Intent
We make music an inclusive and enjoyable experience. By exposing children to a range of genres of music from different cultures and time periods, we aim to help them build up and understanding of musical terminology throughout their time at school. This will enable them to discuss confidently the music they have listened to – explaining their feelings, likes, dislikes, and will prepare them for the additional learning they will receive in later education.
Early Years
- children listen to a wide range of sounds, pieces of music and have opportunities to explore and play with music making equipment both inside and outside.
KS1
- use their voices expressively by singing songs and speaking chants and rhymes.
- play tuned and untuned instruments musically.
- listen with concentration and understanding to a range of high-quality live and recorded music.
- experiment with, create, select and combine sounds using the inter-related dimensions of music.
KS2
- play and perform in solo and ensemble contexts, using their voices and playing musical instruments with increasing accuracy, fluency, control and expression.
- improvise and compose music using the inter-related dimensions of music.
- listen with attention to detail and recall sounds with increasing aural memory.
- use and understand staff and other musical notations.
- appreciate and understand a wide range of high-quality live and recorded music from different traditions and from great composers and musicians. We believe that music is integral to a child’s development of fundamental abilities, such as achievement, self-confidence, interaction with and awareness of others and self-reflection.
Implementation
Through combining fortnightly music lessons, using the Kapow scheme enriched with musical praise, the children will be taught to actively listen to a range of music from varying genres and eras. They will develop descriptive skills in music lessons to allow them to represent feelings and emotions. As the children get older, there is an expectation that they will be able to maintain their concentration for more complex and extended pieces of music. In addition, we teach the children how to compose their own pieces of music, supported by a range of technology and how to perform confidently to an audience.
Some children extend this through taking music lessons to learn ukulele and drums, and others have recently joined the choir. Children are taught to respect and appreciate music and instruments from a variety of traditions and communities.
Christian Distinctiveness
Psalms 101:11 I will sing of your love and justice; to you, LORD, I will sing praise.
Music is also used as a way of reflection, worship, and encouraging spirituality within the children. Through listening, learning, and singing worship songs during musical praise, we are able to strengthen a child’s understanding of what it means to be a Christian, and why we celebrate God. We use songs at harvest, Easter and Christmas to encourage learning about each stage of the Bible stories.