Intent

Music connects us through people and places in our ever-changing environment.  It is creative, collaborative, celebratory and challenging. 

At Glebelands, we use music to bring together our school community through the shared endeavour of whole-school singing, ensemble playing, experimenting with the creative process and through the love of listening to friends and fellow pupils, performing.  We believe that developing the love of music and their talent as musicians, increases children’s self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement.   

Implementation

At Glebelands, we have based our curriculum on the Primary Model Curriculum.  Our curriculum is knowledge and curriculum rich.  We have a clear progression of skills that build on prior learning.

Through careful monitoring children are supported and challenged allowing them to progress their skills and grow in confidence. 

Within our curriculum children:  

• perform, listen to, review and evaluate music across a range of historical periods, genres, styles and traditions, including the works of the great composers and musicians 

• learn to sing and to 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. 

Although Music is taught as a discrete subject it is also weaved across the wider curriculum.  Areas of learning, such as times tables in maths, vocabulary in languages and movement in dance can all incorporate different elements of music.  Singing in assembly allows the children opportunities to develop their singing skills and gain an understanding of how ensembles work. 

Performances, such as Christmas plays and nativities and end of year shows, demonstrate that music is important to the life of the school. We are also involved with Young Voices and Voice in a Million.  Extracurricular activities, such as choir, ukulele club and peripatetic music lessons, also provide children with experience of making music. 

Impact

The impact of teaching music will be seen across the school with an increase in the profile of music. Whole-school and parental engagement will be improved through performances and extracurricular activities as well as music within the wider curriculum.  Participation in music will develop wellbeing, promote listening and develop concentration.

We want to ensure that music is loved by teachers and pupils across school, encouraging them to want to continue building on this wealth of musical ability, now and in the future.

Singing Opportunities:

This year, the children have had the opportunity to sing with Young Voices in Birmingham, Voice In A Million at Wembley Arena and with other local schools at the Big Sing.  Two of our children who attended Voice In A Million last year were so inspired, they auditioned for this year's 'stage choir' and were accepted; we were all proud to see them performing on the main stage.  The children, who attended this year, watched other schools take the stage and perform their chosen song for an audience of thousands. As a result, they now want to do the same and are keen to work hard to achieve this next year - watch this space!

Performance Opportunities:

The children have the opportunity to perform on stage in various roles: singing, playing, acting and presenting.  This year, year 3 and 4 performed the musical, We Are Special.  Year 5 and 6 performed the opera, The Magic Flute.  

Year 4, 5 and 6 use Charanga YuStudio to compose music digitally.  Year 4 use the program to create a soundtrack for a short visual clip.  In Year 5, the children study Hip Hop and then create their own composition using multiple tracks.  Year 6 compose short pieces of music in ternary from.  They then add in a drum kit track to add more texture to the piece.  

Year 1

Year 1 have been performing rhythms using their 'thinking voice'.  They have also composed a rhythm using symbols and then performed them to the class.

Year 2

As part of our music technology, we have used Charanga Quickbeats to programme a drum kit.  We then changed the tempo and chose the one we liked best.  We found we didn't all like the same.

Year 4 have studied Folk music and began learning the ukulele this year.  As part of the unit of work, the children used open string notes on the ukulele to accompany the sea shanty, Roll the Old Chariot.  They also took the Sailor's Alphabet and wrote their own version called Life in the Fens.

Choir

This year, our choir rehearsed for Voice In A Million, but there is always time for a cheeky Christmas song, especially on Christmas Jumper Day.