Music

Music Curriculum

At Roche, we endeavour to provide a rich and varied music curriculum. We encourage children to be expressive within these lessons and develop their confidence in a creative and interactive way.

Music Intent

· At Roche, children gain a firm understanding of what music is through listening, singing, playing, evaluating, analysing, and composing across a wide variety of historical periods, styles, traditions, and musical genres.

· We want children to develop a curiosity for the subject, as well as an understanding and acceptance and importance of all types of music, and an unbiased respect for the role that music may wish to be expressed in any person’s life.

· We aim to provide children with the opportunity to progress to the next level of their creative excellence.

· We are committed to ensuring that children understand the importance of music to their own and other’s lives and wellbeing and also the impact that music has on the wider community.

· All children have access to music regardless of their ability. SEND children are actively encouraged to participate fully as music as it is often an area which allows them to engage fully, enjoy and excel.

Implementation

· The music curriculum ensures children sing, listen, play, perform and evaluate.

· Through the musical program Charanga, teachers are able to produce inclusive lessons for all children to access the musical curriculum in a fun and engaging way, further promoting a love of learning.

· Teachers deliver music following the Charanga programme, designed specifically for the teaching of music in primary schools.

· Charanga lessons are planned in sequences to provide children with the opportunities to review, remember, deepen and apply their understanding.

· The elements of music are taught in classroom lessons so that children are able to use some of the language of music to dissect it, and understand how it is made, played, appreciated and analysed.

· Children learn how to play the recorder or the glockenspiels as well as a variety of percussion instruments. Playing various instruments enables children to use a range of methods to create notes, as well as how to read basic music notation.

· Children who do their own music lessons outside of school are encourage to bring in their own musical instrument and play alongside their classmates.

· Pupils also learn how to compose, focusing on different dimensions of music, which in turn feeds their understanding when listening, playing, or analysing music.

· Children 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

· Children develop an understanding of culture and history, both in relation to children 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.

· Children have the opportunity to discuss and share their own thoughts, opinions and ideas, acknowledging and respecting that these may vary and that this is positive.

· They can dissect music and comprehend its parts.

· They can sing and feel a pulse.

· Children have an understanding of how to further develop skills less known to them.

Throughout the child’s journey at Roche School, their musical skills and understanding are built year on year, from singing nursery rhymes and action songs from memory and performing simple rhythm patterns on tuned and untuned percussion instruments in the Early Years; progressing their skills and understanding in KS1 where they also experience whole class instrumental tuition; to further developing their skills and knowledge of the subject in KS2, where the children access music confidently, and have the ability to read and follow a simple musical or graphical score. Throughout all of this the child’s enjoyment of music is a key element, running alongside the taught musical skills and objectives.