Welcome to the Music Department

The music curriculum at Archbishop Ilsley provides all pupils with the opportunity to be a musician in the classroom. Our curriculum ensures that pupils gain an understanding of the musical processes and practices used in different genres and in musical cultures throughout the world while learning skills in performance, composition and music appraisal.

The study of music goes beyond the study of the subject itself. Our pupils gain a wide range of transferable skills through the study of music such as teamwork, social skills and listening skills. Learning an instrument and composing music requires self-regulation, resilience and patience. It is proven that the study of music has benefits for pupils’ concentration, memory and self-esteem.

At KS4 we study the OCR GCSE Music syllabus. Pupils complete non-examined assessments (NEA) in solo and ensemble performance and composition. Alongside NEA, students study the content required for the listening examination. This includes aspects of music theory and four areas of study. These focus on film music, development of popular music, rhythms of the world and concertos.