Through our music curriculum, our children are taught to listen, appreciate and differentiate between different sounds and to work together and express themselves through the six elements within each music lesson.
We provide a high-quality music education that engages and inspires children to develop a love of music and their talents as musicians. Through music, children develop their self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement.
Our Intent:
Our music curriculum aims to equip the children with the knowledge, understanding and skills to be lifelong learners and to enjoy, participate and achieve in music.
At Combs Infant School the teaching of music ensures that all children have access to a broad and balanced curriculum that increases their confidence, creativity and sense of achievement. We want all children to have access to a wide genre of music and understand what music is through listening, playing, analysing, evaluating and composing music. We want children to have not only the skills for music but also the passion and curiosity to continue this after they leave our school. Our teaching intends for children to use music as a form of expression and make links between other areas of the curriculum at school and in the wider community.
Implementation:
Early Years
In the Early Years Foundation Stage Music is an integral part of the learning focuses covered during the year. In Nursery and Reception we relate the musical aspects of the children’s learning to the objectives set out in the Early Learning Goals (ELGs) which underpin the curriculum planning for children aged three to five. Music contributes to a child’s personal and social development. Pupils begin to build a repertoire of songs and dances and explore the different sounds of instruments. Children sing songs, make music and dance, and then experiment with ways of changing and adapting them. Counting songs foster a child’s mathematical ability, and songs from different cultures increase a child’s knowledge and understanding of the world. The skills taught are met through lessons planned to link in with learning focuses that the children are learning about as well as through the use of Charanga (in Reception).
Key Stage 1
At Combs Infant School we use Charanga to support the teaching of Music. Music is planned in-line with the statements laid out in the national curriculum at Key Stage 1. The progression planned into the units of work means that the children are increasingly challenged throughout their time in school. Charanga provides many examples of music styles and genres from different times and places. These are explored through the language of music via active listening, performing and composing activities, which enable understanding of the context and genre. Through our music lessons children are actively involved in a wide range of musical opportunities. Children develop their singing voices, using body percussion and whole body actions, and learning to handle and play classroom instruments effectively to create and express their own and others’ music. Through a range of whole class, group and individual activities, children have opportunities to explore sounds, listen actively, compose and perform.
Impact:
Music is monitored by the subject leader throughout all year groups. Our musical curriculum is planned to demonstrate progression and build on and embed current skills. At Combs Infant School the impact of the music curriculum is that all our children have access to a broad and balanced curriculum. Our children will be able to make links between music and other areas of their learning. They will be given the opportunity to express themselves creatively and they will develop an awareness of the emotional impact that music can have on themselves and an audience. Our pupils gain confidence in not only their musical knowledge and skills, but also in communicating, movement and other areas of life. Skills, knowledge and vocabulary will develop throughout the school year and through their time at Combs Infant School.
EYFS End Points
By the end of Reception children will:
Singing - Sing a range of well-known songs and nursery rhymes - moving in time and adding actions to complement and feel the music. Lead fun songs individually and create fun ideas within songs. Take part in call and response songs, using mi-so, do-mi and do-so
Listening and Appraising - Listen to different musical styles and music from around the world, during carpet time paying attention to sounds. Respond to what they have heard, expressing their thoughts and feelings about the music. ( Knowing that the words of the songs can tell the story)
Composing - Copy ‘animal’ rhythms lead by the teacher and then create their own. Create musical rhythms using animal words and then write them down Compose tunes on the Glockenspiel using 2 notes
Musicianship - Find the pulse using percussion instruments and their bodies as body percussion, and glockenspiel. Recognise and perform copycat rhythm patterns accurately. Sing and Play using Dynamic contrasts and understanding. Sing and move to the music using actions and an awareness of beat and rhythm.
RHYTHM Perform short copycat rhythm patterns accurately. Perform short repeating rhythm patterns (ostinati) while keeping in time with a steady beat. Perform word pattern chants, create, retain and perform their own rhythms.
PITCH Listen to sounds and compare high and low sounds. Sing familiar songs in both low and high voices and talk about different sounds. Explore percussion sounds to enhance a story. Follow pictures and symbols to guide singing and playing.
Key Stage One End Points
Singing - Sing simple songs, chants, rhymes and call and response songs. Small pitch range - mi-so, do-so and pentatonic Sing a song with increasing vocal control. Know the meaning of dynamic and tempo and be able to demonstrate these when singing by responding to the leader’s direction and visual symbols.
Listening and Appraising - Listen with concentration and understanding to a range of high-quality live and recorded music of different genres and styles. Recognise Instruments of the orchestra and have an awareness of how music enhances our everyday lives.
Composing - Create musical sound effects using classroom instruments in response to a stimuli. Combine to make a story. Improvise simple vocal chants, using question and answer phrases. Understand the difference between creating a rhythm pattern and a pitch pattern. Invent, retain and recall rhythm and pitch patterns. Use music technology, if available to capture, change and combine sounds.
