Music
Intent
At Abbey Park Schools Federation, we aim to provide a music curriculum that enhances pupil’s musical knowledge, skills and creativity. We know how music can enhance the lives of others and create happiness and joy. We want to share this with our pupils so that they can experience a rich and varied musical curriculum. We hope to foster a love of music, exposing them to diverse musical experiences and igniting a passion for music.
Pupils must be able to share their musical experiences with others through song, performance or composition. We believe that music provides an opportunity to connect with others in a deep and meaningful way.
We aim to provide them with the opportunity to reach their full musical potential with their listening, appraising, performing and compositional skills. Music skills are taught progressively with high expectations for all pupils.
Implementation
At the First school music lessons engage and inspire pupils to develop a love of music and develop their musical talent. The Charanga scheme of work used in Years 1 -4 ensures a wide exposure to various genres of music. It allows for practical opportunities to read, perform and compose different notes and rhythms. Pupils are also provided the opportunity to use computing technology in music. Additional enrichment opportunities include Year 3 being taught a specific musical instrument, currently the ukulele. We perform as a whole school for services and assemblies and also perform at the local Abbey.
Across the Federation, pupils are offered the opportunity to learn to play a range of instruments with tuition provided by peripatetic teachers. Children are also provided the opportunity to rehearse and perform for the Young Voices concert, the largest choir performance in the world!
In the Middle School, we appreciate that having the ability to compose music is vitally important, as it allows pupils to express themselves. Therefore when they perform their pieces they have achieved something original and individual. Their compositions are inspired by a range of musical styles and genres as well as composing soundscapes. They are also encouraged to use the Composer’s toolkit and consider melody, tempo, dynamics, rhythm, pitch, structure, texture, harmony, mood, timbre and genre.
Impact
By the time children leave our school they will
- have explored technical musical vocabulary of pitch, pulse, rhythm, tempo, dynamics, texture, structure and notation
- been exposed to a wide variety of styles of music from different cultures and periods of time
- had the opportunity to learn a specific instrument and perform in a wide variety of contexts
- to be confident and proud of their listening, appraising, compositional and performance skillset
- reached their full potential in their musical ability with the opportunity to pursue it as a talent
- develop a life-long love for the subject, understanding the positive impact it can have on their lives
