Why do we teach Music? 

We believe that Music making is fun and is for everyone. We are a school that loves music and we use the power of music to develop pupils’ self-esteem, team working, creativity and overall academic success. We want our children to engage in a fun and inspiring curriculum, which is relevant for today’s world, whilst also giving them the opportunity to appraise and be influenced by music of previous generations.

The language of music is common to all generations and nations; it is understood by everybody, since it is understood with the heart.’

Gioacchino Rossini

 

What do we teach in Music? 

In the EYFS we use the key strands of Music from Development Matters as our curriculum framework. In KS1&2 we follow the National Curriculum for music, which is further supported by the Model Music Curriculum 2021 (MMC).

Our teaching is divided into the following key areas.

• Singing - We are a singing school. We recognise the health and wellbeing that singing brings and it forms the basis of our music teaching.
• Listening/Appraising - Children are encouraged to describe their thoughts and feelings about the music they hear. Use musical vocabulary to describe music that and make and be able to give suggestion for improvements.
• Composing/Improvisation - Children learn how to create musical patterns and learn how to shape and change music using non-standard and standard notation. They will become confident in improvising their own music in a given style
• Playing Instruments/Performing - As well as singing, children have access to a range of instruments. They will learn to play accurately with control, and rehearse and perform to an audience.
• Aural/Theoretical knowledge - Children will be able to understand the rudiments of staff notation and use this in their compositions. The development of aural awareness will see them develop their skills in internalising and recalling sounds and rhythms accurately.

We follow the guiding principles of the interrelated dimensions of music, and use our skills progression map to ensure that each year builds upon previous learning.  Children’s increasing awareness of pulse, pitch, rhythm, tempo, dynamics, timbre and texture helps inform their increasingly complex improvisations and compositions.

 

How do we teach Music? 

In EYFS the key strands of Music  (Hearing and Listening, Vocalising and Singing, Moving and Dancing, Exploring and Playing) are interwoven into the daily learning opportunities for each pupil. We encourage children to understand that we can make music in many different ways using non-standard instruments. We encourage children to understand how to modify the sounds they create by learning how to change the pitch, dynamics and rhythm to create different effects. By the end of EYFS we encourage children to be confident in demonstrating their musical skills through singing and dancing and playing a range of instruments.

In KS1 &2, we have a specialist music teacher who teaches one lesson per week for all classes. Our curriculum is supported by various schemes of work including Charanga, Music Express, BBC ten pieces, and bespoke schemes depending on the ability and challenge that each year group needs year on year. Whole class instrumental lessons include recorders and Ukulele. Glockenspiels are used extensively within each year group to support composition and improvisation.

As the children develop their musical skills across the age groups, they are better able to listen, appraise, compose and perform their musical ideas. This enables them to describe music in more detail using appropriate musical language, which in turn influences and informs their own compositions. These become more detailed and complex as they think about instrument choices, structure and tempo as they develop their own musical style. 

 

Music in the Wider Curriculum 

Children are involved in a variety of musical activities on regular basis including daily collective worship, singing assemblies, termly class assemblies, end of year performances and a school choir.

We positively encourage children to engage in live musical performances, this includes listening to visiting musicians play live in school and participation in local and national music events, including Surrey Primary Music Festival and Young Voices at the 02.

Visiting instrumental teaching is provided on a 1:1 basis for piano and brass.  Rocksteady lessons in school provide an opportunity for children to learn to play contemporary music on Keyboards, drums, guitars and vocals.