Music
Curriculum Lead: Jessica Edgeley
Intent:
At Howard Junior School, it is our intent to have a “high quality music education which should engage and inspire pupils to develop a love of music and their talent as musicians, and so increase their self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement.” (National Curriculum, 2014).
“Music is a universal language that embodies one of the highest forms of creativity” - (National Curriculum, 2014). Our curriculum should allow children to gain a firm understanding of what music is through listening, playing, evaluating, analysing and composing. Our child-centred approach enables the children to develop as a whole and music gives pupils an opportunity to be creative, cooperate and collaborate with others and build upon their confidence.
Our philosophy of music education at Howard is based on the principle that it should be fun and engaging for each child. We are committed to developing pupils’ musical curiosity and interests through encouraging children to ask questions about music they encounter. We want pupils to value the importance of music in the wider community and beyond. Our ambitious music curriculum’s main objectives are to build knowledge and skills through progressive sequences of work. We have chosen a curriculum which is aligned with the National Curriculum for Music (2014) and the Model Music Curriculum (2021), ensuring children are accessing a high quality music education.
Implementation:
Throughout their journey at Howard Junior School, children will explore a variety of musical genres from a range of cultures. We emphasise learning through experience and our curriculum ensures children sing, listen, play instruments, perform and evaluate.
- This is embedded in the classroom through the structured music programmes of Charanga’s English Model Music Scheme alongside Music Mark.
- The scheme is split into six self-sufficient units and the centre of each lesson is around a song.
- These programmes allow children to gain practical skills of music and music-making, including singing, playing instruments, improvisation and composition.
- These practical elements allow children to deepen their understanding of the theory and history of music, including musical notation, key composers and pieces, genres and periods.
- Pupils are pushed to use musical vocabulary when possible.
- They allow children to take part in self-assessment through their own Music Passport showcasing each musical aspect.
We ensure a cross-curricular approach – making connections between music and other areas of the curriculum as music plays an essential role in every aspect of our lives, wherever and whoever we are. At Howard Junior School, we follow a spiral approach to musical learning, with children revisiting, building and extending their knowledge and skills. This approach means children’s learning is consolidated and as teachers, we can adapt our teaching to respond to the strengths and needs of the children we teach.
Alongside our curriculum, we provide opportunities for children to partake in weekly singing assemblies, music clubs, school choir, Christmas production and take advantage of wider opportunities across Norfolk. We believe these opportunities to be paramount in developing pupils’ self-worth and pride by being able to perform in and out of school to peers and wider audiences.
Impact:
By the end of their educational journey at Howard, pupils will have a strong understanding of the theory, history and practical elements of music. Pupils are able to enjoy music in as many ways as they choose (as a listener, creator or performer). Our music curriculum allows children to access fundamental abilities such as: achievement, self-confidence, interaction with and awareness of others, and self-reflection.
Children will develop their critical thinking – being able to discuss and justify their personal music preferences through using subject-specific terminology and knowledge. Their appreciation of a wide range of music prepares them to study the subject beyond primary and expand on and aspire their own musical interests.
In conclusion, at Howard Junior School we believe in celebrating children’s achievements, no matter how small and our music curriculum allows us to celebrate children’s achievements through taking part in performances.