Music

Rationale- What has informed our curriculum design in music?

We believe that the teaching of music offers our learners the opportunity to develop their

creativity, self-expression and confidence. Alongside this, children are able to develop their understanding of a wide range of musical genres and instruments which helps them to broaden their cultural horizons. Music encourages children to understand the importance of practising and perfecting skills as well as engaging in cognitive tasks such as rehearsing, planning and evaluating which have implications for effective learning across the curriculum. We believe in encouraging children on their musical journeys as well as giving them opportunities to connect with others. We hope to foster a lifelong love of music by providing a diverse menu of musical styles which represent different periods of history and cultures.

Intent- what are our aims?

At Pomphlett Primary school, we recognise the important role of music in children’s development. Our high quality music education meets the National Curriculum aim of ‘engaging and inspiring pupils to develop a love of music and their talent as musicians,’ in order to ‘increase self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement.'

All Pomphlett, children from Foundation Stage through to Year 6, are encouraged to express themselves musically and creatively. They are taught to:

• Sing, play and perform in solo and ensemble contexts.
• Listen to, review and evaluate music across a range of historical periods, genres and styles.
• Understand how music is produced created and communicated.
• Improvise and compose music.
• Use and understand musical notation.
• Appreciate a range of high-quality music from great composers and musicians.

Implementation - How do we teach music?

Children at Pomphlett experience music in a range of contexts:

• Each class receive a weekly music lesson. Music teaching is carefully sequenced to that children develop their skills and appreciation for music as they progress through the school.
• Music is also taught within our cross curricular topics in all year groups, supporting children in developing an understanding of music within its cultural and historical context. 
• Music also has a significant role in our cultural celebrations throughout the year, with children learning and performing songs for events such as harvest festival, Diwali and remembrance day.
• Our listening calendar develops children’s cultural capital, exposing children to a wide range of different music genres as well as influential artists or pieces of music.
• All children learn and perform songs for Christmas performances to parents and the wider community.
• Children have access to digital music making technology such as ‘Garage Band.’
• Children can also choose to take part in the Rock Steady Music School, in which they learn to play an instrument within a band, with termly performances to show off what they can achieve.

Our curriculum is progressive. We build upon the learning and skill development of the previous years, beginning each unit and lesson with teacher assessments of what children already know in order to inform the learning that follows. Teachers use precise questioning, alongside observation to  class to evaluate conceptual knowledge and skills. 

Impact: How will we know this?

As a result of the musical curriculum that we offer, we hope that our Pomphlett musicians will be able to show:

• A rapidly widening repertoire which they use to create original, imaginative, fluent and distinctive composing and performance work.

• A musical understanding underpinned by high levels of aural perception, internalisation and knowledge of music, including high or rapidly developing levels of technical expertise.

• Very good awareness and appreciation of different musical traditions and genres.

• An excellent understanding of how musical provenance - the historical, social and cultural origins of music - contributes to the diversity of musical styles.

• The ability to give precise written and verbal explanations, using musical terminology effectively, accurately and appropriately.

• A passion for and commitment to a diverse range of musical activities.

They will leave our school with a love of and appreciation this extremely creative subject and through its study will have increased their ‘self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement’

 (National Curriculum 2014)