Junior School

Music

INTENT

At Leesland C of E Junior school we recognise the essential part that music and its skills, play in each child’s learning journey. Music is a tool for creativity as well as a key way to promote self-belief and a sense of personal achievement. We want all our students to develop a love for music and gain confidence through exploring and improving their musical talents. We believe that music should be a part of our everyday practice, whether through collective worship, our choir or peripatetic lessons. At Leesland Junior School we seek to expose students to a range of musical styles and opportunities and see them develop a critical engagement with music, enriching their learning and setting them on a path towards musical excellence. We teach music with the support of Hampshire Music Service and their resources. Year 4 Music is taught by professional music teachers through the Hampshire Music Service Listen to Me Programme while Hampshire Music Service planning is used for all other years. Each HMS unit incorporates the key musical skills of singing, playing, rehearsing and performing, notating, listen and responding and describing and discussing. Such skills we believe create a well-rounded, engaged musician.

IMPLEMENTATION

Using the National Curriculum as our starting point, we will 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 musical notation.

Our students will 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

We will use the Hampshire Music Service Units as our framework from which to teach the skills above. Each half-term, each year group will complete a HMS music unit. These units focus on one key music skill and up to three musical dimensions. Units have been carefully selected to ensure that students have a solid understanding of the foundational elements or dimensions of music as well as key music skills. The 7 key elements covered in our curriculum map are: pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture, structure. The musical skills taught are: singing, playing, rehearsing and performing, notating, listening and responding and describing and discussing. Each unit typically includes: listening and analysing music, music theory, composition, practical application of skills on a variety of instruments and a performance. Students will work both individually and in groups.

Beyond the music units, there are opportunities to use music skills across the curriculum and outside of the classroom.

Visits from musicians into schools and trips out of school where possible.
Rehearsing and performing in choir and musical ensembles as extra-curricular activities in school.
Opportunities for children to learn an instrument with a specialist peripatetic teacher. This is facilitated by Totally RAD Music for a growing range of instruments.
The status of music raised within the school with regular music themed events such as Nativities, school musicals and music concerts.
Regular singing in assemblies and for special occasions such as Christmas/Easter (linked to schools Christian ethos and community links).
Music played within classrooms for mental health, enjoyment and curriculum links.

IMPACT

Our children are able to:

Approach music with openness and enthusiasm.
Appreciate and be inspired by a range of musical styles and musicians.
Learn to use associated vocabulary and techniques.
Apply what they have learned with skill.
Evaluate their own and others’ work with reference to inspiration, intent and impact.

Students’ progress in music will be assessed according to our Music Skills Progression Document. Each unit is assess up to three musical dimensions and one music skill. This progression document will allow teachers to see whether students have met expected standards and inform students of their next steps. As each unit has a different focus, all musical skills will be assessed by the end of each academic year.

Teachers assess students throughout each unit of work through observations of rehearsals, classroom participation, written work and live performances. Students will also have an opportunity to evaluate their work.

December 2023 Update

Leesland Junior School has just become a member of Music Mark, a government-supported music education provision designed to enrich the lives of all children in the UK. This accreditation is in recognition of the high-quality music provision we provide. We provide fantastic music opportunities, from the Hampshire Music Service Listen to Me Programme in Year 4, to our comprehensive in-class music lessons across all years and extracurricular choirs. Hopefully you will get a chance to hear our Year 5 and Year 6 choir sing this Christmas in one of their 5 performances!