Intent, Implementation, Impact
As pupils progress, they should develop a critical engagement with music, allowing them to compose and to listen with confidence.
Music is a unique way of communicating that can inspire and motivate children from all backgrounds. It is a vehicle for personal expression and it can play an important part in the personal development of each individual. Music reflects the culture and society we live in, and so the teaching and learning of music enables children to better understand the world they live in. Besides being a creative and enjoyable activity, music can also be a highly academic and demanding subject. It also plays an important part in helping children feel part of a community.
We recognise and extend all ranges of ability of our pupils from SEN to MAP and aim for all children to reach their full potential. We aim, wherever possible, to link work to other disciplines such as mathematics, science, engineering, computing and art.
IMPLEMENTATION
Music is a foundation subject in the National Curriculum. Our music curriculum has carefully planned learning opportunities in the 4 key areas: Singing, Listening, Composing and Performing, which support our pupils in their musical progression of skills, understanding and knowledge across the year groups.
Singing is at the heart of the music teaching and learning at Dropmore Infant School. The children will learn to use their voices expressively and creatively by singing songs, chants and rhymes, increasing their vocal control over time. Listening to music is fundamental to musical understanding and we teach our children to listen critically to a broad range of music. This will help develop other areas of musical activity including composing and performing. A culmination of these skills is showcased in our annual Harvest Festival, Christmas Play, Arts Festival and Year 2 Variety Show.
In all classes there are children of differing ability. We recognise this fact at the outset by removing barriers to pupil achievement and set suitable learning opportunities for all children by matching the challenge of the task to the ability of the child. Music has the rare and unique ability to bring people together, music making can make a whole class, school and community feel connected.
Key Stage 1:
Key skills and knowledge for Music have been mapped across KS1 to ensure progression between year groups. We carry out the curriculum planning in Music in three phases: long-term, medium-term and short-term. The long-term plan maps out the units covered in each term during the key stage. We operate a 3-year rolling programme to allow for activities to match the topics taught and allows the children to learn all aspects of Music through their time in KS1. We plan the activities in Music so that they build upon the prior learning of the children. We give children of all abilities the opportunity to develop their skills, knowledge and understanding. We also build planned progression into the scheme of work, so that the children are increasingly challenged as they move through the school.
The children are taught to:
Sing:
- Sing simple songs, chants and rhymes from memory, singing collectively and at the same pitch, responding to simple visual directions (e.g. stop, start, loud, quiet) and counting in.
- Begin with simple songs with a very small range, mi-so, progressing to a pitch range of do-so with increasing vocal control.
- Sing a wide range of call and response songs to control vocal pitch and to match the pitch they hear with accuracy.
- Know the meaning of dynamics (loud/quiet) and tempo (fast/slow) and be able to demonstrate these when singing by responding to (a) the leader's directions and (b) visual symbols.
Listen:
- Developing pupils’ shared knowledge and understanding of the stories, origins, traditions, history and social context of the music they are listening to, singing and playing.
- Listening to recorded performances should be complemented by opportunities to experience live music making in and out of school.
Compose:
- Create music in response to a non-musical stimulus (e.g. a storm, a car race, or a rocket launch).
- Work with a partner to improvise simple question and answer phrases, to be sung and played on untuned percussion, creating a musical conversation.
- Understand the difference between creating a rhythm pattern and a pitch pattern.
- Invent, retain and recall rhythm and pitch patterns and perform these for others, taking turns
- Use graphic symbols, dot notation and stick notation, as appropriate, to keep a record of composed pieces.
Perform:
- Develop stagecraft: engage with audience, respect fellow performers, acknowledge applause
- Consider the programme: clear beginning, middle and end
- Encourage peer feedback: pupils can constructively express their thoughts on performances
- Seek out opportunities for collaboration
EYFS:
Music is covered through both child-initiated activities and specific planned activities. The Reception children are encouraged to develop their skills, knowledge and understanding that help them make sense of their world as an integral part of the school’s work. The Reception Class is part of the Early Years Foundation Stage, we relate the development of the children’s knowledge and understanding of the world, physical development, and expressive arts and design to the objectives set out in Development Matters. These underpin the curriculum planning for children aged three to five. This learning forms the foundations for later work in Music. These early experiences include Rhyme and rhythm and 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.
Contribution of Music to Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development
The teaching of Music offers opportunities to support the spiritual development of our children by providing them opportunities to express themselves through singing and using instruments. They are encouraged to compose sound stories and simple music in response to stimuli (eg weather). They can express how music makes them feel.
Through musical activities, children have opportunities to encounter pieces of music which evoke a range of emotions and raise questions, exploring how music can convey human emotions such as sadness, joy or anger. They begin to recognise the effect of music, for example in advertising or movies.
Through their collaborative and co-operative work across a range of activities and experiences in Music, the children develop respect for the abilities of other children and a better understanding of themselves. It gives them the chance to discuss their ideas and feelings about their own work and the work of others.
Music provides excellent opportunities for children to experience work and performances by composers and musicians from a variety of cultures and traditions.
Teaching Music to children with additional needs: We teach Music to all children, whatever their ability. Music forms part of our school curriculum policy to provide a broad and balanced education to all children. Teachers provide learning opportunities that are matched to the needs of children with learning difficulties. Work in Music takes into account the targets set for individual children in their Support Plans.
Assessment and Recording: Teachers assess children’s work in Music by making assessments as they observe them working during lessons. Teachers make an annual assessment of progress for each child, as part of the annual report to parents. Each teacher passes this information on to the next teacher at the end of each year.
Resources: Our school has a wide range of resources to support the teaching of Music across the school. The following resources are kept in the Library and on the music trolleys in the hall: recorders, djembe drums, xylophones, wide range of percussion instruments, piano, boom whackers and a selection of posters. These resources are accessible to all children under adult supervision.
IMPACT
We strive for every child to achieve their full potential in music, develop a love for music, benefit from increased confidence and mental wellbeing, be ready for their next stage in learning and inspire aspirations for future career paths. Our children leave for Year 3 with a wide range of musical knowledge, passion and enjoyment, for the subject and are aware of the many different genres, composers, musicians and instruments. They feel confident about the subject and look forward to expanding their musical potential.
Equality Impact Assessment:
At Dropmore Infant School we provide a broad and balanced curriculum to all pupils, irrespective of special educational or medical needs or protected characteristics. Teachers provide learning opportunities that are matched to the needs of the children and ensure all children are able to take part in the activities planned. Every reasonable effort will be made to find activities that are both suitable and accessible and that enable the whole group to participate fully and be actively involved, irrespective of special educational or medical needs or protected characteristics.