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Music

"Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything" Plato

At Loscoe our music curriculum is based upon our vision ‘we may be small but together we can make a big difference.’, which follows the national curriculum documentation. We aim to encourage children to express themselves in a creative and imaginative manner, allowing them to be curious, inspired and self-expressive. Many of our children at Loscoe have limited musical experiences and opportunities. We see it as our duty to offer children at our school full access to a broad spectrum of musical influences. 

Intent

Children have the opportunity to be inspired by, listen to and appreciate a variety of musical styles as well as plan, compose and perform throughout our high-quality curriculum. Our ambitious music curriculum is based on the Charanga Model Music curriculum ensuring that all children of all abilities access a clear progression, of sequenced knowledge, skills and vocabulary through support or appropriate challenge. 

Our subject intent is for all children to:

  • Perform, listen to, review and evaluate music across a range of historical periods, genres, styles and traditions, including the works of the great composers and musicians.
  • Learn to sing and use their voices.
  • Create and compose music on their own and alongside their peers.
  • Learn a musical instrument, use technology properly and to progress to the next level of musical excellence.
  • Perform in a music concert outside of school. 
  • Understand and explore how music is created, produced and communicated, including through the inter-related dimensions: pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture, structure and appropriate musical notations.
  • Learn about modern and historical great musicians and composers. 
  • Have confidence and evaluative skills so that they can become independent on their own musical journey.
  • Have confidence in their musical abilities.
  • Be provided with opportunities related to music that contribute to the wider community.
  • Access an ambitious music curriculum which provides cultural capital to all, including those who are disadvantaged, and with SEND.
  • be held to high expectations, allowing them autonomy over their music journey so that they can learn and grow. 

Implementation

Whilst delivering this curriculum, we ensure music is progressive throughout the primary school years, providing the pupils with the opportunities to develop and grow their musicality through increased challenge and composition opportunities. 

We implement our intent through:

  • Using a variety of musical genres and instruments.
  • Staff following Charanga Model Music Curriculum, alongside the knowledge and skills progression document and whole school overview to plan for the year. 
  • Staff will adopt an adaptive curriculum to take account different learning needs; meaning all pupils access an ambitious music curriculum. Teachers will consult the SENCO and refer to Inclusion Strategies document for guidance. 
  • Teachers critically evaluate the needs of their class in relation to the skills and progression grids, choosing appropriate levels of challenge within Charanga’s lessons and communicating this frequently so that musical skills progress throughout a child’s primary school life.
  • All children having access to wider opportunities through Derbyshire Music Partnership programmes. 
  • Children being provided with opportunities to perform outside of school, for example to parents, in church, at Derby Cathedral and attending Young Voices. 
  • Music planned into other elements of the curriculum and enrichment activities to provide further opportunities for children to develop their skills.
  • Children being exposed to a range of music through the Collective Worship music timetable. 

Impact

At Loscoe, we see children musical individuals who enjoy listening to and creating music in the style of a range of genres. Children will be able to articulate their opinions of pieces of music and genres, developing a personal musical style when composing music. Children will be able to evaluate their own music compositions, and those of others, including famous composers and musicians. They will also be able to take part in a number of musical projects and performances and experience success and pride in their achievements. Children will be ambitious about what they can achieve and show genuine interest in the diverse world of music. 

We will know our impact has been effective through:

  • Children’s understanding, knowledge and skills are monitored by class teachers and subject leaders.  This is then used to inform differentiation, challenge and support. 
  • Performances enable children to feel pride in their musical ability and this is demonstrated by creative outcomes across the wider curriculum.
  • Formative assessments are used to inform future delivery of these sessions.
  • The children’s music to have a purpose, for example contributing to the wider community through their performances in locations outside of school. 
  • The children exhibit creativity and confidence which can be evident in other areas of the curriculum.
  • Every child having had the opportunity to perform outside of school, such as through Young Voices and services at church.
  • The children’s cultural capital will be enhanced through the opportunities they are provided with in music at Loscoe.
  • Recordings of children performing in the first and last lesson of each topic will be kept, so they can track their journey as a musician throughout their time at school.
  • We understand that the pandemic affected the opportunities for practical music for our children at Loscoe, therefore we use our progression documents to ensure that we consider the gaps in knowledge and skills.

Wider Curriculum

At Loscoe, we strive to provide a range of enrichment opportunities to promote a love for music, give opportunities to perform and emphasise the importance of music. As part of our Loscoe promise, every child in key stage 2 will be given the opportunity to sing as part of a choir at a large venue and to learn a musical instrument. These opportunities are planned every year for children in key stage 2, meaning that by the time children leave Loscoe, they will have experienced a range of musical instruments and singing opportunities. 

