Music

Our Music subject leader is Mrs Bateman

Intent

Music is an integral and well-resourced part of life at Towngate.

Music is planned in-line with the statements laid out in the National Curriculum. Music is planned with cross-curricular links where possible with Charanga being used to supplement and provide extra support and resources to enhance music teaching. Charanga provides 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 is a scheme of work which offers a topic-based approach to support children’s learning in music. A progression grid has been developed using the key objectives from the National Curriculum and Charanga, which is used by teachers to develop sequential long and medium term plans.

Through our music lessons children are actively involved in a wide range of musical opportunities. Children develop 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.

Implementation

During music lessons children will be given opportunities to learn music specific vocabulary in a meaningful context. During the lesson children will be given opportunities to apply skill and given chance for collaboration through composition.

Teachers plan for music lessons to be fun and inspiring, engaging the children with songs, lyrics and movement. We strive to ensure our children to feel able and reflective and expressive, developing their own appreciation of music with the opportunities we provide as a school through opportunities to listen and appraise varied compositions. 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.

Music within school offers whole class drumming lessons (as a part of our Wider Opportunities sessions), School Choir, Young Voices, Ukulele Cub, school band, rocksteady group provision, and close links with the local community. Our weekly singing assemblies allow all children to participate and enjoy music. We offer an opportunity for live performances and singing.

As music is a practical subject, assessment may be done by focussing on a small group at a time on certain tasks or skills, observing the children, discussing their work or self/group/teacher evaluation against criteria from the National Curriculum programmes of study and end of year expectations. The progression grid provided by the subject leader ensures  children are accessing work at age related expectations, with regular opportunities to be challenged through higher-level objectives. Children are assessed according to age related expectations in line with curriculum requirements. This is done in line with the school assessment calendar. This information is recorded and monitored by the co-ordinator.

Impact

The impact of our music curriculum is measured in a variety of ways: through pupil voice, we know that pupils show a developed understanding of the methods and skills of musicians at an age appropriate level from Early Years to Year 6. Pupils can articulate the key vocabulary, composers, time periods and offer thoughtful reflections and appraisals of music.

Through lesson monitoring and pupils’ work, the impact of the curriculum can be seen in pupils’ skills to listen, appraise, compose and perform their own pieces and those of others. Children work towards a ‘final piece’ which showcases the skills and knowledge pupils have acquired. As a result, pupils achieve well in music.