Music
Welcome to Bexley Grammar School's Music Department!
The music provision at Bexley Grammar School is one that should be celebrated and last year the department helped the school to gain the Artsmark Gold Award. The aims of the department are very clear -
- to nurture the musical intelligence within every student, helping them to realise their potential as performers and composers in a mutually supportive atmosphere
- to stretch the more able musicians through a high-quality yet inclusive and broad range of extra-curricular provision
KS3
Students are taught in smaller sets than in other subjects and follow courses based on National Curriculum requirements. Keyboards and classroom percussion are widely used and all students have access to ICT through using Cubase VST. Recent additions to the KS3 Scheme of Work include a project on programming and sequencing contemporary dance music, minimalism and a module on samba.
We follow the Edexcel syllabus, as it is a varied and enjoyable course which should appeal to musicians with a broad range of interests. The course focuses on a variety of set works in classical, popular and world-music styles, and as such provides excellent preparation for studying music at A level or as part of the IB. Each year 30-40 students opt for music at GCSE, and our results in 2009 were very pleasing - from a cohort of 32 students 90% of students achieved A/A*, and the remaining 10% achieved a B grade.
KS5
Music is popular at Key Stage 5 with 5-10 students each year opting for music, and double figures for music technology. In music, students study performing, composing and a number of set works. In music technology students undertake a variety of recording, producing, composing and arranging tasks. They also organise the sound and lighting for the school productions and concerts. We also offer music as part of the IB course.
Music is popular at Key Stage 5 with 5-10 students each year opting for music, and double figures for music technology. In music, students study performing, composing and a number of set works. In music technology students undertake a variety of recording, producing, composing and arranging tasks. They also organise the sound and lighting for the school productions and concerts. We also offer music as part of the IB course.
Our results last year were excellent. In music A level and IB, 50% of students achieved grade A (or equivalent), and the remaining students all achieved grades B or C. Two students went on to university to study music, one to study performance, and three to study music technology.
Extra-Curricular Activities
We have a huge range of musical activities at BGS, catering for all students, whatever their music interests might be. Our junior ensembles include Junior Choir, Junior Band, Junior Strings, Junior Jazz and Rock School, and provide younger students with an opportunity to develop ensemble skills in an enjoyable, relaxed environment. Our senior ensembles include Big Band, Choir, Chamber Choir, Chamber Orchestra, Jazz Group, Concert Band, Show Band, Male and Female Barbershop groups and an Improvisation Group. These ensembles are of a high standard, and have achieved some notable successes in recent years. Last year the Concert Band, the Male Barbershop group and the Improvisation Group all got through to the national finals of the Music For Youth festival. The Chamber Orchestra, Choir, Concert Band and Big Band toured to Venice last summer, performing concerts of high quality in the Basilica Dei Frari and San Giorgio di Maggiore. More recently, the Choir and Chamber Orchetra joined forces to perform Mozart's Requiem, a memorable finale to our recent Christmas Concert.
We believe extra-curricular music provides an ideal opportunity for students to develop important social skills and enhance their sense of community. For the last three years we have collborated with Marlborough School, a school for students with learning difficulties, and the recent performance by choirs from both schools at our Christmas Concert was another memorable highlight.
There are many concerts and events each year, including a termly large-scale concert in which all ensembles perform, two 'Battle of the Bands' events, smaller scale recitals, the annual House Music competition, and our annual musical production. Last summer our production of 'Crazy For You' involved more than one hundred students performing onstage, working behind the scenes, and playing in the show band. We are particularly proud of the fact that our show band is comprised entirely of students, and the excellence of the band was recognised with an award from Bexley Arts Council for Musical Excellence. The production also won Best Youth Production, and Samuel Haughton won Most Promising Young Actor for his portrayal of Bobby Child. In all of our extra-curricular activities we aim to involve as many students as possible, and to help students understand how enjoyable and satisfying it is to achieve their full potential.
KS4
We follow the Edexcel syllabus, as it is a varied and enjoyable course which should appeal to musicians with a broad range of interests. The course focuses on a variety of set works in classical, popular and world-music styles, and as such provides excellent preparation for studying music at A level or as part of the IB. Each year 30-40 students opt for music at GCSE, and our results in 2009 were very pleasing - from a cohort of 32 students 90% of students achieved A/A*, and the remaining 10% achieved a B grade.
KS5
Music is popular at Key Stage 5 with 5-10 students each year opting for music, and double figures for music technology. In music, students study performing, composing and a number of set works. In music technology students undertake a variety of recording, producing, composing and arranging tasks. They also organise the sound and lighting for the school productions and concerts. We also offer music as part of the IB course.
Music is popular at Key Stage 5 with 5-10 students each year opting for music, and double figures for music technology. In music, students study performing, composing and a number of set works. In music technology students undertake a variety of recording, producing, composing and arranging tasks. They also organise the sound and lighting for the school productions and concerts. We also offer music as part of the IB course.
