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Secondary education

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Original poster

Music GCSE

33 replies

Abicot · 15/09/2023 08:32

Hi, my DS goes to an independent school and this school year he will sit the GCSE in music.
He plays violin at grade 7 standard.
The school does not provide the accompaniment for the performance exam and I was requested to provide one myself at my own expenses.
I think that if the school is offering this subject they should also be responsible to provide all the resources to complete the exam in the best possible way. Shouldn't this be included in the annual fee I am already paying?

OP posts:
MarchingFrogs · 15/09/2023 08:52

If it's an independent school, it can include / not include whatever it likes in the fees.

When your DS started the GCSE course, were you told that the accompanist would be provided without an extra charge / told that there would be a charge / given no information at all?

Ozziedream · 15/09/2023 08:58

Depends on the independent School. One of my DS goes to one with higher fees and they have an accompanist on staff. Literally just does piano accompaniments for trinity/abrsm exams, performances, concerts and gcse and a levels. Other ds is at independent school where fees 20% lower. We don’t get the bells and whistles like an accompanist on site!

so to answer your question I think it depends on how much the fees are!

Foxesandsquirrels · 15/09/2023 09:01

Do they not have a music teacher that plays piano?! That seems absurd.

Maxus · 15/09/2023 09:02

It's provided at my child's school which is a state school.

BadSkiingMum · 15/09/2023 09:08

I’m surprised that their music teacher isn’t accompanying them, but perhaps they play another instrument and cannot play the piano at the necessary level?

On the other hand, many subjects will require some additional expense once you get to the exam years eg. materials for art or textiles. So I think you probably have to accept it.

Drfosters · 15/09/2023 09:38

At my daughter’s school the music teacher does it I believe but I guess I wouldn’t have complained if I had to pay. I’ve had to buy all sort of things for various creative subjects. But does seem a bit odd that a music teacher would not be doing it.

CurlewKate · 15/09/2023 09:39

Well, I didn't have to pay for an accompanist at our state school! Yes of course the school should provide one- but it's a private school. It can do anything it wants.

CurlewKate · 15/09/2023 09:42

Who accompanied him at his grade exams and at performances?

viledins · 15/09/2023 09:47

Peripatetic string teacher here. I guess the issue may be that while the class music teacher might be a competent pianist and be able/happy to accompany up to around grade 5 (I know I would), by grade 7 the string pieces are proper repertoire and some of the accompaniments are pretty tricky and really need a good pianist. That said, school should be able to offer a bit of advice at least! Could they make recommendations about accompanists who've been used in previous years or who other students are using? Is there a school piano teacher who you could approach? Presumably they won't want a load of random accompanists turning up for each GCSE recording!

Original poster
Abicot · 15/09/2023 10:04

@viledins there may be a school music teacher able to accompany, he is good but I cannot tell if he is good enough to play the piano part of a grade 7 piece
I think it is the school that should organise a pianist who's able to rehearsal with the children and accompany them on the exam day
If the school doesn't pay we as parents can share the cost of 1 pianist for the time needed.

OP posts:
Comefromaway · 15/09/2023 10:17

Depending on the exact exam board he really shouldn't be playing a Grade 7 piece for GCSE anyway.

But I would expect the school to provide accompaniment.

DataColour · 15/09/2023 11:50

My DS is doing music gcse next year, and he's also grade 7 but on the piano. We were told that he needs to only play at grade 5 level to get the highest marks.

horseymum · 15/09/2023 12:02

My DD plays to a decent level but had to choose pieces that had easy enough accompaniments that the class teacher who is not a piano specialist could do. You don't get extra marks for playing harder pieces. She didn't really spend much time on them, only focused on them just before the exam so he could just choose something relatively easy.

Fifthtimelucky · 15/09/2023 12:28

DataColour · 15/09/2023 11:50

My DS is doing music gcse next year, and he's also grade 7 but on the piano. We were told that he needs to only play at grade 5 level to get the highest marks.

This is the advice my children's school gave and they had a lot of children taking GCSE music who already had grade 8.

