Intent
“Music is a universal language that embodies one of the highest forms of creativity. A high quality music education should 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.” (National Curriculum, 2014)

First and foremost, we aim to develop a love of music both in respect to its appreciation and its creation.

Our music curriculum aims to build both knowledge and skills through progressive sequences of work, allowing pupils to understand the cultural importance and significance of music in the UK and beyond. Pupils are encouraged to ask questions about the music they experience, including around its creators and performers.

We aim to ensure that pupils have sufficient understanding and language of the dimension of music (tempo, timbre, pitch) and can use these to discuss and appreciate a range of musical pieces throughout history.

In supporting this, we aim to ensure that pupils develop a competence in reading musical notation and using this whilst developing a competence with two key instruments (recorder and glockenspiel).

Implementation
Over the course of Key Stages 1 and 2, pupils will explore a variety of musical genres from a range of cultures. They will become familiar with the cultural capital of music, while also making links between their musical learning and their learning in other subject areas. Sequences of learning will build on those taught previously, providing opportunities to consolidate and deepen pupils’ skills and knowledge.

As in all areas of our curriculum, we emphasise learning through experience wherever possible, and as such we use Charanga to spark and engage pupils’ curiosity by developing their skills in the practical aspects of music and music-making, including singing, playing instruments, improvisation and composition. Through these practical approaches, we also develop our pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the theory and history of music, including knowledge of the interrelated dimensions of music, musical notation, key composers and pieces, genres and periods, including the correct use of vocabulary linked to these. We make explicit connections between these two areas of skill and knowledge throughout music lessons, as well as between music and other areas of the curriculum.

We take advantage of opportunities for the pupils to perform both in and out of school, to peers and to wider audiences. We also offer extracurricular activities and clubs where possible to expand pupils’ experiences of music in different contexts.

In addition to the planned curriculum, additional opportunities are provided for those who have a particular interest/aptitude within the subject. All children have the opportunity to learn the recorder in more detail with a peripatetic teacher. Some children will then have the opportunity through peripatetic music lessons within the school focusing on a range of instruments: string, brass and woodwind instruments.

We also offer extracurricular activities and clubs including choir and band.

Impact
By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils have a good grounding in the theory, history and practical aspects of music, preparing them to study the subject at Key Stage 3 and beyond, as well as to follow their own musical interests.

The integral nature of music and the learner creates an enormously rich palette from which a child may access fundamental abilities such as: achievement, self-confidence, interaction with and awareness of others and self-reflection. They celebrate their achievements including through taking part in performances.

To view the Curriculum Overview click here.