Music
Key Stage 3
Between the ages of 11 to 14, all students follow the National Curriculum for Music.Through a combination of performing, composting and listening, students cover a wide variety of topics ranging from Western Classical music to Western Rock/Pop and also music from other world cultures.
Key Stage 4
Music is offered as GCSE optional subject. Results over the years have proven to be consistently good and the numbers of students taking up the subject is on the increase. The department currently delivers GCSE through the AQA specification with 75% of the course focusing on performing and composing. There are five areas of study: Music for a Special Occasion, Music for Dance, Orchestral Landmarks, Music for Film and The Popular Song since 1960. At the end of the course, there is a listening exam based upon the areas of study which comprises open-ended, structured and multiple choice questions.
Extra-Curricular Activities
Music Clubs
Downend School's Music Dept is thriving. We offer students a wide variety of extra-curricular music groups all of which take place before school, after school or in the lunch hour. All the clubs are free and anyone is welcome to come and join in. Students who show real commitment are awarded with certificates for attendance at the end of each term. The clubs we currently have on offer are:
Senior Band
Training Band
Year 7 Choir
Senior Choir
String Ensemble
Brass Ensemble
Flute Group
Music Technology Club
Guitar Group
Woodwind Group
Aural and sight-reading for exam preparation (as and when staff are available)
GCSE coursework clubs
Concerts
We hold two major sell-out concerts each year. These take place at end of the Christmas and Spring terms. In addition to this, we hold three smaller concerts in the Summer term: The Singers Concert is designed for those having singing lessons with Mr Collins. Musicians in the Making is a small scale informal concert especially for the beginner or those students who have not been learning all that long. The Keyboard concert is new and is held especially for those who are learning on piano or keyboard.
Concert Tours
Downend school musicians have embarked on two European concert tours to Holland (Valkenburg, 2001 and Noordvijk 2003). Both were huge successes with students from Senior Band and Senior Choir taking part in some great concerts at venues such as band stands, theme parks, elderly people's home and even a model village! There was plenty of time for fun and excursions including trips to massive swimming complexes, huge theme parks, bowling, discos, a visit to some caves and a day in Amsterdam (including Anne Frank's house) etc etc.
Educational Trips
We also manage to take our students on trips closer to home. These have included Indonesian Gamelan workshops at Bath Spa University, a hands on Junk Band Workshop at Littlestoke school as well as various theatre trips including Miss Saigon , West Side Story and Grease at the Bristol Hippodrome. Other trips have included the junk band Stomp and Phantom of the Opera in the West End as well as The Lion King .
Instrumental / Singing tuition
A team of nine specialist teachers from South Gloucestershire Music Service visit Downend School each week. Lessons are available on the full range of orchestral instruments, as well as all guitars, piano, keyboard, drum-kit and voice. Tuition takes place weekly in the music suite in small groups of two or three and we offer at least thirty lessons per year. Lessons take place on the same day each week, but lesson times rotate throughout the term. Many students choose to learn two or three instruments. Beginners can hire a school instrument for one or two terms if needed, and many choose to make use of the Assisted Purchase Scheme which offers a new instrument exclusive of V.A.T. Once students have reached a basic competence they are encouraged to join one or more of the many extra curricular music activities which rehearse at lunchtime or after school. In consultation with parents and music staff, teachers often enter students for external instrumental / singing exams (for example The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music). These take place at external venues each term, and students are entered following teacher recommendation. In July parents receive an annual written report on students' progress on each instrument.
All parents receive the departmental ‘' three times yearly to keep them in touch with students' activities and successes, as well as current musical events at the school.