Our results last year were excellent. In music A level and IB, 50% of students achieved grade A (or equivalent), and the remaining students all achieved grades B or C. Two students went on to university to study music, one to study performance, and three to study music technology.
Extra-Curricular Activities
We have a huge range of musical activities at BGS, catering for all students, whatever their music interests might be. Our junior ensembles include Junior Choir, Junior Band, Junior Strings, Junior Jazz and Rock School, and provide younger students with an opportunity to develop ensemble skills in an enjoyable, relaxed environment. Our senior ensembles include Big Band, Choir, Chamber Choir, Chamber Orchestra, Jazz Group, Concert Band, Show Band, Male and Female Barbershop groups and an Improvisation Group. These ensembles are of a high standard, and have achieved some notable successes in recent years. Last year the Concert Band, the Male Barbershop group and the Improvisation Group all got through to the national finals of the Music For Youth festival. The Chamber Orchestra, Choir, Concert Band and Big Band toured to Venice last summer, performing concerts of high quality in the Basilica Dei Frari and San Giorgio di Maggiore. More recently, the Choir and Chamber Orchetra joined forces to perform Mozart's Requiem, a memorable finale to our recent Christmas Concert.
We believe extra-curricular music provides an ideal opportunity for students to develop important social skills and enhance their sense of community. For the last three years we have collborated with Marlborough School, a school for students with learning difficulties, and the recent performance by choirs from both schools at our Christmas Concert was another memorable highlight.
There are many concerts and events each year, including a termly large-scale concert in which all ensembles perform, two 'Battle of the Bands' events, smaller scale recitals, the annual House Music competition, and our annual musical production. Last summer our production of 'Crazy For You' involved more than one hundred students performing onstage, working behind the scenes, and playing in the show band. We are particularly proud of the fact that our show band is comprised entirely of students, and the excellence of the band was recognised with an award from Bexley Arts Council for Musical Excellence. The production also won Best Youth Production, and Samuel Haughton won Most Promising Young Actor for his portrayal of Bobby Child. In all of our extra-curricular activities we aim to involve as many students as possible, and to help students understand how enjoyable and satisfying it is to achieve their full potential.
KS4
We follow the Edexcel syllabus, as it is a varied and enjoyable course which should appeal to musicians with a broad range of interests. The course focuses on a variety of set works in classical, popular and world-music styles, and as such provides excellent preparation for studying music at A level or as part of the IB. Each year 30-40 students opt for music at GCSE, and our results in 2009 were very pleasing - from a cohort of 32 students 90% of students achieved A/A*, and the remaining 10% achieved a B grade.
KS5
Music is popular at Key Stage 5 with 5-10 students each year opting for music, and double figures for music technology. In music, students study performing, composing and a number of set works. In music technology students undertake a variety of recording, producing, composing and arranging tasks. They also organise the sound and lighting for the school productions and concerts. We also offer music as part of the IB course.
Our results last year were excellent. In music A level and IB, 50% of students achieved grade A (or equivalent), and the remaining students all achieved grades B or C. Two students went on to university to study music, one to study performance, and three to study music technology.
Extra-Curricular Activities
We have a huge range of musical activities at BGS, catering for all students, whatever their music interests might be. Our junior ensembles include Junior Choir, Junior Band, Junior Strings, Junior Jazz and Rock School, and provide younger students with an opportunity to develop ensemble skills in an enjoyable, relaxed environment. Our senior ensembles include Big Band, Choir, Chamber Choir, Chamber Orchestra, Jazz Group, Concert Band, Show Band, Male and Female Barbershop groups and an Improvisation Group. These ensembles are of a high standard, and have achieved some notable successes in recent years. Last year the Concert Band, the Male Barbershop group and the Improvisation Group all got through to the national finals of the Music For Youth festival. The Chamber Orchestra, Choir, Concert Band and Big Band toured to Venice last summer, performing concerts of high quality in the Basilica Dei Frari and San Giorgio di Maggiore. More recently, the Choir and Chamber Orchetra joined forces to perform Mozart's Requiem, a memorable finale to our recent Christmas Concert.
We believe extra-curricular music provides an ideal opportunity for students to develop important social skills and enhance their sense of community. For the last three years we have collborated with Marlborough School, a school for students with learning difficulties, and the recent performance by choirs from both schools at our Christmas Concert was another memorable highlight.
There are many concerts and events each year, including a termly large-scale concert in which all ensembles perform, two 'Battle of the Bands' events, smaller scale recitals, the annual House Music competition, and our annual musical production. Last summer our production of 'Crazy For You' involved more than one hundred students performing onstage, working behind the scenes, and playing in the show band. We are particularly proud of the fact that our show band is comprised entirely of students, and the excellence of the band was recognised with an award from Bexley Arts Council for Musical Excellence. The production also won Best Youth Production, and Samuel Haughton won Most Promising Young Actor for his portrayal of Bobby Child. In all of our extra-curricular activities we aim to involve as many students as possible, and to help students understand how enjoyable and satisfying it is to achieve their full potential.