SKE Lead

Katie Taylor

What is your current role and experience in teaching?

I am currently the Curriculum Leader of Music at an 11-18 academy in the GORSE Academies Trust, and the Primary and Secondary Music Subject Lead at GORSE SCITT.  I have two decades of experience in music education, encompassing every age group from Early Years Foundation Stage to A-level, within a variety of roles and across seven different schools.  I have recently completed an MA in Music Psychology which has given me a deeper understanding of the power of evidence-based research in music education.

Why are you passionate about your subject?

Music is a powerful universal language that is an important part of everyday life.  Engagement with music can support brain development, has links to language, motor and social skills, and supports wellbeing.  Music is also an intellectual and artistic form that has value in its own right; we should not underestimate the importance of teaching music for music’s sake.  A strong culture of music making in school can spill over into the local community and have a ripple effect that is even wider.  Access to a quality music education cannot be the privilege of a selected few or be seen as an optional add-on to pupils’ school experience.  Music is a vital part of both the primary and secondary curriculum, which has the power to enhance the lives of young people.

What impact does strong subject knowledge have? 

Strong subject knowledge empowers teachers to deliver with confidence and authority in the music classroom and leads to greater musical engagement from students.  It is essential that the knowledge and skills taught through the music curriculum are firmly rooted in music theory, and that teachers explicitly teach the nuts and bolts of how music works, for students to appraise, perform and compose their own music effectively.  Developing students’ musical literacy can only be successful when underpinned by the secure subject knowledge of the teacher, and as with all forms of literacy, it removes barriers to future achievements and opens up a wealth of opportunities.

Modules

Module one (Week 1)

Harmony – major and minor keys, chords, and scales, reading treble clef staff notation, basic intervals, reading and writing key signatures.

Module two (Week 2)

More Complex Harmony – key relationships, modulations, pivot chords, identifying interval quality, an introduction to extended and added note chords, reading bass clef staff notation.

Module three (Week 3)

Harmony in Practice – chord inversions, extended and added note chords revisited, cadences, reading alto and tenor clef staff notation, transposing instruments.

Module four (Week 4)

Understanding Rhythm and Metre – simple and compound, duple, triple and quadruple metre time signatures, grouping notes and rests, musical terms and signs, applying music theory in context.

“100% of SKE participants stated that completing an SKE with GORSE SCITT developed their subject knowledge and understanding of the curriculum.”

Delivery and Assessment

The programme is delivered through optional online tutorials and asynchronous study.

Assessments will include mini tasks, evaluative tasks, research and readings. There will also be an opportunity to reflect on the key ideas learnt in each unit of work. Each submission of assessment will receive detailed and clear feedback outlining professional knowledge, strength and areas to develop further over the remainder of the course.

Want to find out more?

Book an information evening or taster day.

These virtual events will take place with our leadership team to give you an opportunity to find out more about the courses we offer, the support you will receive and your journey as a GORSE SCITT trainee.