Music is an art form that enriches lives and is a valuable part of the whole school culture at Bradfield. We, as a department, pledge that all students get the musical experience and cultural enrichment they deserve through the development of the following:
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Knowledge and appreciation of listening and identifying the key musical elements that define a song, style or genre.
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Ensemble and performance skills.
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The achievement of creating music through composition, reading and writing notation and aural skills.
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The opportunity to build their own cultural capital through experiencing a range of musical specialisms and enrichment activities.
KS3
Bradfield School provides a broad and diverse experience of music for students regardless of their prior experience or exposure to music.
Every child will be given the opportunity to gain skills and knowledge from three main areas of study.
- Western Classical Music
- Popular Music
- Traditional Music
Our inclusive approach means that students with SEN and disadvantaged students will share the same experience and opportunities as their peers. Our students will develop skills within performance (on instruments), listening for key elements, and composing music.
Every lesson will also reference the elements of music, explicitly teaching music specific vocabulary linked to the following elements:
- Dynamics
- Rhythm/Metre
- Pitch
- Structure/Style
- Melody
- Instrumentation
- Texture/Tonality
- Harmony
At KS3, students have a one hour music lesson per week on a half termly carousel with Drama under the umbrella of Performing Arts. This means each class alternates between Drama and Music for a half term at a time.
Y7 begin their learning journey by understanding rhythmic patterns, learning how to read and write basic notation and performing on percussion instruments. Whole class and small group performance are developed during this scheme of work. Students then explore popular song and its conventions through the ukulele where they develop small ensemble performances. Student conclude Y7 by learning how to utilise a DAW, Soundtrap, to create their own pieces to accompany an audio story, allowing them to demonstrate their understanding of key musical elements.
Y8 develop their prior musical knowledge in their first topic exploring African music particularly the djembe and vocal traditions culminating in a performance assessment of devised drumming pieces. Students then explore the traditional music of blues. Using Soundtrap to add key elements of the blues into their piece each week students develop their keyboard skills during this unit. Finally students engage in 20th century music exploring minimalism and compose their own piece in this style exploring how this genre emerged and its impact today.
In Y9, students study more complex concepts starting with a samba unit which combines whole class performance and individual composition. In our second unit students further develop their notation reading skills by notating a classical piece of music before learning how to play this on the guitar. Each lesson looks at a different time period under the classical umbrella. More challenging elements are taught in Y9 such as harmony and melody. These elements are embedded in the final unit into an exploration of film music through extended listening and playing ‘Leitmotifs’.
Singing is intertwined into all schemes of work and is a fundamental skill of improving wellbeing, confidence and musical engagement. This is encouraged both as a full ensemble (as a class) and within small groups and solos.
GCSE
At KS4 our pupils have the option to take GCSE AQA Music. Our GCSE Music students specialise in at least one instruments and are encouraged to take lessons outside of the classroom to build on existing knowledge and skills. Our curriculum enables pupils who have little to no prior experience in music to work confidently and have access to lessons and instruments.
For GCSE, students receive two hours of music lessons in Y10 and three hours of music lessons in Y11.
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Unit |
% of GCSE |
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Unit 1 Exam |
40%
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Unit 2 Solo |
15%
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Unit 2 Ensemble |
15%
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Unit 3 Brief Composition |
15% |
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Unit 3 Free Composition |
15% |
The music curriculum design takes into consideration ‘The National Plan for Music 2023’, thoughts from the ‘Ofsted Music Research Review 2021’ and ‘Music Subject Curriculum Insight 2023’.
The music lessons are structured around the Bradfield School principles of the five-part lesson plan, incorporating the ‘Silent Do Now’ starter activity which centres around listening to a piece of music and describing using the different musical elements of music (DR P SMITH). The lessons are then designed to follow and promote students to follow direct instruction through teacher lead modelling and demonstration, followed by independent learning. This will relate to the topic (see learning journey), but will fundamentally promote communication, creativity and leadership which mirrors our LORIC values. Lessons always finish with a review where key learning concepts are checked prior to the end of the lesson.
Formative Assessment:
Within lessons, re-cap, Silent Do Now’s and end of component assessments:
- Performances (ensemble and solo)
- Peer assessment and verbal feedback using success criteria
- Teacher verbal feedback
- Knowledge recall tasks and cold calling to check knowledge (use of mini whiteboards)
- Written reflection activities and use of assessment grids to check progress and set targets
- GCSE exam style listening activities with live marking
- Testing knowledge through quizzes and choral response
- Listening activities with live marking.
