Subject Leader - Mrs Chard

Intent

At St Pauls, we have a ‘seriously fun’ approach for teaching music to instil a lifelong love of music in children. We want music to come alive and the classroom to be buzzing with an enthusiasm for learning! We aim for bright, engaging, interactive and often, hilarious, music lessons, where children achieve far more than they might expect!

Implementation

We have a dynamic music curriculum (Quaver Music) covering theory, improvisation, composition, performing on instruments, singing, musical history, music from different countries and cultures, musical styles, and different composers.

Children are taught 1 or 2 units per term, consolidating and building upon prior learning.

We do this by

• planning objectives carefully to ensure progression of skills and knowledge across each phase, and the whole school
• singing a lot of songs to establish musical concepts  
• learning theory by practical music making
• making a lot of cross-curricular connections in maths, science, history, geography, and PE
• doing regular interactive games, quizzes and assessments
• displaying a ‘key word wall’ in the music studio
• children in KS1&2 have instruments on loan for the year which they keep in their trays
• all year 5 & 6 children all learn the recorder
• having a designated vibrant music studio with a large and varied array of instruments

We also support children in their music making by

• giving them performance opportunities e.g. in weekly celebration assemblies, Young Voices, Singing Playgrounds
• having visiting musicians and assemblies to allow opportunities for children to experience quality live performances
• providing the opportunity to have individual or group instrumental lessons through Warwickshire Music
• being a Singing Playgrounds School and having Singing Playground Leaders to lead singing games at playtime

Impact

The impact of this is to ensure that children at St Paul’s are equipped with musical skills and knowledge that will enable them to be ready for the curriculum at Key Stage 3. As important as that is, there is something greater. That is that they leave St Paul’s with an excitement and love for music that is contagious, they are proud of their musical accomplishments, they thrive in their creativity, and they are fired up as the confident, young musicians that they have been encouraged to be.