Musicianship - Understand that the speed of a beat can change - Walk, move or clap a steady beat with others, changing the speed of the beat as the tempo of the music changes. Use body percussion and classroom percussion playing repeated rhythm patterns and maintain a steady beat. Respond to the pulse in recorded or live music through movement and dance. Know the difference between left and right to support coordination. Begin to group beats in twos and threes by tapping knees on the strong beat and clapping the remaining beats. Identify the beat groupings in familiar music that they sing or listen to.
RHYTHM Play copycat rhythms, copying a leader, and invent rhythms for others to copy on untuned percussion. Create rhythms using word phrases. Read and respond to chanted rhythm patterns, and represent them with stick notation including crotchets, quavers and crotchet rests. Create and perform their own chanted rhythm patterns with the same stick notation.
PITCH Play a range of singing games based on the cuckoo interval – so-mi. Sing short phrases independently within a singing game or short song. Respond independently to pitch changes heard in short melodic phrases, indicating with actions. Recognise dot notation and match it to 3-note tunes played on tuned percussion.
Teaching and Learning
We have a developed a clearly sequenced and ambitious approach to music teaching. Our Programme of Study details the knowledge and skills that will be taught from EYFS through to Year Two. In EYFS, our music curriculum follows the ‘Expressive Arts and Design’ learning pathway of the Development Matters guidance, meeting the requirements of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. This culminates in our Reception children learning and performing a range of songs, learning to listen to music and developing their abilities to express themselves through music. Children are introduced to fundamental musical vocabulary, focus on fine and gross motor practise and develop an awareness of basic rhythm. They regularly experiment with sound, use their bodies to respond to music and sing. Children practise regularly and are given the opportunity to perform in front of their peers.
In Key Stage 1, children learn to listen carefully and respond physically and emotionally to a wide range of music. They play musical instruments and sing a variety of songs from memory, adding accompaniments and creating short compositions, with increasing confidence, imagination and control. They explore and enjoy how sounds and silence can create different moods and effects. They learn about famous and local composers from a range of times that exemplify a range of musical styles and techniques. Furthermore, they listen to and analyse their work, discussing what they can hear and how this makes them feel.
Educational visits
Every Christmas all the children come together to perform a nativity. The Key Stage 1 and Reception children venture out to a couple of our local care homes to perform their nativity songs along with a few carols to spread the Christmas cheer.
Also, all the children create an invitation which is sent out to local residents to invite them to watch our children sing next to the Christmas Tree.
Role of Subject Leader
The role of the subject leader is to:
• Ensure high quality Music lessons are taught across EYFS and Key Stage 1 through our agreed broad and rich Music curriculum.
• Provide subject specific guidance/CPD to colleagues.
• Monitor the Music curriculum delivered to children across the school.
• Monitor the progress and attainment of children in school in Music.
• Quality assure extra-curricular activities.
• Manage resources including maintaining/replenishing instruments to support delivery of a high quality curriculum.
• Support staff and co-ordinate music concerts for children to watch and participate in.
• Stay up to date with changes, new initiatives and research that would enhance and support the development of Music at Combs Infant School.
Reasonable Adjustments
Within the Music curriculum, teachers will make reasonable adjustments for all children through adapted teaching and support, use of different instruments and level of challenge to meet the needs of all children in the class. Within KS1 lessons, reasonable adjustment suggestions are made for each teaching activity within the scheme to support children at different starting points withing Music lessons. Class teachers can seek advice from the Music subject leader and/or SENCO to ensure reasonable adjustments are made for all children in order to enable them to meet the intended knowledge outcomes.
Equality Statement
The Music curriculum adheres to the Combs Equal Opportunities Policy. It is the responsibility of all staff to ensure that all children are treated equally, regardless of their background, gender, race or ability. We are an inclusive school and teach Music to all children respecting individual needs. The Music curriculum takes into account issues of difference including: gender, race and ethnicity. The Music curriculum ensures music from across a wide range of genres and cultures is listened to, taught and key features explored. Children are also given opportunities to sing and play, compose and improvise in different styles and genres of music.
SMSC in Music lessons
Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is threaded throughout our Music curriculum.
During Music lessons children will:
• Develop their sense of personal enjoyment through music.
• Learn about the musical world around them, past and present.
• Make links between music and different cultures and societies - locally, nationally and globally, understanding how cultural influences have shaped the world they live in today.
• Develop their own imagination and have the freedom to be creative through music. • Reflect on music they have listened to, watched and performed.
• Performing together at events within the school and local community.
• Developing understanding and showing respect for different faiths and cultures and celebrating diversity through music.
How can you help at home?
Music within EYFS is covered within the specific areas of learning: Expressive Arts and Design; Being Imaginative and Expressive with an understanding that each area of learning is impacted by children achieving the statements related in each of the prime areas of learning within the Development Matters Framework.
As our children progress to KS1, teachers ensure that the skills children have acquired in EYFS are built upon and utilised to enable children to further their skills and new knowledge by following the National Curriculum.
Music is taught through Charanga in EYFS and KS1. These projects are sequenced to develop children's substantive and declarative knowledge, and if possible, make meaningful links to other projects. These links allow for children to embed their substantive knowledge and vocabulary in new and often real-life contexts, to comprehend subsequent projects fully.