Music
Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything. Plato.
Music is a unique way of communicating that can inspire and motivate children and at Hook Junior School we believe that all children should have the right to access a varied musical education. It is a vehicle for personal expression, and it can play an important part in the personal development of people. Music reflects the culture and society we live in, and so the teaching and learning of music enables children to better understand the world they live in. Besides being a creative and enjoyable activity, music can also be a highly academic and demanding subject whilst building self-confidence. It also plays an important part in helping children feel part of a community. We provide opportunities for all children to create, play, perform and enjoy music, to develop the skills, to appreciate a wide variety of musical forms, and to begin to understand the history behind music and famous composers. Overall, music should be enjoyed and should give pupils opportunities to be proud of their achievements.
Music Intent
The national curriculum for music aims to 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 appropriate musical notations
At Hook Junior School we make music an enjoyable learning experience. We encourage children to participate in a variety of musical experiences through which we aim to inspire and instill confidence of all children
Music Implementation
At Hook Junior School we encourage children to participate in a variety of musical experiences through which we aim to build up the confidence of all children. Singing is an integral part of our school life and our teaching focuses on developing the children's ability to sing in tune, developing their expression and ability to listen to others. All children take part in weekly singing assemblies with songs linked to calendar events worldwide as well as themes of the week linked to collective worship.
Across year groups, pupils’ understanding of music will be developed through units of work which bring together the requirements of performing, composing, listening and appraising. Children are taught to make music together with tuned and un-tuned instruments and to compose pieces. They are also taught to sing and play in time controlling the sound and pace. Additionally, they are taught different ways to represent sounds graphically and symbolically. In Year 3 the instrumental focus will be playing the recorder, in Year 4 and 5 the focus will be playing the ukulele and in Year 6 the focus will be fuse drumming.
Our teaching focuses on:
- Developing an ability to sing in tune and with other people
- Developing an ability to recognise pulse and pitch
- Developing an ability to play instruments with control and sensitivity working with others to make music
- Developing an ability to recognise how individuals combine together to make sounds
- Develop knowledge of musical notation and how to compose simple musical melodies
Music Curriculum Impact
At Hook Junior School, we assess children's knowledge and understanding by questioning, listening and observation of performance in class as an on-going process. Assessment will be carried out by the member of staff responsible for the teaching of music in each year group. Assessment will be ongoing throughout the term, as outlined in the Assessment Policy. Evidence may be in music booklets, on display or shown as models. At the end of a unit of work, the teacher makes a summative judgement. Children demonstrate their ability in music in a variety of different ways. Teachers will assess children's work in music by making informal judgements as they observe them during lessons. On completion of a piece of work, the teacher assesses the work and gives oral or written feedback, as necessary, to inform future progress. All pupils are encouraged to make judgements about how they can improve their own work.
Extra-Curricular and Opportunities for Music
- Singing assembly — Once a week, a whole school assembly meets to learns hymns and songs for assembly and special occasions linked to R.E. and P.S.H.E
- Listening and Appraising — 4 times a week the whole school meets for whole school assemblies. As the children enter and leave the hall, they have the opportunity to listen to a new piece of music from different cultures and genres.
- School productions — Each year group has the opportunity each year to host a production to showcase their talents in drama and music, as well as links to other curriculum subjects. Year 3 host an Easter service, Year 4 host the Christmas production, Year 5 host a Harvest festival and Year 6 conclude the academic year with a summer production.
- Music clubs both lunchtime and after school – choir, orchestra, choir, fuse drumming and musical theatre are just some of the clubs that regularly run throughout the academic year.
- Peripatetic music lessons (at additional cost)
- Concerts and performances - at Hook Junior School, we believe that performance is vital within the music curriculum; each child either independently, as part of a group or with the whole class will be given the opportunity to perform to their peers, other classes or the whole school during assemblies. Additionally, where possible, parents and carers are invited to either watch live or share a recording of pieces of music throughout each unit of work.
Progression aims for Music are explained in the Music Curriculum Overview.