Summative Assessment:
- In KS3 students have summative assessments at the end of a topic. This is in the form of a written question, listening excerpt and either a composition or performance task dependent on the topic.
- In GCSE, students follow the AQA examination structure. Two performances (30%), two compositions (30%) and one written analysis paper (40%). Mock versions of these are submitted on a half-termly or termly basis for review throughout the course
Co-curricular Music
Bradfield School has a wide variety of enrichment and cultural capital extra curricular activities inclusively available to all students. We are proud of our enrichment and cultural capital opportunities. Our vision and goal is linked to our intent which is to make music accessible, allowing all students a sense of belonging and an opportunity for creative development.
These are:
Instrumental and vocal lessons – from visiting music specialists
We have eight visiting instrumental and vocal teachers covering a wide range of instrument and voice.
- Brass
- Voice
- Woodwind
- Violin
- Guitar
- Drums
- Piano
Some of these teachers are Music Leaders with Sheffield Music Hub, some are accredited teachers. Parents can pay for one-to-one lessons and PP and SEND pupils are able to access lesson funded by the school.
Choir
Choir is an extra curricular club that runs once a week after school. All students are invited to attend. We rehearse for performance at Christmas and for performing arts showcases and for Bradfest in July.
Orchestra
Orchestra is an after-school club once per week for all students to access. Students who play any instrument can be part of the orchestra. We rehearse for performances at Christmas, July for Bradfest and in school events such as celebration evenings.
Christmas Concert
We hold a Christmas Concert performed in school every year. This is an evening occasion where parents/carers are invited to watch students of all year groups perform in the following ensembles:
- Choir
- Orchestra
- Student groups
- Solo performances
Senior Citizens Christmas Afternoon
A selection of students perform for invited Senior Citizens from the local community as part of a lunchtime concert.
‘BRADFEST’
An all-day music festival performed for the community at Bradfield Village Hall. This is on a Saturday in July. All year groups perform including the following items:
- Choir
- Orchestra
- Student led ensembles
- Staff Band/Choir
Past students (alumni) are also invited to perform and attend the event.
Community Galas
Students perform at Worrall Gala in September and Oughtibridge Gala in June, there are a mixture of different performances from solo to band performances.
Other Performances
- School Celebration Evenings and Prize Giving (after school)
- School praise Assemblies
- Enrichment Week Activities
- Leavers Assembly (Y11)
- Visits to feeder primary schools
Studying music opens far more doors than most people expect. The core takeaway is that a music background can lead to specialist careers in the music industry, education and community roles, and a wide range of creative, technical, and administrative jobs that value the analytical, collaborative, and communication skills musicians develop.
Some pathways build directly on musical performance, composition, and production skills.
- Musician / Performer — working with orchestras, ensembles, bands, or as a solo artist. Many graduates combine performing with teaching or freelance work.
- Composer / Songwriter — writing for film, TV, games, theatre, or commercial music.
- Music Producer — shaping recordings, arranging sessions, and working with artists in studios.
- Sound Engineer / Sound Technician — live sound, studio engineering, or audio post‑production for film and video.
- Conductor / Musical Director — leading ensembles, theatre productions, or community groups.
- Artist Management / Promotion — supporting performers with marketing, bookings, and career development.
Music qualifications develop strong listening, analytical, and creative problem‑solving skills that translate into technical and media careers. Many music graduates find fulfilling work in teaching, outreach, and community arts.
You can support your child by encouraging them to listen to a wide variety of musical genres and styles through YouTube, Spotify, Radio 3 or Classic FM. Engaging with and giving students the opportunity to go to live concerts or gigs where possible and encouraging them to attend extra curricular music activities. Promoting engagement with the lessons and homework set.
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Year 7 |
Year 8 |
Year 9 |
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C1 – Rhythm and Notation C2 – Popular Song (Ukulele) C3 – Music and Literature |
C1 – African Music C2 – Blues C3 - Minimalism |
C1 – Samba C2 – Classical Guitar C3 – Film Music |
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Year 10 |
Year 11 |
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Resources
Explore helpful resources, homework tasks, step-by-step tutorials, and detailed guides to support your learning at KS3 & KS4.
