INTENT

Our aim is to deliver a high-quality music education that will engage and inspire our children to develop their love of music and their talent as musicians.  We aim for children to develop a good understanding of what music is through listening, singing, playing, evaluating, analysing and composing across a wide variety of historical periods, styles and musical genres.  We intend children to develop transferable skills such as team-working, leadership, creative thinking, problem-solving, decision-making and performance skills that are vital to their development as learners and can have a wider application in their lives outside school.

IMPLEMENTATION

Our music curriculum comprises five key strands; performing, listening, composing, the history of music and the inter-related dimensions of music.  These strands are interwoven into cross-curricular units of work that are taught throughout the school.  The music curriculum ensures children sing, listen, play, perform and evaluate. This is embedded in the classroom activities as well as our weekly singing assembly, choir, recorder club, various concerts and performances and the learning of instruments. 

Music is taught on PPA afternoons by a music specialist.  In Y3 and Y4, each class has three one-hour music lessons over a four-week period.  In Y5 and Y6, each class has a two-hour music lesson, every three weeks.  In each lesson, children actively participate in musical activities drawn from a range of styles and traditions, developing their musical skills and their understanding of how music works.  Lessons incorporate a range of teaching strategies from independent tasks, paired and group work as well as improvisation and teacher-led performances.

The dimensions of music are taught in classroom lessons so that children are able to use some of the language of music to dissect it, and understand how it is made, played, appreciated and analysed.  In the classroom, children learn to play a variety of untuned and tuned percussion instruments.  Playing instruments enables children to use a range of methods to create notes, as well as how to read basic music notation. They also learn how to compose, focusing on different dimensions of music. Where appropriate, children use music apps to compose and perform.  Composing or performing using body percussion and vocal sounds is also part of the curriculum, which develops the understanding of musical elements without the added complexity of an instrument.

IMPACT

Children at Heatherside will be confident performers, composers and listeners and will be able to express themselves musically.  They will show an appreciation and respect for a wide range of musical styles and will understand how music is influenced by the cultural, social and historical contexts in which it is developed.  Children will understand the ways in which music can be written down to support performing and composing activities.  They will demonstrate an enthusiasm for music and be able to identify their own personal musical preferences.