Music
Music is a key part of life at Warwick School, with every pupil learning an instrument in Year 7, and a large percentage of them continuing on through the years ahead. All of the choirs, bands, orchestras, groups and ensembles feed into the musical education that the pupils receive, and add to the richness of the classroom teaching that we deliver.
Music education at Warwick School focuses on three key areas: performance, composition, and listening. Pupils listen to music to give them inspiration and to act as a model, and we will introduce them to new genres and pieces to give them a broad appreciation of what music has to offer. Their own compositions will begin small, but we work with the pupils and teach them how to craft a piece which they can be proud of. We encourage both solo and group performances from all of the pupils giving them valuable life-skill experiences, and also an opportunity for parents to come and see them perform.
For those pupils who choose to pursue music up to GCSE and A Level, we teach the iGCSE and Edexcel curriculums respectively.
Course Specification
Course up to the start of GCSE
In Year 7, all pupils are given an orchestral instrument and weekly lessons as part of our ‘Year 7 Music Scheme’. This is without doubt the best way to teach children about music, culminating in a huge orchestral performance at the end of the year. Special arrangements are made for pupils who already learn instruments.
In Years 8 and 9, the focus changes to music composition and listening. Pupils are exposed to a wide range of musical styles and genres, and are taught the basic elements of how to craft a piece of music.
IGCSE
The IGCSE course consists of three sections: composition, performance, and listening. The performance and composition modules are both coursework, and are weighted at 30% of the final result each. This means only 40% of the result rests on the listening paper. Results are consistently excellent, with most candidates receiving A/A* grades.
A Level
The Edexcel A Level course has three sections: composition, performance, and the written paper. While the performance and composition elements will be familiar to the pupils from the GCSE course, the written paper will introduce them to score analysis, short essay questions, musical dictation, and a wide range of musical styles and genres.
If you are interested in pursuing music A Level, do speak to Mr Soper for more information.
