Intent

At Welbourne Primary School, we want children to feel the joy, emotion and freedom that music offers. 

We want children to experience music so that they develop a desire to hear more, discover more and play more. 

In life, we are exposed to different types of music in all sorts of situations. Our aim is to: 

• Expose children to a range of music from different cultures and times. 

• Help children to make music with whatever is available to them (using their bodies, their environment, their voices or musical instruments. 

• Immerse children in musical experiences so that they can make their own music choices. 

• Give children to confidence to perform music as part of their class, group or individually. 

• Provide children with the opportunity to learn to play a range of tuned instruments 

• Offer chances for children to experience live performances 

Implementation 

In the Early Years music is an integral part of provision. Children encounter music through their continuous provision and through structured singing and musical activities. ‘Active music’ is used to provide well-structured and progressive provision. 

In Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 classes have weekly music lessons that cover a unit of work each half-term. 

Class teachers teach music to their class following the ‘Charanga Music School’ programme. We use the original music scheme that is available to provide children with lessons that are engaging and exciting. 

Using ‘Charanga Music School’, we ensure that our music curriculum shows progression through structured units, repetition and depth of understanding. 

As we teach through the units, the children: 

• Learn to listen and appraise using their growing knowledge of the interrelated dimensions of music. 

• Use practical, fun games to develop understanding of the musical elements. 

• Enhance their singing through varied activities. 

• Learn to play music using different mediums – progressing to a range of instruments. 

• Develop their improvisation skills. 

• Have the opportunity to be creative and compose their own musical responses. 

• Develop the confidence to perform musically to others. 

Musical Experiences 

In our Early Years classroom, children encounter music through their continuous provision and through structured singing and musical activities. The children have early experiences of rhythm, pulse and pitch. They are encouraged to sing, move to music, make music and perform to others. 

In Year 1 children focus on pulse and rhythm using a wide range untuned instruments - including world instruments. During the summer term of Year 2, children are introduced to the tuned bells as they develop their understanding of pitch. 

Through Years 3, 4 and 5, children have the opportunity to learn to play a particular instrument in more depth with the intention that they could develop this into mastery. 

• Year 3 learn the glockenspiel.

• Year 4 learn the ukulele through our partnership with the Peterborough music Hub and a specialist teacher.

• Year 5 learn the recorder. 

• By Year 6, it is intended that the children have the skills to be able to select which instrument they would like to use for improvising, playing and performing during lessons 

Due to the cultural capital of our school, we strive to ensure that children have access to live music performances. 

Each year, Key Stage 1 children have a visit from the Britten Sinfonia Orchestra who provide an entertaining and interactive performance. 

In Year 4, the children participate in an end of term music performance in collaboration with the Peterborough Music Hub. This gives them the chance to watch, listen and perform to children and adults from other schools as they perform in a city-wide concert. 

Key stage 2 children are invited to participate in singing events that happen regularly through our involvement with the Peterborough Sings initiative. This involves children practising songs from a genre and then collaborating with other schools in the city to create a showpiece which is then performed as a concert alongside a live orchestra to an audience in a local theatre. 

Assessment 

Music assessment is implemented and monitored through children’s progression. At the beginning of each term, children’s singing performances and instrumental performances are recorded. At the end each unit, the final performance is also recorded. Teachers can then use these to inform their ongoing assessments of the children’s musical capabilities. 

Professional Development 

We are in regular contact with Peterborough Music Hub. There are opportunities to attend training and courses to develop the music curriculum which are taken advantage of by the music lead. 

• Work with Sue Nicholls 

• Charanga training 

• Regular Network meetings 

Members of staff who have worked with Year 4 have had a ten-week block of ‘on the job’ training by observing and participating in lessons lead by a trained peripatetic music teacher. They can then take their experiences and apply them to their own music practise. The music lead has supported new members of staff with learning about and implementing the ‘Charanga Music School’ programme to their classes. 

Impact

By the time our children leave Welbourne Primary Academy, they will be able to: 

• Enjoy listening to and playing music. 

• Listen to and appraise a range of music from different genres, times, composers and musicians. 

• Use their listening skills to develop their own preferences and opinions about music. 

• Demonstrate their understanding of the interrelated dimensions of music through their appraising skills and their own performances. 

• Sing a range of songs as part of a group with joy and confidence. 

• Use their voices, bodies, objects, instruments and technology to improvise and compose short pieces of music. 

• Learn to play a range of instruments, both tuned and untuned, as an accompaniment to music or as part of composition performance. 

• Follow music notation which may be in the form of pictures, symbols or formal musical notes 

• Perform to an audience with confidence

If you have questions about the music curriculum please contact Mrs Tilson Music Lead via the office (office@wel.education).