Music
Intent:
At Cornerstone Schools we are passionate about music and we aim to nurture a love of music and musical expression in the children.
Our curriculum for Music aims to ensure that all pupils can:
- perform, listen to, review and evaluate music across a range of historical periods, genres, styles and traditions, including the works of the great composers and musicians
- learn to sing and to use their voices, to create and compose music on their own and with others, have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument, use technology appropriately and have the opportunity to progress to the next level of musical excellence
- understand and explore how music is created, produced and communicated, including through the inter-related dimensions: pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture, structure and appropriate musical notations
Our intention is that children gain a firm understanding of what music is through performing, composing, transcribing and describing a variety of genres of music. We aim for the children to be able to use their musical skills, knowledge, and experiences to involve themselves in music in a variety of different contexts. We are committed to ensuring children understand the value and importance of music to their own and others’ lives and wellbeing and also the impact music has in the wider community.
Implementation:
The music curriculum ensures students sing, listen, play, compose, perform and evaluate. This is embedded in the classroom activities as well as weekly singing assemblies, various concerts and performances and the learning of instruments. The elements of music are taught in the classroom lessons so that children are able to use some of the language of music to understand how it is made, played, appreciated and analysed.
Due to the class structure at our schools we have created a four-year rolling scheme of work in line with the National Curriculum so that the children are always learning and exploring new and varied works. The genres of music we choose to explore are selected to encompass the topic for each term.
In KS1 children are taught music through carefully planned, weekly lessons involving singing and the use of tuned and untuned percussion instruments, encompassing all musical elements.
This is built upon when the children move into KS2, where every child receives brass instrument lessons! In doing so they will learn to read basic music notation and experience the joy of making music together. They will also learn how to compose, focussing on different dimensions of music, which in turn feeds their understanding when listening, playing or analysing music. Composing or performing using body percussion and vocal sounds is also part of the curriculum, which develops the understanding of musical elements without the added complexity of an instrument.
Each week, in one of our Collective Worship sessions, the children will learn about a different musician, listening thoughtfully and critically to a piece of their music. We have selected musicians from all walks of life, cultures and time periods in order to expose the children to an exciting and varied selection.
All children also have the opportunity to be taught an instrument through paid lessons given by a peripatetic teacher who comes into school once a week.
KS2 Brass Instrument Lessons
From September 2021, KS2 children will take part in Brass Instrument lessons on a weekly basis.
Children will have the opportunity to take their instrument home to practice. Please see the link below to access the Google drive folder which contains all the music they have been playing in class:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/13EIOucuM6_zqWJxQX4_PLAmhmRUnc4Sn?usp=sharing
Click the link below to see our four year music curriculum
Impact:
Throughout a child’s time at Cornerstone Schools, their musical skills and understanding are built upon year on year, from singing simple songs from memory and performing simple rhythm patterns in KS1, to more advanced techniques skills and understanding in KS2 where the children learn to play an instrument confidently and have the ability to read and follow a simple musical score. Throughout all of this the child’s enjoyment of music is a key element, running alongside the ‘taught’ musical skills and objectives.
Music assessment is ongoing to inform teachers with their planning, lesson activities and differentiation. Summative assessment is completed at the end of each term to inform leaders of the improvements or skills that still need to be embedded. Music is monitored throughout all year groups using a variety of strategies such as work/project evaluation, lesson observations and pupil interviews.