Music
Intent
At Aylesham Primary School, our first and foremost intent is to develop a lifelong love of Music for all children. We focus on developing the skills, knowledge and understanding that they need in order to become confident performers, composers and listeners. Music is an ideal vehicle to promote our school values of: Resilience, Teamwork, Flying High and particularly ‘Creativity’.
Our curriculum is supported by Kapow, combined with bespoke instrumental lessons taught across Key Stage 2 by our music specialist. We aim to cover a range of music from all around the world, from a range of diverse composers, across generations, teaching children to respect and appreciate the music of all traditions and communities. We want the children to talk and think musically, using language appropriate for their age and development in music. We want all children to be engaged, inspired and feel good when they are involved with music at our school.
We want to give our children the best opportunities to engage and apply their musical skills through concerts, festivals and engaging with larger organised events.
Implementation
Music at Aylesham school is delivered weekly through singing practises for each Key Stage and curriculum delivered in class. In Key Stage one by the classteacher basing lessons on the ‘Kapow’ scheme. The Key Stage 2 children have access to our music tutor who delivers whole class instrumental tuition, such as: melodicas, ukulele, samba drumming, gamelan to name a few examples. following the needs and interests of the class. For example, if children need more support with pulse, he will focus on percussion and rhythm with that particular year group or class. When classteachers are delivering music, they are following Kapow progression. There are individual strands that are woven together; such as; Performing, Listening, Composing, History of Music, and the inter-related dimensions of Music.
Teachers will use the progression of skills that are taught within each year group to revise or build where necessary. Additionally, weekly Key Stage singing practises revisits musical language which the children are exposed to in their lessons and they are taught how to use their voice to sing a variety of challenging songs. Regular opportunities to showcase the children’s achievements are planned for.
Sometimes these opportunities are as an ‘authentic outcome’ following a unit of work, a contribution towards our annual ‘project week’. They could even be scheduled performances such as: Key Stage 1 Christmas performances, whole school carols around the tree, whole school singing celebrations and the Summer music festival. We also liaise with the wider community and join in with larger performances, such as joining with the Glyndebourne opera project, Gulbenkian carol concert, O2 Young Voices and Dover schools choir festival to name a few examples.
Please find an overview of the Music curriculum here
Impact
Children will be confident performers, composers and listeners and will be able to express themselves musically at and beyond school.
Children will understand that music is built upon the Inter-related dimensions of music and will be able to name them or describe them
Children will be able to understand and use musical language, appropriate to the level they are working at
Music evidence will be recorded in video format and uploaded to our shared drive to measure progress
Assessments are made at the end of a unit to show children who are at age appropriate levels and demonstrating greater depth
Extra-curricular groups, such as choir, song writing and instrumental groups challenge children to deepen and broaden their understanding of music
Pupil voice will express that the children have enjoyment and see the value of music and can demonstrate understanding of the language of the inter-related dimensions of music
Meet the end of key stage expectations outlined in the EYFS and National Curriculum
Curriculum Aims
Perform, listen to, review and evaluate music across a range of historical periods, genres, styles and traditions, including the works of the great composers and musicians
Learn to sing and to use their voices, to create and compose music on their own and with others, have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument, use technology appropriately and have the opportunity to progress to the next level of musical excellence
Understand and explore how music is created, produced and communicated, including through the inter-related dimensions: pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture, structure and appropriate musical notations.
To find out more about the vocabulary of the 'Inter-Related Dimensions of Music' and some of the vocabulary which we use in our school, please click on the below document.