Music

Intent

In music, it is our intent that, through a progressive curriculum that develops practical skills as well as musical knowledge, children develop a passion for the subject across all years. Children will gain a concrete understanding of what music is through listening, singing, playing, evaluating, analysing, and composing across a wide variety of historical periods, styles, traditions, and musical genres. Following the scheme of lessons provided by Charanga, we prioritise the development of high-level practical instrumental skills beginning with untuned percussion, glockenspiels, boomwhackers and recorders and progressing onto the ukulele, and our whole class string tuition in Year 4 and beyond. The music curriculum also includes a brass and drumming tuition program, and this diversity of instrumental tuition ensures children have the opportunity to develop real life music skills to a high level as they go through KS2. Our curriculum also develops musical knowledge and vocabulary, and the children are given opportunities to listen to music from around the world and from different periods of history. As they progress through the school children gain an understanding of how music has evolved from traditional cultures and over time, with roots in European classical music, American jazz and ancient musical cultures from around the world. Children will also develop their understanding of and explore how music is created, produced and communicated, including through the interrelated dimensions of pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, texture, structure and appropriate musical notations. The children use their instrumental skills and knowledge of world music to create original, creative, fluent and distinctive composing and performance work, working both independently and collaboratively. The children have the opportunity in KS2 to join the school choir and band, where their skills are fostered and developed to a higher level and they are given frequent opportunities to perform their music publicly throughout the school year.

Implementation

Children are supported to develop their own musical talents, interest, and knowledge throughout their time in primary school. What the curriculum looks like:

Music Curriculum:	The main curriculum is delivered following the primary music scheme Charanga. Lessons are adapted and supplemented with additional material by our Music Lead.
Whole School Music:	We have weekly KS1 and KS2 singing assemblies. In Year 4 all children receive one year of classroom string tuition, where they choose to learn either the violin or viola.
Music Lessons in the Classroom	All year groups follow the music scheme of Charanga. This includes a mix of listening, singing, and instrumental playing as well as studying the inter-related dimensions of music in relation to each topic. Charanga is taught in alternate half-terms. Styles covered include jazz, classical, dance, hip-hop, rap, pop, rock and many more giving the children a rounded and worldly musical knowledge. Sticky Knowledge has been created for each unit of work to support children in being clear about the knowledge we want them to know and remember by the end of the unit of work.
Extra-Curricular Lessons:	All Year 5 and Year 6 children have the option of continuing with their string lessons with staff from the Nottingham Music Service. All Year 5 and Year 6 children have the opportunity of starting brass lessons with our Music Lead. All KS1 and KS2 children have the option to sign up for additional drumming lessons which are provided by DCP Drums.
Music Clubs and Concerts:	All KS2 children can join the school choir which is run weekly all year. All Year 5 and Year 6 children can join the school band which is run weekly all year. Both the choir and band attend concerts throughout the year, at Christmas, in the Spring and Summer, and include trips to places like Cambridge University as well as local community events. School music events are also held throughout the year including the Christmas Fayre, Battle of the Bands and Summer Fayre.

Music for children with SEND:

Music at our school is fully inclusive, and all children are encouraged and supported in learning music, including children with SEND. This is done primarily on an individual basis, depending on the needs of each child, but also with additional musical resources allocated to our SEND provision and also to our school counselling team. Many of our children with SEND needs respond positively to music and get a huge amount of enjoyment from their musical experiences in school. Historically, we have had a working relationship with The OHMI Trust, which provides adapted instruments for children with physical impairments. As a school, we also have created our own range of adapted and specialised instruments for children with different learning needs, so they can all join in with and engage with the music lessons. Furthermore, SEND children are often specifically encouraged to join in with music concerts and events as we understand how important these experiences can be for these children and this inclusion is an important part of the overarching ethos of music at our school. Additionally, children in our Enhanced Provision take part in weekly drumming sessions with DCP drums, a clear highlight of their week.

Impact

Children will leave primary with an understanding of how music is integrated into world history. They will understand how music today has grown from different traditional and cultural backgrounds, and how music allows people to relax, communicate and express themselves all around the world. Children understand the interrelated dimensions of music and how these are used to create and compose music. Children will have had the opportunity to develop their own singing and instrumental skills to a high level with multiple instruments and will have had many opportunities to perform publicly, sharing their music and developing their confidence as young musicians. Children will also learn the importance of perseverance and dedication through music and will develop greater powers of concentration and resilience through their musical development, skills that will help them with their wider learning. Music teaches children that hard work does not always lead to immediate gains, but that long-term gains can be even more substantial and, as a result, even more satisfying. Music will also play an important part in the school community, bringing children and families together and helping the school foster stronger community ties.

Highlights of the school musical year:

We value the long-term gains that music can provide children, and, as such, feel it is important that children have the opportunity to steadily progress with their music throughout the year. This is why both the school band and the choir run all year round, and we have a calendar of inspiring musical events that take place every year, and which the children can always look forward to performing in and which help the children continually improve their music.

Annual highlights include:

Year 5 Music Camp with the Nottingham Music Service.
Brass performance during Remembrance Day ceremony.
Christmas Carol Singing for the school choir – including at St. Christopher’s Church, Sneinton Dale Library, the school Christmas Fayre and Nottingham University.
Christmas concerts at the Albert Hall and St. Mary’s Church with the Nottingham Music Service.
Light Night choir singing at the William Booth Birthplace Museum.
Spring band concert with the Nottingham Music Service at the Albert Hall.
Spring strings concert with the Nottingham Music Service at the Albert Hall for the Year 4 strings.
School Battle of the Bands concert, live concert for all ages in the PAC.
Annual music trip for the choir and band to Oxford/Cambridge.
Summer concert with the Nottingham Music Service at Nottingham University.
Interactive concert for all children with the Belvoir Big Band.
String, Brass and Drumming group end of year showcase assemblies.
Grade 1 string exams with the Nottingham Music Service.
Musical performances at the school Summer Fayre.