Music
Intent
‘Music is a universal language that embodies one of the highest forms of creativity’ (The National Curriculum)
At Howden-le-Wear Primary, our music curriculum intends to inspire creativity, self-expression and encourages our children on their musical journeys as well as giving them opportunities to build their confidence through performance. We hope to foster a lifelong love of music by exposing them to diverse musical experiences and igniting a passion for music. By listening and responding to different musical styles, finding their voices as singers and performers and as composers, all will enable them to become confident, reflective musicians.
We actively promote and foster a musical culture at Howden le Wear Primary School with a curriculum that aims to stimulate, engage and inspire every child to develop a love of music, whilst increasing the confidence they have in their talents as musicians. It is a curriculum that is continually evolving, in order to embrace and reflect changes in musical culture. For this reason, the children’s ideas and input are actively encouraged, in order that they are engaged in helping to create, adapt and shape a curriculum that is exciting, current and relevant to them.
At Howden le Wear Primary School, the children come to school to enjoy learning, whilst also respecting each other’s differences and enjoying their rights. It is therefore important that we allow the children to not only develop their musical talents, and to play to their strengths, but to help them explore their goals and aspirations, by providing them with a variety of exciting, new, musical experiences.
Implementation
At Howden-le-Wear Primary, music is planned using the Kapow scheme of work which has been developed using the National Curriculum. Kapow’s Primary Music scheme takes a holistic approach to music, in which the individual strands performing, listening, composing, musical history and the inter-related dimensions of music are woven together to create engaging and enriching learning experiences.
Children are exposed to music from across history and a range of genres. The music listened to is organised around different instruments, so that when children leave, they can identify all the main instruments from the orchestra and others from across different cultures. The music curriculum ensures students sing, listen, play, perform and evaluate. This is embedded in classroom activities as well as weekly singing assemblies, various concerts and performances, the learning of instruments, and the joining of musical groups. The elements of music are taught in classroom lessons so that children are able to use the language of music to discuss it, and understand how it is made, played, appreciated and analysed. In the classroom students learn how to play various un-tuned and tuned percussion instruments. In doing so they understand the different principles of creating notes, as well as how to devise and read their own musical scores and basic music notation.
Our key knowledge concepts are: perform, compose, transcribe, describe
Our key skills concepts are: use of voices, use of instruments, composing, transcribing & notation, listening, appreciation, evaluating understanding
A variety of cross-curricular links also ensure that music is woven into our wider curriculum and take many forms. These range from school based activities and events, workshops and extra-curricular activities, to developing projects with professional companies and music artists. School also takes part in collaborative singing events with our feeder secondary schools and Durham Music Service, as well as identifying additional performance opportunities throughout the school year, such as our annual involvement with the Durham Brass initiative.
Howden le Wear Primary School has a history of high quality performance opportunities for all our children, striving to develop and enhance singing skills, not only within class based lessons but also through initiatives such as school choir, drama club and whole school performances for events such as Harvest Festival, Christmas and Easter. We try to ensure that our song choices are varied; that they foster our core values and ethos, and that they are songs with positive messages which reinforce key principles such as resilience, kindness and personal responsibility.
The school is also able to offer the children the opportunity to learn to play a musical instrument. Whole Class instrument tuition is offered and delivered by Durham Music Service staff, whilst our peripatetic music staff provide a variety of woodwind and brass instrumental tuition. The children learn individually and in small groups, working towards music accreditation.
Impact
Whilst in school, children have opportunities to forge their own musical journey, which allows them to discover areas of strength, as well as areas they will improve upon. Music will also develop an understanding of culture and history, both in relation to children individually, as well as ethnicities from across the world. Children are able to enjoy music, in as many ways- either as listener, creator or performer. They will discuss music and understand its parts. They will further develop these skills in the future and continue to enjoy and embrace music in their lives.
Music at Howden le Wear Primary School allows the children to discover their strengths as musicians, as well as those areas in which they might like to improve musically. It is important that they are able to celebrate their successes as musicians and performers. For this reason, we incorporate a variety of performance opportunities into the school calendar for showcasing musical skills, talents and achievements: class assemblies; Christmas and Leavers’ productions; celebration days; performances within the local community and also on a large scale where possible, allowing each child to demonstrate their abilities as a musician.
