Music

Music at Churcham Primary School

The National Curriculum for music aims to ensure that all children:

· perform, listen to, review and evaluate music

 · be taught to sing, create and compose music

· understand and explore how music is created, produced and communicated

At Churcham Primary Primary School, children gain a firm understanding of what music is through listening, singing, playing, evaluating, analysing, and composing across a wide variety of musical genres. We are committed to developing a curiosity for the subject, as well as an understanding and acceptance of the validity and importance of all types of music, and an unbiased respect for the role that music may wish to be expressed in any person’s life. We are committed to ensuring children understand the value and importance of music in the wider community and are able to use their musical skills, knowledge, and experiences to involve themselves in music, in a variety of different contexts.

The music curriculum at Churcham Primary School ensures children sing, listen, play, perform and evaluate. This is embedded in the classroom through the structured music programme: Charanga, as well as weekly singing assemblies, various concerts and performances and the teaching of instruments from specialist music teachers. The elements of music are taught in the 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.

 In the classroom children learn key aspects of music through cross-curricular links. They 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 is also part of the curriculum, which develops the understanding of musical elements without the added complexity of an instrument.

Whilst in school, children have access to a varied scheme (Charanga), which allows them to discover areas of strength, as well as areas they might like to improve upon. The integral nature of music and the learner creates an enormously rich palette from which a child may access fundamental abilities such as: achievement, self-confidence, interaction with and awareness of others, and self-reflection.

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 as they choose – either as listener, creator or performer. They can dissect music and comprehend its parts. They can sing and feel a pulse. They have an understanding of how to further develop skills less known to them, should they ever develop an interest in their lives.

As there is a varied and engaging curriculum which develops a range of musical knowledge, pupils have opportunities to learn skills, develop their creativity while practicing and refining their musical knowledge. Over time pupils will develop knowledge across the different elements of music. Live performances and recordings will showcase children’s creativity and progress and our assessment system enables the children to show progression in musical skills and knowledge.