WYMONDHAM COLLEGE

Introduction

Wymondham College offers up to sixteen priority specialist places for students applying for year 7 (age 11+) who demonstrate a particular aptitude in Music. These are not scholarships and in the case of the boarding places (or day boarding places) the full fee remains payable.

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Year 7 Specialist places

Eight of each of these places are available to boarders and eight to day students for entry in September 2018. These places will be allocated on the basis of performance in tests of musical aptitude conducted by the College.

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Application Procedure

Boarding Places

In order to be considered for the boarding places, parents/carers must indicate on the Boarding Place Supplementary Form that they wish their child to be considered for a Music Priority Specialist Place and submit the form by the deadline given. The Admissions Office will confirm the receipt of the application and the details of the assessment test in writing.

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Day Places

In order to be considered for the day places, parents/carers must submit a Priority Music Specialist Place Supplementary Application Form by 31 October 2017. The Admissions Office will confirm the receipt of the application and the details of the assessment test in writing.

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There are two opportunities to take each test and candidates must be able to attend the College on one of these dates in order to be considered for one of these places:

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• Tuesday 17 October 2017

• Friday 17 November 2017

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Those who apply early enough to be included in the first test on 17 October will receive notification of whether they have met the required standard before the national closing date for Year 7 admissions on 31 October 2017. Those who apply too late to take the first test, or after the first session has been filled or who are unable to attend the October assessments for some other reason, can take the second test on 17 November. Both tests provide the same opportunity to gain a place at the College and there is no advantage to be gained from taking one test rather than the other.

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Please note that meeting the required standard in a test does not guarantee a place at the College. This is because more candidates may meet the required standard than there are places available to students who do so. If this is the case, places will be allocated according to the over subscription criteria detailed in the Admissions Policy 2018, in this case, proximity.

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Music Priority Specialist Places

Candidates for these places should have:

• a proven talent on their main instrument

• natural performance skills

• a gift for the subject that enables them to learn quickly

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Aptitude Assessment

The assessment has two parts.

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Part One is a forty five minute listening test that assesses musical aptitude in the following areas

• Pitch - Candidates have to tell when a pitch has been lowered or raised. This test involves recognition of large intervals, semitones and some microtonanility.

• Melody - Candidates have to remember a 2 bar melody in their head and state how it is changed when repeated.

• Texture - Candidates have to state how many notes are played together. This incorporates recognition of intervals - 2 notes, simple triads - 3 notes and more complex, and sometimes chromatic, chords - 4 notes.

• Rhythm - Candidates have to remember a 4 beat rhythm in their head and state how it is changed when repeated.

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The test involves sixty questions worth sixth marks.

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Part two involves a twenty minute individual assessment conducted by a member of the Music department. This assessment comprises the following elements:

• Performing - Candidates demonstrate their aptitude for performing instrumentally, or vocally. Candidates are asked to perform on their main instrument with suitable accompaniment. Candidates are welcome to bring their own accompanist or backing track (Tape, CD or MD) with them. Proficiency in a second instrument is not required, but candidates may perform on a second instrument if they wish. (30 marks).

• General Musical Knowledge - Candidates demonstrate their aptitude for analysing their performance music. (10 marks)

• Aural Tests - Candidates demonstrate their aptitude to respond to music they have heard through singing, clapping and answering questions. (10 marks)

• Sight-reading - Candidates demonstrate their aptitude to interpret music notation that they have not seen before. (10 marks). A range of sample pieces are shown at Appendix A. Please note that these will not be used on the actual assessment day, but are given for guidance only.

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The overall assessment is marked out of 120.

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Test Results

As described earlier, candidates who take the test in October will receive notification of whether they have met the required standard (the benchmark) by 31 October. Meeting the required standard does not guarantee a place at the College. In the case that there are more students who achieve the benchmark than there are places available, the over subscription criteria detailed in the College Admissions Policy will be used to determine which candidates are allocated the Specialist priority places.

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The College cannot enter into correspondence or discussion with parents concerning the outcome of the assessment and is not permitted to communicate information concerning whether or not a candidate who has taken the second test in November, has met the required standard. This is in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Statutory Schools Admissions Code. The outcome of the assessment will be evident when the allocation of places is communicated to parents by their Local Authority (in the case of applicants in England) or the College (for other candidates).