Music

Music is a unique and powerful form of communication that can change the way people feel, think and act. It combines creativity with emotion, enabling personal expression, reflection and development.  

The National Curriculum for music aims to ensure that all children:  

•  perform, listen to, review and evaluate music  

•  are taught to sing, create and compose music  

•  understand and explore how music is created, produced, and communicated  

At St Michael’s CE Primary School, we aspire to provide our children with a rich and varied music curriculum, enabling them to gain a firm understanding of the subject. We provide the children with the skills and knowledge required of successful musicians. Children will leave St Michael’s CE Primary school with an appreciation for the joy of music, a love for singing and a range of musical experiences and skills.  

Implementation 

Music at St Michael’s is taught by class teachers and peripatetic teachers to ensure progression of skills throughout each year group. Children are provided with the opportunity to dissect and comprehend parts of music and gain a range of musical experiences through the exposure of different musical traditions and genres. In class children learn key aspects of music through written and verbal explanations, using musical terminology effectively, accurately and appropriately. 

‘Charanga’ is a widely used scheme across school which provides engaging lessons and songs that meet the National Curriculum requirements. Learning within this scheme is based on: Listening and Appraising; Musical Activities – creating and exploring; and Singing and Performing. 

During their early years the children will encounter a curriculum rich in opportunities to explore music, following the guidance in the Early Years Foundation Stage document. Children will be encouraged to listen to music and focus on how sounds can create feelings and ideas, as well as responding to musical stimuli though dance and movements. In addition, children will also create musical sounds of their own, though playing with musical instruments with increasing control and success.  

The emphasis on play and practical learning will feed into Key Stage 1, as children begin the Primary National Curriculum. Year 1 and 2 children focus on listening carefully, and responding physically to, a wide range of music. They play musical instruments and sing a variety of songs from memory, adding accompaniments and creating short compositions, with increasing confidence, imagination and control. They explore and enjoy how sounds and silence can create different moods and effects.  

Y2 children are introduced to playing the recorder and reading music. 

In Key Stage 2, children sing songs and play instruments with increasing confidence, skill and expression, as well as with an increasing awareness of their own contribution to a group or class performance. They improvise, and develop their own musical compositions, in response to a variety of different stimuli with increasing personal involvement, independence and creativity. They explore their own thoughts and emotions through responding sensitively and intellectually, to a variety of music from different times, cultures and contexts.  

Children in KS2 all have instrument tuition from peripatetic teachers. 

Impact 

The children are assessed by their teacher against clear learning objectives and success criteria. Children are also encouraged to self and peer assess, throughout each unit. The nature of the music curriculum at St Michael’s School enables children to access fundamental abilities such as: achievement, self-confidence, interaction with and awareness of others, and self-reflection. Music will also develop an understanding of culture and history, both in relation to children individually, as well as ethnicities from across the world. Children are able to enjoy music in as many ways as they choose – either as listener, creator or performer.  

The music curriculum provided by St Michael’s Primary School ensures that children build the confidence and skills to perform when opportunities arise, both in and outside of school. Opportunities for singing are always utilised across school, with regular singing in whole- school assemblies and in individual classrooms. St Michael’s also takes pride upon planning music-based performances, such as Nativities and class assemblies, which give the children a sense of pride and achievement, in which they can share with their peers.  

Singing

Singing is an important and integral aspect of collective worship at St Michael’s Primary. I-SING-POP is a Christian organisation who visit schools to deliver a singing programme, generally lasting a week, which culminates in a recording and Church concert to parents and families on the final day. The school aims to welcome the I-SING-POP team at least once a year. 

Reading across the curriculum  

In our music curriculum we can read about musical genres, music from around the globe, instruments and famous musicians and composers.