Music

INTENT

A key intent of our Music curriculum is to ensure that everybody gets the opportunity to learn to play a musical instrument. Music-making plays an important role in our pupils’ educational development and in the life of the school. 

IMPLEMENTATION

Diversity is celebrated in the music curriculum in a variety of ways; in Foundation Stage, children learn about animals from around the world so then pair that experience to listening to high quality pieces of music from different areas of the world. Year 2 children learn the African rhythms and play djembe drums together. In Key Stage 2 children study a range of musical styles and traditions for example, Jamaican and Rastafarian.

Music learning at Brookmead increases listening and concentration skills and enhances pupils’ ability to discriminate between sounds; this also improves phonetic awareness and helps to develop skills in language and literacy. Musical experience is also recognised as having a positive impact on spatial reasoning, which is linked to mathematical thinking, and on physical coordination. We have ensured skilled learning and teaching of Music through a partnership with XYZ music who have created a bespoke curriculum which covers the suggested Music Curriculum (2021), including the history of music. Through this partnership we have ensured high quality training of all staff which results in high quality learning of Music. Our music provision at Brookmead goes beyond curriculum time and extends to a choir and orchestra. All children learn to play a musical instrument at Brookmead: Untuned percussion, xylophones, keyboards, ukuleles and recorders. Our children also enjoy peripatetic lessons at Brookmead School. We have regular performances through the teaching of our curriculum.

Music is brought to life through wonderful opportunities to perform. For example, Year 5 children take part in Young Voices in London with many other schools and Year 6 watch a live performance of The Lion King.

IMPACT

Through our teaching and learning in Music we challenge, we inspire and we ensure children achieve: 

• 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.