Music
Intent
At Lydiard Millicent CE Primary School, we believe that music is a valuable form of creativity and that it can be used as a universal language. The National Curriculum for music aims to ensure that all children:
- perform, listen to, review and evaluate music
- are taught to sing, create and compose music
- understand and explore how music is created, produced and communicated
We therefore aim to provide quality teaching to engage and inspire our children, to support their development of a love of music, and to cultivate their talent as musicians. We aim to create confidence and creativity across a range of musical genres, and to provide a sense of achievement through a range of performance opportunities both in and out of school.
Implementation
Teachers have access to Music Express Online, a comprehensive scheme which is good at supporting non- specialists. This scheme is closely aligned to the National Curriculum and ensures coverage and progression of knowledge, skills and understanding. Teachers are able to supplement and replace units that may better link to topics being currently studied, drawing on their own skills and experiences, as long as the identified objectives are still covered. The implementation of this scheme has been reviewed and action taken where necessary to support teachers.
We provide a range of opportunities for our children to perform throughout their time at Lydiard Millicent. These include:
EYFS and KS1 Nativity
KS2 Summer production
Christmas Carol concert
Performing Arts evening for the school community
Peripatetic performances
Choir for KS2
Recorder for beginners
Weekly singing assemblies develop children’s musicianship making links with our school values.
First access currently in years 3, learning to play the violin and to read music notation.
Children can access individual and small group peripatetic teaching on an instrument through the local music co-operative. Instruments currently being taught are violins, guitar, piano, drums, keyboard and recorder.
Pupil premium pupils have access to peripatetic lessons.
Children are exposed to a variety of live performances throughout the year, exposing them to bands, orchestras, pantomimes and ensembles.
The lead teacher forms part of an active cluster that provides training and support on a regular basis. This involves applications for funding for musical projects which all local schools can benefit from.
Impact
Whilst in school, children have access to a varied programme, which allows them to discover areas of strength, as well as areas they might like to improve upon. The integral nature of music and the learner creates an enormously rich palette from which a child may access fundamental abilities such as: achievement, self-confidence, interaction with and awareness of others, and self-reflection. Music will also develop an understanding of culture and history, both in relation to children individually, as well as ethnicities from across the world. Children are able to enjoy music in as many ways as they choose – as either listener, creator or performer. They can dissect music and comprehend its parts. They can sing and feel a pulse. They have an understanding of how to further develop skills less known to them, should they develop an interest in their lives.
