Subject Leader: Mrs L Armitage
At King’s Meadow Academy we believe that music will enrich the lives of our children and this will in turn help to develop their self-confidence and sense of achievement.
We aim to deliver a high quality music education, which engages pupils and inspires them to develop their love of music and talents as musicians, both through explicit music lessons and through the development of musical skills through performances.
Aims in teaching Music at King’s Meadow Academy:
We aim:
• To provide opportunities across the curriculum for children to develop their listening skills from an early age.
• To teach about a variety of tuned and non-tuned musical instruments including their voice.
• To develop an awareness of how to use these instruments effectively by changing rhythm, pitch or dynamics.
• To enable pupils to respond to and evaluate live and recorded music, including their own and others’ compositions and performances;
• To provide an opportunity for all children at all levels to perform alone and with others, using a range of instruments and their voices, developing an awareness of audiences, venue and occasion.
How is the content / theme chosen
At King’s Meadow Academy we follow the Charanga Musical School Scheme which provides week-by-week lesson support for each year group.
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.
Ofsted have stated that “We will not always know the learning outcomes” so segregated learning objectives at the start of each lesson are not appropriate. Instead the interrelated dimensions of music weave through the units to encourage the development of musical skills as the learning progresses through listening and appraising, differing musical activities (including creating and exploring) and performing.
How do we ensure progression of knowledge and skills
At King’s Meadow Academy we have in place, for each subject area, a knowledge and skills progression document, which is used for planning, to ensure sequenced and appropriate content for specific year groups, as well as a build up of knowledge and skills.
Within these documents there are also opportunities for differentiation, in order to meet the needs of all learners.
How is the subject taught?
Each Unit of Work comprises the of 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
The Activity Manual
This manual will give us knowledge, understanding and support when preparing and delivering our music lessons. It explains the supporting ideas and methodology and how each strand of musical learning within the Units of Work correspond with the national curriculum. Use it as a handbook, a teaching companion.
In each unit of work the following is included:
- Listen and Appraise
- Musical Activities include Games, Singing, Playing, Improvising and Composing
- Perform/Share
Each lesson in the Scheme is designed to last for one hour but can be taught in 45 minutes if there are time constraints. It is difficult to teach a credible music lesson in less than 45 minutes. If you are in this situation you may prefer to use the Musical School Freestyle approach where you can build your own lessons to suit your circumstances (click the Freestyle tab at the top of this page).
Each 45 minute lesson involves the following:
Listen and Appraise – 15 mins
Musical Activities – 20 mins
Perform/Share – 10 mins
Music is one of our key subject drivers in developing the ‘World Citizens’ side of our school curriculum. Through studying a range of people from the past and present, who have had an impact on the world of music, as well as a range of countries and cultures, children learn about and are taught to challenge stereotypes connected to gender, wealth, disability and cultural background. They are educated that differences should be celebrated and are not a barrier to achievement in music.
Teaching Music in EYFS
Planning and teaching in EYFS is similar to that in Key Stage 1. The children are expected to develop a specific set of skills and knowledge appropriate to their age. This is often beyond the expectations that are set out in the end of year Early Learning Goals, as we prepare them with the skills they need for year 1.
As well as topic work and the discrete teaching of skills and knowledge, children in EYFS are given the opportunity to continually practise and embed their skills through the areas of provision set up in the indoor and outdoor learning environments.
How do we know that our children are making progress?
The Musical School Assessment Framework uses a Plan-Do-Check-Review approach and is supported by planning and assessment documentation, with the facility for you to upload and store digital evidence.
What wider opportunities are provided for our children?
Each week a specialist music teacher comes into school to work with children. Children are then regularly given the opportunity to participate in performances in front of an audience to show case their skills.
King’s Meadow Academy have a qualified musical specialist who teaches two Key Stages each half term, encouraging pupils to learn actively and interactively. They bring all their equipment to support the lessons they teach and their planning links to the National Curriculum.
We host musicians in school, to work with the children and broaden their experiences.
Each year we take part in the Waterton Multi-Academy Trust Talent show, which allows our children to perform at the Wakefield Theatre Royale.
Extra-curricular clubs include a singing club to practise songs for Young Voices.