Music

MUSIC

Vision:

At Blackpool, our main goal in music is to provide children with experiences that engage and inspire them to develop a love of music. We want to ensure that our pupils have a broad exposure in exploring their talents as musicians, both in performing and composing. This will enable them to improve and develop their self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievements as well as improve their mental well-being. Our aim is to provide children with a sense of their place in community, through sharing performances, such as sharing assemblies, productions and performing for local community events.  Through performance and listening, we intend to provide children with the opportunity to review and evaluate music across a range of historical periods, genres, styles and traditions.  As part of following a key-stage appropriate progressional programme of study, children will be given the opportunities to play a range of tuned and un-tuned instruments and have the opportunity to progress to the next level of musical excellence. All units of work include building skills and knowledge in 3 core areas of composing, performing, and Evaluating and appraising. Through this, they will develop a critical engagement with music, which will allow them to compose and listen with discrimination.

Aims:

Early Years:

Children are introduced to early skills such as:

• Recognising different tuned and un-tuned instruments and exploring the sounds they make
• Using simple symbols when performing and creating musical patterns
• Listening and moving to music, and describing what they hear
• Exploring the different elements of music, such as rhythm, beat, dynamics, pitch, structure, tempo and texture.
• Performing

Key Stage 1:

Children will develop the early skills by:

• Using their voices expressively and creatively by singing a range of songs and chants.
• Playing tuned and un-tuned instruments by ear and using simple symbols
• Listening with concentration and use simple musical language to describe what they hear
• Improvising and composing simple melodic and rhythmic pattern, using the key elements of music.

Key Stage 2:

Children will be taught to sings and play musical with increasing confidence, accuracy and control. They will develop an understanding of musical composition, organising and manipulating ideas within musical structures and reproducing sounds from aural memory

They will develop their skills by:

• Learning to play a tuned musical instrument

• Playing and performing in solo and ensemble groups, (in parts) using their voices and instruments with increasing expression and musicianship
• Improvising and composing music for a range of purposes, using the key elements (or inter-related dimension)
• Listening with attention to detail and recall sounds with increasing aural memory
• Learning the correct musical language to use when evaluating and describing music
• Understanding different musical notations, which will  be used to perform from and  composition work
• Appreciating and understanding a wide range of high-quality live and recorded music drawn from different traditions and from great composers and musicians.
• Developing an understanding of the history of music and the contexts in which music has been written

ASSESSMENT AND MONITORING

Pupils will be assessed on their music knowledge and achievements linked to each sequence of work which then builds towards longer term curricular goals. Assessments will be made against the planned curriculum. Assessments will be made against the 3 core areas of composing, performing, and evaluating and appraising.  Performances are an important part of the children’s learning journey; since the different aspects of music come together.  These show the children’s’ understanding of the skills that have been taught and are a great showcase in the school environment, celebrating the high quality work of our students. Leaders will be responsible for monitoring the planned curriculum on a regular basis and will support the development of music teaching and learning.  

INSTRUMENT LESSONS WITH A TUTOR

Pupils also have the opportunity to have instrument tuition delivered by a qualified teacher, if parents wish. This is a great chance for children to master playing an instrument of their choosing. This is on top of the weekly music curriculum lessons. 

This is what our children say about Music in our school...

'I like learning how to play instruments. I can play an ocarina really well.' Year 5

'We listen to lots of different types of music. I like dancing to the music and listening for the different instruments I can hear.' Year 2

' Music gives me chance to sing and play instruments, which I love. I am learning new skills to help me get even better at this.' Year 4

'I am looking forward to learning how to play new instruments and playing them in class.' Year 3

'Our music lessons always include listening to music and musicians from around the world and even from the past, which makes it more interesting.' Year 6