Intent

Music is one of the great joys of life and is all around us. Learning begins with rich knowledge development for curious minds. Children are actively encouraged to question, explore and make links with prior learning. Key links to prior music knowledge and/or cross-curricular learning are made explicit to connect the learning tapestry for all.

To foster mastery in our musicians, vocabulary and skills are planned for in progression steps that refer to and strengthen foundation knowledge and develop this further each year. Performance opportunities are built in to our school year with nativity and summer productions, as well as an annual performance for our musicians to perform.

Children are encouraged to feel COURAGE in their ability to perform, whether in their classroom or a more public performance. Upton, as a town renowned for its music festivals, presents many opportunities to relish taking part in COMMUNITY events.  Children develop RESPECT by appraising musical genres and differing styles and listening to the views of others. Children PERSEVERE in rehearsing compositions and preparing for performances. We are a singing school and our singing brings us together. This is a common theme that runs throughout the learning at Upton upon Severn C.E. Primary School.

Implementation

Teaching sequences logically build on prior learning. Opportunities to recall prior learning are embedded in lessons and called upon to answer questions and to appraise, compose and perform.

Key vocabulary is shared with children and utilised throughout the learning sequence. The same vocabulary can be used as scaffolding for discussions.  Some children will spend time revisiting key vocabulary to secure good recall and understanding.

Each year group has core substantive and disciplinary learning for music identified in the curriculum overview document. Charanga schemes of work are used to scaffold and resource planning. The scheme provides a valuable support for the delivery of skills and musical experiences but not exclusively so and teachers may use a range of resources and their own ideas, following the objectives set out in the scheme. Teachers may adapt lessons to ensure that the core purpose of each lesson is for children to practice their musical skills and learn more.

Teachers make use of the learning opportunities available in the local environment. Upton upon Severn is a small town with big music festivals and the school participates in the folk, blues and jazz festivals annually and our children enjoy the performing opportunities these present, including dancing in the folk festival parade, singing at the opening of the jazz festival and performing on the main stage at the blues festival.

We have a class set of djembe drums and use these in lessons to develop rhythm and team work, as well as classroom instruments.  A range of woodwind instruments are loaned free of charge for a year to pupils wanting to learn in Key Stage 2

Impact

Key vocabulary is readily accessible, adapted as required for the learner and revisited before being expanded upon.

Children can recall links to relevant prior learning as this is implicitly visited over the course of the learning sequence. Children can talk about what they knew then and what they know now as a logical development.

Children are encouraged to perform at many points each year, including our annual singing service for Mother’s Day and productions. Children take part in musical events in the community, as well as local competitions. Music brings our school community together 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.

Assessment for learning is consistently planned for and included in lessons through questioning and low-stakes quizzes. Teachers consider misconceptions prior to the learning sequence and plan to address and resolve these. Information gathered from these sources informs next steps in learning with opportunities to strengthen recall incorporated where recall falls below 80%.

Assessment of learning occurs through individual and small group performance with the task parameters in mind. Children are confident self-assessing against shared criteria, as well as responding to peer and teacher assessment. Children can articulate their choices in composition and re-draft pieces to act on guidance.