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Teaching Composition at Key Stage 4 – Full Day, In Person

From simple musical ideas to meaningful compositions: accessible, practical and student-centred

  • KS4 (Ages 14-16)

Overview

This course offers attendees the opportunity to explore practical and accessible approaches to teaching composition at Key Stage 4.

Suitable for both GCSE Music and BTEC Music teachers, the course will focus on ways to help students generate, shape and develop musical ideas with confidence, whatever their starting point or prior experience.

Led by a classroom music teacher with experience delivering both GCSE and BTEC music qualifications, delegates will experience a range of practical strategies for unlocking creativity, from first ideas through to more developed outcomes.

Using Musical Futures pedagogical approaches to musical learning, the course will demonstrate how accessible starting points can lead to purposeful and engaging composing work for a wide range of learners.

There will also be opportunities to reflect on how these approaches can support students in meeting the demands of both vocational and academic music courses.

This *NEW* full day course is now OPEN FOR BOOKING

Aims of the Course

  • Explore practical and accessible approaches to teaching composition at Key Stage 4 that can support a wide range of learners.
  • Develop confidence in helping students generate, shape and extend musical ideas through hands-on composing activities.
  • Understand how Musical Futures approaches can support the development of composing skills in both GCSE Music and BTEC Music contexts.
  • Reflect on ways to make composition teaching more engaging, inclusive and achievable while supporting students to produce successful outcomes.

Sessions

The day will explore a range of practical approaches to teaching composition at Key Stage 4, focusing on strategies and ideas for:

  • Keeping practical music- making at the forefront of teaching composition – exploring practical starting points that help all students begin composing with confidence.
  • Developing and shaping compositions – strategies for extending, refining and structuring ideas into successful musical outcomes.
  • Musical Futures approaches to composing at KS4 – considering how practical, student- centred approaches can support both GCSE Music and BTEC Music learners.

Cost and What's Included

For attendees who do not currently have a membership of musicalfuturesonline

  • Early Bird ticket (£240) – includes 12 months Ultimate membership (*worth £199 + VAT) – which provides access to all resources used on the course
  • Standard ticket (£250 ) – includes 12 months Ultimate membership (*worth £199 + VAT) – which provides access to all resources used on the course
  • Second member of staff  – can attend with either a Standard or Early Bird ticket holder at a discounted rate of £75

For attendees who currently have an existing 12 month membership of musicalfuturesonline

  • Musical Futures Member Plus ticket (£225) – includes 12 months renewal Ultimate membership* (*worth £199 + VAT) which provides a further 12 months renewal added to your current membership expiry date
  • Musical Futures Member Standard ticket (£75) – for attendance at the course only and does NOT include 12 months renewal of Musical Futures Online membership* (can be renewed at current expiry )

Tea/coffee and light refreshments

Who is it For?

  • Secondary music teachers
  • Heads of Department

Why attend this workshop?

Teachers who attend this training report that they value:

  • Trying out practical activities which instil them with the confidence, knowledge and resources to start delivery in their school the following day!
  • Hearing how another secondary school organises their music curriculum
  • An opportunity to see a class in action (where possible)
  • Working with experienced classroom practitioner who uses this approach with their students
  • An opportunity to connect with other music teachers

What People Say About Music Musical Futures Training:

“Love how it follows on from Musical Futures KS3 work, giving students confidence to compose/write songs/break things down”

“I feel completely inspired – Musical Futures is fab and the way forward at this level!”

“This will have an immediate impact with set works and songwriting”

“Brilliant for helping with adapting GCSE schemes of work, creating new ones and building on things I’ve started – thanks for a great day!”

“Lots of ideas to introduce a more practical approach to whole class teaching in KS3 and at GCSE”

Training Reviews

What our participants say…

A brilliant session for primary teachers

I loved how practical the session was and how we all got stuck in; the trainer was so welcoming and open and offered so many tips and tricks and different ways to use the Musical Futures resources.

Training Attendee

Practical advice

This was a fantastic day, giving me lots of ideas and reinvigorated how I approach things. It will influence our schemes of work and how they are delivered massively right from Year 7 upwards.

Training Attendee

Highly recommended

Great to work on the ideas practically and try out all the examples as a "student". Lots of ideas to introduce a more practical approach to whole class teaching in KS3 and at GCSE

Training Attendee

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