Scissett CE Academy

Music

Intent

Music is a practical, creative subject, which can be of benefit to all children in developing imagination, the ability to listen attentively and the ability to express personal thoughts and feelings. It is a valuable vehicle for encouraging spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and promoting diversity.

As part of a broad and balanced curriculum, Scissett CE Academy aims to develop pupils’ understanding and enjoyment of music, through activities that bring together the skills of music appreciation, composing and performing. In line with our School Vision, we provide opportunities for all children to achieve success, to respond to music in a variety of ways, and to develop confidence and enthusiasm in listening to, creating and performing music. We aim to broaden children’s experience of the wealth of different music from around the world and through history, and to develop their ability to listen with discrimination and respect, and discuss their ideas knowledgeably and with awareness of emotional impact.

Implementation

At Scissett CE Academy, our children’s musical journeys begin in EYFS, through singing songs, playing musical games, making sounds and purposeful silences using instruments, keeping a beat, and responding to music through hand or body movements, voices and mood.

These foundations are built upon in Key Stages 1 and 2, where we have devised a scheme of work combining songs from Jolly Music, units from the commercial ‘Charanga’ scheme and bespoke, thematic units that make cross-curricular links with other subjects studied by each year group, such as Space, South America, Glorious Gardens, Castles (Medieval Music) and Animal Magic. Within these units, all children experience activities that fulfil the following strands:

• Listening with concentration and understanding (music appreciation)
• Experimenting with, creating, selecting and combining sounds to achieve a desired effect (composing)
• Playing tuned and untuned instruments (performing)
• Using the voice expressively and creatively (performing)

Within these strands, the musical elements of pitch, duration, timbre, texture, dynamics and structure are progressively introduced, enabling children to discuss music with understanding and relevant vocabulary. In Key Stage 2, musical literacy is gradually developed, allowing children to read and write standard staff notation in both rhythm (Years 3 and 4) and pitch (Year 5). Music lessons are weekly, allowing a build up of skills and knowledge through the year, rather than in short blocks, where learning may be forgotten.

We present positive images of music and musicians, and the curriculum reflects a wide range of cultures and traditions. Our children will experience music from different periods of the “classical” music tradition, world music from Africa, China, India, the Caribbean and South America, and a variety of modern genres including pop, jazz, rock and film music, providing a rich variety of experiences and content.

 Singing forms an important part of school life, in Collective Worship, Key Stages, and in individual classes, and is ongoing throughout the school year. Each class is also given instrumental tuition throughout the year: glockenspiel in Key Stage 1 and Recorder in Key Stage 2, allowing a good degree of expertise to be reached in these particular instruments, and providing a good platform for children to further their learning in other instruments through individual, peripatetic lessons should they wish to.

Music Overview:

Impact

We believe that, through regular Music teaching, children will be able to sing and perform using instruments with increasing confidence, control, intention and awareness of the overall effect of the music. They will build up knowledge of key composers, performers, instruments and pieces from a wide variety of genres, times and places. They will be able to discuss and evaluate music using appropriate musical vocabulary, expressing their own personal preferences, while showing respect for diversity and the preferences of others, and use music as a means of communication and self-expression.

It is our intention that children will have had a wide and rich variety of musical experiences by the time they leave Scissett CE Academy, including hearing quality live performances. We hope that, by providing children with these experiences, it will enhance their musicianship and promote a love of creating, sharing and appreciating music in the wider world.