Music

 

Statement of Intent

Intent

At St Winifred’s Catholic Primary School, we believe that music is important for the development of the whole child and is good for their physical and emotional wellbeing.

Our objective is to develop a curiosity for the subject and a life-long love of music. We are committed to ensuring that children understand the value and importance of music in society and encourage them to use their experience and musical skills in the wider community. We fulfil the remit of the National Curriculum and our curriculum aims to improve the wellbeing of all children at St Winifred’s, not only through the musical skills taught, but through the underpinning values and disciplines music promotes.

Implementation

Music at St Winifred’s Catholic Primary School provides challenging and enjoyable learning through a range of activities. We listen to, analyse, sing and perform music from a wide variety of musical styles and traditions. All children participate in weekly music lessons and a singing assembly with a music specialist. Specific activities include:

All children learn to play both the ukulele and the djembe.

In the classroom children learn how to analyse and discuss music through focused listening. They learn how to sing, perform, improvise and compose (using pitched and un-pitched instruments and body percussion) in different genres of music.

Extra-curricular activities enable many children to develop their musicianship beyond the music curriculum. These activities include instrumental lessons in: violin, drum kit, guitar, woodwind (flute and clarinet) and brass (trumpet and trombone). There is also a weekly ‘advanced’ ukulele group for year 5 pupils.

Performance opportunities include assemblies, liturgies, Christmas productions and concerts. All children also sing and some perform at Mass. Some children take part in activities organised by external bodies such as Trinity Laban and Lewisham Music Hub.

Impact

We help motivate children to participate in a variety of musical activities through quality teaching that is engaging and fun. Children have access to a varied programme, which enables them to discover new interests and areas of strength. Music helps children to build self-confidence and promotes cooperation and teamwork. Children can sing with others and individually; they can feel a pulse and can analyse music as a listener. They can perform using a wide range of techniques and play on a range of instruments both pitch und un-pitched. Music also develops an understanding of culture and history both of them as individuals and of society and different ethnic groups.

We equip our children with the necessary skills and a love for music. From our lessons, children learn the importance of music for their mental health and wellbeing. Many of them also enjoy success participating in the wider world of music making. They will hopefully grow up to live happy and healthy lives utilising the skills and knowledge acquired through music.

Our curriculum for each year group:

Early Years MusicYear 1 Music Curriculum Map

Music Curriculum Years 2-6

Whole School Singing

Music Policy

Introduction

• Music is a subject that helps to develop creativity, imagination, good listening skills, constructive criticism and the ability to express personal thoughts and feelings.
• Music develops children’s ability to take part in practical activities, both individually and in groups
• The Music curriculum provides breadth and balance and encourages and cultivates an enjoyment of different genres of music.

General Aims

To ensure all staff, children, parents/carers and Governors are aware of the aims for learning and teaching Music at St Winifred’s and that these are applied.

• To promote positive attitudes and enthusiasm for music
• To ensure the children progress and develop their musical understanding
• To provide children with the opportunity to play un-tuned and tuned instruments
• To encourage children to perform solos or as part of an ensemble
• To encourage children to use their voices expressively when singing
• To provide opportunities to listen and appraise different pieces of music
• To enable children to use instruments and ICT to compose their own music either for its own separate purpose or to combine with other aspects of the curriculum
• To appreciate how music has developed and changed over the course of history
• To begin to understand basic music notations and what they represent.

School Staff

• To promote a confident, positive attitude towards the learning and use of Music, making it an enjoyable experience
• To promote confidence and competence in the skills of speaking and listening; constructive feedback and sharing practical work
• To provide opportunities for the development of musical skills where relevant across the curriculum

Children

• To develop an enjoyment of learning through practical activity, exploration and discussion
• To develop confidence and competence in the skills of speaking and listening, constructive feedback and sharing practical work
• To develop an understanding and appreciation of different types of music from around the world.

Parents and Carers

• To be understanding and supportive of our aims in learning and teaching Music
• To praise their children for the good things that they do in Music
• To communicate and work with the school whenever further support is needed to develop their children’s musical skills and understanding.

Governors

• To appoint a designated link governor who will meet with the Music Co-ordinators at least once a year to find out about:
  • the school’s systems for planning work, supporting staff and monitoring progress;
  • the allocation, use and adequacy of resources;
  • how the standards of achievement are changing over time.
  • Who will visit School and talk to pupils about their experiences of the curriculum area
  • Who will promote and support the positive involvement of parents in the curriculum area
  • who will attend training and other events relating to the particular curriculum area
  • who will report jointly with the Music Co-ordinators to the governing body with recommendations, if appropriate
• To be understanding and supportive of our aims in learning and teaching Music and review the Music Policy annually.

