Music
Head of Music - Mr S Spacksman
Contact details: sspacksman@johnmason.school
Music plays a central and much valued role in the academic and cultural life of John Mason School, and we were delighted to receive the Oxfordshire County Music Service Award for Innovation in School Music in 2019. Students of all levels and abilities are encouraged to participate in music, both in lessons and in extra-curricular musical activities. The school staff are supported by a team of visiting music teachers who offer individual and small group music lessons on a variety of jazz, pop, rock, folk and classical instruments. Inclusion is at the heart of our vision - students of all demographics should be able to access and learn music, including learning an instrument allowing opportunities and challenges for musicians of all abilities. There is a culture of excellence; nurturing our gifted and talented musicians to develop and hone their knowledge and skills.
The national curriculum pushes three main components in Music: performing, composing and listening/appraising. This is weaved throughout the curriculum; embedding the principles within them.
Students develop performing skills in different instruments; keyboard skills, vocal skills, percussion skills, guitar (ukulele) skills. It also develops skills in various musical disciplines, such as: ensemble skills, understanding musical notation, improvisation and listening & appraisal skills. It also develops character; creativity, time management, teamwork, self-discipline, memory, imagination, confidence, listening and responding amongst other transferable skills.
The curriculum offers a broad and balanced range of topics and assessments, including keyboard skills, guitar/ukulele skills, vocal skills, percussion skills, ethnomusicology, composing, performing and appraising. KS3 curriculum is created to both prepare students for GCSE (if they decide to take the subject) or a standalone curriculum which will give non-Music GCSE students musical skills and knowledge they can take further if they wish.
In Key Stage 3, students get the opportunity to learn about music through practical lessons, with embedded theory and listening and appraising skills. This has been designed to enable students to learn and understand all elements that must come together to produce a performance/composition. Students enter GCSE requiring two performances and two compositions, totalling 60% of the qualification.
Key Stage 3 starts by introducing students to musical skills and knowledge through straight-forward tasks, while also manifesting a step up in challenge from primary school. Students will sing in groups, create and play rhythms, build on keyboard skills, play different pieces on piano and create a fanfare composition. This is built upon in Year 8 by increasing the challenge and applying the knowledge and skills to specific aspects, such as blues, composing melodies and then film music, a ‘stomp’-esque performance and common chord progressions in pop music. This is further developed in Year 9 with a focus on ethnomusicology, studying music from all around the world (British folk music, Indonesia, Japan, Jamaica, USA) and finishes with combining all skills and knowledge gained by composing a pop song.