Music
This is an extract from the Music curriculum policy with information for parents (full policy available on request):
Curriculum Intent:
Music is a fundamental form of creativity and holds value and importance in the wider community and across the world as an international language. At Seely Primary School, we believe music develops self-confidence, creativity and imagination. Music education at our school promotes a life-long love of music, and opportunity for self-expression and personal achievement, led by children’s interests. We believe that all pupils should have the opportunity to develop talent and interest in a wide range of musical skills (including singing, performance, improvisation, composition, musical appreciation and the history of music), and through a diverse range of musical genres from different eras and cultures.
At Seely, we believe that music can make a difference to all children’s lives, helping them to grow and develop their own identity, as a source of joy, self-worth, achievement and personal fulfilment, and as a tool for social cohesion.
Pedagogy and Implementation:
Teaching and Organisation
Pupils learn music through the strands of listening and appraising, knowledge and understanding of musical language, the history of music, singing, playing instruments, improvisation, composition, performance and musical notation. These strands often interweave and are almost all covered every half term across all year groups.
Progression is developed through the repetition and depth of learning within these strands. This is through the integration and understanding of the interrelated dimensions of music, including: pulse, rhythm, pitch, dynamics, tempo, timbre, structure, texture and notation. Throughout each year and across all year groups, the interrelated dimensions of music are built upon the foundation of pulse, creating a spiral of musical learning across the school. Our music teaching also aims to expose pupils to a diverse range of musical genres and musicians, across history and across different cultures.
Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)
Music in the EYFS is taught through the area of learning: “Expressive Arts and Design”. In Reception we regularly sing throughout the week and incorporate it within cross-curricular teaching and learning, for example in maths. We use a range of percussion instruments to develop early musicianship, creating foundations of pulse and rhythm, as well as creativity and self-expression. These musical instruments are used in discrete music lessons and in areas.
Children are exposed to music through topics, celebrations throughout the year and Sing Up, creating a foundation for their musical education. Singing and playing musical instruments together and performances throughout the year (including our Christmas Nativity) develops performance skills and making music as an ensemble.
The children are introduced to musical terms and technical vocabulary. Children are encouraged to sing songs, make music and experiment with ways of changing them. Children are also encouraged to use their imagination, representing their own thoughts, feelings and ideas. Singing happens on a daily basis and is linked to the topic/theme.
Key Stage One (KS1)
In KS1, music is taught on a weekly basis, through the Year 1 and Year 2 Sing Up scheme. Singing in KS1 happens regularly, including a weekly singing assembly and songs are often linked to the topic. Pupils should be taught to:
- Use their voices expressively and creatively 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
Key Stage Two (KS2)
In KS2, music is taught on a weekly basis, through Sing Up scheme. Singing in KS2 happens regularly, including a weekly phase singing assembly and songs are often linked to the topic. Pupils should be taught to:
- 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 for a range of purposes 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 notation
- Appreciate and understand a wide range of high-quality music drawn from different Traditions and from great composers and musicians
- Develop an understanding of the history of music
Children in Years 4 to 6 are tutored by the Nottingham Music Hub team. Each class has a one hour lesson each week focusing on a wider range of skills. Children have the opportunity to take music medal exams with selected Year 6 children taking their grade 1 exams.
Access for all
We make sure that all children access the Music curriculum and achieve success, therefore ensuring that adapted tasks where pertinent allow them to develop and extend their depth of knowledge and understanding so that they can demonstrate successfully what they know, understand and can do. Tasks are selected and designed to provide appropriate challenge to all learners, in line with the school’s commitment to inclusion.
Wider Curriculum
Children throughout the school also take part in sharing assemblies which provide musical entertainment and an opportunity to showcase knowledge and skills. At Christmas time, each year group takes part in a musical performance. In the Summer term, Year 6 perform in a musical concert each year. KS2 children also have opportunities to perform at The Albert Hall as part of an orchestra, and children throughout the school attend visits to theatres and musical shows. Children in Years 5 and 6 have the opportunity to join Area Band with other Nottingham City schools where they play their instrument in an after-school club and attend performances at the Albert Hall.
