Music
If music be the food of love. Play on.
William Shakespeare
Our Music Curriculum
Intent
At Our Lady and St Edward’s, our intent to make music an enjoyable learning experience. It is an integral and well-resourced part of life at OLSE. We encourage children to participate in a variety of musical experiences through which we aim to build up the confidence of all children. We want the music lessons to be fun and inspiring, engaging the children with songs, lyrics and movement. We want the children to feel able and reflective and expressive, developing their own appreciation of music with the opportunities we provide as a school. Music is planned in-line with the statements laid out in the national curriculum. Music is planned with cross-curricular links where possible with the Charanga scheme of work being the main focus in EYFS, KS1 and Y6. Y3, 4 and 5 children have a term each year of a specialist teacher supplemented by units of Charanga. Our aim through our music lessons is for children to be actively involved in a variety of musical opportunities through a range of whole class, group and individual activities where children have opportunities to explore sounds, listen actively, compose and perform.
Implementation
A specialist teacher teaches music alongside the class teacher for one term in Y3, 4 and 5 using a cross curricular approach. The specialist teacher also supports the annual performances that each year group takes part in (Christmas, Easter and Summer). We have ensured we have whole class sets of glockenspiels and tin whistles so the every child has the opportunity to learn a tuned instrument. Peripatetic music teachers give the opportunity for children to take up drums, guitar, woodwind and brass instruments giving performances to the whole school. The older children also sing in the wider community such as the local hospital.
Charanga is a scheme of work which offers a topic-based approach to support children’s learning in music. A steady progression plan has been built into Charanga, both within each year and from one year to the next, ensuring consistent musical development. By using Charanga as the basis of a scheme of work, we can ensure that they are fulfilling the aims for musical learning stated in the National Curriculum: Charanga includes many examples of music styles and genres from different times and places. These are explored through the language of music via active listening, performing and composing activities, which enable understanding of the context and genre. Charanga provides a classroom-based, participatory and inclusive approach to music learning. Throughout the scheme, children are actively involved in using and developing their singing voices, using body percussion and whole body actions, and learning to handle and play classroom instruments effectively to create and express their own and others’ music. Through a range of whole class, group and individual activities, children have opportunities to explore sounds, listen actively, compose and perform.
Impact
As music is a practical subject, assessment may be done by focussing on a small group at a time on certain tasks or skills, observing the children, discussing their work or self/group/teacher evaluation against criteria from the National Curriculum programmes of study and end of year expectations. The progression grid provided by the subject leader ensures children are accessing work at age related expectations. Children are assessed according to age related expectations in line with curriculum requirements. This is done in line with the school assessment calendar. This information is recorded and monitored by the co-ordinator.
Useful Documents
Click here for information about singing.