Mine followed the advice. It meant they could concentrate on playing as musically as possible, rather than having to worry about playing something that they found technically challenging. Students don't get credit for playing anything above grade 5 standard.

In terms of the accompanist, I'd expect the school to offer to arrange one, but (as it's private) think it's entirely up them to decide whether or not to charge.

Comefromaway · 15/09/2023 13:09

It was good advice. The maximum difficulty marks are available for Grade 5 then it is all about perfect technique and musicality. Playing an easier Grade 5 level piece allows you to be sure of nailing those marks.

Comefromaway · 15/09/2023 13:09

With the caveat that there is one exam board (think its WJEC) where the marking criteria differs slightly

Jaxx · 15/09/2023 13:21

Agree with others, my son was advised by his state school to play Grade 5/6 piece even though he got grade 8 at end of Y10. Any accompaniment required would have been arranged without charge though.

I don’t think it is too unreasonable to have to pay - you are probably paying for the exam entry fees after all. I would approach the piano peri teachers at the school as a good starting point.

londonmummy1966 · 15/09/2023 13:40

I'd second the advice to play an easier piece - DC1 was at a specialist music school where lots of them had diplomas and they still all played easy pieces partly to make them perfect and partly so they didn't need to spend a lot of time practicing them. I'd ask the school if one of the piano teachers might be prepared to offer accompaniament and bill the parents for it as that would be a lot easier to organise both for performance and for practice.

OhCrumbsWhereNow · 15/09/2023 14:47

Why not use a pre-recorded backing track rather than a live accompanist?

You can commission these for a very nominal amount online, or get someone you know is competent to record one.

Acqua · 15/09/2023 16:12

State school here. WJEC board I think. Was advised to play Grade 5 piece as that's all that's needed for top marks. Daughter explained that she'd rather play one of her grade 8 pieces which she had prior distinction level and that it actually would mean less work for her as she knew it technically and musically. It actually meant more work for the school though. Luckily, lovely school agreed and hired an accompanist for her. I'd push back at the school if you're paying fees and you feel it's right for your child.

MurphyM · 28/10/2023 19:56

Do you know any paid institutions or schools which can offer classes/courses for Music GCSE (AQA), maybe intensively in holiday times or continually say weekends? I'd like to think about such an option for my son (current y9) to study outside of his school. He has passed theory and piano practical grade 5 and working on grade 6.
His school group might offer additional gcse classes in y10 but I'd prefer him to start maybe early 2024 (in y9) to get him ready for taking it in y10 (2025).

londonmummy1966 · 28/10/2023 22:32

@MurphyM some of the Junior Departments of Conservatoires do - DC1 had this at Junior GUildhall. Also CYM at Waterloo offered GCSE studies for year 10 and 11 students. DD2 had got grade 5 theory at age 10 so was put in the GCSE class in year 8. CYM also offered GCSE revision classes in the Easter holidays

Fishlegs · 11/01/2024 10:48

Could I just jump onto this thread and ask those whose dc have done music GCSE whether they gained much from it?

My home educated dc wants to do music A-level, has just completed his grade 5 theory and is doing his grade 6 practical in March. The 6th form college he wants to attend have said they would be happy with this and he doesn’t need music GCSE, however he wonders if it would be useful for the composition aspect.

Ive read different perspectives on whether taking music GCSE was a positive experience or a chore, would anyone be happy to share their thoughts please?

CluelessPadme · 11/01/2024 10:55

My DD is a music scholar and had her grade 8s before doing her GCSE but she loved the course work and particularly the composition element. There’s a wide range of set pieces, some genres of which she would never have focussed on if not compulsory, so it widened her view in that way. It was the only GCSE she did with a proper practical element, which was definitely beneficial for her

Jaxx · 11/01/2024 11:34

My son enjoyed his GCSE, even though it was disrupted by Covid, but that had a lot to do with having good teachers.

He’s not done A level music, but from what I understand although doing a GCSE is probably not necessary spending time getting the basics of composition would be very beneficial.