Music

Music Curriculum Statement

At Carnagill School, our curriculum is built around the attitudes and values of independence, curiosity, aspiration, commitment, kindness and pride.  Our school motto of ‘Inspiring Bright Futures Together’ demonstrates our commitment to developing the whole child so that they can succeed in life. Mental health and well-being is a key driver in restoring our school community after the disruption of the pandemic.

 

At Carnagill School, the curriculum we offer is based around the four key principles of:

We underpin all of this with:

Context

Children join Carnagill with a wide range of musical experiences. Many children have attended a number of different schools across both the UK and abroad and have had to develop resilience to the changes in their lives. In the past, children have regularly been exposed to ‘live performance’ linked to the armed forces such as, attending parades etc, however, the Covid-19 pandemic has meant that many have been unable to attend such events.  Despite the lack of extended family support for our families, prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, children were eager to attend whole school and community events e.g. Military Kids Choir. Pupils engaged with musical tuition in school and enjoyed the opportunity to see performances on the stage at local events. However, families and children struggle to commit long term to choirs and tuition etc, this is often due to mobility. Children see music as an opportunity to express themselves in ways that other subjects do not cater for, they enjoy the subject.

Following schools re-opening, children haven’t had as many opportunities to engage within school or wider events involving music. This has been limited by national and local guidance. The lack of performance opportunities has not enabled children to be aspirational in Music or be inspired by it. As a school we plan to ensure that children are able to perform to each other and can share their performances online in order to raise their commitment to the subject and encourage children to be musically proud, with the long-term goal of increasing the opportunities for pupils to express themselves, become better listeners and aspirational in music.

At Carnagill, we believe that Music is essential because it can provide fulfilment throughout life. It is a powerful, unique form of communication that can change the way children feel, think and act. It transcends different cultures, abilities and generations. Listening to and making music fulfils an instinctive human need for self-expression and creativity. It stimulates responses on both emotional and intellectual levels.

Intent

 

At Carnagill Primary School, we want children to:

 

  • Develop Independence through composition using key vocabulary to discuss the interrelated dimensions of music. Challenging themselves to use their initiative when composing their own music, allowing them to regulate their individual emotions whilst promoting positive well-being.
  • Show Curiosity by sensitively listening to a wide variety of musical genres, they will appreciate, appraise and respect different forms of music from around the world. Children will have knowledge of a wide range of musical composers and modern-day artists. They will be able to discuss how music can represent emotion and feeling, ask questions and complete independent research on music that interests them.

 

  • Have Pride in themselves as musicians. They take time to improve their performance through recording, evaluating their work and through peer review. They will value the process as well as the end product, children know when they are achieving and can see their skills growing. Performing regularly to an audience allows children to share their achievements and act as role models to their peers.
  • Develop Kindness by showing respect to their peers in the learning environment; both praising and critiquing their compositions and performances, raising each other’s self-esteem. By listening to a wide genre of music children are able to think deeply about the mood music creates which encourages debate and compromise, they further develop essential teamworking skills.
  • Be Committed by showing resilience, working through problems using trial and error to create their final composition. We strive for children to see the learning potential in every opportunity and not give up. We know that playing an instrument, for some children, is not easy, we persevere with this together so that all children achieve.
  • Show Aspiration by always trying their best in music lessons, be it singing, composing or performing using an instrument. Children are exposed to real life experiences in their community e.g. Cambrai Military Band and know that what they learn now can help them into a future career in music. We seek to inspire children to be musicians and see the value that it can add to their lives, creating a lifelong love of music learning

Implementation

  • The music curriculum follows a clear and comprehensive scheme of work in line with the National Curriculum through ‘Charanga’.
  • Children are given the opportunity to perform for a variety of audiences for a range of reasons, both in and out of school, involving the wider school community.
  • Teaching and learning shows progression across all key stages within the strands of music, building on basic skills and knowledge from previous years. This ensures that skills and knowledge are built on year on year and sequenced appropriately to maximise learning for all children and essentially fill gaps created due to the pandemic.
  • Key skills and knowledge to be identified explicitly for the children so that they can recognise progress and where they need to improve. We aim to enable all children to flourish and become the very best musicians they can be.
  • Thinking stems are used to deepen children’s understanding and encourage independent thought.
  • Learning opportunities will be a mixture of direct teacher instruction; modelling of skills and techniques; demonstration; modelling use of appropriate vocabulary in context and enquiry-based learning.
  • Learning in music can be used to support links from other areas of the curriculum- working in a cross-curricular way to maximise learning and engagement from children and support independent thinking
  • Where possible children should lead learning about musicians that inspire them; and have opportunities to showcase what they have learnt. Children should be encouraged to research musicians and genres that they are interested in to further their knowledge and skills.
  • Children will listen and appraise a wide range of genres and significant musicians, past and present. Suggestions have been taken from the ‘Model Music Curriculum’, but children should be encouraged to follow their interests and think about what inspires them.
  • Vocabulary is an integral part that runs throughout our curriculum, talking like a musician is what we strive to achieve. Children will be introduced to the key vocabulary that a musician would use. Teaching will define the key vocabulary; teachers will have high expectations of pupils ‘talking’ like a musician. Vocabulary progression is taken from Charanga.
  • Evidence in music will be gathered using seesaw, videos will be used to evaluate performances and share pieces that the children are proud of. Seesaw can be used in all stages of composition, planning, preparing and performing, children can evaluate their own and others’ performances.
  • Key skills, knowledge and learning intentions to be shared alongside collected evidence to ensure the subject leader knows what is being taught in the session.
  • Peripatetic teachers come into school and teach individual instruments (guitar) to those children who wish to learn them. A love of playing an instrument is promoted, this encourages and supports their ability of self-expression. (Minimum numbers must be reached for these sessions to go ahead)

 

Impact

  • Children will know more, remember more and understand more.
  • Opportunities for improved well-being and confidence will be increased.
  • Children will have a good awareness and appreciation of different musical traditions and genres.
  • Children will have an excellent understanding of how the historical, social and cultural origins of music – contributes to the diversity of musical styles.
  • Children will have the ability to give precise explanations, using musical terminology effectively, accurately and appropriately.
  • Children will have a passion for and commitment to a diverse range of musical activities.
  • Children will have the opportunity to foster their instrumental flare and use this as a form of expression.
  • Children will have a rapidly widened repertoire which they will be able to use to create original, imaginative, fluent and distinctive composing and performance works.
  • EEF research suggests that arts participation has a wider benefit on attainment, in some cases for disadvantaged pupils, this includes more positive attitudes to learning and increased well-being, this is our hope for all children at Carnagill.
  • Structured reflection (whole class) is used at end of sessions and end of units to highlight and celebrate learning.

 

Music Progression

Music Curriculum