Our Music Development Plan

This is a summary of how Carshalton Boys Sports College delivers music education to all our students across three areas: curriculum music, co-curricular provision and musical experiences, and what changes we are planning for future years. We publish this summary in line with the Department for Education's expectation that every school shares an overview of its music development plan, so that students, parents and carers can understand what our school offers and who we work with to support our students' music education. This plan is reviewed annually, at the start of each academic year.

Music Curriculum Map:

Our Music Curriculum Map 2026-2027 Link

Overview

Academic year this summary covers	2026–27
Date this summary was published	July 2026
Date this summary will be reviewed	June 2027
Name of the School Music Lead	Katie Patel
Name of school leadership team member with responsibility for music	Matthew Robinson
Name of local Music Hub	Sutton Music Trust

This is about what we teach in lesson time, how much time is spent teaching music, and any music qualifications or awards that pupils can achieve.

Every student in Year 7 and Year 8 receives one 60-minute music lesson each week, and our curriculum covers all of the aims set out in the National Curriculum for Music. The full learning journey for music at CBSC is available on our website. Students who choose Music as an options subject at Key Stage 4 receive five 60-minute lessons per fortnight.

Instrumental and Vocal Skills

In Key Stage 3, students have many opportunities to learn an instrument, with a significant proportion of curriculum time spent developing keyboard and piano skills — giving students the foundations they need if they choose to continue with Music at Key Stage 4. Students also develop basic skills in music technology and the use of Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs) within lesson time. Singing is an integral part of the curriculum, with opportunities in both Year 7 and Year 8 to build singing skills in preparation for the school production and termly concerts.

Year 7

• Year 7 Music Subject Page
• Year 7 Tier 2 & 3 Vocabulary

Year 8

• Year 8 Music Subject Page
• Year 8 Tier 2 & 3 Vocabulary

Year 9 Music Rotation

In Year 9, all students take part in music on a rotation basis. This includes work on music theory, keyboard skills, and composing in different musical genres using music technology.

Year 9

• Year 9 Music Subject Page
• Year 9 Tier 2 & 3 Vocabulary

Qualifications

Students have the opportunity to work towards a range of music qualifications and awards during their time at CBSC. At Key Stage 4, we currently offer the Eduqas GCSE in Music, and at Key Stage 5 we offer the BTEC Level 3 National Qualification in Music Performance.

Year 10 (GCSE)

• Year 10 Music Subject Page
• Year 10 Tier 2 & 3 Vocabulary

Year 11 (GCSE)

• Year 11 Music Subject Page
• Year 11 Tier 2 & 3 Vocabulary

Year 12

• Year 12 Music Subject Page
• Year 12 Tier 2 & 3 Vocabulary

Year 13

• Year 13 Music Subject Page
• Year 13 Tier 2 & 3 Vocabulary

This is about opportunities for students to sing and play music outside of lesson time — including instrumental tuition, ensembles and clubs — and how students can progress in music beyond the core curriculum. We work closely with our local Music Hub, Sutton Music Trust, to support this offer and to connect students with wider musical opportunities.

Instrumental Lessons

We have eight visiting teachers, all professional musicians, through whom students can learn Piano, Keyboard, Singing, DJing, Classical Guitar, Electric Guitar, Bass Guitar or Drum Kit. Students can work towards graded exams in their chosen instrument(s). Lessons take place outside of lesson time on a rotation basis, so that students do not miss the same subject lesson twice in a row.

Access and Funding

Peripatetic teachers are employed by the school, and lessons are paid for by parents on a termly basis. Substantial discounts are offered to GCSE and BTEC students, funded by the HR Taylor Trust, and a number of places are reserved for free tuition, awarded exclusively to selected Pupil Premium students who show commitment and musical talent. Instrumental loan and scholarship schemes, together with further financial support, help ensure that all students are able to access these opportunities.

Clubs and Facilities

We also offer a variety of music clubs, including beginner guitar, Singing Club, music technology and the school production. Music students are welcome at break, lunchtime and after school to book our brand-new department practice suites and instruments to further develop their skills.

 

This is about the other musical events and opportunities that we organise, such as performing in assembly, concerts and shows, and trips to professional concerts.

Students get the opportunity to perform in a wide variety of events throughout the year, with performance opportunities in every half-term. This includes year group concerts, the school production (this year, Aladdin), the Summer Outdoor Music Festival, and performances at our local venue, The Sound Lounge, among others. Across the Expressive Arts Faculty, students also have the opportunity to perform in assembly, giving performers valuable experience and allowing their peers to hear high-quality live music.

Trips and Partnerships

We take students to as many professional concerts and events as we can; last year this included six theatre trips as well as our annual trip to the Southbank Centre to see the London Philharmonic Orchestra. We try to keep the cost of these events as low as possible so that all students can take part, and we offer a discounted rate for Pupil Premium students on all music trips to ensure fair access to musical experiences for all.

We have developed a relationship with a local venue, The Sound Lounge, which has hosted concerts by our students and provided the space free of charge — a highly valuable real-world experience that has developed their confidence in performing and their sense of band identity. We also have a partnership with the local Crown Lane Studio in Morden, where our students take part in professional recording sessions.

As we move into subsequent years, we want to ensure that CBSC continues to be known for the high quality of its music provision. This includes developing a love of learning and high levels of participation in music amongst all year groups. Our priorities are to:

• expand our instrumental provision to include a wider range of instruments, for example strings and other orchestral instruments
• expand our range of off-site experiences, including looking at the potential for a music tour, as well as musical workshops and performances with other local schools
• develop a new performance space with high-quality staging and sound equipment for our regular performances.

Subject Lead: Katie Patel kpatel@carshaltonboys.org