Music Resources

Purpose-built and is well equipped, the Music Department has a teaching room and seven smaller practice rooms each with a piano. The main teaching room has 10 new keyboards and an extensive range of tuned and un-tuned percussion instruments for use in lessons. ICT is also used to enhance lessons where possible.

Music Tuition

The majority of pupils begin learning an instrument or having singing lessons, when they move in to the prep school. However, following a successful trial lesson, we are also able to offer lessons to pupils in Year 2. Lessons are arranged through the Director of Music who will answer any questions you may have before commencing lessons. All music lessons incur an additional charge, which is either added to the school bill or invoiced separately from the individual teacher. We do advise that pupils have their own instrument at home to practise on. All of our woodwind, brass and string teachers are employed through NMPAT (Northamptonshire Music and Performing Arts Trust) who provide an instrument for the first year free of charge. On the teacher’s advice, instruments will need to be purchased for those wishing to learn the piano, drums and guitar. We run several ABRSM exam sessions in school throughout the year and use the local centre for those who prefer to use the Trinity exam board.

Music Department Staff

All of the music staff at Spratton Hall love music! They have a real passion for the subject and thoroughly enjoy sharing this with the pupils. They are all knowledgeable individuals who know how to get the very best out of their pupils. This is both on an individual basis as well as within a classroom environment. The department is supported by teachers offering individual music lessons on all woodwind, brass and string instruments along with piano, drum kit, singing and music theory.

The Curriculum

In Years 3 to 6, pupils will participate in a range of activities including:

• Performing, listening to, reviewing and evaluating music across a range of historical periods, genres, styles and traditions, including the works of the great composers and musicians.
• Learning to sing and use their voices
• Creating and composing music individually and with others. For pupils in Years 5 – 8, this also includes composing using a variety of different music composition programmes on their Chromebooks.
• Learning about musical instruments (including how to play them) and musical notations.
• Understanding and exploring how music is created, produced and communicated. This will include learning about the musical elements of pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture and structure.

Years 7 and 8 additionally learn how to compose using Soundation, exploring how to apply their own knowledge and musical skills when composing.

Concerts and Performances

Throughout the year, we offer many performance opportunities for pupils. These include performing as a soloist in class, in assembly, in church, or to a wider audience as part of an Informal Concert. Our ensembles all take part in a concert in the Autumn and Summer term. Year group drama performances all include some kind of musical input, as does the yearly school play. The whole school come together every few years to put on an outdoor concert for all to enjoy.