Music

Music at Cloverlea

Intent

Music is a universal language that embodies one of the highest forms of creativity. At Cloverlea we aim for our music education to engage and inspire pupils to develop a love of music and their talent as musicians, and so increase their self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement.

We encourage children to participate in a variety of musical experiences through which we aim to build up the confidence of all children. Our teaching focuses on developing the children’s ability to understand rhythm and follow a beat. Through singing songs, children learn about the structure and organisation of music. We teach them to listen and to appreciate different forms of music. Children develop descriptive language skills in music lessons when learning about how music can represent different feelings, emotions and narratives. We also teach technical vocabulary such as volume, pitch, beat and rhythm and encourage children to discuss music using these terms.

As our pupils progress, it is hoped that they will develop a critical engagement with music, allowing them to compose, and to listen with discrimination to the best in the musical canon.

National Curriculum

The national curriculum for music aims to ensure that all pupils:

• 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 to use their voices, to create and compose music on their own and with other have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument, use technology appropriately and have the opportunity to progress to the next level of musical excellence
• understand and explore how music is created, produced and communicated, including through the interrelated dimensions: pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture, structure and appropriate musical notations

Implementation

Curriculum 

At Cloverlea we follow the National Curriculum for Music at Keystage 1 and Keystage 2, allowing breadth and balance in the children's learning. We have recently adopted a new scheme of work, Charanga, which engages our pupils and provides them with a wealth of excellent music experiences and opportunities. The new schme has allowed us to ensure good coverage and progression across school and, although our music is taught by music specialists from Trafford, has allowed our non specialists teachers the opportunity to teach music with  confidence and success. Pupils at KS1 and KS2 have at least one lesson a week of music and this is taught by Music Specialists from Trafford. They also have weekly singing assemblies which facilitates a strong and enthusiastic love of music, singing and performance. 

Enrichment 

At Cloverlea we liaise with Trafford Music Services to organise both KS1 and KS2  projects and events during the course of the year. This includes whole class ensemble teaching in Years 3 and 5 where children are taught a specific musical instrument for a term in the school year. These lessons incorporate teaching musical notation, singing, as well as learning to play an instrument.  In Year 1 the children get involved in a musical performance of 'Princess and the Pea' and throughout the academic year there are other plays and performances to parents and the local community that promote music in a variety of forms. 

Our enrichment provides opportunities for new experiences as well as nurturing and developing a thirst for music and learning a musical instrument . 

Impact

Music assessment is ongoing to inform our teachers (specialist teachers and classroom teachers) of pupil attainment and achievement and thus aid with planning, lesson activities and differentiation. Summative assessment is completed using itrack and this informs our reporting arrangements to parents, governors, staff, and senior management. It also highlights further teaching that needs to take place to embed skills and understanding. Music is monitored throughout all year groups using a variety of strategies such as lesson observations, pupil interviews, recordings and video. 

At Cloverlea, our pupils will be engaged and inspired to develop a love of music and their talent as musicians.

Their self-confidence and creativity will have increased giving them a sense of achievement.

They will have a critical engagement with music and will showcase all the qualities, skills and understanding of music, outlined in the National curriculum, in their listening, learning, composing and performing. 

We will give our pupils a wealth and variety of musical opportunities that hopefully will inspire them to build on and develop their musical skills in their lives to come. 

Music Curriculum

Cloverlea has recently updated their scheme of work for Music. Charanga is an online resource that is used by the specialist teachers and our class teachers to deliver the Music Curriculum. This resource is very current and offers our pupils with a wealth and variety of musical experiences than span the different musical styles and genres. 

Progression of Skills

Key stage 1

Pupils should be taught to:

• use their voices expressively and creatively by singing songs and speaking chants and rhymes
• play tuned and untuned instruments musically
• listen with concentration and understanding to a range of high-quality live and recorded music
• experiment with, create, select and combine sounds using the inter-related dimensions of music.

Key stage 2

Pupils should be taught to sing and play musically with increasing confidence and control. They should develop an understanding of musical composition, organising and manipulating ideas within musical structures and reproducing sounds from aural memory.

Pupils should be taught to:

• play and perform in solo and ensemble contexts, using their voices and playing musical instruments with increasing accuracy, fluency, control and expression
• improvise and compose music for a range of purposes using the inter-related dimensions of music
• listen with attention to detail and recall sounds with increasing aural memory
• use and understand staff and other musical notations
• appreciate and understand a wide range of high-quality live and recorded music drawn from different traditions and from great composers and musicians
• develop an understanding of the history of music.

Music Mark

Cloverlea has been given the 'Music Mark' in recognition of the work we do and opportunities we provide for our pupils which is centered around Music. We are extremely proud and pleased with this award.