Music
If you have any questions regarding our Music Curriculum please speak to Sarah Hearn (Lead Learner) on 01296 488331 or email sarah.hearn@bcsglt.co.uk
XYZ Music Academy LTD was founded in May 2014 by brothers Duncan and Michael Lee. Their aim is to provide a music ‘Mecca’ for all budding musicians to come and learn, rehearse, record and perform. XYZ aims to provide a place for music tutors to flourish in their working environment while continuing to hone their craft both as a musician and music tutor.
Intent
Music is explored through listening, singing, playing, appraising, and composing across a wide variety of historical periods, styles, traditions, and musical genres.
We have devised a spiral based curriculum using modules that will develop as the year groups move through the school. The use of repetition on tasks and linking modules together will help the children to gain applied knowledge of the material they study. Our objective is to develop a curiosity for the subject, as well as an understanding and acceptance of the importance of all types of music, and a respect for the role that music can play in a person’s life. When teaching, several classroom techniques such as call and response, imitation and relay are used. These techniques help to ensure each and every child understands the rhythms or melodies covered in the scheme of work. Class, group and solo activities are devised to encourage children to work effectively as a team and independently.
Children are encouraged to perform regularly both in and out of the school setting. This includes band ensembles, vocal groups and percussion groups. We also encourage children to compose regularly and communicate effectively to other musicians by transcribing their compositions.
We are committed to ensuring children understand the value and importance of music in the wider community, and are able to use their musical skills, knowledge, and experiences to involve themselves in music, in a variety of different contexts.
The main aims of our music curriculum are:
1. To foster all pupils’ enjoyment of and sensitivity to music through active involvement in performing, composing, listening and evaluating.
2. To develop knowledge, awareness and understanding of a broad selection of musical skills and compositions including those from historical periods, traditions, styles and cultures from other times and places.
3. To encourage pupils’ emotional response to music-induced moods and atmospheres, and to develop their capacity to communicate by expressing ideas, thoughts and feelings.
4. To use the experience of music-making to raise self-esteem.
5. To develop skills, attitudes and attributes that support learning in other subject areas, for example: listening skills, concentration, creativity, team-building, perseverance, self-confidence and sensitivity towards others.
6. To encourage creativity by supporting children’s instinctive drive for sensory experience, and developing their ability to compose music as a means of self-expression.
7. To enable pupils to experience fulfillment through striving for the highest possible artistic and technical standards.
Implementation
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
- Understand and explore how music is created, produced and communicated.
The spiral curriculum that has been devised for the pupils at our school is set into six half-termly modules over an academic year through the use of XYZ PRIMARY. This is designed to adhere to the government recommended model music curriculum which explores singing, listening, composing and performing.
Children are taught in groups of up to 30 so that the teaching can be consistent, focused and differentiated through extension and simplification activities, and by outcome. Children Key Stage One and Key Stage Two have weekly sessions learning a repertoire of songs, listening to a variety of musical styles, and exploring sound by experimenting with a range of musical instruments.
Children are taught to play a range of access instruments such as ukulele, recorder, xylophone, djembe and keyboard in a tiered system which starts in KS1 and revisits in both lower and upper KS2.
Cross-curricular links with other subjects are encouraged and developed where appropriate. Opportunities for performing with other schools and/or wider audiences are used to enrich pupils’ experiences. For example we have participated in the ECHOES at the Royal Albert Hall. KS2 pupils have access to private instrumental lessons during the school day with Bucks Music Trust https://www.bucksmusic.org/.
As part of our Summer Term CREATE Curriculum we celebrate and focus on music and the arts across the school. This culminates in school performances and concerts for parents. Key Stage 1 children stage a performance with singing, movement and percussion, and Key Stage 2 children participate in a concert where music plays a significant part. Preschool and Reception also hold Christmas and end of term events for parents to attend.
Musicians are invited into school to inspire pupils. When appropriate, visits to concerts and theatrical events are organised. The Music Coordinator is responsible for organising, monitoring and reviewing the provision of peripatetic teaching and musical clubs.
Impact
Children have regular opportunities to play instruments and share compositions with the group. Teachers verbally feedback to pupils on their level of engagement and lesson objectives. Children are assessed at the end of each half term as a conclusion for the module. This contributes towards their overall assessment grading for the academic year.
The Music coordinator works alongside the XYZ teachers in order to monitoring, evaluating and reviewing of planning, standards of attainment and class-teaching. Support, resources and INSET will be provided as appropriate. Assessment and evidence for recording and reporting purposes is gained from teacher observation and the outcomes of set tasks.
Annual reports to parents inform whether the child is at an expected level within the National Curriculum or working towards the level.
This policy is in accordance with the school’s Equalities and Cohesion Policy 2020. Each area of the curriculum is planned to incorporate the principles of equality and to promote positive attitudes towards equality and diversity.