Music

Intent

As a school, we are passionate about the teaching, learning and assessment of music. Music plays an important and consistent part in the life of the children. At Clowne Junior School, we aim to teach high quality music lessons that engage and inspire pupils to develop a love of music to help increase their self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement as musicians.  As pupils progress through the school, they should develop critical skills within music, allowing them to compose and perform with an increased awareness of the steps and skills involved within this process.  We wish to give every child the opportunity to experience and enjoy music through a variety of fun and engaging opportunities. We also aim to promote pupils’ social, cultural, spiritual and global development through music.

Implementation

We are currently using the SingUp Music Scheme to ensure that all children across the school are developing key musical skills, including:

• Listening and appraising
• Singing and playing instruments
• Composition
• Improvisation
• Performing and sharing

The scheme allows us to explore a wide range of musical genres, carefully tailored to suit the age and stage of each year group. It also supports confident musicians by offering differentiated tasks within each lesson, helping to provide challenge and progression.

Throughout their time at school, children will also have access to additional musical opportunities to inspire and extend their learning. These include whole-school singing assemblies, performances, and enrichment activities. Each year, pupils in Years 5 and 6 are invited to take part in the Young Voices choir, giving them the chance to perform in a large-scale concert alongside thousands of other children — a truly unforgettable experience!

Impact

Our Music curriculum will ensure all pupils develop key music skills, as set out by the National Curriculum. These are as follows:

• listen to and identify a variety of music from different styles and different instruments using a range of musical vocabulary to express their knowledge/opinion.
• to know, understand and demonstrate how pulse and rhythm work together.
• to sing in an ensemble with the aim of producing a round sound, clear diction, control of pitch and a musical understanding of how parts fit together.
• to use a range of musical instruments, experiencing solo and ensemble play, to improvise and compose melodies, tunes and accompaniments.
• to understand that music is open to interpretation and critical skills should be developed to ensure that children can offer constructive comments about their own and others’ work.

Children are assessed half termly, according to age related expectations in line with curriculum requirements and scheme aims and resources. Children’s learning will be informally assessed through questioning throughout lessons and musical recordings. Assessment data, will be monitored through weekly lessons by the subject leader, learning walks and data analysis throughout the year by the co-ordinator.

Inclusion

Music is a part of our everyday lives and can provide us with much joy and comfort.  At Clowne Junior School, we aim to support and teach Music to all children, whatever their ability, in accordance with the school curriculum policy of providing a broad and balanced education to all children. Teachers provide learning opportunities matched to the needs of children in their class.