Why do we teach Music?

The intent of our music curriculum is to make music an enjoyable learning experience through which children can develop their musical tastes, vocabulary, understanding and practical skills.

We encourage children to participate in and engage with a wide variety of musical experiences through which we aim to build the confidence of all children and develop a love of music and singing. We aim to achieve this by delivering high-quality teaching and learning opportunities that enables all children to achieve their potential, through developing knowledge, skills and competences in line with our Equality curriculum reflecting the diverse backgrounds of our children.

How do we teach Music?

We make music an enjoyable learning experience with singing at the heart of everything we do. We also teach children to play pitched and unpitched instruments confidently. Our teaching focuses on developing the children’s ability to sing/play in tune and with other people. Through singing songs, children learn about the structure and organisation of music. We also teach them to listen to and appreciate different forms of music.

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.

All children are actively encouraged and given the opportunity to learn to play a musical instrument, from standard classroom instruments to individual instrumental lessons with the visiting peripatetic staff (drumming, guitar, violin and piano). Musical opportunities in school include weekly class music lessons, KS singing assemblies, two school choirs (KS1 and KS2), Young Voices, and visiting musicians. Children also have the opportunity to perform in concerts, shows and class assemblies.

What are the outcomes for our children?

Whilst in school, children have access to a varied programme, which allows students 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 student 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 students 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 their skills should they wish to.