Music
Where words fail, music speaks.
Hans Christian Anderson
Research shows that at-least some musical education has a positive impact on social and cognitive development of children. And these effects are long lasting – better hearing, better motor skills, improved memory, better verbal and literacy skills.
Intent
At Stanley Primary School, our music education strives to give children a wealth of opportunities to develop their musicality and the skills to enjoy and engage with music throughout their lives.
Our aim is that all children are confident, happy performers who have the chance to play several different instruments, including recorder, trumpet, ukulele and pitched and unpitched percussion instruments; and to sing increasingly complex songs.
Children compose pieces of music using a wide range of instruments, including music technology, and begin to understand the relationship between sound and symbol and to develop a working knowledge of systems of notation for use in composing and performing. Through listening to and analysing pieces of quality music, we aim for them to identify how to create a specific mood or setting for their composition by identifying choices that composers make. We develop their social skills, through cooperating with others in compositions; expressing opinions that differ from their classmates about pieces of music and taking part in performances in a variety of venues.
Following the introduction of the National Curriculum in 2014 the emphasis has been to ensure that there are opportunities within our Music Curriculum for all children in:
EYFS:
Sing a range of well known nursery rhymes and songs.
Perform songs, poems and rhymes with others.
Move to music and try and move in time.
Share their creations
play instruments loudly/quietly; fast/slow
Able to use and remember sequences and patterns of movements related to music and rhythm.
Key stage 1:
- use their voices expressively and creatively by singing songs and speaking chants 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 inter-related dimensions of music.
Key stage 2:
- 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.
The children are given regular opportunities to explore, use and combine sounds through a range of different tasks. Throughout these activities, they explore sounds whilst applying their musical knowledge at increasing levels of depth. In doing so they are encouraged to develop an understanding of the interrelated dimensions of music and key musical vocabulary.
Implementation
At Stanley Primary School, music is taught in a way that:
Allows children to explore sounds.
Gives opportunities to use voices and play instruments musically and with purpose.
Experience a range of musical styles.
Develop an understanding of the musical dimension through a progressive methodology and spiral learning curriculum.
Enjoy creative experiences and work in solo, group and larger scale performances.
Our music curriculum ensures children have the opportunity to sing, play a range of instruments, listen to pieces of music from different times and places and develop an understanding of how the interrelated dynamics can impact this.
Music is taught by a music specialist who delivers high quality lessons across Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, allowing for progression across the whole school at a rate which suits each class. The music curriculum covers all the elements of the National Curriculum and many elements of the Model Music Curriculum. The music curriculum is regularly reviewed and action plans are written annually. She continually responds to school topics, initiatives and school celebrations to see how music can be a part of this
Units of work in Key Stage 1 cover elements of singing, performing, listening and inter related dimensions of music over the course of six weeks whilst Key Stage 2 units tend to focus on a specific skill such as singing or playing an instrument.
Whole school singing and listening assemblies provide opportunities for children to sing and listen to a wide range of music from different periods of history, traditions and cultures.
Alongside our curriculum provision for music, pupils also have the opportunity to participate in additional small group music teaching where they can learn a musical instrument with peripatetic teachers. Our peripatetic music teaching is organised by Blackpool Music Hub and lessons are offered in brass, woodwind, keyboard, guitar and ukulele.
Impact:
Children enjoy music as performers, composers and listeners. They feel confident in exploring ideas when composing. They are creative in expressing ideas about music they listen to- both in live performances and those played to them. They value the ideas and creative responses of others.
They are confident singers and keen to volunteer to perform to others both in year group productions and in solos and small group performances. They enjoy learning instruments and have explored ukuleles, brass, percussion and woodwind instruments.
Children and staff find music uplifting and enjoyable, and music is at the heart of any school celebration. They appreciate the benefits for their mental health.
Click here for information about Blackpool Music Service