Implementation of the Music Policy

Scheme of Work

• All classes from Reception to Year 6 have a weekly music lesson with a specialist music teacher as well as weekly singing lessons.
• Singing games, rhymes and movement form the basis of the EYFS and KS1 curriculum, moving into reading rhythm and pitched notation, composition and performance in KS2. All children in year 2 learn to play the ukulele. In Years 3 – 6 all children learn to play the ukulele and djembe.
• Talented children are given the opportunities to work with the Music Co-ordinators to prepare pieces of music to be performed in assemblies, in services and concerts
• There are performance opportunities for all children throughout the academic year.
• Listening and music appreciation are also highly valuable skills and the children are exposed to a wide range of music styles of both live and recorded music. Children in classes are given the opportunity to attend many external performance and listening experiences.
• ‘Charanga’ provides the basis of music lesson content from year 3 to Year 6.
• This in-turn informs medium term planning as to what is taught within Music teaching units.
• Short term lesson plans specific learning objectives that are to be covered and success criteria to support both children and adults in assessing their work.
• Teaching and learning is differentiated to best match the needs of the class or set and the individuals within it; within the context of the aspect of Music that is being taught.

Extra opportunities

• There is a year 5 school choir.
• We have an extensive music enrichment programme which includes lessons in violin, brass, guitar, flute and drums

Resources

• There are a wide range of music resources including a well equipped music room:
  • A large selection of tuned and un-tuned percussion instruments;
  • Other instruments including guitars, keyboards, recorders etc;
  • The ‘Charanga’ scheme of work (Year 3 to Year 6);
  • A range of song books, CDs, Christmas productions etc.

Parents/Carers

• The School aims to involve parents/carers in their children’s learning as much as possible.

Music Co-ordinators

• The role of the Music Co-ordinators is to provide professional leadership and management and to provide high quality teaching, effective use of resources and high standards of learning and achievement for all pupils.
• They will achieve this by affecting the following key areas:
  • Strategic direction and development.
  • Learning and teaching.
  • Leading and managing staff.
  • Efficient and effective deployment of staff and resources.
• The Music Co-ordinators have regular discussions with the Head teacher and other senior leaders about learning and teaching in Music and provides an annual summary report (Subject SEF) about their work as Subject Leader and an evaluation of the strengths and areas for development for the subject.
• During the academic year the Music Co-ordinators have specific allocated time for subject self evaluation activities.

The Music Lesson: Good Practice

Music Units of Work

A progression of lessons will be planned over a five or six week blocked unit of work that is taught over a half term.

Music Lesson

Within each Music session there will be the following elements:

• a clear Learning Objective with focused Success Criteria (some of which may be one or two of the Unit Success Criteria) which is used by both the teacher and the children to assess the lesson’s work;
• an element of Speaking and Listening which is well modeled by the teacher; e.g. the use of speaking frames to encourage the children to respond appropriately in full sentences;
• teachers model lesson activities at a level which is appropriate to the needs of the children within the class being taught;
• a plenary or series of mini plenaries are used throughout the lesson to reinforce the Learning Objective, address misconceptions, refer back to the Success Criteria or to move the children’s learning on further.
  • Over the course of a unit, the lessons taught will include performance, composition, specific listening tasks, and giving and listening to appraisal and constructive criticism.
  • Musical activities within lessons are planned carefully to encourage active participation and enjoyment by all children, irrespective of ability.

Music across the Curriculum

Children are taught a wide range of musical skills that enable them to access and understand different types of music in a variety of contexts, both within school and at home.

• Opportunities are used for musical experiences through a range of activities in other subjects to enable children to apply and use Music in real life and academic contexts.
• Music is incorporated into a variety of activities and events within school, such as assemblies, classroom routines and special celebrations.

Assessment, Record Keeping and Reporting (please refer to the School’s Assessment and Teaching and Learning Policies)

• Children’s standards and achievements in Music are assessed in line with the School’s Assessment Policy. On-going Assessment for Learning (AfL) practices within class and group sessions, including the sharing of and reference being made to Learning Objective and Success Criteria and self and peer assessments of understanding, outcomes and progress.
• Assessments are used diagnostically by teachers to evaluate learning and inform teaching and by teachers and senior leaders within the Accountability Process to evaluate individual and groups of children’s standards and achievements and provision and to inform future provision and school development.
• Music is reported on at the end of the academic year in each child’s School Report.

Inclusion (please refer also to the School’s Inclusion Policy)

• Inclusion is about every child having educational needs that are special and the School meeting these diverse needs in order to ensure the active participation and progress of all children in their learning.
• Successful inclusive provision at St Winifred’s is seen as the responsibility of the whole school community, permeating all aspects of school life and applicable to all our pupils.
• Inclusive practice in Music should enable all children to achieve their best possible standard; whatever their ability, and irrespective of gender, ethnic, social or cultural background, home language or any other aspect that could affect their participation in, or progress in their learning.

Monitoring and Review

• The Head teacher and Music Co-ordinators will monitor the effectiveness of this policy on a regular basis. The Head teacher and Music Co-ordinators will report to the governing body on the effectiveness of the policy annually and, if necessary, makes recommendations for further improvements.