Music

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Intent:

To have the skills and knowledge outlined in the EYFS Framework and the National Curriculum in order to be motivated to enjoy and succeed in music. This will include encouragement to learn a musical instrument, including voice.

To develop an awareness of the emotional impact of music.

 

EYFS

In EYFS children are encouraged to be imaginative and expressive whilst exploring a range of songs, rhymes, instruments and sound makers. Opportunities for singing and using instruments (e.g rhymes) occur throughout the school week.

 

The order of skills taught:

The children’s interests and the class topic decide the order in which some specific lessons are taught. The skills being taught on a daily basis during free learning time are, however, progressive and as the year goes on the activities available to the children will develop with their growing understanding and ability.

The Music curriculum is devised from the Yearly Overview which was developed from the Development Matters document.

 

How and when we assess:

Assessment is continuous and observational. Children are assessed against the Early Learning Goals and Development Matters statements across the year.

 

By the end of the year, we expect children to be able to:

  • Listen with increased attention to sounds, rhymes and songs,
  • Respond to what they have heard, expressing their thoughts and feelings,
  • Remember and sing entire songs,
  • Sing the pitch of a tone sung by another person (‘pitch match’),
  • Sing the melodic shape (moving melody, such as up and down, down and up) of familiar songs,
  • Create their own songs, or improvise a song around one they know,
  • Play instruments with increasing control to express their feelings and ideas.
  • Listen attentively, move to and talk about music, expressing their feelings and responses. 
  • Sing in a group or on their own, increasingly matching the pitch and following the melody,
  • Explore and engage in music making and dance, performing solo or in groups.

 

Children who do not meet age related expectations are supported through adult support or by a more able child. Skills are revisited and taught in different ways to aid recall. Adaptions are made and scaffolding is put in place to support each child and ensure that every child makes good progress.

Key Stage 1

In Key Stage 1, the children usually have one half hour lesson per week. In addition, there are other opportunities for singing during singing assemblies every week and singing and instruments will be used in school performances (Christmas, Harvest, Leavers Assembly). Music will be used in a cross-curricular context in science, geography and PE lessons.

 

The order of skills & knowledge

We have devised 6 blocks of learning for Years 1 and 2, with knowledge building upon work done in the previous year. Each block of lessons gives children opportunities to apply and practice skills already learned, as well as making cross-curricular links wherever possible.

 

Blocks are usually taught in the following order, enabling the children to build on skills and knowledge already acquired, but occasionally will be moved to accommodate children’s needs: Duration; Pulse and Rhythm; Pitch; Instruments, Symbols and Sounds; Timbre, Texture and Dynamics; and Singing is taught throughout the year.

 

How and when we assess:

Assessment is made at the end of each block using a Proof of Progress (POP) task. These are a mixture of observational and written assessments.

 

By the end of Year 1, we expect children to be able to:

  • Use voices creatively and expressively – songs and chants.
  • Play tuned and untuned percussion musically.
  • Listen with concentration and understanding to a range of recorded/live music.
  • Experiment with, create, select and combine sounds using the inter-related dimensions of music.

 

By the end of Year 2, we expect the children to be able to:

  • Play, perform and compose in both solo and ensemble contexts and make improvements using the inter-related dimensions of music.
  • Use and understand staff notation.
  • Appreciate and understand a range of multi-cultural musical genres and develop an understanding for the history and for the modern use of music.

 

Children who do not meet ARE are supported by adaptations and repetitions of skills and more adult support.

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