Music at Sir Wilfird Martineau School
Teaching Staff
Head of department (Director of Music) Frances Buckler B. Mus (Hons) P.G.C.E
Assistant Teacher of music Simon Heelas B.A. (Hons) P.G.C.E
Visiting Instrumental Staff (From Central Music Service)
| Percussion and Keyboard | Graham Hollis | 3 hours |
| Upper Strings | Jo Murphy B. Mus (Hons) | 3 hours |
| Brass and Bass Guitar | Ian Rae B. Sc | 3 hours |
| Woodwind | Ann Simcock LTCL Cert Ed. | 6 hours |
| Lower Strings | Hilary Woodall Cert. Mus, Dip. Mus. | 1 hour |
Everyone is a musician thus "music for all" is our policy. We aim to interest all students in some music-making and, to that end, we try to provide a breadth of experience. At the same time we try to provide the depth of experience necessary to cater for the intending career musician.
In teaching through music we aim to develop skills in convergent and divergent thinking, motor skills and social skills, but beyond this goes the cultivation of aesthetic and moral understanding and appreciation's for human endeavor in artistic activity. The result should be the self-confidence to participate in and to evaluate artistic activity.
Sir Wilfrid Martineau gave his consent to this School being named after him on the understanding that the School would encourage music and community work.
Music is therefore a large part of Martineau life. The diversity of activity on offer to students enriches the events of the school calendar and thus its wider community. Contributions to these events come from students' classwork or extended curricular work and therefore involve many, sometimes every student.
Music offers a rich source of opportunities for the teaching of a wide range of cross-curricular themes. Information Technology and multi-cultural understanding are just two of these.
The department follows the programs of study laid down by the National Curriculum orders for Music through KS3 and uses MEG 'B' GCSE syllabus and sometimes A. B. R. S. M. examinations in instrumental work.