Music

The teaching and implementation of music at Wrekin View Primary is based on the Model Music Curriculum which has been customised and attuned to suit the children. The long term planning focuses on 4 areas of music, which are entwined together to help the children become proficient, skilled musicians. The medium term plan covers performing, composing, listening and singing ensuring the children are given an extensive breadth of the subject. The children spend autumn and spring terms learning musicianship skills to refine their individual talents, leading to a composing module in the summer term. Throughout the school, our aspirational curriculum is taught weekly for 30 minutes. Fortunately at Wrekin View, there are many members of staff who come from a musical background and have given other teachers support. As well as this, the music lead observed lessons across the school to give advice.

Aims:

• Children can play instruments when they leave, starting with recorder, progressing to TooTs (durable, plastic flutes), and introduced to stringed instruments like ukuleles for accompaniment.
• Children have an enjoyment and love of singing.
• Children are provided with opportunities to perform in and out of school
• Children are given opportunities to watch and listen to live and recorded to performances
• Children have an introduction to composing

How we have successful learners: 

Children learn the skills of musicianship in KS1 with an introduction into recorders at the end of year 2. They become more confident on the recorder in year 3 and move onto TooTs in years 4, 5 and 6. The ukulele is also introduced in year 5 to develop their understanding of chords and triads, and as accompaniment to their TooTs, and singing in performing and composing.

Children attend a weekly singing assembly, learning a mixture of pop songs they enjoy and songs from the model music curriculum focusing on interdimensions of music and how singing can make us feel happy.

There is a weekly choir club attended by up to 30 children from year 2 to 6. During this time the children learn songs for an annual large concert ‘Young Voices,’ local competitions, and songs they love. We emphasise that singing is an enjoyable and fun activity, helping children understand that singing can be important to our mental health and wellbeing.

The lessons end with a listening task, listening to a variety of different music including classical from Baroque era to Romantic, pop music from funk to rock and roll, and musical traditions from different countries. Children are given the opportunity to listen to live and professional recordings, as well as listening to live performances on trips to watch the local pantomime, musicals with nearby secondary schools, and professional performances. Listening opportunities are given around school as children enter and leave assembly. These are often linked to current events.

For their final term, every year group is given the chance to improvise and compose using the skills and knowledge they have gained in the autumn and spring terms on the varying instruments, and using the musicianship they have learnt. Children are taught the skills needed to compose and are given many ways throughout their time at Wrekin View Primary to produce abstract compositions to more tonal pieces.

Additional resources –

We are lucky to have many instruments in our building to use for our music lessons, including drums, hand held percussion, keyboards, drum machines, recorders, Toots and ukuleles.