Music

at Sawley Junior School

Intent

DfE Model Music Curriculum:

“Music is all around us. It is the soundtrack to our lives. Music connects us through people and places in our ever-changing world. It is creative, collaborative, celebratory and challenging. In our schools, music can bring communities together through the shared endeavour of whole-school singing, ensemble playing, experimenting with the creative process and, through the love of listening to friends and fellow pupils, performing. The sheer joy of music making can feed the soul of a school community, enriching each student while strengthening the shared bonds of support and trust which make a great school.”

Sawley Junior School music provision aligns to the National Curriculum and the DfE Model Music Curriculum and aims to develop musicianship in:

• Singing
• Listening
• Composing
• Performing/Instrumental Performance

Our music curriculum intends to inspire creativity, self-expression and encourages our children on their musical journeys as well as giving them opportunities to connect with others. We foster a lifelong love of music by exposing children to diverse musical experiences and igniting a passion for music. By listening and responding to different musical styles, finding their voices as singers and performers and as composers, all will enable them to become confident, reflective musicians. 

The aims of our Music curriculum are to develop pupils who:

• Can sing and use their voices individually and in a group
• Create and compose music on their own and with others
• Develop a music culture by providing opportunities to learn a musical instrument and partake in a variety of musical experiences

 –Pupils in Year 4 learn a tuned instrument

• Understand and explore the application of musical components by discovering how music is created, produced and communicated
• Listen to, review and evaluate the work of great composers and musicians from a range of historical periods, genres, styles and traditions
• Enjoy and have an appreciation of a range of different musical styles
• Use and understand musical language and include musical features in their own work
• Have different opportunities to take part in performances
• Have an appreciation of musical culture
• Make judgements about the quality of music
• Have opportunities to play a wide variety of instruments
• Have opportunities to access a range of music and musical opportunities increasing cultural capital

Implementation

In Year 4 pupils benefit from whole class musical tuition. In Year 4 pupils are taught the musical curriculum whilst learning the Ukulele. Specialist teachers have designed the curriculum so that the children learn the required elements of the National Curriculum whilst learning their instrument. Children are given the opportunity to perform in class, in whole school assemblies and for their parents.

In Years 3, 5 and 6, teachers deliver/adapt music from the Music Express programme. These inclusive lessons are specifically planned in sequences to provide children with the opportunities to review, remember, deepen and apply their learning. 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. In the classroom, children learn how to play a variety of percussion instruments.

Performance is at the heart of musical teaching and learning and pupils participate in a range of performances during their school ‘career’. These include class assemblies, a Leavers performance (Year 6) and the opportunity to join and perform in Wilmot’s Warblers an after school club which performs regularly in school and at events in the local community.

Pupils also take part in singing assemblies. All pupils are developing their singing technique and appreciating a wide variety of music within school assemblies.

Alongside our curriculum provision for music, peripatetic teachers offer individual and group music tuition. These teachers then offer performances within whole school assemblies to celebrate the progression of skills and enable other pupils to understand and explore how music is created, produced and communicated.

• Staff are supported by a Music Subject Leader and Senior Subject Leader.
• One Academy Trust subject leaders’ hold cluster meetings half-termly working together to meet the aims and vision of the Trust.
• Teacher Resources – including Music Express programmes support delivery of sessions