Music

Music

‘Without music, life would be a mistake’ Friedrich Nietzsche

Intent

We believe music is a universal language that embodies one of the highest forms of creativity. Our high-quality music education aims to engage and inspire pupils to develop a love of music and their talent as musicians, and so increase their self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement. 

Implementation

The national curriculum for music aims to ensure that all pupils: 

  • perform, listen to, review and evaluate music across a range of historical periods, genres, styles and traditions, including the works of the great composers and musicians 
  • learn to sing and to use their voices, to create and compose music on their own and with others, have the opportunity to play musical instruments, use technology appropriately and have the opportunity to progress to the next level of musical excellence 
  • understand and explore how music is created, through the following elements: pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture, structure and appropriate musical notations. This page is currently awaiting content

Pupils are taught to develop their skills and knowledge of music through a range of cross curricular activities which include responding to music through art, and experimenting with different instruments and styles of music.

Each class teaches 3 blocks of music throughout the year. This is taught either as 5 hour long lessons in the afternoons of 1 week, or as 5 hour long sessions in the space of 1 day. Music is taught this way to enhance children’s learning through immersion in the subject.

In year 4 pupils learn violins for a whole year in order for the children to have a deeper understanding and exposure to playing a musical instrument. It also enhances their knowledge of musical vocabulary and notation as the children are using it consistently throughout the year. By the end of the year children will be confident in reading music and will be able to accurately use the correct vocabulary.

Music is also taught in Nursery and Reception classes.

Nursery

Music is taught through the Expressive art and design objectives as part of being imaginative. The children are able to move in different ways to music during their PE lessons and they are also given opportunities through continuous provision to make up songs and rhythms using instruments and voice. As part of the Exploring media and materials objectives children are shown how to enjoy games and dancing and they sing and learn simple songs and nursery rhymes. Children should be able to tap out simple repeated rhythms in nursery and as part of their continuous provision children are able to explore sound in various different ways (objects, materials, instruments, voice etc.).

Reception

As part of the objectives within Exploring media and materials children are able to explore the sound that different instruments make and be able to make simple comments about these sounds. The children begin to build upon their repertoire of known songs which can include nursery songs, songs for the nativity and assembly. The children also take part in more structured music lessons where they begin to use language such as pitch and rhythm to describe a piece of music. As part of the EYFS objectives in Being imaginative children should be able to represent their thoughts and feelings through music and dance. This will be possible through PE lessons and continuous provision.

Children in Reception also have the opportunity to take part in wider musical opportunities such as Nativity, Make a Noise Festival, Drumming workshops and Swindon Music Service roadshows.

Impact and Enrichment

In addition, pupils have many opportunities to apply their skills and knowledge in progressively more advanced performance opportunities each year. Peripatetic teachers visit the school for paid individual lessons for piano and guitar too.

 

Year Group

Performance opportunity

Other musical opportunities

Nursery

Nativity to parents and siblings

 

Reception

Nativity to whole school, parents and family

Opportunity to participate in Make a Noise Festival

Year 1

Performance of xxx to whole school, friends and parents

Opportunity to participate in Infant Music Festival

Year 2

Christmas music concert to Whole school, Friends and parents

Opportunity to participate in Infant Music Festival

Year 3

Harvest Festival to Whole school, Friends and parents

Opportunity to participate in Junior Music Festival

Year 4

Musical Production of a Bible Story to Whole school, Friends and parents

Opportunity to participate in Junior Music Festival

Opportunity to participate in Young Voices Concert

Opportunity to participate in stringed instrument club

Year 5

Christmas music concert to Whole school, Friends and parents

Opportunity to participate in Junior Music Festival

Opportunity to participate in Young Voices Concert

Opportunity to participate in stringed instrument club

Year 6

Musical Production to

Whole school, Friends and parents

Opportunity to participate in Junior Music Festival

Opportunity to participate in Young Voices Concert

Opportunity to participate in stringed instrument club

A small assessment is done by teachers for music. After each block of teaching children will add initials of children to a word document which shows whether children are emerging in the subject, or exceeding. If a child’s initials are not on the document it shows that they are working at the expected level. As the block teaching builds on the same skills in order for the children to secure their learning and understanding, it is expected that there will be more children in the emerging category after the first block, and that this number will decrease following subsequent block teaching throughout the year.

Pupil voices are carried out throughout the year to obtain children’s viewpoints of Music. The questions ensure that skills are progressing throughout the school and that the children are acquiring the correct skills for their year group. The pupil voice also identifies cross-curricular links throughout the subject (for example, responding to music through the media of art) and it ensures pupils are enjoying their learning.