Music
We enjoy music lessons every week with our professional music teacher, Mr Clarke
Music - Planning & Progression
Music - Genre of the Week (Autumn Term)
During the Autumn Term, children learn about different popular musical genres.
They have regular opportunities to listen to, review and evaluate music across a range of historical periods, genres, styles and traditions.
During 'Calm Start' in classes each morning, children will be encouraged to reflect upon these different musical styles by comparing and contrasting them with each other. They will also be encouraged to evaluate and reflect on their own responses to the different musical styles they encounter.
Music - Decade of the Week (Spring Term)
In the spring term, children learn about the musical styles from a particular decade.
This will allow children to recognise and discuss the stylistic features of different genres, styles and traditions of music using musical vocabulary, and explaining how these have developed over time.
Music - 'Composer of the Week' (Summer Term)
During the summer term, children learn about a range of famous classical composers.
Each morning, as part of our wellbeing sessions, children have opportunities to listen to, reflect on and respond to the music of these famous composers.
World Music Day 2023
🎵 On Wednesday, 21st June, we will celebrate 'World Music Day' in school.
🎼 During the day, children will take part in music and art activities, to learn about the music and culture of countries all around the world.
🎶 They will have lots of fun as they discover more about our wonderful world and all its different places, people, music and customs!
Our Music Curriculum
Children are offered a broad and balanced curriculum which builds on their knowledge, skills and understanding of music each year. Children leave our school with an appreciation of the joy of music, and the necessary skills to listen to, compose, perform and appraise musical pieces.
We have a well established and structured programme in place whereby children learn to play a different musical instrument in each year group and key stage as they journey through our school, as follows:
Year Group / Key Stage | Musical Instrument Taught |
| EYs: Reception | Jembe drum |
| Key Stage One: Year 1 & 2 | Glockenspiel |
| Lower Key Stage 2: Year 3 & 4 | Recorder |
| Upper Key Stage 2: Year 5 & 6 | Keyboard |
Our Vision Statement - Music
Music is a unique and powerful form of communication that can change the way people feel, think and act. It combines creativity with emotion, enabling personal expression, reflection and development.
We value music highly at Our Lady & St Patrick's and have employed a professional Music Teacher, Mr Clarke, for many years. Our children enjoy music lessons every week, and gain a wide range of musical skills during their time in school.
Please see our planning overview, showing the progression of skills in music, for children at our school.
Parents are invited into school during Curriculum in Action events, to their see children taking part in these fun and engaging music lessons. We also have weekly dance lessons with a professional dance teacher, which further helps our children to engage and respond to music of all genres - and parents are also invited to watch these dance lessons, too.
We also take part each year in a national children's opera and we have an active and talented school choir, led by a staff member who is a classically trained opera singer!
Our Aims
At Our Lady & St Patrick's Catholic Primary School we aim to:
- Teach all children to play a range of musical instruments
- Encourage children to join our choir and take part in singing competitions
- Offer children in Upper Key Stage 2 the opportunity to take part in a professional opera performance
- develop children's confidence in taking an active part in music lessons, through both singing and playing musical instruments, as well as through responding and moving to music
- Encourage active involvement in creating and developing musical ideas using voices and instruments - both tuned and un-tuned
- Develop children’s ability to listen to, and appreciate a wide variety of music, including that which has a specific purpose.
- Provide opportunities for children to explore and express ideas and feelings about music in a variety of ways, for example through dance.
- Explore a range of musical elements, for example: pitch, pulse, tempo and dynamics.
- Develop a sense of group identity and togetherness through composing, rehearsing and performing music with others, to an audience.
- Increase self-discipline and creativity, aesthetic sensitivity and fulfilment.
Planning
As a foundation subject, we aim to link music to our topics, wherever possible. Planning highlights the skills the children need to acquire each year.
Please see our Planning Overview at the top of this page, which summarises what children are taught in each year group in music, along with our skills progression in music at Our Lady & St Patrick's.
Key Learning in Music
In Early Years, the children will encounter a curriculum rich in opportunities to explore music, following the guidance in the Early Years Foundation Stage document. The children will be encouraged to listen to music and focus on how sounds can create feelings and ideas, as well as responding to musical stimuli though dance and movements. In addition, children will also create musical sounds of their own, though playing with musical instruments with increasing control and success.
This emphasis on play and practical learning will feed into Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, as children begin the Primary National Curriculum.
In Key Stage One, children focus on listening carefully, and responding physically to, a wide range of music. They play musical instruments and sing a variety of songs from memory, adding accompaniments and creating short compositions, with increasing confidence, imagination and control. They explore and enjoy how sounds and silence can create different moods and effects.
In Key Stage 2, children sing songs and play instruments with increasing confidence, skill and expression, as well as with an increasing awareness of their own contribution to a group or class performance. They improvise, and develop their own musical compositions, in response to a variety of different stimuli with increasing personal involvement, independence and creativity. They explore their own thoughts and emotions through responding sensitively and intellectually, to a variety of music from different times, cultures and contexts.
In all classes there are children of differing abilities. We plan to provide suitable learning opportunities for all children, by matching the challenge of the task to the ability of the child, as well as effectively deploying adult support.
Assessment and Monitoring
Teachers assess children against clear learning objectives and success criteria. Children are encouraged to self, and peer assess, throughout each unit.
The subject leader is responsible for monitoring attainment and progress, the outcomes of which are collated in the subject leadership folder and fed back to staff at an appropriate time. Teaching and learning is monitored at a time indicated in the School Improvement Plan.