Music

Intent

At St. Michael’s Primary school, our intention is to develop a love of music in all children by ensuring that all pupils have an opportunity to perform, listen to and evaluate music across a range of genres, styles and traditions. We aim to provide opportunities for all children to learn how to sing and to use their voices, to create and compose music on their own and with others, to learn a musical instrument and use technology appropriately. Our curriculum will ensure that all children will endeavour to understand and explore how much music is created, produced and communicated, including through the inter-related dimensions: pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture, structure and appropriate musical notations. As children’s confidence builds, they enjoy the performance aspect of music. Children experience listening to music from different cultures and eras.

By the end of Year 6 children will:

• 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 inter-related 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.

Early Years

Communication and Language 

• listening to and learning rhymes, poems and songs

Physical Development 

• Combining different movements with ease and fluency

Art & Design 

• exploring, creating and engaging in music making through performance in singing and dance.

Implementation

Music is taught as a discrete subject but also across the curriculum. We endeavor to deliver our music lessons in six units over a half-term period from years 1-6. In Foundation Stage, music is taught as a part of Communication and Language, Physical Education and Art & Design. Links can be made through other areas of the curriculum including Art and PE. Areas of learning, such as times tables in maths, vocabulary in languages and movement in dance can all incorporate different elements of music. A weekly singing assembly allows the children opportunities to develop their singing skills and gain an understanding of how genres of music work. Performances, such as Christmas plays and nativities and end of year shows, demonstrate that music is important to the life of the school. Extracurricular activities, such as choir and external music lessons, also provide children with experience of making music. We implement a curriculum that is progressive from Foundation Stage to Year 6. We utilize resources from Charanga to support delivery of the curriculum in music.

Impact

The impact of teaching music will be seen across the school with children’s engagement in extra -curricular activities such as Young Voices and our after-school choir. Whole-school and parental engagement will be improved through performance and extracurricular activities. Children celebrate and rejoice being part of a church school during weekly school singing worships. Participation in music develops wellbeing, promotes listening and develops concentration. We want to ensure that music is loved by teachers and pupils across school, encouraging them to want to express their love of music.