Music

The National Curriculum for music aims to ensure that all children:

perform, listen to, review and evaluate music
be taught to sing, create and compose music
understand and explore how music is created, produced and communicated

At Regent Farm First School, children gain a firm understanding of what music is through listening, singing, playing, evaluating, analysing, and composing across a wide variety of historical periods, styles, traditions, and musical genres.

We are committed to developing a curiosity for the subject, as well as an understanding and acceptance of the validity and importance of all types of music, and an unbiased respect for the role that music may wish to be expressed in any person’s life. We are committed to ensuring children understand the value and importance of music in the wider community and are able to use their musical skills, knowledge, and experiences to involve themselves in music, in a variety of different contexts.

How do we teach music?

Children will be engaged in making music for much of the lesson, for example:

Chanting a rap
Adding “body percussion” (e.g. clapping/stamping/clicking)
Singing songs (call and response, with actions, topic-related, a round song etc.)
Playing instruments
Exploring/creating own compositions using voices, environmental sounds, instruments & computer software

All of this should be supported by the creative and musical involvement of the teacher.

Other key features of an excellent music lesson:

Classroom management: does the teacher demonstrate clear strategies (hand signs/musical signals) to ensure that the children know when to start & stop playing? Are instruments organised in a way which promotes access & inclusion?
Creativity: has the teacher used interesting starting points for composition? These should offer scope for musical representation, e.g. patterns, materials, pictures and paintings, video-clips etc. It should be possible to find a non-musical starting point for composition to complement ANY theme or topic!
Knowledge of the curriculum: is the teacher able to fit the planning into a wider scheme of work and to make meaningful cross curricular links?
Knowledge of music & musicians: does the teacher provide opportunities for the children to sing/play/listen to a varied diet of music? Songs & pieces for listening should embrace a wide variety of styles and cultures.
Performance: are opportunities provided for children to demonstrate what they can do – singly/pairs/groups- for class appraisal and teacher assessment?
Understanding of techniques and musical processes: is the teacher able to develop the children’s ability to hold beaters correctly, or to adopt a comfortable posture for singing? Can they use appropriate musical vocabulary to describe getting louder, or slowing down, high sounds or a repeating musical pattern?

What is the impact of our music curriculum?

Whilst in school, children have access to a varied programme, which allows them to discover areas of strength, as well as areas they might like to improve upon.

The integral nature of music and the learner creates an enormously rich palette from which a child may access fundamental abilities such as: achievement, self-confidence, interaction with and awareness of others, and self-reflection.

Music will also develop an understanding of culture and history, both in relation to children individually, as well as ethnicities from across the world.

Children are able to enjoy music in as many ways as they choose – either as listener, creator or performer.

They can dissect music and comprehend its parts. They can sing and feel a pulse. They understand how to further develop skills less known to them, should they ever develop an interest in their lives.

EYFS to Key Stage 1 Progression - Music
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