Curriculum Subject Overview
Subject: Music
Intent:
Music is a universal language that embodies one of the highest forms of creativity. As pupils progress, they should develop a critical engagement with music, allowing them to compose, and to listen with discrimination to the best in their musical canon.
Music teaching at Bramley Park Academy aims to follow the specifications of the National Curriculum; providing a broad, balanced and differentiated curriculum and ensuring the progressive development of musical concepts, knowledge and skills. At Bramley Park Academy we believe that music plays an integral role in helping children to feel part of a community, therefore we provide opportunities for all children to create, play, perform and enjoy music both in class and to an audience. Through assemblies and key stage performances, children showcase their talent and their understanding of performing with awareness of others.
Our lessons enable children to develop their skills, appreciate a wide variety of music and begin to appraise a range of musical genres.
The aims of our Music curriculum are to develop pupils who: Enjoy and have an appreciation for music.
- Listen to, review and evaluate music across a range of historical periods, genres, cultures, styles and traditions.
- Can sing and use their voices to create different effects.
- Create and compose music, both on their own and with others.
- Use a range of musical language.
- Make judgements and express personal preferences about the quality and style of music.
Implementation:
Teaching and Learning
Music teaching at Bramley Park Academy delivers the requirements of the National Curriculum through use of the Charanga scheme of work. Teachers use the ‘freestyle’ element of the package to adapt units deemed to be more appropriate for thematic learning in other curriculum areas.
Music lessons are broken down into half-termly units and an emphasis is placed on musical vocabulary, allowing children to talk about pieces of music using the correct terminology. Each unit of work has an on-going musical learning focus and lessons usually follow a specific learning sequence:
- Listen and Appraise
- Musical Activities (including pulse and rhythm)
- Singing and Voice
- Playing instruments
- Improvisation / Composition
- Perform and Share
Our progression model also follows the same learning sequence to ensure all interrelated elements of music are covered and implemented.
Within the EYFS setting, music is an integral part of children’s learning journey. Rhyme and rhythm are utilised throughout the learning of phonics, handwriting and mathematics. Children learn a wide range of songs and rhymes and develop skills for performing together. Singing and music making opportunities are used frequently to embed learning, develop musical awareness and to demonstrate how music can be used to express feelings.
Children in Year 3 benefit from whole class specialist teaching. These lessons allow children the opportunity to learn to play an instrument as part of an ensemble and to engender a love of music learning. Throughout the sessions the interrelated elements of music are developed. Performance is at the heart of musical teaching and learning at Bramley Park Academy and pupils participate in a range of performances during their school ‘career’. These include nativities (Foundation Stage and KS1), Harvest Festival in Year 3 -4 and a Leavers performance (Year 6). Pupils also take part in singing assemblies. Pupils who are confident are encouraged to perform in solo performances. Parents are invited and welcomed to watch all of these performances.
At Bramley Park Academy we also recognise that staff have musical abilities that can be utilised to supplement our musical curriculum. Pupils in KS2 have had the opportunity to learn about Music from our modern social history in an after-school club led by a member of staff. A Choir after school club give children the chance to sing until their heart’s are content.
Leadership, Assessment and Feedback
Assessment informs the teaching and learning sequence, and children work on the objectives they are assessed as being at, with fluid boosting available within a ‘keep up not catch up’ culture.
Feedback is given on children’s learning in line with our feedback and marking policy. Formative assessment within every lesson helps teachers to identify the children who need more support to achieve the intended outcome and who are ready for greater stretch and challenge through planned questioning or additional activities.
Assessment should be based on progress towards the end of key stage statements. There is a progression ladder to follow in terms of spirituality, the skill set covered as well as the coverage of religious knowledge.
Pupils do not need to be assessed formally after every unit of work. But, as a minimum, we will::
- report to parents at the end of each key stage, indicating progress towards the relevant end of key stage statement;
- report to any school to which a pupil is transferring, including the routine transfer to a secondary school or college.
- The Music subject leader will conduct QA cycles in accordance to the school rota and will feedback on teaching and learning, children’s work and pupil voice to the SLT team.
Impact (Data/QA:
Our music Curriculum is planned to demonstrate progression and build on and embed current skills. We focus on progression of knowledge and skills in the different musical components and teaching of vocabulary also forms part of the units of work. If children are achieving the knowledge and skills in lessons, then they are deemed to be making good or better progress. We measure the impact of our curriculum through the following methods:
- Pupil discussions and interviewing the pupils about their learning (pupil voice).
- Governor monitoring with our subject music link governor.
- Annual reporting and tracking of standards across the curriculum.
- Photo and video evidence of the pupils practical learning.
- Use of the assessment tools provided within the Charanga scheme.
- Dedicated music leader time.
- The impact of our music curriculum is also measured in the uptake of our music after school clubs.