Music
At Lodge Park Academy, we believe that all students should experience music in school as a normal, everyday activity; making music through singing, performing and composing, listening to music with increasing understanding, and participating in performances as performers and as audience members. We want all our students to have the opportunity to progress their musical interests and talents, including professionally.
For instrumental/vocal lessons, please contact our Interim Director of Music, Mrs Olner, to register your interest: eolner@lodgeparkacademy.co.uk
Curricular Music
Classroom learning
Students in years 7 – 9 are timetabled one hour per week curriculum music throughout the year. There is a focus on melody (year 7), harmony (year 8) and texture (year 9) elements of music which thematically link the units of study across key stage 3. In years 10 – 11 we study OCR GCSE Music, and in years 12 – 13 we study Eduqas A-Level Music. We enjoy a close working relationship with other DRET secondary schools which enables us to bring our students together as a wider music community. You can see more about studying music at LPA here:
GCSE
A-Level
Musician in Residence
In addition to our specialist music classroom teachers, we also have a Musician in Residence (MiR) who is a professional musician that works within our school. During this residency, the MiR shares their expertise through performances, workshops, rehearsals, and one-to-one mentoring, whilst also continuing their wider creative practice in their portfolio career. The role is intended to enrich the Music Department by giving our students direct access to a working musician, offering insight into both the artistic process and the realities of a music career.
Co-curricular Music
Peripatetic instrumental and vocal lessons
Our instrumental lessons are provided by Northamptonshire Music and Performing Arts Trust (NMPAT) as 20-minute individual lessons during the school day. NMPAT loan instruments free of charge when lessons are with one of their tutors (except piano).
The Music Department’s practice rooms are open at break and lunch for students to practise their instrument.
Lessons are available on the following instruments: Piano, brass instruments (such as trumpet, trombone, French horn, tuba), guitar, bass guitar, drum kit, violin, viola, voice.
Instrumental and vocal lessons are paid for by parents/carers via the My Child At School app (MCAS). LPA subsidises lessons by 50% for students in receipt of Pupil Premium as well as for students who continue to study music qualifications (GCSE, A-Level) in years 10-13. There is a hardship fund available which is assessed on a case-by-case basis.
Lessons are typically paid for per term in one payment, although a structured payment plan can be arranged upon request.
Please contact our Interim Director of Music, Mrs Olner, to register your interest and for further information: eolner@lodgeparkacademy.co.uk
Music clubs
We run a range of additional opportunities for making music which are timetabled during our 30-minute morning registration and after-school for one hour. All clubs are non-auditioned and completely free of charge. Students are able to use a school instrument for most clubs, and they can store their own instrument in the department during the school day.
In the mornings, NMPAT tutors lead the following homogenous groups: percussion ensemble, brass ensemble, guitar and ukulele ensemble, and LPA music staff lead string ensemble, Year 7 & 8 boys sing and Year 7 & 8 girls sing.
After-school, LPA music staff lead our LPA Choir (all years) and Band Club.
Music trips and events
There are a wide range of opportunities for our students to make and experience live music beyond the walls of the classroom throughout the academic year. We have built relationships as a school and multi-academy trust with external providers to ensure engaging and authentic opportunities for our students to develop a lifelong love of music and being a musician. Examples of these include: Gabrieli ROAR, Royal Ballet & Opera, Nevill Holt Festival, BBC Singers, National Youth Orchestra, and Leicester International Music Festival.
LPA Music News
Please keep an eye on the school newsletter and follow us on Instagram to keep up with all the exciting events happening. Our Instagram handle is @lpamusic_dret.
