Music

Music at Weston Favell CE Primary School

Intent

At Weston Favell CE Primary School, our intent for the music curriculum is to foster a love and appreciation for music in our children, whilst providing them with a comprehensive musical education. We aim to develop their practical skills, creativity, and critical understanding of music, enabling them to become confident and well-rounded musicians. Our intention is for every child to experience a broad range of musical styles and genres, promoting inclusivity and cultural richness. We believe that music has the power to enhance confidence, self-expression, teamwork and cultural understanding, qualities that are vital for their personal and academic growth.

Implementation

To achieve our intended goals, we implement a wide-ranging music curriculum through following the Charanga Music scheme, that is enriched and adapted to meet the needs and interests of our pupils.

The Charanga Music scheme is a progressive program to enable our children to develop their understanding, make musical judgements, apply their new learning, develop their aural memory, express themselves physically, emotionally and through discussion and create their own musical ideas.

The children not only learn about music; they become musicians with musicality who are able to share and perform using their new skills.

Our implementation strategy involves the following key elements:

Broad and Balanced Curriculum

• Our Charanga music curriculum incorporates a variety of musical genres, styles, and traditions to ensure all pupils have access to a diverse range of musical experiences.
• We carefully select repertoire that reflects the multicultural society in which we live, fostering an appreciation for different cultures and musical heritages.
• The Charanga curriculum covers various aspects of music, including performing, composing, listening, and appraising, catering to the different learning needs and abilities of our pupils.

High-Quality Teaching

• Our teachers use a range of teaching strategies, including active music-making, ensemble work and technology-enhanced learning, to motivate and inspire pupils.
• We ensure that all teaching is underpinned by clear learning objectives, enabling children to measure their progress and take ownership of their musical development.

Effective Resources and Partnerships

• We provide a rich array of resources, including some high-quality musical instruments, digital tools and access to cultural experiences such as concerts, workshops and performances.
• We actively collaborate with local music providers, such as Northampton Music Hub and community groups, to offer additional learning opportunities and extracurricular activities.
• Families are frequently invited into school to celebrate the achievements of the children in music and appreciate the progress that has been made.

Assessment and Feedback

• We utilize ongoing formative assessment strategies to track each child’s musical progress, identifying strengths and areas for development.
• Feedback is provided promptly and constructively to enable children to improve their musical skills and deepen their understanding of music within music lessons.
• Children are encouraged to reflect on their own performances and compositions, enabling them to take ownership of their learning journey.

Impact

The impact of our music curriculum is far-reaching, incorporating both academic and personal development outcomes. We believe our approach plays a pivotal role in enhancing the musical, social and emotional well-being of our children. The intended impact of our music curriculum includes:

Musical Achievement and Skill Development

• Our children demonstrate a broad range of musical skills, knowledge and understanding, manifested through their performances, compositions and listening abilities.
• They develop proficiency in playing musical instruments, singing and ensemble work, progressing through a structured musical pathway that caters to their individual needs and aspirations.

Cultural Awareness and Inclusion

• Children gain a deeper appreciation for different musical traditions, styles and cultural heritages, developing empathy and understanding for diverse communities.
• They actively participate in and contribute to musical experiences that celebrate cultural diversity within the school and wider community, fostering a sense of belonging and inclusivity.

Personal and Social Development

• Our Charanga music curriculum promotes the development of key transferable skills such as teamwork, communication, problem-solving, creativity and self-expression.
• Children gain confidence and resilience, embracing challenges and taking risks through regular performance opportunities, fostering a positive mindset towards their musical abilities.

Enjoyment and Lifelong Engagement in Music

• Our children develop a lifelong love and passion for music, valuing music as a means of personal expression and enjoyment.
• They continue to engage with music beyond their primary education, whether through pursuing musical hobbies, joining ensembles or considering music-related career paths.

By implementing our music curriculum, we aim to create a vibrant musical community that positively impacts the lives of our children and staff and nurtures their musical potential.

Music enrichment at Weston Favell CE Primary School

Singing Worship – all children take part in a structured singing worship, including warmups and part-singing weekly.

There are two school choirs, one in Key Stage 1 and one in Key Stage 2. They actively seek performance opportunities throughout the school year, including regularly singing at the local residential home, church and shopping centre and for local charity events, including Cynthia Spencer’s Tree of Love service.

The Key Stage 2 choir are offered the opportunity to take part in the Young Voices event in Birmingham every two years.

In Year 5, the children access ‘First Access - Let’s Play Brass’, where all children can learn a brass instrument and perform at the end of their ten sessions.

NMPAT Recital Teams and other musicians visit throughout the year to enable children to hear professional musicians perform for the school.

Individual music lessons start in Year 3, through partnership with our local music hub (Northamptonshire Music and Performing Arts Trust) where children are offered the chance to learn an instrument – this is chargeable to parents/carers but is heavily subsidised for children eligible for pupil premium funding.

Each class gets the opportunity to lead a celebration service, where they perform to their peers and families each year.

In the early years, children in pre school and reception lead a Christmas Nativity in which they perform to the school and their parents and carers.

Year 5 also get to work with Silhouette Youth Theatre to create a piece of theatre linked to a Shakespeare play and then get to perform at our local theatre in front of a full audience.

At the end of Year 6, the children get to showcase their musical talents through their end of year/school production and take great pride in performing for their school and their parents and carers.

Rock Steady Music are now leading five school bands, where children can learn an instrument whilst playing in a band, which also focuses on the children’s mental health.

What our children say about music at Weston Favell Primary School …

“I enjoy when we do the rhythm (tapped the rhythm to the song they are learning at the moment) – the rhythm is the tune of the music “

“The singing and the games for the songs (are easy to remember) because the games can be silly and it makes me remember it”

“Using the instruments is good. When we hear and see C on the interactive whiteboard, we play C on the glockenspiel, then we are playing music together.”

“We’ve been learning the CDEA notes to go with our song, we have enough glockenspiels so that half the class play and half the class sing – I love it!”

“(in music lessons) We have time to think about ourselves and not worry about anyone else.”

“I am a musical person, so I really like music lessons. They are calm and I like them more than other lessons.”

“I really like singing because it makes me stay calm and I enjoy it.”

“In singing it is fun because you get to talk about music and share ideas.”

“It’s amazing because we all love singing and it helps you feel like you’re part of the community of the school.”