Welcome to the Oak Bank Music Department
Music is an integral part of the daily curriculum and is delivered as part of the core offer from key stage two to key stage three and as an option in key stage four. A fully equipped recording studio is available with access to separate practice and live areas furnished with modern instruments, the latest music software and a suite of Apple Mac computers.
Broad, Ambitious, and Grounded: Aligned with the national curriculum, our program ensures all students access an academic course that promotes challenge, achievement, and progress. We teach real-world music production skills to prepare students for further education or workplace environments, ensuring accessibility and the challenge to reach their full potential.
Knowledge Rich: Students acquire core and advanced knowledge through lessons tailored to their pace and interests. Topics include music history, music in various media, the science of sound, and digital technology advancements.
Intelligently Planned: Our curriculum is sequenced to build long-term knowledge, with themes revisited in greater detail as students advance. We offer enrichment activities and development opportunities for gifted and talented students.
Culturally Rich: We broaden horizons by exposing students to diverse global experiences. For example, Year 8 students explore African drumming, learning about the Djembe drum’s cultural and historical significance, ensemble playing, and recording techniques. The Rock School music production course can lead to a GCSE-equivalent outcome at grade 4, and the summer term covers avant-garde music forms like minimalism and fusion.
Reading Focussed: We promote a love of reading through music vocabulary and provide a reading space in class with relevant books and information.
Context-Specific: Our lessons cater to all key stages, designed to teach overarching skills or themes while allowing time for students to explore and develop a love for music. We differentiate upwards for students with prior experience and ensure all students can achieve within the same lesson.
Values-Driven: We focus on developing principled young individuals who respect diversity, prioritise kindness, and strive for excellence. Our curriculum supports SEMH requirements, providing space and opportunity for students to improve their social and emotional responses in a nurturing environment.
Underpinned by Rules: Respect, responsibility, and safety are integral to our curriculum. The ASPIRE structure is implemented in every class, with nominations given at the end of each lesson, supported by the school behaviour policy.
Music is an integral part of the daily curriculum and is delivered as part of the core offer from key stage two to key stage three and as an option in key stage four.
A fully equipped recording studio is available with access to separate practice and live areas furnished with modern instruments, the latest music software and a suite of Apple Mac computers.
Oak Bank Music focuses on raising self confidence, providing an environment in which young people can feel comfortable to express themselves and a place to learn relevant real world skills that will help them in the future.
In addition to the diversely planned curriculum music lessons which cover music skills and techniques, music history and music from across the world and it’s different cultural backgrounds and style; we also offer one to one music lessons in school teaching drums, guitar, ukulele, bass, piano and singing among other things.
Music also plays an important role in break and lunch time activities and during enrichment sessions with a regular and growing core of pupils vying for time in the Music suite.
