Music

As teachers of music…

…we teach subject specific music lessons enabling all children to learn the knowledge and skills required to be a ‘musician’. We teach using the National Curriculum and use the online platform ‘Charanga’ to effectively plan progression from Early Years to the end of KS2. We also collaborate with the Essex Music Service to further enhance our music teaching by providing high quality teaching for our pupils such as P-Trumpets in Year 3 and additional 1:1 music lessons for some pupils wishing to take their music learning further. Many of the children take part in RockSteady to practice and perform as a small, skilled band with specialist music teachers. Whole class lessons are taught using the three core aspects of music which are perform, explore and compose and listen, reflect and appraise.

Perform – Singing and playing

Children have the opportunity to sing and play using their voices, bodies and a range of instruments. They have the opportunity to play a range of tuned and untuned instruments including junk percussion and the ocarina and ukulele. They have regular opportunity to perform during lessons and beyond and also have the opportunity to watch performances by other musicians.

Explore and Compose – Playing and exploring

Children have the opportunity to play and explore during music lessons. They explore sound for example pitch, tempo and compose their own musical pieces using their voice, instruments and composing their own simple score.

Listen, reflect and appraise – Creating and thinking critically

Children have the opportunity to listen to a range of different types and genres of music including musical instruments being played. Through this they are encouraged to discuss how the music conveys feelings and meaning. Children will make links with other art forms such as dance and respond to music through movement.

Subject specific music vocabulary is taught and children are encouraged to use this when performing, exploring and composing and listening, reflecting and appraising.

We are keen that our children receive first hand and high quality opportunities through the wider curriculum on offer and music is further enhanced through visitors and visits such as African drumming workshops, or live performances by our Local Band, who also invite us to open rehearsals.