Music

Music

Founded in 1512, Wolverhampton Grammar School is an award-winning independent day school, for boys and girls ages 4 to 18.

Music is an integral part of the Junior School curriculum with weekly classroom lessons led by a music specialist. Throughout the Junior School, the use of singing to aid with memory and language, develops our pupils as performers.

A love of music is further encouraged through extra-curricular trips and events throughout the school year. Recent highlights include taking Year 5 and 6 pupils to participate in the Young Voices Choir at the NEC, a Year 3 and 4 trip to Birmingham’s Symphony Hall to see the 80-strong City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and a visit by the Toscana Strings Quintet to WGJS, to inspire the children with a music, dance and storytelling workshop.

There are a wide variety of ensembles on offer to Junior School pupils including: Composers Collective, Dhol Club, Flute Club, Recorder Ensemble, Shake, Rattle and Roll (Infants), String Orchestra, Orchestra, Young Voices Choir.

The Junior School Music Curriculum

Classroom Music lessons for Reception to Year 4 are led by our Head, Mr Peters, who as well as being Head also holds 4 music diplomas! Ms Guidotti is our Head of Junior Music and she teaches Years 5-6, leading on the Junior School concerts and a wide offering of music ensembles and choirs.

At Key Stage 1 (Reception to Year 2) music is explored through performance with singing being a key feature of all lessons. Music is also used to support the wider curriculum including songs introducing conversational vocabulary in Modern Foreign Languages. All children from Year 2 upwards experience recorder lessons and they thoroughly enjoy working towards one of our coveted in-house recorder medals. This foundation on the recorder often leads to learning a woodwind or brass instrument in Years 5 and 6.

At Key Stage 2 (Years 4 to 6), there is a broad musical curriculum, introducing pupils to music from a diverse variety of cultures and genres. Musical styles are explored through performance, composition, listening and theoretical understanding. Music is again used to support the curriculum, often linking to Humanities topics such as Ancient Egypt (Year 3) and The Tudors (Year 4).

Concerts

Termly Teatime Concerts for Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 provide all pupils with the opportunity to perform both as a soloist and part of an ensemble in front of a highly supportive audience of family and friends.

The Christmas Carol Concert is a particular highlight, with our older Junior School pupils all joining together in Big School for a celebration of seasonal cheer.

Music takes centre stage in the Spring Term with the annual House Music competition. Each house provides a varied programme of singers, instrumentalists and the all-important themed House Song.

In the Summer term, Junior School pupils join the Senior School in their annual Summer picnic concert on Morton's Piece. The House Piano competition also takes place in this term.

Summer concert

Contact the School’s Admissions Registrar, Jane Morris by telephone on 01902 422939 to learn more about the extra and co-curricular activities on offer in the Junior School.
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Proud to be one of the oldest schools in the country but forward-looking in our approach.