Music

MUSIC

Intent
‘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.’ Department of Education, National Curriculum.
Our aim at North Tawton is to provide a music curriculum which will enable each child to reach their full potential in music, encourage children to enjoy singing, composing and performing and provide children with the opportunity to perform in front of an audience both within and outside of school.

Implementation
Everyone has a voice, and we believe singing is a powerful way for children to become proficient musicians, excel across the curriculum and develop self-esteem. Our curriculum is centred around the 'Voices Foundation’, a singing-based scheme, which improves children’s musicianship and singing voices through a straightforward method and a diverse range of accessible choral repertoire. Every music lesson is led by a specialist music teacher. There is a clear progression of skills and knowledge and a clear structure to each lesson, incorporating the four elements - listening, singing, playing (and performing) and composing. Children learn to play a range of instruments, with a focus in KS2 on mastery of the recorder, melodica and glockenspiel.
At North Tawton, pupils have the opportunity to:

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.

We are lucky enough to loan whole-class sets of instruments from our local Devon Music Education Hub and thus constantly have a wide range of different instruments for the children to explore and play. We regularly play to an audience, including Harvest Festivals, Christmas Concerts and Music Concerts. The school receives high-quality sessions from outside agencies, including the opportunity to learn African drumming; excellent and professional peripatetic teachers are welcomed at North Tawton and have a fantastic take-up of enthusiastic and budding musicians. We also provide after school musical opportunities such as choir and keyboard club.

Impact

Children have equal access to a high-quality music education that aids their development and increasing their learning and skills. They feel empowered and know that their voice matters.

Children are enthused and engaged in singing and playing a range of instruments, demonstrating high levels of engagement and motivation which builds a lifelong love of music (listening and playing)
Children experience challenge in a safe and fun environment, building resilience and becoming confident in their own abilities. They are able to apply this to learning in other subjects
Children develop a wider sense of the world around them and can draw on these experiences in their wider learning
Children learn the fundamental elements of musicality (as recommended in the Model Music Curriculum) and are well prepared for the next stage in their school career
Children develop effective speaking and listening skills and are able to communicate their opinions, use their imaginations and draw on previous learning to make links when enjoying a wide range of music.
Music is celebrated across the school!

OUR CURRICULUM

Knowledge Organisers Y1-6

KS1 Voices Foundation Curriculum Progression

KS1 Voices Foundation overview

KS2 Voices Foundation Overview