Intent

At Baston CE Primary School, our music curriculum is designed to engage and inspire, build confidence, and encourage self-expression. Our structured music programme aims to equip our students with the knowledge and skills to allow an immersive musical experience for all. The music curriculum allows students to explore a range of genres and traditions, and focuses on the Inter-related dimensions of music: pulse, pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture, structure, and appropriate musical notation. Thorough performing, listening and composing, we hope to foster a lifelong love of music by exposing children to a wide range of musical experiences. We build the cultural Capital of our students by teaching themes in context – exposing them to influences and traditions from many different cultural and historical contexts. We aim to ignite a passion for music by offering a wide range of musical opportunities both in and out of the classroom. By involving all children in large ensemble performances throughout the year, we encourage our children to be determined selfimprovers, resilient risk takers, cooperative group workers and persistent problem solvers, in line with our school values.

Students have a weekly music lesson every other half term, taught by qualified music specialists following the Kapow scheme of work. In addition all children participate in a weekly singing assembly. By listening and responding to different musical styles, finding their voices as singers and performers and as composers, we enable them to become confident, reflective musicians. We also have a vibrant collection of musical ensembles which we believe offer opportunities to a wide range of students, allowing them to collaborate with other musicians and develop their performance skills.

At Baston, we aim to engage and inspire pupils, inspire creativity, self-expression hope to foster a lifelong love of music by exposing them to diverse musical experiences and igniting a passion for music.

Implementation

We teach the National Curriculum, supported by a clear skills and knowledge progression. Our scheme of work ensures students sing, listen, play, perform and evaluate. These skills are embedded in classroom activities as well as weekly singing assemblies, class ensemble performances, choir and rock band performances, and a full peripatetic music programme. Our music curriculum is designed to develop an understanding of culture and history, both in relation to students individually, as well as ethnicities from across the world. Our musical journey, allows students to study music from western classical tradition, popular music from the 20th Century, world music and commercial music. Children are encouraged to be ‘Cultural Explorers’, encouraging their enthusiasm for the musical arts and providing an immersive musical experience for all pupils.

A subject leader monitors teaching and learning to improve standards and outcomes, a link governor liaises with the subject leader in order to monitor and improve standards and our curriculum meets the needs of all pupils (including SEND and PP) Our music programme encourages children to enjoy music as listener, creator or performer. Children will develop the skills to evaluate music they hear, as well as express opinions using musical vocabulary. They will gain an understanding of how music is created and communicated, and in turn be able to create and communicate their own music. This will also contribute to their learning about culture, history and ethnicities from across the world. Through music we want the children to develop self- confidence, the ability to interact with and be aware of others and gain a sense of achievement through their musical endeavours. Our varied musical programme allows the children to learn to self-evaluate; discovering areas of strength as well as areas to develop.

Impact

Our progressive curriculum will allow children to achieve age-related expectations, and become the best musicians they can. Our music specialist nurtures and develop musical talent to give all children the opportunity to excel. All children are encouraged to self-evaluate, and aim to develop their skills to the highest standard. All children will retain and build on knowledge, and apply subject specific vocabulary, and have the opportunity to perform and develop musical skills.

To check impact:

• Formative assessment for learning takes place each lesson and is used to identify individual needs and to inform future planning.
• Summative assessment is completed at the end of each theme to inform leaders of the improvements or skills that need to be developed further. Termly assessment takes place to track children’s progress against age related expectations for Music.
• Monitoring of music teaching by the music leader and senior leadership team through learning walks, assessment data and pupil voice.