Rode Heath Primary SchoolMusic
"Music is a universal language that embodies one of the highest forms of creativity."
(National Curriculum, 2013)
The National Curriculum for music aims to ensure that all pupils:
• perform, listen to, review and evaluate music
• learn to sing, create and compose music
• understand and explore how music is created, produced and communicated.
Intent
At Rode Heath Primary School the intention is that our children gain a firm understanding of what music is through listening, singing, playing, evaluating and composing across a wide variety of historical periods, styles, traditions, and musical genres.
We are committed to ensuring that our children understand the value and importance of music to their own and others’ lives and wellbeing. We want our children to be able to use their musical skills, knowledge and experiences to involve themselves in music, in a variety of different contexts.
Implementation
The music curriculum at Rode Heath is taught across each year group in units using Charanga Musical School. This enables the children to study in depth the key skills, understanding and vocabulary needed to fulfil the curriculum. Each unit aims to activate and build on prior learning, to ensure better cognition and retention. The Charanga Musical School Scheme provides teachers with week-by-week lesson support for each year group in the school. It is ideal for both specialist and non-specialist teachers and provides lesson plans, assessment, clear progression, and engaging and exciting whiteboard resources to support every lesson. The Scheme supports all the requirements of the national curriculum. Each Unit of Work comprises of the strands of musical learning which correspond with the national curriculum for music, combining a range of musical activities and games.
- Listening and Appraising
- Singing
- Playing instruments
- Improvisation
- Composition
- Performing
All lessons enable the children to explore their own response to music. The children are encouraged to discuss and share their ideas using the key music vocabulary. We also provide all children with the opportunity to express themselves musically in weekly singing assemblies, productions, performances, musical activities embedded into classroom practice and musical links in other subjects.
Impact
Throughout their musical journey at Rode Heath, the children build upon their skills and understanding each year. This ranges from singing simple songs from memory and performing simple rhythm patterns in EYFS and KS1 to more advanced techniques and understanding in KS2. Children at Rode Heath are able to enjoy music in as many ways as they choose, either as a listener, creator or performer. As a result of the music curriculum, children at Rode Heath Primary develop a love of music and an increased understanding of the impact that music can have on their own and others’ lives.