemble practice. Technical support is on hand from our expert technician.

Our department is let out to Guiseley Music Centre (a Saturday music centre through our local hub) who run term-time music sessions (1-1, small group and large ensemble provision).

Part C: Musical Experiences

This is about all the other musical events and opportunities that we organise, such as singing in assembly, concerts and shows, and trips to professional concerts.

Concerts and Performances:

Each year, we calendar at least 2 concerts – a Divertimento concert in the autumn and a Spring concert in March. Divertimento is a more subtle concert spotlighting soloists,5 chamber acts and more of our acoustic ensembles and choirs. Our Spring concert features more musicians and includes bands and our Soul Band.

Participating students work on their performances with their peripatetic teacher and/or ensemble leader. There are opportunities for student technicians to facilitate all the live light and sound for our events also. We have an open-door when it comes to students willing to participate in concerts. Performances are open to all year groups – whilst some ensembles are strictly KS4/5 there are always opportunities for younger years to create and share music with live audiences. We introduced a summer event in 23-24: a week-long festival where there was a different music event each day of the week including lunchtime concerts in the dining hall, Year 7 concerts, a local tour and a performance at an external function space.

We also trialled a Battle of the Bands competition – we begun to develop links with local businesses who sponsored our prize pool and provided enriching opportunities for participants. This event was in conjunction with the Red Kite Battle of the Bands where the winner of our in-house competition represented the school at the Red Kite event. All our internal events are reasonably priced and have separate pricing for adults and concessions (children, staff, students and senior citizens).

In partnership with the drama department, we stage at least one full-scale musical each year with auditioned protagonists cast in Years 10 and up, and Years 8 and above can partake in the ensemble (without audition). All performances accompanied with live student band.

Trips

Students have the opportunity to experience live music out of school on trips. Regular opportunities filter to the school through Leeds Music Education Partnership and West Yorkshire Music Hub providing our students with the option to develop their cultural capital.

We are exploring the idea of biannual/triennial music tours abroad providing students with the opportunity to further develop their cultural capital. KS4/5 students have regular opportunities to experience Opera at local venues (Leeds Grand Theatre) where we receive competitive ticket pricing making such events accessible for all.

Curriculum-essential trips are subsidised at 100%, and enrichment opportunities are subsidised at 25% for pupil premium students.

In the Future

This is about what the school is planning for subsequent years.

1. Following the successful introduction of a summer festival, we would like to grow the bi-annual music festival week incorporating more outreach opportunities and collaboration across the ALPT and RKA.
2. Build on the success of Battle of the Bands and grow it into a higher-profile event (both in audience size and student participation) like our sell out Divertimento and Spring concerts are.
3. Establish a regular tour schedule providing a spiralling offer of trips/enrichment opportunities for students.
4. Develop our extra-curricular offer to include more Music Technology and DJing opportunities.
5. Review the KS4 and 5 offer ensuring suitability for future cohorts.