Music Curriculum

Intent

At Crook Primary children gain a firm 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. Our objective is to develop a curiosity for the subject, as well as an understanding and acceptance of the validity and importance of all types of music. We are committed to ensuring children understand the value and importance of music in the wider community, and are able to use their musical skills, knowledge, and experiences to involve themselves in music, in a variety of different contexts.

Implementation

We follow the Charanga Music School. The Charanga Musical School Scheme provides teachers with week-by-week lesson support for each year group in the school. It provides lesson plans, assessment, clear progression, and engaging and exciting whiteboard resources to support every lesson. 

Each unit of work comprises of strands of musical learning which correspond with the National Curriculum for music:

1. Listening and Appraising
2. Musical Activities
1. Warm-up Games
2. Optional Flexible Games
3. Singing
4. Playing instruments
5. Improvisation
6. Composition
3. Performing

Charanga Musical School Units of Work enable children to understand musical concepts through a repetition-based approach to learning. Learning about the same musical concept through different musical activities enables a more secure, deeper learning and mastery of musical skills. Musical teaching and learning is not neat or linear. The strands of musical learning, presented within the lesson plans and the on-screen resources, are part of the learning spiral. Over time, children can both develop new musical skills and concepts, and re-visit established musical skills and concepts. 

Music is taught across the school each term in a block with each lesson covering  -Listen and Appraise -Musical Activities include Games, Singing, Playing, Improvising and Composing and Perform/Share. 

All activities are based around a song with a number of different interactive activities used to engage children. 

1. Games embed the Interrelated Dimensions of Music through repetition
2. Singing is at the heart of all the musical learning
3. Playing instruments with the song to be learnt - tuned/un-tuned classroom percussion and an option to play any band instrument. 
4. Improvising with the song using voices and instruments occurs in some Units of Work
5. Composing with the song using instruments occurs in some Units of Work

Children will record their music work within a subject specific book. Each unit will start with a sticky knowledge mat which will highlight key terms and knowledge which children should remember. The learning of vocabulary should be supported through reading as a “Musician” within each unit of work. High quality, up-to-date texts should be used to inspire and provide information around each unit. 

In addition to the planned music curriculum, music is also used across the curriculum to inspire, motivate and focus children. Suggested musicians and periods/styles of music are mapped out across the school term by term to ensure children are exposed to and gain the opportunity to listen to a wide variety of musical styles. 

Impact

Whilst in school, children have access to a varied programme, which allows children 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 child 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 children 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 skills less known to them, should they ever develop an interest in their lives.

The impact of our music curriculum is measured through the following methods:

• Ongoing formative assessment in which children are guided to meaningfully reflect about their own development of particular musical concepts.
• Summative assessment of childrens developing knowledge and understanding of key musical concepts focusing on their developing skills in:
• Listening to and appraising music using increasing challenging musical vocabulary 
• Holding a note and singing in tune 
• Understanding, following and maintaining a pulse 
• Improvisation with  a range of instruments 
• Composition 
• Discussions with children about their learning and enjoyment of their lessons (pupil voice).
• Moderation staff meetings where children’s books are scrutinised in order to encourage meaningful and reflective dialogue between teaching staff, ensuring progression of skills, themes and knowledge
• Assessment of childrens’ progression of skills throughout a unit of work which teaching staff use to inform further planning and delivery of music

At the end of each year, children’s musical skill, knowledge and understanding will be summatively assessed against a set of progressive National Curriculum objectives. Children will be assessed as either working at age related expectations or working below. 

Additional Information