MUSIC AT EVELYN CP SCHOOL

Intent

It is envisaged that music at Evelyn CP School is fully embedded into all aspects of school life as a shared experience. We thoroughly believe that music is integral to the development of the whole child through increasing confidence, communication and thinking skills in addition to improving memory and co-ordination.  We ensure nurturing the creativity and expression of ideas is kept at the forefront of our music curriculum through enhancing performance skills and providing an abundance of opportunities to share learning.

The foundations of musical teaching will ensure all pupils foster and increase musical understanding, enabling them to use and investigate sounds through the musical elements of pitch, dynamics, duration, tempo, structure and timbre through a range of musical genres. Children will increase their responsiveness to Music where they are able to co-operate with each other; respecting their own achievements and those of others and above all cultivate critical, analytical and a sensitive response to music.

Due to the nature of our ever expanding technical world it is essential that children are given the opportunity to develop a greater awareness of the role of technology in Music through practical experience.  

The ultimate aspiration is for every child to adopt a life-long love of music and build on their cultural capital through a broad, balanced, inclusive and progressive curriculum taught both explicitly and through cross curricular activities.

Implementation

Our pupils will learn that music is a universal language that embodies one of the highest forms of creativity. It is the aim for children to receive 60 minutes of musical and performance education per week in addition to whole school focus afternoons. Children will experience music in various contexts such as, whole school assemblies, timetabled lessons in class, peripatetic sessions, after school clubs and remote learning where necessary.

The Charanga scheme of work is used and adapted from Foundation stage-Year 6  to ensure the National Curriculum requirements are met and a broad musical education based on ‘Listening and appraising’; ‘Creating and Exploring’ and ‘Singing and performing’ is implemented. 

Through our links with Knowsley Music and performing Arts Service, every child will have the opportunity to learn to play a musical instrument (other than their voice) before leaving Evelyn.

 Teachers follow the suggested scheme of work, although adaptations are made using the ‘freestyle’ element of the package to substitute units deemed to be more appropriate for thematic learning in other curriculum areas and the classing structure in KS1. 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 through a cyclical approach designed to deepen knowledge and embed skills.

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 4 benefit from whole class specialist teaching, delivered by Mrs Ali and Knowsley Music Services. 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 Evelyn and pupils participate in a range of performances during their school ‘career’. These include nativities and Christmas plays, Class assemblies, Radio Evelyn shows and a Leavers performance (Year 6). Parents are invited and welcomed to watch all of these performances whether at school or outside of school.

Alongside our curriculum provision for music, pupils also have the opportunity to participate in additional small group music teaching by being offered the opportunity to learn a musical instrument with peripatetic teachers. At present this service is free of charge. Pupils also have the opportunity to join the school choir and to participate in a variety of community performances throughout the year. The school choir is open to both KS1 and KS2 on a weekly basis, with the average number of pupils being in the range of 10-20. Pupils in the school choir meet after school and focus on singing in unison, developing harmony, solo performances and having fun!

Impact

Music has a positive impact at Evelyn CP School; particularly in regards to improving children’s confidence and well-being. We follow a formative approach to music assessment focusing on our specifically designed skills ladders, knowledge continuum and mile stone to mastery ladders. This method assists teachers in planning for progression and differentiation. Summative assessment is completed at the end of each year. Music is monitored through the use of our newly implemented written and auditory portfolio, lesson observations and pupil interviews.