Intent

When teaching music at Our Lady & St Johns, we intend to provide an inspiring, diverse and engaging curriculum that allows all children to develop their skills and understanding of music as a form of media, an art form, a science and as an essential part of human expression. Our music curriculum aims to encourage ALL pupils to develop a love of music and their talent as musicians, and so increase their self-belief, creativity and sense of achievement.

Our music curriculum incorporates high quality activities with a focus on music appreciation, composition and performance. Our children are required to explore music in depth, using musical vocabulary to appraise, discuss and appraise elements of music. A wide range of musical instruments and resources are used and pupils are taught to show their work using musical notation, pictorial or abstract form wherever suitable.

They are taught to explore different methods of performance and composition and explain their choice of methods and develop their musical collaborative skills. Perseverance, adaptability and resilience are key skills and pupils are reminded that musical progress is a journey. We encourage all pupils to progress from their starting points.

Implementation

• Music is taught twice weekly. All children from Year1-Year 6 have one weekly class singing lessons with a music specialist.
• In Year 1, 2 and 3, children have their second music lesson taught by the class teacher and children learn to play the glockenspiel as well as percussion.
• In Years 4, 5, and 6, children have their second music lesson taught by a music specialist and begin to become familiar with a range of instruments.
• Lessons include a ‘warm up’; allowing pupils to revisit their knowledge of the elements of music.
• Our school has music displays with appropriate music terminology and frequently updated photographs to inspire and engage children.
• All lessons incorporate the key elements of musicianship set out by the National Curriculum: Singing, listening, composing and performing. Teachers use a variety of interactive teaching methods to deliver the curriculum and achieve set learning objectives.
• Teachers use the OLSJ Music assessment framework to regularly assess the children’s progress in music and plan for their progression.

• Where possible, links are made with other subjects in the curriculum.
• There are opportunities for children to develop their musicianship outside of classroom teaching. The school choir meets regularly and takes part in a variety of performances. All year groups take part in a substantial musical performance throughout the year. Private peripatetic lessons are offered in school.

In the Foundation Stage (Nursery and Reception classes) the musical aspects of the children’s work is delivered through the expressive arts area of the Foundation Stage Curriculum.

We give all the children ample opportunity to develop their understanding of pulse, rhythm, pattern, pitch and dynamics through songs and activities. This allows them to enjoy, explore and develop their skills as musicians.