Subject Leader: Mrs Hunt 

Governor Link: 

Music

Be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart.

                                                                                                                                                                                (Ephesians 5:18-19)

"A school without music is like a body without a soul."

                                                                                                                                                                                     (St. John Bosco)

At St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, we aim to engage, motivate, and inspire all our pupils to develop a love of music and their talent as a musician, and so increase their self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement. Music permeates all aspects of our school life as we grow together and make links for the children which are rich and purposeful. Music is a universal language that embodies one of the highest forms of creativity.

Intent

The National Curriculum states that all children should receive a high-quality music education should engage and inspire pupils to develop a love of music and their talent as musicians, and so increase their self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement. As pupils progress, they should develop a critical engagement with music, allowing them to compose, and to listen with discrimination to the best in the musical canon. Implementation The music curriculum ensures children sing, listen, play, perform and evaluate. This is embedded in Charanga Curriculum as well as the weekly singing assemblies, various concerts and performances, musical clubs and teaching from specialist music teachers.

The elements of music are taught in the classroom lessons so that children are able to use some of the language of music to dissect it, and understand how it is made, played, appreciated and analysed. In the classroom children learn key aspects of music through cross-curricular links. They also learn how to compose, focusing on different dimensions of music, which in turn feeds their understanding when listening, playing, or analysing music. Composing or performing using body percussion and vocal sounds is also part of the curriculum, which develops the understanding of musical elements without the added complexity of an instrument. We provide high quality, fun, inspiring and creative lessons, engaging our pupils with singing, composing and listening to music from different times and places.

Implementation

Music is taught using Charanga.  Through the Musical School programme the children develop their understanding, make musical judgements, apply their new learning, develop their aural memory, express themselves physically, emotionally and through discussion and create their own musical ideas. The wide range of core resources have been developed specifically to motivate and capture each individual’s personal interest.

The children not only learn about music; they become musicians who are able to share and perform using their new skills.

There are 3 main resource areas: Units of Work, themed Topic songs and activities and instrumental Courses. The Units of Work are the main focal point for the music curriculum whilst the Topics and Courses provide a wealth of extension, enhancement and cross-curricular possibilities and experiences. 

Children in Year 3 and 4 also get the opportunity to learn the Ukuleles with a teacher from the Kent Music School. 

Impact

Whilst in school, children have access to a varied programme, which allows them to discover areas of strength, as well as areas they might like to improve upon. The integral nature of music and the learner creates an enormously rich palette from which a child may 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. They can dissect music and comprehend its parts. They can sing and feel a pulse. They have an understanding of how to further develop skills less known to them, should they ever develop an interest in their lives. It will be evident over time that the progress, knowledge and skills of pupils will increase between EYFS and Year 6. Impact will be assessed through a multi-faceted approach including performances, informal observations in lessons, opportunities through practical music-making, listening to children talking and playing, and watching children respond. These should show development of musical skills, particularly singing, and improvement in social skills such as cooperation and team-work. Pupil voice is also important in the review of provision for music.

Substantive and disciplinary knowledge in music

Substantive knowledge in music is based on the developing knowledge of the nine interrelated dimensions of music. All musical learning is built around the interrelated dimensions of music.

Interrelated Dimensions of Music

1. Pulse

2. Rhythm

3. Pitch

4. Tempo

5. Dynamics

6. Timbre

7. Texture

8. Structure

9. Notation

Substantive knowledge focuses on developing children’s skills and knowledge required for them to develop as musicians. This is achieved through deliberate practice and allows children to develop and demonstrate fluency of knowledge. It involves learning about music across a range of historical periods, genres, styles and traditions, including the works of the great composers and musicians.

Disciplinary knowledge in music is the interpretation on the interrelated dimensions of music and how this knowledge is used when singing, playing instruments, improvising and composing, to develop creative and original pieces and performances. Children work independently and collaboratively to interpret and combine the dimensions of music to create a specific and desired effect.

Extra Curricula Activities:

Over the past few years we have invested in ensuring all children are exposed to a rich and varied range of art experiences as we feel that this is vital to the well-being of our pupils.  The arts provide our children with a variety of engaging and exciting opportunities that enable them to develop positively in their learning, both academically as well as socially, emotionally and culturally.  We aim to ensure all children are resilient, take risks, learn from mistakes and develop passions that they will take with them into adulthood. 

As well as our curriculum we also provide extra curricular activities to enhance the provision of the arts:

• Guitar club (Year 6 Only)
• Young voices (KS2 Only)
• Royal Shakespeare Company with Ks2
• Dress up theme days and weeks
• House events
• Class show cases
• Year 6 end of year production

The children have the amazing opportunity to perform live at the O2 with Young voices as well as being able to perform on stage at the Marlowe theatre with the RSC.

Musician of the month!

Follow the link below for further information regarding our enrichment activities!