Music
Music
Our music curriculum aims to be fun and engaging for all concerned, and that every child is a born musician. We believe that music has a role to play in every aspect of all of our lives, wherever and whoever we are.
Intent:
The National Curriculum for music aims to ensure that all pupils:
-Perform, listen to, review and evaluate music
-Be taught to sing, create and compose music
-Have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument
-Use technology appropriately
-Understand and explore how music is created, produced and communicated
At Sandbach Primary Academy we view music as an essential and enjoyable skill which all children should have the opportunity to appreciate and engage in. Our intention is that children gain a comprehensive understanding of the key areas of music through singing, performing, playing, listening, appraising, composing, reviewing and evaluating across a wide range of genres, styles, locations and cultures. We are committed to ensuring that our children develop a deep understanding of the subject, a curiosity to the role of music in their lives and appreciate the value and importance of music in the wider community. We strive to ensure that children are able to develop and use their musical skills, knowledge and experiences to involve themselves in music in a variety of different contexts throughout their life.
Implementation:
At Sandbach Primary Academy, we follow the ‘Love Music Trust’ scheme of work, which ensures we provide a high-quality music curriculum where all pupils sing, listen, compose, perform and evaluate. Children learn how to handle and play instruments, tuned and untuned, learning the basic principles of creating notes as well as how to read basic notation. They also learn how to compose, focussing on the different dimensions of music, which in turn feeds their understanding when listening, playing and analysing music. Composing and performing using body percussion and vocal sounds also further develops children’s understanding of musical elements.
In the EYFS, the fundaments of musical learning and exploration are laid through adult lead musical activities and child-initiated ones. Children receive planned for, enjoyable musical experiences and opportunities to explore through the environment. In their Reception year, children receive more formal music teaching in 20-minute sessions at different points through the term. They continue to have many opportunities to explore musical knowledge and skills through the environment and singing songs and nursery rhymes is part of their daily routine and learning. In KS1, discrete music lessons are taught weekly for 30 minutes. Half termly units are now introduced ensuring children have many opportunities to revisit previous learning and apply new learning in varying musical contexts. In LKS2, children receive weekly lessons of between 30 minutes and an hour, appropriate to the content and expectations in learning. In UKS2 children are taught for an hour each week by visiting music tutors, who are also local musicians to the area. Children study and learn to play two musical instruments; a glockenspiel and a Bb brass instrument (such as a cornett, trombone or baritone). The children work towards a musical award (Autumn - Bronze, Spring – Silver and Summer – Gold) with each term and award increasing in musical knowledge, skill and instrument technique.
Impact:
By the end of KS2, a range of genres, musicians and composers have been encountered. Children know three different time signatures and can identify and use techniques to change the mood of a piece. Different rhythms, including syncopation, are explored and a five note, pentatonic scale is used for performance and composition. All children will have had the opportunity to learn a musical instrument, perform to each other and perform to broader audiences.