“Every child is a musician.”

Anon

‘Music is a universal language that embodies one of the highest forms of creativity’ (The National Curriculum) 

Music Lead in school – Mrs H Storey

Curriculum Intent

At Toner Avenue Primary School, we make music an enjoyable learning experience. We encourage children to participate in a variety of musical experiences through which we aim to build up the confidence of all children.  We strive to build a musical curriculum which develops learning and results in the acquisition of knowledge and improved well-being. At Toner Avenue we believe that music plays an integral role in helping children feel part of the community and provide opportunities to create, play, perform and enjoy music both in class and to a wider audience. 

The aims of our Music curriculum at Toner Avenue are to develop pupils who: 

  • Enjoy and have an appreciation for music.
  • Listen to, review and evaluate the work of range of composers and musicians across a range of historical periods, genres, cultures, styles and traditions. 
  • Can sing and use their voices to create different effects individually and in a group
  • Create and compose music, both on their own and with others.
  • Use a range of musical language and include musical features in their work.
  • Have opportunities to learn a musical instrument and play a wide variety of instruments
  • Make judgements and express personal preferences about the quality and style of music. 
  • Take part in performances with an awareness of audience.

 

Curriculum Implementation

At Toner Avenue we meet the needs of the National Curriculum by using our Music Progression Document, BBC Ten Pieces, The Story Orchestra Series, their voices, tuned and untuned instruments and technology such as Garage Band. Children learn to record music using non -standard notation in KS1 and in KS2 standard notation.  Children in KS2 have the opportunity to learn to play a musical instrument as part of whole class tuition. 

Children in KS2 have the opportunity to develop their singing abilities and perform to a wider audience. There is a choir club available to all pupils in KS2 which focuses on singing in unison, developing harmony and having fun. Children have the opportunity to further develop their interest in singing, guitar and piano lessons given by an external provider of which there is a charge. 

Children take part in a range of performances across their learning journey at Toner Avenue. These include: Harvest, Christmas, singing assemblies, Leavers performance (Y6) Parents are invited and welcomed whether at school or outside. Our youngest children perform to local residents in the community. 

EYFS

3 and 4 year olds will:

  • Sing a large repertoire of songs
  • Listen with increased attention to sounds
  • Respond to what they have heard expressing their thoughts and feelings
  • Remember and sing entire songs
  • Sing the pitch of a tone from another person (pitch match)
  • Sing the melodic shape of familiar songs
  • Create their own songs or improvise around a known song
  • Play instruments with increasing control to express feelings and ideas.

Children in reception will:

  • Learn new vocabulary e.g. in music- percussion and some instrument names e.g. tambourine
  • Learn rhymes, poems and songs
  • Listen attentively move to and talk about music expressing their feelings and responses
  • Watch and talk about dance and performance art, expressing their feelings and responses
  • Sing on their own or in a group increasingly matching the pitch and melody
  • Explore and engage in music making and dance performing solo or in groups

National Curriculum KS1

Pupils should be taught to

  • Use their voices expressively and creatively by singing songs and speaking chant 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 interrelated dimensions of music.

National Curriculum KS2

Pupils should be taught to sing and play musically with increasing confidence and control. They should develop an understanding of musical composition, organising and manipulating ideas within musical structures and reproducing sounds from aural memory

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 interrelated dimensions of music.
  • Listen with attention to detail and recall sounds with increasing aural memory
  • Use and understand staff and other musical notations.
  • Appreciate and understand a wide range of high= quality live and recorded music drawn from different traditions and from great composers and musicians. 
  • Develop an understanding of the history of music. 

 

Curriculum Impact

 

The impact of teaching music will be seen across the school with an increase in the profile of music.  Whole-school and parental engagement are improved through performances, extra-curricular and opportunities in our on-line learning or suggested in lessons/overviews for wider learning. Participation in music develops well-being, promotes listening and develops concentration. We want to ensure that music is loved by teachers and pupils across school, encouraging them to want to continue building on this wealth of musical ability, now and in the future. 

With the provision of a broad and balanced curriculum our pupils can enjoy and achieve in music as a listener, composer and performer. Our music curriculum is planned to demonstrate progression and build on and embed current skills. We focus on progression of knowledge and skills in the interrelated dimensions of music. Music will also develop an understanding of culture and history across different genres of music

We measure the impact of our curriculum by:

  • The use of technology- videos/photograph of the practical learning
  • Assessing the skills, knowledge and understanding that the children have developed.
  • Listening and appraising activities allows for formative assessment in children’s responses. 
  • Pupil voice- 
  • Providing guidance for colleagues
  • Governor monitoring