KS4 Curriculum Journey

 

In Years 10 and 11 students are following the BTEC First Award in Music. Students complete two core units of work, The Music Industry and Managing a Music product and two optional units that are picked by the teacher(s) of KS4 music. The optional units for the current KS4 cohorts are, Introducing Music Sequencing and Introducing Music Performance.

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The Music Industry – students will learn about the different organisations that form the music industry alongside the different job roles they may find if they were to continue to pursue a career in music. They will complete an exam for the assessment of this unit of work.

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Managing a Music Product – students will work together to create a music product, focusing on three key areas: planning, development and delivery of a music product, the promotion of a music product and the review of a music product. They will create a portfolio of work for the assessment of this unit of work.

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Introducing Music Sequencing – Students will learn how to use music technology to create a piece of music for a scenario as part of their coursework. They will learn skills which are similar to what professional music producers and composers would use when creating music. Students will create a portfolio of work for the assessment of this unit of work, including their completed piece of music and how to guide for using the music software.

 

Introducing Music Performance – Students will learn how to best prepare for a music performance and the skills needed for a performance. A lot of students will work closely with their peripatetic teacher for this unit of work concentrating on their own instrumental skills. They will create a portfolio of work for the assessment of this unit of work, including a final performance and a logbook demonstrating their understanding of music rehearsal techniques and music performance skills.

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Exam Board

The exam board used in Music is Pearson. Students complete the BTEC Level 1/Level 2 First Award in Music. The BTEC First Award is designed to allow pupils to study in the context of a vocational sector, allowing them to apply their learning to work-related situations. It introduces pupils to the understanding, skills and knowledge needed for further study and, further down the line, to enter the workplace. Units are marked both internally and externally, and have equal guided learning hours, as seen on the table below. In total, students complete 120 mandatory learning hours.