Music

Music is a unique and expressive way of communicating that can inspire and motivate children. It is a means of personal expression and can play an important part in personal development in children. Through music we can express, represent and communicate our ideas and perceptions.

At Linthwaite Clough Primary School we understand how important music is as a creative subject. We intend to provide children with opportunities to listen to, compose and perform music that’s linked with learning from a range of topics.

To develop children’s learning to become the best musician that they can be, we aim to equip them with the following skills:

• Broaden children’s musical awareness and foster an appreciation of music from different times and cultures.

• Ensuring progression of musical skills involved in performing, composing, listening and appraising.

• To encourage children to express themselves through music and develop self-esteem through musical achievement.

• Involve every pupil in music making and enable them to realise their individual creative potential.

• Contribute to the life of the school and the wider community and to enrich and contribute to other areas of the curriculum.

• A desire to challenge themselves by undertaking the study of new instruments and the further study of their own instrument.

• Encourage children to leave school with a love of music and happy memories of their musical experience that they will want to continue to develop and enjoy.

We teach music weekly. Each lesson is taught by the class teacher and uses the Charanga scheme of work to deliver the curriculum. With a focus on the dimensions of music (pulse, pitch, dynamics, rhythm, texture and tempo) as well as listening to, improvising, singing and composing music, we plan to provide our children with a quality, enriched and engaging music education.

Alongside the music curriculum we offer a range of opportunities throughout school for children to be involved in, developing a range of musical skills including –

·        Choir

·        Participation in music festivals, community performances, Big Sing and Young Voices

·        Musical instrument taster sessions led by professional musicians and teachers

·        Theatre visits and visiting musicians, performers and groups in school.

·        Collaboration with Opera North to explore, learn and perform in an Opera alongside professional opera singers, orchestra and performers.

·        Individual music lessons covering a range of instruments including – piano, saxophone, violin, voice.

Our Music Curriculum follows the Charanga Original Scheme and is progressive across school, offering quality music teaching and opportunity alongside the additional music opportunities throughout EY, KS1 and KS2. Children keeping up with the curriculum are deemed to be making good progress. In addition, we measure the impact of our curriculum through the following methods:

• A reflection on standards achieved against the planned outcomes.

• Having the opportunity to listen to music from a long range of genres from history to gain both inspiration and analytical skills.

• Assessment through compositions and performances.

• Having equal opportunities for all pupils, such as taster sessions, visiting musicians and exposure to a range of musical opportunities and experiences

• Ensemble work through class performances, assemblies and a range of musical opportunities throughout school including Choir, Young Voices, Opera North collaboration, music festivals, community performances, visiting musicians and more.

• Pupil discussions about their learning.

• Pupils working in mixed ability groups in order to develop leadership, responsibility and confidence.