GCSE Music

GCSE Music at Kingsley follows the AQA specification and is taught at Key Stage 4, in Years 10 and 11. It suits students in the Kingsley Family who love to perform, create, and listen closely, and who want to develop as musicians. More than 20 percent of the Key Stage 4 cohort take the course, and individual instrumental lessons are strongly recommended alongside it.

Kingsley School Senior School pupils in a GCSE lesson

What you'll study

The course is built around three components:

Performance: solo and ensemble playing.
Composition: two pieces, one written to a brief and one free.
Listening and Appraising: a written exam on set works and the elements of music.

Students take part in school performances and recitals throughout the course.

How it's assessed

Assessment combines performance and composition with the Listening and Appraising written exam, following the current AQA specification.

Where it leads

Music progresses to BTEC Music in the Sixth Form and further study beyond. It connects to the Performing Arts strand of the Expansive Curriculum, to concerts, and to the Advanced Pathways for students aiming high. Generous music scholarships are available for talented musicians.

How to choose it

Music is selected through the GCSE options process at the end of Year 9, chosen within the option blocks alongside a student's other subjects. To hear the department and see the Music Centre, we warmly invite you to book a visit.

Next step

Your next step

See how GCSE Music brings performance, composition, and listening together.

Admissions

Music

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Next open morning: 12 October 2026

Make Music at Kingsley

See how GCSE Music brings performance, composition, and listening together.

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