Academic/Subject Departments

Music

Our Music Department provides high quality music courses as well as a full range of opportunities for practical music-making at all levels of ability. The Department is located in several sites around the school grounds, but the main teaching area is ‘Ash Grove’, a detached house on the south of the campus. This is where all curricular and some extra curricular music teaching takes place.

All Year 7, 8 and 9 classes have a 1-hour lesson of music every week. The curriculum is based around three main activities: Performing, Composing and Listening. Lessons are themed in half term ‘units’ which follow a clear course of study and incorporate a wide variety of experiences and activities. Each unit is carefully designed so that it has a good balance of practical and theoretical activities.

GCSE Music (AQA) is offered to all Year 10 and Year 11 pupils as an option and to Year 9 pupils who wish to start GCSE a year early as a ‘twilight’ subject. Pupils are taught for two and a half hours per week.

The course includes:

• solo and ensemble performing
• composing techniques

• an exploration of music from the western classical tradition plus popular music of the 20th and 21st centuries and world music.

A-level Music (AQA) is becoming an increasingly popular subject in the Sixth Form for pupils who want to take their music studies to a higher level. Pupils are taught for 5 hours per week.

A-level classes are typically quite small and offer many performance opportunities. Pupils learn in much more detail how musical sounds are organized and interpreted. They also study set works within the western classical music tradition, Music Theatre, Early 20th Century Jazz as well as practical aspects of performance and communicating as a musician.

Extra-curricular music making at Sheffield High School: at lunchtimes, there are many opportunities for instrumentalists and singers of all abilities. Our ensembles include: Concert Band, ‘Prawn Cocktails’ – our ‘starter band’, Swing Band, String Academy, Senior Strings, Chamber Orchestra,

Singers’ Club and Chamber Choir as well as other smaller groups which are set up as the need arises.

Our 13 highly qualified visiting teachers provide instrumental and voice tuition within school hours. Music is highly valued at Sheffield High School and we are very proud of our young musicians’ achievements.

Tuition for Musical Instruments

Tuition is available in a variety of musical instruments and disciplines including piano, violin, viola, cello, clarinet, bass clarinet, flute, piccolo, oboe, bassoon, recorder, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, euphonium, French horn, guitar, double bass, voice and percussion.

Fees 2010-2011 (charged by visiting teachers)

For each discipline there are approximately 30 lessons per year each lasting 30 minutes. Fees are currently as follows:

Senior School	10 × 30 minute lessons	£150 per 10 lessons1
Junior Department	10 × 30 minute lessons	£150 per 10 lessons1
Hire of instruments: £15 per term or part of a term1

Charges are made directly by the visiting teacher. Accounts sent direct by the teachers concerned should be settled with them at the beginning of each 10-week block. Half a term’s notice must be given in writing if lessons are to be discontinued.

¹These charges are reviewed annually. Please contact the School for the latest information.