Music Curriculum Statement

Intent

At Bearsted Primary Academy, our curriculum intends to inspire creativity, self-expression and musicality. We want to foster a lifelong love of music by exposing them to diverse musical experiences and igniting their passions. By listening and responding to different musical styles and finding their voices as singers, performers and composers, we will enable them to become confident, reflective musicians.

We intend that all pupils develop the knowledge and skills in order to be able to: perform, listen to, review and evaluate music; sing, create and compose music; and understand and explore how music is created, produced and communicated. Our children will gain a firm understanding of what music is through listening, singing, playing, evaluating, analysing, and composing across a wide variety of historical periods, styles, cultures, traditions and musical genres.Our children will 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 deliver the National Curriuclum for Music through the framework of the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme. To develop teacher expertise and avoid misconceptions we use the Active Music scheme of work to support planning and implementation.

The music curriculum ensures students sing, listen, play, perform and evaluate. This is embedded in classroom activities as well as weekly singing assemblies, various concerts and performances and the learning of instruments. The elements of music are taught in classroom lessons so that children are able to use the language of music to discuss it, and understand how it is made, played, appreciated and analysed. In the classroom students learn how to play various un-tuned and tuned instruments. In doing so they understand the different principle of each method of creating notes, as well as how to read basic music notation. The children will learn how to compose focussing on different dimensions of music, which in turn feeds their understanding when listening, playing, or analysing music. Composing or performing using body percussion and vocal sounds is also part of the curriculum, which develops the understanding of musical elements without the added complexity of an instrument.

Impact

Whilst in school, children have opportunities to shape their own musical journey, which allows them 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 students 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 discuss music and comprehend its parts. They can sing, feel a pulse, add rhythms and create melodies in a group and they can further develop these skills in the future and continue to enjoy and embrace music in their lives.

Knowledge Pathways for Music:
https://sites.google.com/latrust.org.uk/knowledge-pathways/foundation-subjects/music