Music is so much more than learning an instrument, it’s also about developing confidence and resilience.

Music has a unifying and therapeutic effect – it highlights our shared experiences and desires. We gravitate to music to elevate our mood, encourage creativity, relax, or share an experience as part of a community. At Felixstowe School Music can be divided into three main disciplines – performing music, composing music and analysing music through listening and appraising.

The knowledge and skills are taught and developed together, to support the individual in building a repertoire upon which they can draw to succeed not only in lessons, but also beyond their school experience and as part of a life-long love of music. The life skills taught as well as the core principles by which we stand – discipline, patience, teamwork, respect, perseverance and resilience – are aimed at developing the well-rounded individual and are encouraged and reinforced at every opportunity. 

Opportunities are embedded for students to develop the practical aspects of performing, composing, and editing but we also recognise the importance of empowering young people with essential life skills that will enhance confidence, self-esteem, awareness, and empathy. Students are provided with numerous opportunities to develop their oracy which helps them to grow in confidence as their ability to articulate their ideas with clarity and fluency improves. 

The Key Stage 3 curriculum introduces students to key concepts, such as performing, composing, listening, and appraising.  The key concepts are reverse-engineered to ensure a challenging and engaging programme of study from Year 7 upwards. 

At Key Stage 3 students will study music from various musical genres (historical, cultural), parts of the world (Eastern/Western traditions – geographical, cultural, religious) and the overall development of music through time (ethnomusicology, technology). Each topic in Key Stage 3 will focus upon one of the three key concepts so as to offer a broad experience to help advance their confidence, knowledge and understanding, and enjoyment of music.

Music at Felixstowe School is enhanced by a range of subjects where skills and knowledge transfer authentically, such as Maths, Drama, English, IT, and History. Like all subjects at the school, literacy is developed in every lesson through a range of activities including extended writing and guided discussions.