Subject Intent

Here at Skegby Junior Academy, we recognise the value that a high quality music curriculum can develop a passion for learning, curiosity and an appreciation for the world around us, which is a great value to our pupils.

Our learning is reflected through a Challenge Based Curriculum where music is embedded into our topics and continuous provision.

Our music curriculum intends to inspire and enable each pupil to; have confidence to express themselves, question what they hear and experience, extend opportunities, raise aspirations, experience the world beyond their immediate environment, to live happy, healthy and productive lives and to learn more.

Our music curriculum intends to do this by ensuring every pupil has opportunities to appreciate and evaluate music from a variety of genres, cultures and eras through cross-curricular topics and continuous provision. Through learning our pupils will also be able to express themselves vocally, compose their own pieces of music, perform individually and in an ensemble and discover their own style. These support the development of each individual child as well as giving opportunity to demonstrate and embed our SMART values and 5Rs.

 

National Curriculum Aims for Music

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.

Specifically for Key Stage 2:

Pupils should be taught to sing and play musically with increasing confidence and control. They should develop an understanding of musical composition, organising and manipulating ideas within musical structures and reproducing sounds from aural memory.

Pupils should be taught to:

• play and perform in solo and ensemble contexts, using their voices and playing musical instruments with increasing accuracy, fluency, control and expression
• improvise and compose music for a range of purposes using the inter-related dimensions of music
• listen with attention to detail and recall sounds with increasing aural memory
• use and understand staff and other musical notations
• appreciate and understand a wide range of high-quality live and recorded music drawn from different traditions and from great composers and musicians
• develop an understanding of the history of music

 

Subject Implementation

In their music lessons pupils use their voices expressively and creatively by singing songs and speaking chants and rhymes. Assemblies will also provide an opportunity to practise singing. Singing and expression is encouraged through continuous provision where children listen to a wide range of music genres and composers with concentration and understanding.

Each half term, pupils will experience a different composer or musician through our ‘Musician of the Half Term’. This will allow pupils to gain a wider understanding of famous musicians, the music that is available to them as well as the history or music. Pieces of music by the ‘Musician of the Half Term’ is regularly used in a variety of lessons and activities to create mood, atmosphere and to help thinking, whilst building on the appreciation and exposure to a new musician.

Pupils will also be taught to play a variety of instruments musically and encouraged to compose and play together in ensemble groups. Children will evaluate their own and others music pieces using correct terminology with the understanding of the musical style and intent.

Music lessons are linked to Topic work and will enable pupils to answer the learning challenges in detail with consideration. Pupils will become leaders of their learning, whilst following the skills outlined in the national curriculum.

National Curriculum Music Programmes of Study:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-music-programmes-of-study