Intent

Music is an integral part of school life at Ladock CoE School as through playing, singing, creating and performing, children will develop confidence, communication, thinking and creative skills and improve their emotional well-being. In addition, as these activities utilise both sides of the brain, it will foster connections which will improve memory and coordination. The skills involved in playing and listening to music will also help learners develop the self-esteem, self-discipline, cooperation, creativity, and self-motivation necessary for success. Children will find that music is enjoyable and relaxing which will help reduce stress. All children will be able to experience a sense of achievement and pride.

Music has been carefully planned so that each year children build on previous skills and knowledge so that they can make progress. This will enable them to express their own musical interests when performing, composing and listening, as we build on the musical horizons of each child. We strongly believe that children should be given the opportunity to share their musical skills at different events both in and outside school. It is our aim that each child becomes a confident performer, however we take each child at their own speed and we support children who are less confident or have additional needs and encourage them to flourish.

During their music lessons they will also be learning songs in different languages, celebrating the different cultures within the school and wider community. We also welcome visitors into school whenever possible so the children can listen to live music.

Singing is highly important part of our day. Weekly singing assemblies take place to teach children how to sing with a sense of pitch and melody. They are taught how to warm up their voices, sing in rounds and harmony, and build up a repertoire of songs. We have a school choir which meet each week and perform as a choir at whole school events, as well as community events.

We believe that all children should be given the opportunity to access musical tuition and to play orchestra instruments. Therefore, we provide opportunities for children to attend peripatetic instrument and vocal lessons with qualified music teachers. We encourage teachers to create opportunities for children to play in small groups or an ensemble as it helped to foster essential life skills such as co-operation, mutual support, self-discipline and commitment. In addition, music plays an important role in helping children to feel part of a community.

Implementation

Music supports the development of many crucial learning characteristics and enables children to achieve the values of Ladock CoE Primary School, learning, loving, achieving together.

In music pupils are actively encouraged to engage with music as part of a healthy, balanced approach to learning.

• Provide music curriculum lessons that are timetabled and sequenced to allow the progressive development of learning skills and knowledge through regular teaching/weekly teaching
• Schemes of Work appropriately reflect the learning needs of all pupils, to allow engaged learning to take place.
• The music curriculum is broad and balanced to reflect the needs of all learners, including pupils with SEND.
• To assess pupils and school progress in music in a number of different flexible ways so that impact can be demonstrated
• Pupils and staff demonstrate a willingness to participate in and respond positively to artistic, musical and cultural opportunities.
• Pupils are able to positively articulate their experiences of music that they are exposed to through their school life.
• Pupils are able to express themselves through music both in the curriculum, and through programmed extra-curricular activities.
• Pupils are able to leave curriculum lessons to attend instrumental/vocal lessons, or to attend school ensemble rehearsals
• Pupils are taken to a range of external interactive live artistic activities/performances to broaden their exposure to a range of opportunities
• Music subject lead attends external CPD events that will result in a broad range of benefits for pupils and can be shared with non-specialist teaching staff to maintain high-quality, progressive music teaching.
• Music subject lead accesses peer development with music leads in other schools to help support and quality assure a secure curriculum.
• Peripatetic music teachers are qualified experts in their field and attend regular CPD opportunities to ensure they deliver high-quality progressive, learning.
• To deliver high-quality singing lessons
• To provide weekly singing opportunities: through collective worship, choir, vocal lessons from peripatetic teachers and cross-curricular learning.
• Our school proactively uses music to promote fundamental British Values.
• Our school uses music to engage parents/carers and the wider community.

Impact

Our music Curriculum is planned to demonstrate progression and build on and embed current skills. We focus on progression of knowledge and skills in the different musical components and teaching of vocabulary also forms part of the units of work. If children are achieving the knowledge and skills in lessons, then they are deemed to be making good or better progress.

We measure the impact of our curriculum through the following methods:

• Pupil discussions and interviewing the pupils about their learning (pupil voice).
• Annual reporting and tracking of standards across the curriculum.
• Photo and video evidence of the pupils’ practical learning.
• Dedicated music leader time.
• The impact of our music curriculum is also measured in the uptake of our music after school clubs and uptake of additional music 1:1 teaching.
• Use of assessment documentation to identify children, WTS, EXS and GDS – audio/video recordings to show progression
• Pupil Conferencing
• Learning Walk/Lesson Observations
• Work Scrutinies