OUR CURRICULUM VISION
To offer a rich, equitable and challenging 4-18 music curriculum; authentically explored, community centred and values driven
Building from Values
Our music curriculum is built around five core practices/big ideas, which embody the values and purpose of our work. These emerged over time through a long process of analysing & unpicking our existing curriculum, what purpose it serves for the students, the school and the wider community, what meanings are being made by the students, and what it says about our team values and, of course, what we value in music and education more widely. Ensemble, community, mastery, creativity and flow, are concepts, big ideas, values and practices, that embody our curriculum in every sense, and it is against these that our curriculum process, design and outcomes are held to account. They ensure our curriculum development is rich, focussed and rigorous, and that the conversations we have lead to more than a knowledge or skills checklist, a list of topics to cover, or a linear build-up to GCSE/A level content. Whilst these are important inclusions of curriculum design, we believe a rich & sustainable curriculum in any subject can and should be more than this.
To offer a rich, equitable and challenging 4-18 music curriculum; authentically explored, community centred and values driven
Building from Values
Our music curriculum is built around five core practices/big ideas, which embody the values and purpose of our work. These emerged over time through a long process of analysing & unpicking our existing curriculum, what purpose it serves for the students, the school and the wider community, what meanings are being made by the students, and what it says about our team values and, of course, what we value in music and education more widely. Ensemble, community, mastery, creativity and flow, are concepts, big ideas, values and practices, that embody our curriculum in every sense, and it is against these that our curriculum process, design and outcomes are held to account. They ensure our curriculum development is rich, focussed and rigorous, and that the conversations we have lead to more than a knowledge or skills checklist, a list of topics to cover, or a linear build-up to GCSE/A level content. Whilst these are important inclusions of curriculum design, we believe a rich & sustainable curriculum in any subject can and should be more than this.
A 'Knowledge' Rich Curriculum?
Many conversations about curriculum knowledge are limited to that which can be described as 'declarative' knowledge, ie. recitation and application of facts. We believe a much deeper and more expansive conversation is needed about what a 'knowledge rich' curriculum really is if it is going to be challenging and meaningful enough for our students. This means acknowledging and exploring the different types of knowledge and knowing that are in play within our subjects and, more specifically in our case, within our 'big ideas'.
Three types of knowledge that we believe are central to the study of music are mechanical, social and emotional knowledge. These are of equal importance and acknowledge that a rich music curriculum develops explicit, implicit and tacit forms of knowledge (the latter because of the social, contextual and experiential nature of music).
These types of knowledge are an embodiment of our big ideas, and through their presentational format below, open up a language base for learning about, developing, discussing, exploring and understanding them and, therefore, music better with our students.
Three types of knowledge that we believe are central to the study of music are mechanical, social and emotional knowledge. These are of equal importance and acknowledge that a rich music curriculum develops explicit, implicit and tacit forms of knowledge (the latter because of the social, contextual and experiential nature of music).
These types of knowledge are an embodiment of our big ideas, and through their presentational format below, open up a language base for learning about, developing, discussing, exploring and understanding them and, therefore, music better with our students.
Celebrating Our Curriculum
Our curriculum work is punctuated by a series of outward facing events that celebrate all our students with the community, and hold them to account on curriculum project expectations & ambitions. They create authenticity in both process and outcome and play an important part in promoting the music culture in our school.