Welcome to the Music Department at The Henry Beaufort School. We are a team of two with a huge passion for music that we love sharing, exploring and developing with our students. We pride ourselves in maintaining a department that consistently delivers excellent GCSE results whilst fostering an ethos where everyone is welcome, included and able to achieve their full potential.
Students receive 3 lessons per fortnight in Year 7 where they will learn some of the basics of music such as performance, composition, listening and theory through projects including Samba, Jazz, Dance music, Blues and Singing. We continue to develop students’ musical knowledge and understanding in Year 8 where they have 2 lessons per fortnight and they learn through Reggae Music, Film Music, West African Djembe and producing their own Cover Versions.
Our hope is that through the music education they receive, they will gain enough insight to have a lifelong love of music whether or not they continue with their musical studies.
We work alongside the wonderful staff in Art & Drama to put on a musical every two years – the past few productions have been in the Theatre Royal, Winchester providing students with a fantastic opportunity to work in a professional theatre. We have termly music concerts and are very proud of our extra-curricular programme that includes ensembles such as Orchestra, Chamber Choir, Resonate Choir and Jazz Band. We also provide opportunities for students to widen their understanding of world music through our curriculum and also our Cultural Capital to participate in workshops that have included Javanese Gamelan and Japanese Taiko Drumming.
Music Department Teaching Staff
In addition to the Henry Beaufort music staff we also have a wonderful team of visiting peripatetic teachers who teach voice, piano, woodwind (oboe, flute, clarinet, bassoon, saxophone), brass (trumpet, cornet, French horn, trombone, baritone, tuba), strings (violin, viola, cello, double bass), guitars (acoustic, electric, bass, ukulele) and also Hampshire Music Service runs Rock to the Beat.
“Music has healing power. It has the ability to take people out of themselves for a few hours.”
– Elton John
GCSE Music Results 2025
We are extremely proud of the results achieved by Year 11 Leavers 2025:
Please visit the following link to find out more about Music Lessons Music lessons | The Henry Beaufort School.
GCSE Music Specification
OCR’s GCSE in Music will provide a creative education in Music with an integrated approach to performing, composing and listening. Students are encouraged to be creative and to broaden their musical horizons and musical understanding. GCSE Music will enable students to explore performance and composition with a focus on their own instrument and genre choices and offer opportunities to explore new musical areas and skills.
In GCSE Music students will develop performing skills, develop composing skills, extend and develop their musical experience and interests, recognise contrasting genres, styles and traditions of music, and develop knowledge and understanding of music theory and music history. Performing and composing accounts for 60% of the GCSE course, with the remaining 40% focussed on theory, history and listening.
Performance:
Students will record two performances, one solo and one ensemble. These are each worth 15% of the final GCSE.
Composition:
Students will compose and record two compositions, one free choice and one set by the exam board. These are each worth 15% of the final GCSE.
Listening Exam:
Students will learn about a wide range of musical genres and styles, including history and theory of music, throughout Years 10 and 11. At the end of Year 11 students will sit a listening exam which will test their theoretical knowledge and understanding of the musical genres and styles that they have studied.
When studying GCSE Music, we require students to have instrumental/vocal tuition. These lessons can be with our teachers at Henry Beaufort School or done privately outside school. We also encourage students to lead an active musical life and ask them to join in with extra-curricular activities in the music department at school.
More information about the GCSE specification can be found here:
GCSE (9-1) Music J536 Specification
GCSE Music clinic takes place on WEDNESDAYS (week B) with Mrs Saunders.
Additional intervention sessions will run afterschool on MONDAYS and THURSDAYS with Mrs Seddon.
OCR
60% NEA (non-examined assessment)
40% written listening exam
9-1
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