Music Curriculum

Music at Plymouth Grove Primary School

Our Music Leader and Specialist Teacher is Mrs Morgan

Article 29 of the UNCRC: a child or young person's education should help their mind, body and talents be the best they can

Global Goal 4: Quality Education

Music Curriculum Statement

Intent

At Plymouth Grove the intention is for children to gain a firm understanding of what music is through listening, singing, playing, evaluating, analysing, and composing across a wide variety of historical periods, styles, traditions, and musical genres.

Each year group learns a different instrument throughout KS2. This allows them to transfer key musical skills such as rhythm, pitch and reading notation whilst gaining new skills and techniques such as strumming and plucking.

In EYFS and year 1 they become familiar and confident with a range of classroom percussion instruments.  In year 2 the pupils begin to focus on tuned percussion and ensemble playing. In year 3 they learn the Ukulele, understanding how to read tablature and chord grids. In year 4 pupils learn the Keyboard, developing their reading notation skills. In year 5 pupils learn the Violin further developing their skills. In year 6 pupils play as an African drumming ensemble.

The music curriculum ensures students sing, listen, play, perform and evaluate. This is embedded in the classroom activities as well as the weekly singing assemblies, various concerts and performances and through the learning of instruments.

Implementation

Music skills are linked throughout the curriculum and each new instrument the children learn consolidates existing learning.

Knowledge organisers allow the children to see what their end point is and the objectives they need to achieve. The children are aware of the knowledge organisers from the beginning of the year and can see gaps in learning.

At Plymouth Grove speaking English as an additional language is a barrier for a significant proportion of pupils. The music curriculum consists of a creative approach to learning using modelling, visual aids and notation. This allows pupils with language barriers to access the music lessons easily and many of the songs and music use repetitive themes.

Music extra curricular clubs such as choir and boomwhacker club are for all children to attend. They allow children to further develop skills who can’t access the local music service clubs and lessons which are based a few miles away from the school.

All children at Plymouth Grove are able to access the music curriculum. Most children with SEND attend class music lessons and have differentiated tasks suitable to their needs as well as adult or peer support. Many children with SEND, notably those with learning or behavioural difficulties, may be very responsive to Music and it allows them a language through which to make sense of their emotions.

Each week a music intervention lesson is held for pupils who need additional support. This is in a smaller group environment and offers pre teaching of skills and musical elements such as pitch, rhythm and ensemble playing . This allows the children to then access the class music lesson with prior knowledge. Music therapy techniques are used with some pupils to allow them to express themselves through music and understand basic musical elements such as keeping a beat and call and response.

Each year we participate in sign2sing and learn songs with sign language.

The specialist music teacher can fully dedicate their time and planning to the music curriculum and has the knowledge and experience to deliver high quality music teaching to all year groups. They attend music courses as CPD and music coordinator meetings keeping up to date with changes in the curriculum and opportunities to attend local music events.

The music curriculum follows the inter-related dimensions of music through each year group. This means that pitch, rhythm, dynamics, structure, tempo and duration are implemented and repeated throughout all stages of the music curriculum. With each new instrument the children embeds these key music dimensions ensuring that each year key skills are improved upon.

Composing or performing using body percussion and vocal sounds is also part of the curriculum, which develops their understanding of musical elements without the added complexity of an instrument.

All pupils will perform in a special assembly to show the skills they have learnt on their instrument giving them an opportunity to perform as an ensemble. IPADS are used to take pictures and videos of the children's performances throughout the year. 

Impact

Fischer Family Trust curriculum tracker is used to record the progress that pupils are making in terms of knowing more, remembering more and being able to do more  at the end of each academic year. This will record whether the children are working towards the age related expectation, at the age related expectation, or exceeding the age related expectation. 

These judgements will be made using first-hand evidence of how pupils are doing, drawing together evidence from pupil interviews, observations of performances, work scrutinies and  discussions with pupils about what they have remembered about the content they have studied. These judgements will inform the curriculum and whether children are ready for the next stage of their education.