Performing Arts - Music
The Music curriculum at Trinity engages students in a broad and ambitious music curriculum, rich in skills and knowledge, igniting curiosity and preparing them well for future learning or employment. The curriculum is centered around the National Curriculum for music, focusing on three strands; Performing, Composing, and Listening/Appraising. All students are given the opportunity to play and perform in a range of contexts using voices and instruments. They improvise and compose by drawing on a range of musical structures, styles, genres and traditions. They are taught to use staff and other relevant notations appropriately and accurately in a range of musical styles, genres and traditions and develop a deepening understanding of music history through performing and listening.
By the end of Year 9, students’ entitlement will have been met by a well-balanced curriculum, focusing on the three strands of Performing, Composing and Listening/Appraising. Students will have had the opportunity to learn theoretical concepts associated with a range of musical genres throughout history, as well as developing practical skills in music-making as both a soloist and an ensemble player. They will be able to understand and identify features of different styles and genres, and will be able to describe and explain what they hear. Key focusses of the curriculum include; the Eras of Music, use of Sibelius, and Composition Skills in a variety of genres.
Outside the classroom, students have the opportunity to enrich their musical learning through attending the numerous co-curricular clubs. Year 7s will be offered the chance to attend the Trinity Beginners Academy of Music, feeding into intermediate and advanced ensembles further up the school, including Trinity Orchestra and Schola Cantorum. The department is also lucky enough to be partnered with Kent Music, offering extra-curricular lessons and ensembles after school at the Sevenoaks Music Centre.
By the end of Year 11 students will be able to apply their understanding of different styles and genres to both solo and ensemble performance. They will be able to analyse specific musical features and replicate them in their own compositions. Students will also be able to evaluate two pieces of music by comparing the similarities and differences and giving evidence to support their answers. Key focusses of the curriculum include; The History of the Western Classical Tradition (split into Instrumental and Vocal), World Music Fusions, and Music for Stage and Screen.
By the end of Year 13 students are able to critically evaluate musical features of different composers using knowledge of different styles and genres throughout history. They will be able to perform a full recital to a high standard on an instrument of their choice. Students will use their analytical knowledge to appropriately compose within a specific style or genre. They will also be able to write an extended analytical and evaluative essay which compares and contrasts different pieces of music, giving evidence to support their answers.
Trinity Music Department – Inclusion Statement
The Music Department at Trinity is committed to delivering and facilitating a broad, ambitious and inclusive curriculum that engages all students in a rich body of musical knowledge and skills. Rooted in the expectations of the National Curriculum for Music, and complementing the inclusive principles demonstrated through programmes such as BAM (Building an Orchestra), our provision ensures that every student—regardless of background, language, need or prior attainment—can access, participate in and succeed in music.
In line with the current Ofsted framework, inclusion is understood as the extent to which all pupils, particularly those who are disadvantaged and those with SEND, access the same ambitious curriculum as their peers, with appropriate support to succeed. At Trinity, this means that all students are taught the full music curriculum, with adaptation rather than dilution, so that high expectations are maintained for all. Our curriculum is designed to be coherently planned and sequenced, enabling pupils to build secure knowledge over time and to participate fully in the musical life of the school.
Our curriculum is structured around the three key strands of Performing, Composing, and Listening/Appraising. All students are given regular opportunities to play and perform using both voice and instruments in a range of contexts. They develop creativity through improvisation and composition, drawing on diverse musical structures, styles, genres and traditions. Students are also taught to read and use staff notation and other relevant systems with increasing accuracy, while building a deepening understanding of music history through active listening and performance.
In line with our inclusive ethos, Trinity Music actively supports students who may face barriers to participation. As seen in BAM, we are committed to widening access to instrumental learning, particularly for students who are financially disadvantaged, ensuring that all learners can benefit from high-quality musical experiences and clear progression pathways into further study, including GCSE Music. This has contributed to increased uptake at Key Stage 4 and sustained engagement across all groups of learners.
Beyond the classroom, students are encouraged to enrich their musical education through a wide range of co-curricular opportunities. Year 7 students are invited to join the Trinity Beginners Academy of Music, which provides a foundation for progression into intermediate and advanced ensembles. Our partnership with Kent Music further enhances provision, offering access to instrumental lessons and ensemble experiences at the Sevenoaks Music Centre, ensuring that opportunity extends beyond the classroom for all students.
Professional relationships are strong amongst the teaching staff in the department allowing for transparent communication and support offered to ensure that the highest standards of pedagogy are implemented and reviewed to consistently develop the standard of teaching. Our teachers frequently engage in Teaching and Learning opportunities to continue to refine their teaching.
Inclusion is a fundamental expectation across all teaching and learning in Music at Trinity. We are committed to ensuring that students with SEND achieve well and make strong progress from their starting points. SEND data is rigorously analysed to inform responsive planning, targeted support and effective intervention, in line with whole-school approaches.
Music teachers embed inclusive practice through three key approaches alongside Student Passports and Mainstream Core Standards advice:
-
Seating and Environment: Teachers conduct a ‘seating check’ to ensure that students are positioned according to their individual needs with frequent check ins throughout the lesson. In practical lessons, this includes thoughtful grouping and placement to support participation, independence and successful ensemble performance.
-
Accessible Resources: All teaching materials are designed to be accessible and reduce unnecessary cognitive load. This includes the use of clear, readable fonts, well-structured PowerPoints and carefully scaffolded resources. Strategies such as dual coding are embedded to support understanding and long-term retention for all learners.
-
Adaptive Implementation: Teaching is carefully structured so that all students can succeed within the same ambitious curriculum. Instructions are broken down into manageable steps, with clear and concise success criteria across performance, composition and theory tasks. Teachers use ongoing assessment to adapt teaching responsively, ensuring that pupils with SEND are supported to learn the intended curriculum alongside their peers.
Dyslexia in Music
In the department we support dyslexia with students seated at the front of the classroom alongside appropriate font in resources and dyslexic friendly backgrounds on all lesson slides. We additionally have clear scaffolds in place to support note reading and increased spacing between staves for music writing.
ADHD and ASC in Music
In the department we support ADHD and ASC with clear and concise language, visual support and dual coding to ensure students are given instructions in broken down chunks of information. Praise and feedback is regularly given to all our students no matter their musical ability to encourage them to achieve and feel motivated. The routines are distinct and the same in every music lesson with the use of a wider listening starter in every lesson throughout KS3 and KS4.
We are lucky as a department to have access to practice rooms in which students who need a quieter space to complete their work can do so and make use of these rooms with regular supervision and support. All our lessons have an element of practical which allows for movement time and a safe space for students to express themselves academically through music.
As a whole
Through this inclusive, aspirational and coherently planned curriculum, the Trinity Music Department ensures that all pupils are equipped with the knowledge, skills and cultural capital they need to succeed in further education, employment and lifelong musical engagement.
