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Music

Music at The Pines

 

I think music in itself is healing. It’s an explosive expression of humanity. It’s something we are all touched by. No matter what culture we’re from, everyone loves music.

Billy Joel

Vision and Intent

At our primary school, we believe in the power of music to inspire creativity, enhance learning, and build confidence. Using the Kapow scheme, we provide a comprehensive and engaging music curriculum for all year groups, with each class enjoying a one-hour music lesson every week. Our lessons are thoughtfully adapted to meet the diverse needs of our learners, ensuring every child can participate and thrive. 

 

We aim to: 

  • help pupils develop a life-long love of music  

  • Help children develop the skills to be confident performers, composers and listeners 

  • develop an understanding of the history and cultural context of the music that they listen to and learn how music can be written down 

 

Our Curriculum Drivers are reflected through our Music curriculum as it:

Enables children to explore THEIR PLACE IN THEIR WORLD by listening to music from a range of cultures and time periods, and by embracing and celebrating diversity.

 

Enriches children's LANGUAGE AND ORACY by introducing them to new subject-specific vocabulary and encouraging them to express their views and opinions on both their own compositions, and that of other musicians and composers. 

 

Helps children to develop their LEARNING SKILLS, such as resilience and collaboration, when working on their musical compositions. 

 

Recognises the positive effect that music can have on individuals and the part it can play in maintaining the HEALTHY BODY AND HEALTHY MIND of pupils at The Pines. 

 

Implementation:

Music at The Pines follows a holistic approach, with teachers using the Kapow scheme to deliver the music curriculum. The Kapow scheme covers five strands: 

  • Listening and evaluating 

  • Creating sound 

  • Notation 

  • Improvising and composing 

  • Performing 

 

The Kapow scheme follows the spiral curriculum model, where previous skills and knowledge are returned to and built upon. Units combine the five strands within a cross-curriculum topic. During their time at The Pines, pupils will be taught how to sing fluently and expressively, and play tuned and untuned instruments accurately and with control. They will learn to recognise, demonstrate and name the interrelated dimensions of music - pitch, duration, tempo, timbre, structure, texture and dynamics – and use these expressively in their own improvisations and compositions.  

Children participate in weekly singing assemblies, led by school staff, and there are always opportunities to be part of a choir, whether it be for Christmas Carol Concerts at the Bracknell Leisure Centre, or for the Young Voices Concert at the O2 in London. Some children also participate in Rock Steady sessions, where they get to play instruments, or sing, as part of a band. Pupils in Year 4 will receive instrumental tuition (violin) in the spring term. 

Key Documents

Impact

The impact of our Music curriculum is evidenced through the enthusiasm that our pupils demonstrate towards the subject. Children at The Pines respect and appreciate a wide range of musical styles from around the world. During the time at The Pines, they are introduced to a variety of composers from different countries, cultures and time periods. As a result, they have a sound understanding of how music is influenced by the wider social, cultural and historical contexts in which is it developed. Throughout their time at The Pines, pupils have many opportunities to express themselves musically and develop their confidence at performing, whether it be as part of a choir, or through taking part in Rock Steady classes. 

 

Assessment of the subject takes on a variety of forms. One important aspect is pupil voice, where children are able to express their opinions about the Music and talk about how confident they feel, with regard to the skills and knowledge relevant to their year group. Teachers will also assess a child's confidence through their own observations during lessons. Where children begin to use graphic scores and musical notation, these will also be looked at to help inform assessment. Recordings of pupils singing and performing on instruments is another method of assessment which is used to help teachers identify a child's confidence in Music. 

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