NATIONAL CURRICULUM AIMS

The national curriculum for music aims to ensure that all pupils:

• perform, listen to, review and evaluate music across a range of historical periods, genres, styles and traditions, including the works of the great composers and musicians
• learn to sing and to use their voices, to create and compose music on their own and with others, have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument, use technology appropriately and have the opportunity to progress to the next level of musical excellence
• understand and explore how music is created, produced and communicated, including through the inter-related dimensions: pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture, structure and appropriate musical notations.

OUR AIMS

In music, we aim to inspire children to develop a love of music and their talent as musicians, and so increase self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement. Children at Wateringbury will be provided with a diverse range of opportunities to enable personal expression, reflection and emotional development. They will develop their critical skills, auditory learning and increase working memory, allowing them to compose and listen to music with increasing awareness to make musical judgements. Pupils will be encouraged to be actively involved in different forms of music making: as an individual, small group or large ensemble. This will increase self-discipline, creative thinking, aesthetic sensitivity and fulfilment.

TEACHING METHODS

Our curriculum is informed by the National Curriculum and enhanced by subject expertise, as well as local opportunities and current events.

Musical activities occur in many different sessions throughout the school as part of our cross-curricular approach. Whilst music is taught either through links with other subjects or discrete music lessons, there are certain times of the year when musical activities are more prominent. At Christmas time, all children are involved in Christmas plays or carol concerts, Years 3 & 4 prepare an Easter show and in Term 6 there is a Year 6 production. We hold a summer whole school music event showcasing the skilled players in our school.

There are several opportunities for children to learn instruments taught both by class teachers and music specialists: ocarinas in Year 2 in preparation for recorders in KS2 and ukuleles in Year 3. There are also numerous individual and small group lesson opportunities for strings, brass, woodwind, percussion and guitar.

Engagement is captured through links to topic, use of technology and with child-led activities. There are also many clubs or groups for children to join and have the chance to perform in assemblies and concerts at school as well as events and festivals in the community and wider world. In Year 5 & 6 our children learn songs to prepare for the Young Voices event at the O2 Arena.

HOW CHILDREN WILL LEARN IN MUSIC

Music threshold concepts:

• Perform

  This concept involves understanding that music is created to be performed.

• Compose

  This concept involves appreciating that music is created through a process which has a number of techniques.

• Transcribe

  This concept involves understanding that compositions need to be understood by others and that there are techniques and a language for communicating them.

• Describe music

  This concept involves appreciating the features and effectiveness of musical elements.

Essential characteristics of Wateringbury musicians:

• 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.