Intent
Music at Ewyas Harold is designed to deliver a high-quality music education in which the skills needed to make music are taught such as listening, appraising, composing and performing. The underlying aim is to engage and inspire pupils to develop a love of music, to offer opportunities to foster their talent as musicians, and to increase their self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement. We want to equip our pupils with not only the minimum statutory requirements of the music National Curriculum but to prepare them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life, so use every opportunity to encourage the children to lead and perform.
Implementation
At Ewyas Harold we use Sparkyard which is linked to a full range of songs and which provides our teachers with lessons and resources for each year group. We have acknowledged the scheme and applied the curriculum coverage to suit our mixed aged classes. The curriculum is taught in phases across a 2 year cycle. The scheme covers the objectives from the National Curriculum in ensuring that all pupils: 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. The essential skills needed to make music are taught such as listening, appraising, composing and performing. Sparkyard works on building skills in the areas of: singing, playing instruments, improvising/ exploring, composing, listening and appraising. We teach all the musical elements, e.g. pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre, structure, vocabulary and appropriate musical notations, which are taught throughout units of work and revisited to encourage ‘sticky knowledge’ and consolidation of skills as well as progression.
Music specific characteristics, which we expect the children to demonstrate, have been developed and shared with all stakeholders. These characteristics underpin all work in music and provide a common subject specific vocabulary for staff and pupils. These characteristics are:
- A rapidly widening repertoire which they use to create original, imaginative, fluent and distinctive composing and performance work.
- A musical understanding underpinned by high levels of aural perception, internalisation and knowledge of music, including high or rapidly developing levels of technical expertise.
- Very good awareness and appreciation of different musical traditions and genres.
- An excellent understanding of how musical provenance – the historical, social and cultural origins of music – contributes to the diversity of musical styles.
- The ability to give precise written and verbal explanations, using musical terminology effectively, accurately and appropriately.
- A passion for and commitment to a diverse range of musical activities.
Under the guidance of our subject leaders, staff are empowered to deliver effective lessons. Staff have developed year group specific long-term curriculum maps which identify when the different subjects and topics will be taught across the academic year to build upon prior learning and support cross-curricular learning.
Music is taught on a weekly basis. This helps to ensure sufficient time is allocated to music and that subject understanding can be revisited and built upon to secure progression. Alongside weekly lessons, all pupils participate in whole school singing during assemblies . Through singing songs, children learn about the structure and organisation of music. Performances and celebrations , across the academic year , demonstrate that music is important to the life of our school. Extra-curricular activities, and music tuition lessons, also provide children with experience of making music.
Impact
The impact of teaching music will be seen across the school with an increase in the profile of music. Whole-school and parental engagement will be improved through performances, extra-curricular activities and opportunities suggested in lessons/overviews for wider learning. Participation in music develops wellbeing, promotes listening and develops concentration. We want to ensure that music is loved by teachers and pupils across school, encouraging them to want to continue building on this wealth of musical ability, now and in the future.
Staff use formative assessment from each lesson to inform their judgements and intervention activities can be accessed if required to support pupils who have not yet mastered a concept or skill. Skills in music are progressive and build year on year.
Eywas Harold Curriculum Coverage Cycle A