Curriculum


The Music Department specializes in offering a wide range of musical experiences through the curriculum and during clubs and extra curricular activities. We offer private instrumental lessons including Piano, Guitar, Drum and various Woodwind instruments and follow the traditional associated board grades. Students are encouraged to express themselves in the musical styles they enjoy but are also asked to expand their musical knowledge by exploring other genres.

KS3

Year 7 students will learn how to read music and play the keyboard. They study topics such as programme music, reggae music and musical theatre music.

Year 8 students continue to develop their study of the keyboard along with the music of Africa, film music, jazz music, cubase and the development of the blues.

The music department has its own computer lab available to all years with priority given to the upper school. This lab supports various music software such as " Cubasis ", " Audacity " and " Sibelius ", as well as all the usual software used within the school and other curriculum areas.

We are pleased to offer GCSE Music and Music BTEC within the department.

GCSE music consists of 30% composition, 30% performance and 40% listening paper. We also encourage all our students to aim for a formal theory grade exam during this period. Over the two years students look at the art of performing and how to create structured and balanced compositions.

At The Harefield Academy we follow the Edexcel GCSE syllabus.
Areas studied during the course

  • Repetition in Western Classical Music
  • Music in the 20th century
  • Popular song in context
  • World Music

This course is supported by term trips and workshops as well as regular concerts held by pupils.

Staff

Miss S. Quinn

Extra Curricular Activities:

There are many extra curricular activities students enjoy taking part in including Choir, Band, Rock Band, Stomping, Year 7 Keyboard Club as well as Clarinet and Saxophone Ensemble. These ensembles meet once a week during PL time or after school and perform at formal school occasions. 

Past Performances include:

  • Annual Christmas Cracker production
  • End of year Music/Theatre productions
  • Presentation Evenings
  • Senior Residents' Events
  • Festivals
  • The Jack Petchey Awards

Furthermore, our Music ensembles perform for the community at St Mary's Church as well as the Harefield Hospital.