The Hill House School year 7 and 8 curriculum builds upon the foundational skills of appraising, composition, performing and notation established in the Key Stage 2 music curriculum. The thorough and engaging programme develops pupils’ musical abilities through a sequential structure, where each topic builds on and enhances the skills from the previous one. Designed to be inclusive, the curriculum supports new Hill House School pupils, while challenging high-ability musicians, ensuring all are inspired and intellectually stimulated in the music classroom. 

By the end of year 8, pupils will emerge as confident performers and composers with a solid understanding of diverse musical genres and features, as well as the ability to read music notation. This prepares pupils for the year 9 curriculum where they choose to further refine their skills in preparation for studying GCSE music in year 10. 

Year 7 Music Curriculum 

• Recycled Rhythms 

• Perform and improvise accurately and in-time in a percussion ensemble. 

• Read and perform complex rhythmic notation. 

• Improve dexterity and co-ordination skills. 

• Merry Melodies 

• How to read the treble and bass clef. 

• Start to read standard notation with fluidity. 

• Perform the piano with appropriate technique. 

• Ukulele Groove 

• Perform the ukulele with appropriate technique. 

• Read tablature and card diagrams with fluidity. 

• Understand chards and their harmonic relationships. 

• Classical Journey 

• Understand the historical development of western classical music. 

• Recognise the features of the different eras. 

• Perform and recognise famous classical pieces. 

• Evolution Rock 

• Understand the development of pop and rock music. 

• Recognise the features of different pop genres. 

• Perform pop songs with accuracy. 

• Music Technology 

• Explain the basic principles of sequencing. 

• Understand key terminology of music technology. 

• Recreate a musically song on a DAW. 

 

Year 8 Music Curriculum 

• Lights, Camera, Action 

• Explore compositional techniques in film music 

• Apply sequencing techniques t enhance a composition 

• Appropriately compose music to accompany a film scene 

• Holly Jolly Harmony 

• Understand how to construct and read chords 

• Perform chords to accompany a melody 

• Understand more complex varieties of chords 

• Feelin’ Blue 

• Understand the cultural and historical emergence and significance of blues music 

• Understand and apply musical features t create blues music 

• Fluently perform and improvise a blues song 

• Catchy Chords 

• Understand how to construct major and minor scales 

• Understand relationships between chords 

• Create function chord progressions 

• EDM Energy 

• Understand the development of electronic dance music 

• Recognise the features of different EDM genres 

• Sequence EDM with fluency and accuracy using advanced technological functions 

• Songwriting Star 

• Analyse and apply features used t create a song 

• Apply appropriate structures used in songs 

• Compose a stylish, creative short song/piece of music 

Building upon the prior skills developed in years 7 and 8, the Hill House year 9 music curriculum continues a rigorous and engaging programme that further enhances pupils’ appraising, composition and performance skills with greater sophistication. The year 9 curriculum introduces elements aligned with the OCR GCSE Music specification ensuring a smooth transition to further study, provided they supplement their learning with extra activities, instrumental or vocal lessons, and regular practice.  

By the end of year 9, pupils will be in a confident performers and composers with a solid understanding of musical genres and theory, equipped to embark on the two-year GCSE course. 

 

Year 9 Music Curriculum 

• Folk Time 

• Understand more complex time signatures and rhythms. 

• Perform pieces with a variety of different rhythms. 

• Recognise the features and significance of British and Irish folk music. 

• Christmas Keys 

• Efficiently recall major and minor key signatures. 

• Transposing music proficiently. 

• Recognise what key a piece of music is in. 

• Ear we go! 

• Work out and perform basic music by ear. 

• Understand and recognise musical intervals. 

• Learn the basics of melodic dictation. 

• Reggae Rhythms 

• Understand the culture and emergence f reggae music. 

• Understand and apply musical features f reggae music. 

• Accurately perform or record a reggae song. 

• Appraise the Music 

• Understand a broad range of musical features and terminology. 

• Analyse and appraise pieces f music to GCSE standard. 

• Apply knowledge and evaluate pieces of music. 

• Free Composition 

• Culminating all prior musical knowledge and skills. 

• Understand the standard and expectations of GCSE compositions. 

• Create and original composition that is of GCSE standard. 

OCR GCSE Music (9-1) J536 

The OCR GCSE Music course is an enriching and rewarding course that enables pupils to explore, create, and perform music. Over the two years, pupils will analyse and evaluate musical styles from broad historical and global perspectives, develop and create compositions, and showcase their performance abilities. 

To pursue GCSE Music, pupils should: 

• Receive weekly instrumental lessons on an instrument or voice, aiming to reach Grade 4 standard by year 11. 

• Demonstrate proficiency in reading music notation. 

• Be approximately Grade 3 standard in music theory (ABRSM). 

• Actively participate and commit in the school’s music activities. 

• Display a broad interest in various musical genres. 

Course Content 

Performing (30% of total marks) 

• One solo performance (minimum 1 minute). 

• One ensemble performance (minimum 1 minute). 

• Total performance time must be at least 4 minutes. 

• Each performance contributes 15% to the final grade. 

Composing (30% of total marks) 

• One free composition (minimum 1 minute). 

• One composition to a brief set by the exam board (minimum 1 minute).  

• Total duration of both compositions must be at least 3 minutes. 

• Each composition contributes 15% to the final grade. 

Listening and Appraising (40% of total marks) 

• A 1-hour 30-minute written exam. 

All questions cover four areas of study with two questions per area: 

• The Concerto Through Time 

• Development of the concerto from 1650 to 1910. 

• Rhythms of the World 

• Music from India, Eastern Mediterranean/Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Caribbean/South America. 

• Film Music 

• Music composed for films, video games, and Western Classical music used in films. 

• Conventions of Pop 

• Focus on rock ‘n’ roll, rock anthems, pop ballads, and solo artists.