Our Intent, Implementation and Impact for Music.
Intent
At Plymtree, there is an integrated, practical and exploratory approach to musical learning. The interrelated dimensions of music: pulse, rhythm, pitch, tempo, dynamics, timbre, texture, structure and notation are at the centre of all the learning. They weave through what we teach to encourage the development of musical skills. The learning progresses through listening and appraising, differing musical activities (including creating and exploring) and performing.
'The National Curriculum 2014' has the following aims for pupils:
- Perform, listen to, review and evaluate music across historical periods, genres, styles and traditions, including the works of the great composers and musicians.
- Learn to sing and use their voices, to create and compose music on their own and with others, have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument, use technology appropriately and have the opportunity to progress to the next level of musical excellence.
- 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 notations.
Our curricuum drivers aim to:
* Learn about significant people and musical genres through research
* Use mathematical knowledge of counting for rhythm.
* Promote the use of questioning to explore personal preference and self-expression.
* Create music digitally.
* Appreciate and appraise music, linking this to feelings and moods.
Implementation:
Our units of work are taken mostly from the Charanga music scheme and comprise strands of musical learning which correspond with the national curriculum for music:
- Listening and Appraising
- Musical Activities: games, singing, playing instruments, improvisation and composition, performing
Musical concepts are taught through repetition. Learning about the same musical concept through different musical activities enables a more secure, deeper learning and mastery of musical skills. Musical teaching and learning is not neat or linear. The strands of musical learning taught are part of a learning spiral. Over time, children can both develop new musical skills and concepts, and re-visit established ones. Repeating a musical skill shifts the learning within the spiral which leads to mastery; both a deeper understanding of musical skills and concepts and learning something new.
The children in each class are also given the opportunity each year to learn an instrument as a class:
- Year 1-3: Glockenspiels.
- Year 4-6: Glockenspiels and Boomwhackers.
The children are also given the opportunity to learn about the history of music in KS2 moving through from the Romantic period to the 21st century.
The children develop their singing through worship time each day; the children learn new songs regularly and these are sometimes taught in discrete singing assemblies.
Impact:
Children are able to enjoy music in many different ways as a listener, creator and performer. The integral nature of music allows the learner to develop an awareness of others and achieve whilst developing their own self-confidence and self-reflection. The children can dissect music and comprehend its parts being able to sing and feel a pulse. Through music children will also develop an understanding of culture and history in relation to individuals and the wider world. The varied programme allows children to discover their own strengths and areas they can improve upon, developing an understanding of how to further develop skills less known to them as they continue their interest in music throughout their lives.
Extra-Curricular:
In addition our school choir has been successful for many years. Our children have had the opportunity to perform to a public audience at many venues within the local community: Cullompton Christmas Festival; Come and Sing at Wellington School, Mole Valley and Tesco.