Music Curriculum Design                                            

Intent              

The National Curriculum is at the core of our Music Curriculum. Music is a highly valued subject and has equal status with all other Foundation Subjects.

Our intent with our Music curriculum is to give all children practical experiences so that they can enjoy all aspects of Music. We believe Music is an important part of our wider curriculum that gives children opportunities to express themselves in a less academic way than, for example, the basic skills of Reading, Writing and Maths.

We enrich our Music curriculum with many opportunities for children to perform and develop a wide range of skills both inside and outside of the classroom such as music workshops or performing alongside the Community Choir.

Implementation

Our school curriculum is built upon the National Curriculum and our chosen scheme is Kapow. This was selected because it provides a clear progression of all the skills and knowledge that we are required to teach. The Kapow scheme allows staff to access the subject knowledge needed to be highly effective in their teaching of Music. All staff are supported by the subject leader in developing their knowledge and understanding of the Kapow scheme through a planned series of CPD opportunities.

We are confident that the design of Kapow provides clear progression, with the individual strands woven together to create engaging and enriching experiences. Each cross-curricular themed unit covers the strands:

• Performing
• Listening
• Composing
• The history of music
• The inter-related dimensions of music. of music pitch, duration, tempo, timbre, structure , texture and dynamics

Through weekly lessons, children learn to sing fluently and expressively, play tuned and untuned instruments accurately and with control. Children learn to name the interrelated dimensions of music, to then use these expressively in their own improvisations and compositions. This spiral curriculum model enables formative assessment to further develop teaching and learning in Music. Kapow also gives clear indications of how to adapt lessons to support and further challenge learners.

In addition to following the Kapow scheme, we have a wide offer of instrument teaching, largely through peripatetic staff (violin, piano, ukulele, guitar, brass and recorder). We are very fortunate to have a musician who comes and plays the piano to support singing each week and leads the school choir to extend the curriculum in Music.

As part of the Music curriculum, all children in Year 4 participate in weekly violin sessions led by our local Music Hub. Children actively participate in musical activities drawn from a range of styles and traditions. We give the children wider opportunities to perform to a larger audience such as class assemblies, nativity productions, music festivals and events organised by the Music Hub.

We endeavour to ensure that Music is not seen as a stand-alone subject, but is incorporated into many other areas of our curriculum.

Impact

The impact of our Music curriculum is that when children leave Hugo Meynell, they will have a love of music and increased levels of self-confidence. They will be inspired by different genres of music, analyse music and compose a variety of music.

September 2024