Music Intent

At Peakirk cum Glinton Primary school, we provide high-quality music education that engages, inspires and develops a love of music.  It encourages the children’s talents as musicians to increase their self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement. We recognise the importance of music to a child’s development and the impact music can have on their lives. Through music, children are able to experiment, express their emotions and opinions, and be immersed to a wide range of musicians and musical styles.   Music is central to our school’s Christian distinctiveness, in the songs we listen to, sing to and perform in our weekly music lessons and during collective worship in school and church.

Through Music, we aim for our pupils to:

• Listen and appraise a range of musical styles and teach respect for and raise awareness and knowledge of notable composers and musicians, musical traditions of different cultures and styles associated with periods of time.
• Develop their singing voices, to create and compose music on their own including others
• Opportunities to learn a musical instrument and use technology appropriately
• Understand and explore how music is created, produced and communicated, including through the inter-related dimensions: pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture, structure and appropriate musical notation
• Perform in front of an audience with confidence and a sense of purpose
• Develop an awareness of how music is produced using IT and use IT to capture, change and combine sounds
• Explore music through cross curricular themes

Implementation

We use Charanga’s English Model Music Curriculum Scheme to teach music which is aligned with the National Curriculum for Music and the non-statutory Model Music Curriculum (MMC) Guidance published by the DfE in 2021.

This Scheme provides clearly-sequenced units and lessons with week-by-week support for each year group. There are lesson plans, assessment documentation, a clear learning progression, as well as engaging and exciting songs and resources to support every lesson. Key Learning and Outcomes with ‘I Can’ statements are provided to be used alongside assessment grids.

Our Scheme follows a spiral approach to musical learning, with children revisiting, building and extending their knowledge and skills incrementally. In this manner, their learning is consolidated and augmented, increasing musical confidence and enabling them to go further. Teachers can adapt their teaching to respond to the strengths and needs of the children they teach.

There are six units, each corresponding with one of our six recurring Social Questions, combined with a unique Musical Spotlight.   The first step of each unit introduces that unit’s focus in terms of content, skills and knowledge; the middle steps then develop this, and the final, sixth step assesses the learning through exciting performances and activities.

At the centre of each step is a song around which the musical learning is centred.  This will include the opportunity to listen, sing, perform, compose and improvise over the half term.

At Peakirk cum Glinton, classroom music is taught weekly by the music lead from EYFS to Year 6.

Impact and Assessment

Assessment

Assessing, Recording and Reporting Assessing and Recording The music specialist makes use of on-going assessment throughout the year to record the progress of individuals during each lesson, at the beginning, during and end of each topic. The assessment focus is taken from the medium term planning and skills progression. These assessments inform planning each week.  

Audio and video recordings of performances are made as appropriate in music lessons; before and after sessions which show progression. All are stored on the school drive, and are also shared with class teachers.

The music lead keeps records of the individual children's progress in the assessment file. Any important details are passed onto the next teacher as the children move up the school. Secondary Schools are informed about children with particular musical ability. Reporting Parents receive a written report in the summer term, detailing their child's progress and attitude towards class music.

Children who learn to play an instrument with peripatetic teachers receive a report in the summer term, from their teacher.

Impact

Children are engaged in musical activities and are enthusiastic about music

Children sing with gusto and are proud of the musical achievements

Children perform confidently in front of an audience which will include parents at identified points of the year

Children appreciate a greater range of genres and musical styles

Pupil progress can be seen through the number of pupils achieving success in external examinations