Music Intent:
- To help children develop a life-long love of music
- To focus on developing the skills, knowledge and understanding that children need to become confident performers, composers and listeners
- To introduce children to music from around the world and across generations in order to teach them to respect and appreciate the music of all traditions and communities
In music lessons, children will develop and improve their singing skills and learn how to play both tuned and untuned instruments, improvising and composing music alongside listening and responding to it. They will develop an understanding of the history and cultural context of the music that they listen to and learn how music can be written down.
The strands below are woven together to create engaging and enriching learning experiences…
- Performing
- Listening
- Composing
- History of music
- The inter-related dimensions of music
Over the course of their lessons in music, throughout their time in school, children will be taught to sing fluently and expressively as well as playing instruments accurately and with control. They will learn the names of the inter-related dimensions of music- pitch, duration, tempo, timbre, structure, texture and dynamics and use these creatively in their own improvisations and compositions.
The Kapow Primary Scheme follows a spiral curriculum model where previous knowledge and skills are returned to and built upon. Children progress in terms of tackling more complex tasks and doing the simple tasks better as well as developing knowledge and understanding of the history of music, staff and other musical notations and the inter-related dimensions of music stated above. Our ‘music for pleasure’ plan supports and guides teachers to ensure that music is thoroughly enjoyed throughout the children’s primary years and that they have opportunities to apply their skills to performances and compositions that they become involved in.
Lessons are ‘hands on’ and incorporate music and dance elements, as well as making cross curricular links where possible. Lessons incorporate a range of teaching strategies from independent tasks as well and group and paired experiences- opportunities for improvisation and teacher-led performances.
Timetabling: All children from Reception to Year 6 engage in music lessons and experiences, following our long-term plan and music for pleasure plan. Music is timetabled for an hour each week during Autumn 1, following the Kapow Primary scheme with the focus in Autumn 2 shifting to a musical production/choir concert experience as outlined in our music for pleasure plan. Spring/Summer term involves children completing further Kapow units and following the progressive instrumental scheme prior to their community productions/performances at the end of Summer.
The impact of this is that children become confident performers, composers and listeners who are able to express themselves musically. They will meet the end of Key Stage Two expectations outlined in the National Curriculum for music and they will respect and appreciate a wide range of musical styles, knowing more and understanding more. Children will understand ways in which music can be written down to support performances and composition work. They will identify their own musical preferences and be able to discuss these.