Music at WLFS

Curricular

At the West London Free School we put music at the heart of school life. We feel that our pupils are at their best at events like our regular series of lunchtime concerts when they gather in their hundreds to cheer and whoop for their peers and to appreciate the achievements of the other young musicians and the time and commitment they’ve put into their performances.

The Music Department at the West London Free School is a place where all pupils with a love of music can develop and realise their potential. There are two curricular music lessons each week at Key Stage Three through which pupils develop their skills on the keyboard, in group singing, theory and composition. You can hear some typical class singing here. Listen out in particular for 7A, 8E and 9ac1.

At Key Stage 4 a third of pupils choose to take GCSE Music, nearly 5 times the national average, through which they can take their composing, performing and listening further. The two year course gives them time to experiment with composing in a range of styles before the exam year as well as learn more about music from other times and places. Here are some examples of their composing, one based around a sample produced for the interval of a show we put on at the Union Chapel and the other a wholly original song written during activities week.

Co-Curricular

Alongside our curricular provision we run a range of ensembles and instrumental lessons as well as our Music Scholar programme for the 12 pupils each year who gain their places at the school through the Music Test (see the Music Scholar tab for more details on applications and the programme itself).

The ensembles at the school include our popular Bands Clubs, four Choirs, Jazz Band, A Cappella groups, Samba Band, Orchestra, Junior Wind/Strings and a selection of chamber groups. Our flagship ensemble is the Chamber Choir, made up of students in the choir tutor groups in the upper years. You can hear the choir sing here.