Meet Mrs Payne can tell you all about our music curriculum and the fabulous extra-curricular activities on offer at Cheney.

Enjoy Cheney music in action with our virtual shows from 2020 and 2021, Livin' la Vida Lockdown, Christmas Wishes, and A Night in the Cheney Bubble.

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As part of the wider community we work closely with primary schools and perform in the community regularly - for example at the Children's department in the John Radcliffe Hospital. In the past the music department have run successful tours, such as a trip to The Rhinelands in Germany with the Youth Choir and a selection of instrumental ensembles. We look forward to running another tour in the future.

We host many visiting teachers in a wide range of instruments and many of our students are fully engaged with Oxfordshire County Council’s music provision.  Our musicians perform regularly in school events such as conferences and assemblies and we attend musical and theatrical performances both locally and further afield. We offer large scale music concerts twice a year at Christmas and at the end of the Summer term. These are real highlights of the year and involve a large number of students.

Extracurricular activities include a large orchestra and youth choir, a boys vocal group, jamming bands, music tech club and small ensemble work. Various groups meet during breaktimes, lunchtimes and after school.

KEY STAGE 3

At Cheney School the aim is to make the study of Music and Music Technology enjoyable and purposeful for all pupils. Throughout years 7, 8 and 9, students are given one music lesson a week by a specialist music teacher. Over the course of Key Stage 3, pupils will cover a range of subjects, genres and time periods, ranging from 1400’s to Top 40, Medieval to Modernism, Harmony to Hip Hop! Students in Key Stage 3 will develop their skills in a range of areas relating to music and music technology, including performance, composition, listening and analysing. They will enter year 10 with a heightened understanding of the fundamental elements of music, an appreciation for musical forms they had perhaps not otherwise been exposed to and an ability to play a musical instrument to at least a rudimentary level.

KEY STAGE 4

Music – We are currently running the BTEC Level 2 First Award in Music. This is an exciting qualification for all students entering Key Stage 4 covering performance, composition and listening skills. The GCSE comprises of a solo and ensemble performance, two contrasting compositions and a listening exam paper. Students are prepared for all elements of the course through their curriculum lessons and are also encouraged to have instrumental lessons outside of the classroom to assist in their performance development.

Music Technology – We run the BTEC Level 2 First Award in Music, which is equivalent to a full GCSE. This course allows students to explore music technology in depth; learning about microphone types and placement, studio recording, different recording techniques and creation of their own music. Through coursework and exams, students become competent techie’s with the ability to produce and record their own music and a deep understanding of the music industry as a whole.

KEY STAGE 5

We offer students the EDUQAS A Level in Music and the BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate in Music. The A Level course comprises of a performance recital, two compositions and a listening exam paper at the end of the two year course. The main set work we cover is Haydn Symphony No. 104 – London. Alongside this, students also students also study either Jazz from 1920-1960 or Musical Theatre and Music of the 20th Century. We also offer BTEC Level 3 Music / Music Technology, which is an equivalent A-Level and allows students to focus on the production side of music through sound engineering. These courses provide students with the knowledge required to study at University and develop their practical skills for a career in the industry. Learning is through hands-on creative experiences related to the world of a performing musician and music technologist. It is an exact equivalent to 1 A Level and has the same grade weightings for UCAS Music and Music Technology serve to compliment many other qualifications through nurturing creativity, independence, teamwork, as well as IT, analytical and critical skills. For these reasons it is a highly sought-after qualification for the workplace and courses in Higher Education. Music is a busy and productive department. We work towards large scale concerts each term and there are many other events we contribute to, both in and out of school including a musical theatre production in collaboration with the Drama, D&T and Art departments.