St Mark's CE Primary School

MUSIC

Intent

Our  vision  for  music  is  that we  provide  every child with  high quality music experiences  which engage and  inspire  them.   We provide  opportunities  for  all children to  create,  play,  perform  and  enjoy  music  and  to  appreciate a variety  of music  styles.   We  aim  for  every  child  to  leave  St. Mark’s CE  Primary School  with  a range of musical  skills,  knowledge and  an  understanding and  love  of music  which they can carry  with them  for the  rest of their  lives.

Implementation

At St. Mark’s CE  Primary School  we  encourage  children to  participate  in  a variety of musical  experiences  through which  we  aim  to  build  up  the  confidence  of all children.  Singing is  an  integral  part of our  school  life and  our  teaching focuses  on developing the  children's  ability to sing in  tune,  developing their expression  and ability to listen to  others.  Pupils’  understanding  of  music  will  be  developed  through  activities  which  bring together  the  requirements  of  performing,  composing,  listening  and  appraising.    Children  are  taught  to  make  music  together  with  tuned  and  un-tuned  instruments and  to  compose  pieces.  They  are  also  taught  to  sing  and  play  in  time  controlling  the sound  and  pace.  They are  taught  different  ways  to  represent  sounds  graphically and  symbolically.  We use Charanga to help us teach Music. 

Impact

Children will:

• enjoy and appreciate a wide  variety  of musical  styles;
• explore how  sounds  are  made,  and  how  music  is  produced  by a  variety of instruments;
• develop imagination  and  creativity;
• build a sense  of pulse  and  rhythm;
• understand a  range of musical  vocabulary;
• develop the  interrelated  skills  of composition,  improvisation,  performance and  appreciation;
• enjoy a wide range of  songs and sing in  tune;
• develop positive  attitudes  and  to  experience  success  and  satisfaction  in music.

At St. Mark’s CE  Primary School we have adopted the Charanga  scheme  (from  Brighton and Hove  Music and Arts  Service)  as the  basis for  our curriculum  planning.  This  scheme  has an  integrated,  practical,  exploratory and  child  led  approach  to  musical  learning.     The  learning within this  scheme  is  based  on:

• Listening and Appraising,
• Musical Activities  (including Creating and  Exploring)
• Singing and  Performing

While  there  are  opportunities  for  children  of  all  abilities  to  develop  their  skills and  knowledge in each  unit, the  progression  planned  into  the  scheme  of work  means that  the  children  are  increasingly  challenged  as  they  move  through  the  school.  All musical  learning  in  the  scheme  is  based  around  the  Interrelated  Dimensions  of Music;  pulse,  rhythm,  pitch,  tempo,  dynamics,  timbre,  texture,  structure  and notation. 

Additional  music  teaching  

In Year 4 children take part in Soundmakers, a block of music lessons delivered by Brighton and Hove Music and Arts Team, where children learn to play the guitar. Children are able to borrow guitars during the term. They complete the lessons with a performance to families and the school.

Brighton and Hove Music and Arts Team provides  peripatetic  musical  instrument tuition.  Lessons  are  taught to  small  groups  of children from  Year  2  upwards  who  have chosen  to  learn  one  of a variety of string instruments, keyboard or piano.  Parents are requested  to  pay  the  additional  music  lesson fees  on  a  weekly or  termly basis.   Bursaries are available via the Brighton and Hove Music and Arts Team.

We also have opportunities for other musical experiences such as:

• Samba Drumming
• Gamelan Orchestra
• Choir with Roedean
• The Big Sing
• School productions and assemblies
• Watching performances of concerts at various locations.