Music
"Music is a universal language that embodies one of the highest forms of creativity." (The National Curriculum 2014)
Music is a practical and creative subject that enhances the lives and learning of all children. Music is a unique way of communicating that can inspire and motivate children. It gives an opportunity for personal expression and it can play an important role in the personal development of an individual. Music reflects our culture and society and so the teaching and learning of music enables children to understand the world they live in.
At St Chad's, we believe that music is an important part of a child’s creative life that provides children with an alternative way to respond to feelings and the world. Our aim is to promote enthusiasm for and enjoyment of music in all its forms. By engaging children in musical experiences we can offer our children opportunities to develop skills, attitudes and attributes that can support learning in other areas of the curriculum as well as developing important life skills such as listening, concentrating, creativity, self-confidence and a sensitivity towards others.
As music is a performing art, opportunities occur throughout the school year for children to showcase their musical talents. Special festivals and events like Christmas, Harvest, collective worship and our Year 2 Leavers’ Assembly are always celebrated with song. Each year, all of our children are given the opportunity to perform to an audience on a regular basis. We have strong links with our local church and have regular visits during key Christian dates, to celebrate Harvest, Remembrance, Christmas and Easter. Singing is encouraged not only as a musical skill and a cross-curricular tool, but as an activity which enables everyone in school, regardless of their ability, background or role to have fun and smile!
The Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum (Nursery/Reception) and the Key Stage 1 National Curriculum (Year 1/Year 2) provides us with a basis of the skills and techniques that our children will learn throughout their time at St Chad's.
The National Curriculum for music aims to ensure that all children:
- 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.
In the Early Years Foundation Stage, music is used to support pupils’ learning across all areas, especially in Expressive Arts and Design, to ensure challenging, playful opportunities across the prime and specific areas of learning and development.
In Key Stage 1, children are taught to:
- use their voices expressively and creatively by singing songs and speaking chants and rhymes -play tuned and untuned instruments musically
- listen with concentration and understanding to a range of high-quality live and recorded music
- experiment with, create, select and combine sounds using the inter-related dimensions of music.
We support our music curriculum using the scheme of work, 'Music Express'. Further information can be found here.