MUSIC
All children are given the opportunity to experience a wide variety of high quality learning activities which include improvising and composing, singing and playing, listening and appraising.
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This is achieved by playing and singing, performing with others, composing and arranging, listening to and appraising musical styles from all cultures, developing a sense of pitch, timbre, rhythm, tempo, dynamics; developing ideas of notation and using music as a means of self expression and a source of pleasure.
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All children from Early Years to Year 6 access weekly curriculum music lessons either delivered by our specialist or by their class teacher from a published scheme of work. Children in KS1 also access weekly singing assemblies.
Pupils are given opportunities to perform through annual music concerts, in workshare assemblies, Year 6 end of year productions and in Christmas performances.
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We are committed to widening children's opportunities to develop skills in music through access to subsidised peripatetic instrumental teaching. The offer varies across sites but information can be found from school offices.
In addition to the music curriculum, we seek to expose children to a wide range of recorded music from a variety of cultural and musical traditions through assemblies and in classrooms and we make cross-curricular links to the music scheme wherever possible.
We seek opportunities to take children to live performances where possible as well as invite performers to come into school, such as the Cavatina Chamber Ensembles.
SING UP SCHEME OF WORK
In year 1,2,3,5 and 6 class teachers deliver lessons from the Sing Up Music Scheme. Sing Up aims for every child to have access to high quality, practical and engaging musical experiences. The aim is for all children to develop the self confidence, skills, knowledge and undersatnding to develop a life-long love of music, whilst also provding a foundation that enables them to take music further should they wish.
Sing Up music is designed and written by subject specialists. It sets out the skills, knowledge and understanding to be gained by all pupils at each stage of learning.
MUSIC IN EYFS
Music in EYFS is taught by our music specilaist. We believe a strong foundation in musicianship is key to successful musical learning in key stages 1 and 2.
Within these lessons we adopt the Kodaly method (5 principles- Learning by singing, hand signs, rhythmic proficiency, collaboration, cultural connections) and the Dalcroze method (wherby music is experienced and expressed through movement) in the planning and delivery.
For more on these approaches see
UKULELE IN YEAR 4
Music in Y4 (and Y3 for sites with mixed year groups) is also taught by our music specialist. In this year, music learning takes the form of weekly whole class ukulele lessons. This ensures that every child in all our schools has the opportunity to learn an instrument for a year.
Learning the ukulele offers the unique experience of being able to sing whilst playing, enabling ensemble opportunities and more collaborative opportunities than wind instruments such as the recorder might.
Whilst all ukuleles are provided by the school, should your child wish to practice at home and pursue the instrument these are relatively cheap to buy.