led by Miss Hough
Music is a wonderful method of bringing people together, allowing us to share the same experiences and feel emotions as one. Here at St. Chad’s C of E Primary and Nursery School we want to provide all children from the EYFS through to Year 6 with the opportunity to play and perform in a variety of contexts. Through Christmas shows, performances in Church and the wider community and in end of key stage shows. We encourage all children to participate in music lessons to ensure they have a lifelong skill and passion for music that will grow with them as they get older.
Music Specialists and projects
During a typical academic year we invite musicians and theatrical groups to join us in school to share their skills and performances. Over recent years we have enjoyed assemblies hosted by Key Strings to teach us music history, explore instruments and the way that they sound, been fortunate to have joined the Halle Orchestra, participated in african drumming workshops and have been lucky to have hosted an event by the Maasai Warriors, learning about their culture.
Intent
At St. Chad’s, we understand that music education is highly beneficial to students and positively influences a child’s academic performance, assists in developing social skills, and provides an outlet for creativity that is crucial to a child’s development. We aspire for children to grow in confidence as they progress through the musical curriculum and become passionate in their responses to music.
Implementation
Through the music program Sing Up children engage in weekly lessons that are in line with curriculum expectations in a fun and engaging way. Delivered to classes through age appropriate themes, Sing Up sessions develop progressively and elements of music are taught in a manner so children can understand and use key terms, appreciate, sing, play, compose and reflect upon many different genres. Playing tuned and untuned musical instruments, vocal sounds and body percussion help to develop understanding of musical elements. Quality time with specialist music tutors enables children to learn a range of instruments by the time they leave in Year 6 and further hone their skills as they progress.
Impact
Children will be able to show an appreciation and respect for a wide range of musical styles from various periods in time, on a global scale and they will understand how music is influenced by wider, cultural, social and historical contexts. Children will be able to demonstrate and articulate an enthusiasm for music and be able to identify their own personal musical preferences in as many ways as they choose – either as listener, creator or performer. All children will understand the ways in which music can be written.
Outcomes
Creating, performing and listening to music can be a moving and even a spiritual experience. We encourage children to reflect on the important effect that music can have on people’s moods and senses. Children have the opportunity to encounter music from many different cultures which encourages positive attitudes towards other cultures and societies.
Children will find a self confidence within their own musical skills – whether this be a composer in the background or front of stage lead singer! By closing their eyes and listening to the music that surrounds them, pupils will be able to travel to different countries or times. Moreover, they will develop a lifelong love of music.
We have adopted Sing Up as our progressive curriculum that teachers follow throughout the year. Teachers are encouraged to include music as part of their topic teaching and to use music creatively throughout other subjects and to use music to help teach new skills and to consolidate learning.
St. Chad’s work with Junior Jam to offer specialist music teaching from Years 1 through to Year 6. These year groups will have one term of music in each year. By the time our pupils leave St. Chad’s C of E Primary and Nursery School they will have had specialist music tuition in six tuned and untuned instruments.
We also offer extra curricular music tuition in guitar or ukelele which is provided by Front Row Music.
