Activity Resource 2c

The QCA website (www.ncaction.org.uk/subjects/music) reminds us that, by the end of Year 9, pupils should be able to demonstrate higher-order stages of musical understanding. Accurately defining the progression for musical understanding at each point of Key Stage 3 will enable pupils to achieve this goal, and it is therefore an important issue to explore.

Unit 1: Structuring learning for musical understanding has already provided in Document 1a  62kb definitions of musical understanding which are the foundation of all planning for medium-term units of work. Implied within those definitions is a progression in the depth of challenge for musical understanding, moving through a series of ‘stages of progression’.

These too can be mapped across the learning for the whole Key Stage 3 curriculum, to ensure that there is true progression in the depth of challenge for musical understanding. Document 5c  50kb is an example map which shows how this might operate for one school.

In Year 7, teachers identify that on entry, most pupils are thought to be working at the ‘identify and manipulate’ stage. Some will, of course, be working towards this and some will be beyond, but most are ready to consolidate or develop this stage of understanding.

If so, in Year 8, the pupils ought to be provided with a greater depth of challenge for musical understanding. Therefore, the units of work for this year group will provide challenge at the ‘identify and relate’ stage.

Finally, in Year 9 the depth of challenge will be even greater, and most pupils will be ready for ‘identify and integrate’. The shading of the colours for each year demonstrates that there is no immediate ‘jump’ from one stage to the next: the depth of challenge gradually increases through the year. However, the broad progression is clear through the key stage for most pupils.

Task 8: Differentiating for depth of musical understanding (25 minutes)

Look at a unit of work that you will be teaching soon. Using the principles outlined in the Good practice section ('Depth' tab), and the progression statements for musical understanding, identify the stage of progression for musical understanding that you believe most pupils will be working at. Within the specific context of this unit, what are the detailed features of musical understanding you would expect pupils to show if they are secure in this stage of progression?   Consider the conventions of the style, genre or tradition, what you would expect pupils to learn from a study of these conventions, and how they could articulate their understanding through practical work. If some pupils are less secure, and are only starting to develop this expectation, what would the main characteristics of their musical understanding be?   How would this differ from the understanding of pupils secure in this stage of progression, and how would you support them?   Again, consider the conventions of the style, genre or tradition, and consider what practical activities you could develop to help move these pupils’ understanding forward. Some pupils will be starting to move beyond this stage of progression, and may now be ready to move on to the next stage.   How will you challenge them with activities and learning that will stretch their musical understanding? Make sure that the definitions are specific to the unit (i.e. they define the different stages in terms of the conventions, processes and devices of the music being studied), and if necessary plan any additional activities that will make the learning and outcomes explicit for pupils. Try these ideas out, and assess the extent to which they were successful in challenging pupils to learn and demonstrate more sophisticated aspects of musical understanding.