Music Curriculum

The culture for music making at King’s House School is both vibrant and pervasive. The Music Department is committed to providing a stimulating and challenging all-round music education, whilst identifying and nurturing each pupil’s talents, to maximise their musical potential.

All pupils from Nursery to Year 8 participate in weekly music lessons, which take place in our well-equipped music rooms. We also ensure that all pupils have access to high-quality individual tuition on a variety of instruments and we work with a team of peripatetic teachers to achieve this. The instruments on offer include piano, violin, cello, flute, clarinet, saxophone, guitar, electric guitar, drum kit and voice

Our music curriculum enables pupils to develop their skills in creativity, music theory, music appreciation and performance, whilst exploring a broad variety of topics and experiences. We run introductory lessons on recorder, ukulele and violin as part of our class music lessons and the teachers in the Music Department are experienced at identifying where pupils show aptitude for a particular instrument.

Extra-Curricular Activities

There is a colourful array of extracurricular musical activities on offer and we encourage all pupils to engage with music in the world around them and to maintain a sense of curiosity and open-mindedness towards various musical styles. The standard of choral singing is excellent and, through participation in our many choirs, the pupils have plenty of opportunity to develop vocally, from membership of the Year 1 Singing Club, right through to our elite Chamber Choir in the Senior Department. Other clubs they can take part in include:

• String and Recorder Ensembles
• Brass Ensemble
• Clarinet Ensemble
• Saxophone Ensemble
• Senior String Ensemble
• Senior Orchestra
• Rock Bands
• King’s House Singers

Pupils perform throughout the year at concerts including

• Tea and Breakfast Concerts several times each term
• Annual Michael Stuckey Singing Competition
• Nativity and Christmas Concerts and the Senior Department Carol Service
• Spring Concerts
• Summer Concert at the Sports Ground

Our programme for musical enrichment also includes trips to hear concerts given by leading orchestras and ensembles; workshops given in school by professional musicians; collaboration with external groups such as the Ernest Read Symphony Orchestra; international Choir Tours, as well as participation in local music festivals and celebrations. Our hope is to promote a life-long enthusiasm and passion for the subject, both as future music-makers and music-lovers.

We are very proud that boys have achieved Music Scholarships and Awards to senior schools in recent years.