We are providing a wide range of opportunities through Derbyshire Music Partnership, where children in key stage 2 will have the opportunity to learn how to play a tuned instrument. Children in key stage 1 will have the opportunity to take part in a singing project, ensuring all children in key stage 1 and 2 have the opportunity to learn from a music professional every year. 

We also strive to provide all of the children at Loscoe with exposure to a variety of music genres during their time at Loscoe through our collective worship yearly plan. Children will have the opportunity to appreciate a piece of music each week, expanding on the musical knowledge they have developed in music lessons. 

Careers

There are so many amazing careers in music that are available. The skills needed for these are all about creating sounds, planning, evaluating, composing, and many more skills that we promote. Careers in music can span many different specialist areas.

The teaching and learning of music supports careers, such as:

  • Music producer
  • Recording engineer
  • Artist manager
  • Singer
  • Tour manager
  • Music publicist
  • Composer
  • Music arranger
  • Digital music
  • Music technology
  • Songwriting

Musician Coverage

At Loscoe C of E Primary, we follow the Charanga Model Music Curriculum in Key Stage 1 and 2, working on a one year cycle. In EYFS, we use the original Charanga Scheme. As well as covering a wide variety of musicians through our music lessons, we also cover a range of musicians and musical genres through our weekly music plan.  Between lessons and the weekly music, we will cover a wide variety of men and women from different cultures, inspirational musicians who are living with different disabilities and will cover musicians that are both alive and dead.

SMSC

Music is an extremely sociable subject where discussions on preferences and evaluations of music are promoted and key. Working in groups allows children to learn from each other and to share ideas and feelings. Music helps them to develop a respect for the abilities of other children and encourages collaboration.

In relation to spiritual development, Music introduces children to the work of great musicians and experiencing wonder and awe at the achievements of these great pieces of music. They also experience great admiration and respect for their peers’ work, especially in relation to looking at their progression over time with their compositions.

With moral development, music encourages mutual respect, peer evaluation and the consideration for others’ work, including that of famous musicians. Pupils are encouraged to show compassion when assessing the work of others through understanding how their comments can build up or destroy another’s self- belief. 

Music supports our children’s cultural development work as they study various cultures and civilizations from around the world. This leads to a greater understanding of different ways of life and a respect for cultures that are very different from our own; how they can enrich our own lives. It is fantastic as we provide opportunities to compare and contrast our own and other cultures, leading to pupils incorporating rhythms, melodies and styles in their own work developed by a deeper understanding of the culture.

British Values

Open discussions about preferences in music, and evaluating others' work creates an environment that is accepting of different beliefs, opinions and abilities of others. Children learn about similarities and differences between themselves and others, and show tolerance of these. All of our musical experiences teach them that everyone is important, and that everyone will have different life experiences and skills that we can celebrate and respect. Music requires a lot of teamwork, where children will take a democratic approach to working collaboratively, including making compromises and sharing decisions.

Protected Characteristics

At Loscoe C of E Primary, we want to give our children an open, respectful and realistic mindset towards the wonderful world we live in and how this relates to music. We strive to expose them to a range of significant musicians from all different backgrounds related to the protected characteristics, and have planned for this in our varied curriculum.

Useful links and websites including things you can do with your child

Things you can do with your child in the local area related to music include:

Useful website links:

Singing Stars in Key Stage 1

In 2022, Year 1 and 2 took part in a 10-week singing project, lead by the brilliant Mrs Pierson. The children had great fun learning how to warm-up, playing singing games and learning a wide variety of songs, that they then performed for parents and careers.

Derbyshire Music Partnership for Year 3 and 6

This year, we are lucky enough to have another skilled music teacher from Derbyshire Music Partnership for two year groups. After the flutes last year, this year we are very pleased to be offering the opportunity to learn the clarinet to Himalayas class this year. They are taking part in a 30-week programme, during which they will learn a number of pieces of music that they will perform as part of an orchestra in a multi-school concert. 

This programme has proved itself to be brilliant for the children, not just in allowing the children in Key Stage 2 to learn an instrument, but has also given them the opportunity to perform as part of a larger group. The children are developing a range of musical skills in a fun and creative way and gaining confidence in their own abilities. 

Young Voices

This year, we will be attending the Young Voices  in Sheffield. The children have been working very hard to learn the songs and dance moves to be ready to perform with thousands of children from other schools from around the country. 

Rock Steady

Every Monday, Luke works with small groups of children who have come together to create their own bands. Children have the opportunity to choose between drums, bass guitar, guitar, keyboard and singing and spend a term learning a new song, before performing it to their parents and peers. 

For more information on Rock Steady, please follow the link below:

Knowledge and Skills Progression document including core knowledge and vocabulary progression

Music Development Plan

Music Policy

Music flashcards

Cookie Policy