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Music
Teacher of Music: Hannah Rixon
hrixon@bohuntfarnborough.com
KS3
Year 7
In Year 7, students build the foundations of their musical journey. They begin with The Building Blocks of Music, developing confidence in singing, ensemble work and rhythm through class performance and percussion. Students learn to read notation, perform simple melodies on keyboards, and start composing short rhythms and melodic phrases.
They then progress to Keyboard Skills, focusing on technique, dexterity, and composing simple melodies with chords. Later in the year, students explore harmony through the Strike a Chord unit, learning about major and minor chords across instruments (keyboard, ukulele, Soundtrap) and applying them in group performances and basic compositions.
The year finishes with Class Ensemble/Orchestra, where students bring together all their skills in whole-class and small ensemble performances, while also being introduced to Western Classical music and orchestral traditions.
Year 8
In Year 8, students broaden their understanding of music through different genres and contexts. They begin with The Blues, learning about its cultural origins, performing the 12-bar blues, improvising, and composing using the blues scale and walking basslines. This unit links to wider themes of social history and protest.
Next, in Soundtracks, students study film music. They explore how music creates mood, use devices like ostinato and leitmotif, and compose their own music for film clips using both instruments and technology.
Later in the year, students study Music in Context, a flexible unit that allows exploration of world music and other musical cultures, followed by Popular Song/Songwriting. Here they consolidate their skills by recreating and performing songs of their choice, writing their own lyrics and chord progressions, and working collaboratively in small ensembles. This unit encourages students to develop their own musical identity and creativity.
GCSE
GCSE Music gives students the chance to grow as musicians while exploring a wide range of styles and traditions. The course is made up of three main parts: Performance, Composition and Appraising (Listening & Understanding) which are developed side by side throughout Years 9–11.
Performance
Students build confidence as performers, both as soloists and in ensembles. Throughout the course, they practise regularly, perform in class, with two final recorded performances making up 30% of their coursework.
Composition
Students learn how to create their own music using keyboards and Soundtrap, starting with short creative tasks in Year 9 and moving towards two full compositions worth 30% of their GCSE: one to a set brief and one free choice. They experiment with melody, harmony, chords, structure and technology to express their own musical ideas.
Appraising (Listening & Understanding)
Across the course, students study music from four Areas of Study:
Students learn to recognise musical features, read and follow scores, and develop critical listening skills. These are tested in the final listening exam.
Key information:
By the end of Year 11, they will have:
Art & Photography
Head of Department: Bex O’Sullivan
E: rosullivan@bohuntfarnborough.com T: 01276 702540
Key Features:
Flexible, open-ended approach with no restrictions on media, scale, or format.
Students develop knowledge and skills through a variety of learning experiences.
Assessment is based on portfolio work (Component 1) and externally set assignments (Component 2).
1. Portfolio (Component 1)
Sustained project: Extended creative response showing development from initial idea to final outcome.
Additional work: Experiments, mini-projects, workshops, gallery visits, independent study, and group work.
Marked as a whole; should demonstrate growth, experimentation, and refinement.
2. Externally Set Assignment (Component 2)
Provided by AQA with seven starting points per title.
Students choose one and develop an extended creative response.
Preparation period begins on/after 2 Jan, followed by 10 hours of supervised, unaided work.
Must cover all four Assessment Objectives and include drawing and annotation.
Sources must be acknowledged; no edits to the official paper are allowed.
All work must demonstrate the following:
AO1 – Develop ideas: Investigate and critically understand sources.
AO2 – Refine work: Experiment and select appropriate media, materials, techniques.
AO3 – Record ideas: Document observations, insights, and process.
AO4 – Present response: Realize intentions; communicate visually and personally.
These are core ideas students should grasp:
Mark-making as visual thinking.
Art communicates beyond language.
Art has a formal visual vocabulary (line, shape, texture, colour, etc.).
Traditions exist to be learned and creatively challenged.
Experimentation and risk-taking are central.
Engagement involves head, hand, and heart.
Meaning is contextual and not fixed.
Art has multiple forms of value (personal, cultural, social).
Art can influence and empower.
Unit 1 – Practical Skill Development
Explore artists/designers/photographers.
Baseline skills audit.
Unit 2 – Coursework / Student Voice Projects
Briefs designed around student interests.
Focus: discovery, experimentation, skill development.
Unit 1 – Developing Portfolio
Research and respond to artists.
Observational drawing/photography, formal elements, presentation.
Unit 2 – Teacher-Led Portfolio Project
Understand brief, research, respond creatively.
Observational work, experimentation, annotation, refinement.
Culminates in a final piece.
Unit 3 – Independent Portfolio Work
Student-chosen topics, guided support.
Focus on independent research, problem-solving, annotation, and final outcomes.
Autumn 1 – Mock Exam
Exam-style brief, controlled assessment.
Independent research, observational work, annotation, refinement, final piece.
Autumn 2 – Externally Set Task
Official exam paper from the board.
Preparation followed by 10-hour controlled practical assessment.
Must show AO coverage and acknowledgment of sources.
Across all years:
Technical skills, media exploration, and observational work.
Annotation and recording ideas.
Responding to briefs creatively and independently.
Critical engagement with artists/designers.
Developing a personal voice and meaningful outcomes.
