MUSIC CURRICULUM

INTENT, IMPLEMENTATION AND IMPACT

Intent

At Abbey Church of England Infant School our music curriculum intends to cultivate creativity, build upon self-confidence and encourage self-expression. We aim to harvest a love and appreciation of music by exposing children to a wide range of musical dimensions, give children the tools to create and enjoy music and appreciate and merit the rich language of music.

We aim for our curriculum to support a progression of knowledge and skills from early years to Key Stage 1 and make reference to prior learning so that a full understanding of musical context is achieved. Not only do we aim for the learning to progress but we aim for a deeper understanding as they leave Year 2. For example the final unit ‘Reflect, Rewind and Replay’ will allow for revision and some challenging musical tasks for those that have quickly grasped the inter-related dimensions of music.

We aim to plan our children’s musical journey using the National Curriculum as a foundation and the original Charanga scheme to supplement and further embed the culture of music. We aim to use this scheme to help us unpick the many creative facets to their individual learning journeys.

One of our school values is to ‘celebrate differences’ and music can be a valuable opportunity for self-expression for the children. We aim to encourage our children to express themselves in their music lessons and the wider school life.

Our intent within the curriculum includes the development of children’s personal knowledge, skills, confidence and talent. It supports a variety of musical objectives and encourages a cultural capital within the school. For example, learning to sing ‘Wind the Bobbin Up’ – Reception, which promotes their ability to use their voices expressively and creatively by singing songs and speaking chants and rhymes; listening and responding to ‘Banana Rap’ – Year 1, which exposes the children to a variety of musical genres.

We celebrate diversity at Abbey, through music children are exposed to a diverse range of musical styles, decades, artists, and composers. This is done both through our music lessons as well as throughout our school curriculum. Every week at Abbey children are listening to a new genre of music within our whole school assemblies, here we discuss the different genres of music. Widening our children's knowledge and understanding of different music styles. 

Implementation

Teachers continuously build upon the National Curriculum as a basis for planning. Thereafter teachers use the original Charanga scheme of work to further support. We are currently adapting opportunities for musical exposure in other areas of our ‘hidden curriculum’. For example, where appropriate a love of music is encouraged within choral assemblies (virtual, whole school and class based), snack times and playtimes (through our OPAL provision).

In addition to this, much of our teaching and learning for music is taught discretely but linked to other subjects where appropriate. This also allows us to teach the objectives of music alongside other enjoyable subjects. For example, children will listen with concentration and understanding to a range of high-quality live and recorded music within an indoor dance session. Mindfulness is a prominent facet of our school life and often children will also focus on rhythm and melody in a reflective form.

Music is naturally inclusive but bespoke and dynamic amendments are carefully made to planning and resources based on teacher judgement, particularly to support and challenge SEND pupils and stretch the more able. All children have different needs and it is crucial to guide them to meet the objectives of the national curriculum while developing their foundational listening skills and building a love of music.

Children will have further opportunities to take part in sessions that will further capture their love of music. For example, this year  our Year 2 children will have an opportunity to learn how to play the ukulele. Allowing children to develop new skills, be creative and express themselves, and discover hidden musical talents. 

Impact

Children demonstrate an interest and enthusiasm in music learning. Children can use their voices expressively and creatively by singing songs and speaking chants and rhymes, play tuned and un-tuned instruments musically, listen with concentration and understanding to a range of high-quality live and recorded music and experiment with, create, select and combine sounds using the inter-related dimensions of music. Children use a language that is rich in musical elements and showcase a love of musical learning in all aspects of school life. Music will also develop an understanding of culture and history, both in relation to students individually, as well as ethnicities from across the world. They can sing, feel a pulse, add rhythms and create melodies and they can further develop these skills in the future and continue to enjoy and embrace music in their lives.