Music

Music is an important part of our school curriculum.  We value the benefits that music brings to children's development.  All children in our school enjoy weekly music lessons with a specialist music teacher.  Children also have a weekly singing lesson with a specialist singing teacher.  We have a school choir for children from Years 3 to 6 which runs after school each Monday.

Across the year, children get lots of opportunities to perform in front of an audience.  Every year, the children perform at the Harvest Show, the Christmas Carol Concert, the Christmas nativity, the Skipton Music Festival and in the end of year performances for the different age groups.  In addition, the school choir performs at various events during the year.  

Music is an important part of our culture and society and through learning about music, children develop a better understanding of the world they live in.  Engaging in a well-planned curriculum can increase children’s self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement. 

The Boyle and Petyt Primary School (the School) follows the key objectives of the National Curriculum and the principles of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage.

Intent

The School’s music curriculum intends to give all children:

• Appreciation and enjoyment, leading to a love of music.
• Knowledge and understanding of how sounds are made and organised into music - vocal and instrumental.
• Knowledge and understanding of how music is composed and noted down.
• Knowledge and understanding of key subject specific vocabulary.
• Knowledge and appreciation of different musical styles and music from different periods of time, cultures and countries.
• Knowledge and understanding of composers.
• Opportunities to listen to and evaluate a range of music.
• Opportunities to participate and perform in a range of musical experiences - vocal and instrumental.   
• Opportunities to create music through self-expression.
• Opportunities to pursue skills and talents as musicians.

Implementation

All children, from the Early Years to Year 6, have a weekly music lesson with a specialist subject teacher and a weekly singing lesson with a specialist singing teacher.

Teaching follows the progression of components set out in the School’s Music Progression Map and the essential knowledge overviews. 

Where appropriate, cross-curricular links are made.  Teachers give children opportunities to listen and join in with music where this links with other subject teaching.

Children are given opportunities to perform in lessons, assemblies, concerts, competitions, community events and school productions.  The School has a range of tuned and un-tuned percussion instruments.  The specialist music teacher has access to class sets of less frequently used instruments such as ukuleles and samba drums.  The School hall is equipped with a sound system for listening to music and to enhance the music making experience and performances.

Children are offered the opportunity to learn a musical instrument with peripatetic teachers and, from Year 3, can join the School Choir.

All pupils, regardless of race, gender or ability, will have equal opportunities to participate in all activities. All pupils are encouraged to reach their full potential through the provision of varied opportunities and teaching is adapted to respond to the strengths and needs of all pupils.

Teaching is child-centred and is based upon the pupils’ individual needs to ensure that they are taught effectively.  When curriculum planning, opportunities are identified for all pupils to demonstrate their knowledge, understanding and skills.  Evaluating lessons helps teachers to identify where changes can be made for future planning and development.

Within the School there are pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and pupils of high ability who require support and guidance in different ways. School staff and the School’s Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) closely monitor the needs of all pupils to ensure that all pupils are engaged and supported.  Pupils with English as an additional language (EAL) are supported and guided by their teachers as required.

IMPACT

Children’s progress is monitored by the music teachers against the objectives and end points set out in the School’s Music Progression Map and the essential knowledge overviews.  Attainment, progress, enjoyment and appreciation of music is evaluated through observation, monitoring and pupil voice.   

Lessons include regular low-stakes testing allowing teachers to evaluate the extent to which pupils know and remember more.

Monitoring is carried out by the Subject Leader through:

• Reviewing planning documentation.
• Discussions with staff.
• Pupil voice.
• Classroom observation.

Other monitoring is carried out by the Head Teacher, the North Yorkshire Senior Education Adviser and the Governors.