Music

Music is the universal language all around us. It embodies one of the highest forms of creativity, giving the power to transform young people's lives. Music engages and motivates, it enables personal expression, builds confidence, encourages reflection, boosts emotional development, develops critical engagement, stimulates and inspires us every day.

The music department at Golborne High School forms an important part of both the Creative Arts (CATs) faculty and the GHS wider curriculum, making a vital contribution to the ethos of the school, the social health of the community and to the world of work, enriching pupils and encouraging them to be prepared for life and responsible citizens.

Pupils build on the knowledge and skills gained in KS1 and 2, learning to further appreciate a wide variety of genres of music whilst continually developing as performers, composers and producers through an innovative and skills-based curriculum. In KS3 our curriculum is designed in line with the statutory National Curriculum for Music. Pupils sequentially develop their key skills and application of subject knowledge through exposure to a variety of topics.

At Golborne High School, pupils learn to use music technology to compose their own music. From the first topic in year 7, pupils are taught the skills and knowledge of “Becoming a Musician”. These fundamental components of the music curriculum are revisited and developed throughout the Key Stage 3 journey.

Other topics include Blues Music, Hip-Hop Music and World Music. Staff are committed to enhancing pupils’ joy of learning through performing exciting and relevant genres in the classroom. The KS3 curriculum supports a perfect balance of academic rigour and love of learning throughout and aims for pupils to be fully equipped for either a vocational or academic pathway on offer at KS4. Pupils opt for Music at the end of Year 9. They are able to choose either GCSE Music (Eduqas) or the Level 2 BTEC Tech Award in Music Practice. Both routes provide our pupils with a broad and balanced understanding and skill set, enabling our pupils to access both A-level and vocational courses at all of our post-16 providers.

Outside of the classroom, pupils can experience regular enrichment activities which further increase their understanding and love of music in a wider context. We encourage an ethos of pride in every performance we produce and encourage a professional level of discipline in rehearsals to prepare pupils most effectively for the performing arts industry.