Sedgehill has an established reputation for promoting musical learning.  The department gives students opportunities in a wide range of areas and enables them to participate in numerous activities that include:

·   A  diverse music curriculum with an ongoing commitment  to expanding and changing musical learning,  in order  to engage students throughout the secondary key stages.
·   An established set of school bands that cater for musicians from beginner to advanced level.
·   Working with a musician in residence who has production experience within the music industry.
·  A vocal choir that is gaining strength every year.
·  An opportunity to work with extra curricular peripatetic music teachers.
·  A commitment to developing work towards school shows and productions.
·  Opportunities to use ICT in a musical context.
· Work with outside agencies to give students extra enrichment.
·  Working in a recording studio.

All of the above demonstrate an impact on how the department contributes to the specialist status of the school.  An increased focus on organization and development (within the department) will also further enhance this impact on performing arts status.

Musical literacy and a focus on the three areas of learning within the music curriculum – Performance, Composition and Listening – all contribute to enhance literacy, numeracy and Citizenship skills within the department.   Activities involve written work, notation, group and individual work as well as providing platforms for various types of assessment for learning (peer, self, class and teacher).

Areas for development

The music department has an established and continuing legacy for outstanding musical talent.  Although thousands of students have learned instruments at Sedgehill over the years, the primary focus of the department is now geared towards pupil attainment in the curriculum.   This focus will enable greater attainment throughout the key stages and have an impact on the schools continued pursuit of gaining “outstanding” status from OFSTED.  This focus on pupil attainment in the classroom shows that “Every child matters”, fitting in with the government initiative.

Some focus towards increasing exam results has been overlooked in the past and it is now the intention of the department to use the strong foundation of musical pupils to its advantage.  The department intends to raise attainment above the school average within the next two years and has set a number of specific targets to be implemented in the foreseeable future.  These are as follows:

·         Key stage 3 schemes of work to be fully integrated with an ongoing commitment to developing new ideas within the framework.
·         A structured Assessment for Learning strategy is to be implemented into the KS3 schemes.
·         Key stage 4 to have a complete course outline designed for the new OCR 2009 curriculum.  This is to be completed by September 2009, and will have a whole two year outline with explicit deadlines and Assessment for Learning levels integrated for all practical and listening tasks.
·         KS5 is to implement the BTEC music performance national diploma providing a new challenge for the department.
·         Pupils who opt for music at GCSE should be able to play an instrument or demonstrate singing skills.  Too many “non musicians” have been allowed to take the subject with very little or no musical skills at all.
·         An integration of “Musical Futures” is an area of development for the future with greater emphasis on peer assisted and group learning with a variety of instrumental techniques (KS3)

The list of instrumental opportunities at Sedgehill is rich and diverse.  At the present time Sedgehill employs peripatetic teachers for:

·         Drums
·         Guitar and Bass guitar
·         Keyboards
·         Piano (2 teachers)
·        Clarinet/Saxophone
·         Brass (Trumpet / Trombone and Tuba are the main focus)
·         Oboe
·         Violin and Cello
·         Artist in residence dealing with all students who contribute to studio work.
·         Singing
·         Flute

Sedgehill also has numerous after school ensembles.  These are:

·         Concert band
·         Dance band
·         Intermediate band
·         Brass ensemble
·         Clarinet choir
·         Vocalize (Urban choir)
·         String band (a quintet at the minute)

There is also a vision to produce more ensembles which will feature an intermediate choir and a Samba group.Year 7 singing also features high on the priorities for Sedgehill music dept.