Music– Intent, Implementation and Impact

Intent

At Bow Brickhill CE Primary School, we believe that music should be an enjoyable learning experience for pupils and teachers. We encourage children to participate in a variety of musical experiences through which we aim to build up the confidence of all children. Our teaching encompasses a range of elements including developing the children’s ability to understand rhythm and follow a beat. Through singing songs, children learn about the structure and organisation of music.  We teach them to listen and to appreciate different forms of music.  Children develop descriptive language skills in music lessons when learning about how music can represent different feelings, emotions and narratives. We also teach technical vocabulary such as volume, pitch, beat and rhythm and encourage children to discuss music using these terms. As children’s confidence builds, they enjoy the performance aspect of music. Children experience listening to music from different cultures and eras.

Implementation

The music curriculum ensures that children sing, listen, play, perform and evaluate. This is embedded in classroom teaching as well as in the whole school and class worship, assemblies and performances which allows the children opportunities to develop their singing skills and gain an understanding of how ensembles work.

Music is taught both as a discrete subject as well as across the curriculum. Areas of learning, such as times tables in maths, vocabulary in languages and movement in dance can all incorporate different elements of music. Through the musical programme Charanga, teachers are able to provide inclusive lessons for all children to access the music curriculum in a fun and engaging way, further promoting a love of learning music. The elements of music are taught in classroom lessons so that children are able to use some of the language of music to dissect it and understand how it is made, played, appreciated and analysed. Additionally, children are given the opportunity to explore various tuned and untuned instruments, enabling them to use a range of methods to create notes as well as enabling them to learn how to read basic music notation. Our pupils also learn how to compose, focusing on different dimensions of music, which in turn feeds their understanding when listening, playing or analysing music. Composing or performing using body percussion and vocal sounds are also part of the curriculum which develops their understanding of musical elements.

There is progression in teaching and learning across the year groups and teachers refer regularly to the skills progression document to ensure that the appropriate skills are taught and practised.

At Bow Brickhill CE Primary School, we are committed to ensuring that children understand the value and importance of music in the wider community and that they are able to use their musical skills, knowledge and experiences to involve them in music in a variety of different contexts.  These include in school Harvest and Easter celebrations as well as Christmas and key stage productions which demonstrate that music is important to the life of the school. Extracurricular activities, such as choir and specialist music lessons delivered by the music service, also provide children with experience of making music.

 Impact

Children at Bow Brickhill CE Primary School will develop a love of music and an increased understanding of the impact that music can have on their own and others’ lives. Children demonstrate progression of knowledge and skills which they continuously build on and embed. Whole-school and parental engagement will be improved through performances, extracurricular activities and opportunities suggested in lessons and in some homework tasks for wider learning. We believe that participation in music develops wellbeing, promotes listening and develops concentration. Throughout all of this the child’s enjoyment of music is a key element running alongside the taught musical skills and objectives. We want to ensure that music is loved by pupils and teachers across school, encouraging them to continue building on this wealth of musical ability, now and in the future.