Our music curriculum is underpinned by the National Curriculum Program of Study.
Purpose of study
Music is a universal language that embodies one of the highest forms of creativity. A high quality music education should 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. As pupils progress, they should develop a critical engagement with music, allowing them to compose, and to listen with discrimination to the best in the musical canon.
Aims
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 others, 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 inter-related dimensions: pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture, structure and appropriate musical notations.
(National Curriculum 2013)
Music at Sycamore Academy
Intent
At Sycamore Academy our intention in music is to ensure all children hear and enjoy all types of music from different cultures, genres and historical periods on a regular basis and be aware that music is a means of communication.
We intend for children to participate in music making with enjoyment and confidence acquiring the skills, concepts and attitudes outlined in the Programme of Study for the National Curriculum and developing a positive attitude to their music making. We want children to develop critical listening skills and be able to express an opinion about the music that they like or dislike with correct musical vocabulary.
Implementation
Our music curriculum ensures children will:
- Listen with concentration and understanding to a range of music.
- Form opinions and respond verbally to music.
- Use their voices expressively and sing songs from memory.
- Compose and perform simple pieces of music- tuned or untuned.
- Be able to improvise and compose sounds to create musical effects.
- To record music using appropriate symbols.
Music is taught in both small groups and whole classes from the Early Years through to Year 6. Early Years children play instruments and sing along with a group called The Rainbow Stripes. In Key Stage One and Key Stage Two we support our music teaching with Charanga Musical School which offers inspiring technology, great music, and contemporary digital music resources for the children. At Sycamore Academy we have a wide variety of instruments, including many from different cultures, which are available for everyone to enhance their music learning throughout the year.
In addition to this, children in Year 4, 5 and 6 can work with a music specialist to learn to play a string instrument in an orchestra style ensemble through the Nottingham Music Hub. To further develop our children’s musical interests, we have an afterschool club called Area Band where the Year 5 and 6 children who have had an opportunity to learn the strings can carry on and perform in a small group ensemble. It is also led by the Nottingham Music Hub.
Children who attend the club have opportunities throughout the year to play in front of an audience as well as alongside other Area Bands from other schools. Across the academic year we plan for children across the different age ranges to also have an opportunity to perform through a variety of musical performances.
Impact
Whilst in school, children have opportunities to forge their own musical journey, which allows them to discover areas of strength, as well as areas they might like to improve upon. Music will also help our children to develop an understanding of culture and history, both in relation to students individually, as well as ethnicities from across the world. We aim to share the possibilities and aspirations of being a musician with our children highlighting possible future careers and a lifelong appreciation for music.
