Intent: This is what we want for your child.
At Barley Fields Primary School, we aim for our children to develop a love and strong appreciation of music, to immerse themselves in playing and composing, to dare to have the courage to lose their inhibitions and to become independent and collaborative musicians. We believe that the creative processes of composition and performance support our children in their application of growth mindset – perseverance, resilience and determination which are actively celebrated. Our music teaching links to our school ethos as a Rights Respecting School, we strive to give children a rich multicultural awareness and expose children to a variety of musical artists, styles, traditions and genres. By the time children leave our school, we want them to have a bank of happy musical memories and to be confident, creative and reflective musicians who have a true understanding of the impact that music can have on themselves, each other and the world in which we live in.
Implementation: This is what it will look like in the classroom
Our approach to music teaching starts in Early Years with opportunities to explore and make sounds, to sing collaboratively and develop an awareness of beat and rhythm. In KS1 and 2 children are given regular opportunities to listen to, compose / edit and perform music from a wide range of genres, cultures and styles.
Our children follow a carefully structured, ambitious and engaging Music curriculum designed to ensure children know more, remember more and do more, as they progress through our school. Our curriculum is built around four strands and in each unit children will typically:
- Listening and Appraising – exploring a range of music styles, composers and musicians.
- Engaging in Musical Activities – developing music specific skills and knowledge through playing games, playing alongside, improvising and composing music.
- Singing
- Performing – engaging in a range of performance events in the classroom, school and to wider audiences.
The music curriculum has been designed using content from the National Curriculum and the Charanga Music Scheme. This has been selected because it has been devised by subject experts, is based on the latest pedagogical research and has been adapted to meet the needs of our children. Aspects of the music curriculum are also supported by the Tees Valley Music Service with a sustained opportunity in Year 5 to learn a musical instrument.
Music has a high profile in our school and is further enriched beyond the classroom through stimulating, enjoyable assemblies and our children enjoy sharing their love of singing and performing through various celebration assemblies, concerts and productions throughout the year.
Detailed schemes of learning provide teachers with access to a learning platform and high quality resources to teach from. Children have opportunities to use a range of high quality musical resources and work practically. These schemes also underpin an appropriate teaching pedagogy for effective, quality first teaching in Music.
We are proud to offer a curriculum informed by the latest research and which undergoes regular reviews and updates to ensure its relevance and effectiveness.
Our children are taught to understand the core skills needed to work as a musician with the use of our bespoke curriculum character – Manisha the Musician. This character is used regularly to demonstrate the end points for each key stage, in an accessible, child-friendly way.
Impact: This is what it will mean for our children
Throughout their time at our school, a love and appreciation of music is a key thread running alongside the acquisition of ‘taught’ musical skills and objectives – this enjoyment is something that is very much celebrated and cherished! Children will have the courage to lose their inhibitions and to be confident, creative, independent and collaborative musicians; able to appraise music (including their own) to a high standard.
Our music curriculum alongside our teaching and learning pedagogy leads to children who:
- demonstrate a love of music and awareness of its power to shape who we are as human beings.
- are able to articulate their understanding of musical concepts and be able to discuss music, using rich language.
- demonstrate musical skills through a variety of independent and collaborative performances.
- work independently and collaboratively in musical performances, showing real pride in doing so.
- are given the opportunity to engage in public performances through high quality stage productions, assemblies and concerts.
- hold a real sense of achievement about their musical ability.
Children will leave Barley Fields Primary School equipped with a wide range of musical skills needed to succeed in the next phase of their education. We are confident that children will carry an enjoyment and appreciation of music throughout their lives and have many happy musical memories from their time spent at our school.
