Progression in Music
"Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything." - Plato
Our Music Curriculum Intent
Music is an important part of our school curriculum where we aim to encourage a lifelong love of music by exposing children to a range of musical opportunities. Through our music curriculum children have the opportunity to explore their creativity, engage their imaginations, grow in self-confidence and develop listening skills whilst enjoying hearing, performing and creating music of different genres, historical periods and traditions. Children develop their skills as musicians and express themselves through music, both individually and together as part of a community spirit.
How we implement the Music Curriculum
Music is taught as a separate subject, but links are made between the music curriculum and termly topics to enrich understanding in a wider context. All children from EYFS to Y6 receive a weekly music lesson supported by Charanga Musical School scheme of work. The Charanga music scheme allows children to experience a new topic and style of music every half-term.
This engaging and interactive resource provides a structured music curriculum, as well as a vast library of resources, songs and instrumental courses designed to ensure the step-by-step progression of knowledge and skills.
Children are taught the different elements of music and terminology in lessons and the opportunity to listen and respond to different styles of music, use their voices and instruments to listen and sing back and have a go at composing their own piece of music. They play untuned percussion instruments to explore rhythm, beat and tempo. The Scheme supports all the requirements of the national curriculum.
In line with the curriculum for music and guidance from Ofsted, this Scheme moves away from the previous levels and learning objective/outcome concepts to an integrated, practical, exploratory and child-led approach to musical learning.
How the scheme is structured
Each Unit of Work focuses on the strands of musical learning which correspond with the national curriculum for music:
- Listening and Appraising
- Musical Activities
- Warm-up Games
- Optional Flexible Games
- Singing
- Playing instruments
- Improvisation
- Composition
- Performing
Mastery in our Music Lessons
The spiral structure of the curriculum enables children to understand musical concepts through a repetition-based approach to learning. Learning about the same musical concept through different musical activities enables a more secure, deeper learning and mastery of musical skills. Musical teaching and learning is not neat or linear. The strands of musical learning, presented within the lesson ideas and the on-screen resources, are part of the learning spiral. Over time, children can both develop new musical skills and concepts, and re-visit established musical skills and concepts. Repeating a musical skill doesn’t necessarily mean their progress is slowing down or their development is moving backwards, rather shifting within the spiral. This allows children to develop a deeper understanding of musical skills and concepts and learning something new.
In addition to the taught music curriculum children listen and sing to a range of music styles and genres in weekly Collective Worship and also have opportunities to perform to the wider community throughout the year.
Impact of our Music Curriculum
Children’s learning and progress in music will be monitored and assessed throughout their time at Thurnham Glasson CofE Primary School to ensure that National Curriculum standards are met and that music is enriching children’s education as fully as possible.
By the time children leave Thurnham Glasson C of E Primary School, they will have gained the musical knowledge and skills to enable them to access music in all its forms. They will have developed the creativity, confidence and curiosity to continue exploring their musical passions and potential through secondary school and beyond.
Music is an important part of the school curriculum. Hymn Practice is taught to children from Reception to Year 6, and pitched and unpitched percussion instruments are used throughout the school for composing and performing music.