The power of music

'The Model Music Curriculum' (DfE March 2021)

Music is all around us. It is the soundtrack to our lives. Music connects us through people and places in our ever-changing world. It is creative, collaborative, celebratory and challenging. In our schools, music can bring communities together through the shared endeavour of whole-school singing, ensemble playing, experimenting with the creative process and, through the love of listening to friends and fellow pupils, performing. The sheer joy of music making can feed the soul of a school community, enriching each student while strengthening the shared bonds of support and trust which make a great school.

At St Nicholas CE Infants' we are implementing 'The Model Music Curriculum' (DfE March 2021) with the use of the music scheme Charanga.

Units of work explored in the EYFS and KS1 celebrate a white range of musical styles. We have clearly sequenced lessons that support the key areas of the Model Music Curriculum (MMC); Listening, Singing, Playing, Composing and Performing.

Children explore a wide variety of styles such as Jazz, Hip Hop, Pop, Gospel, Classical, Regae, Orchestral, Funk, Lullaby, Waltz and many more. They also learn about Musicianship and Notation in lessons that are engaging and interactive.

Music is also utilised in other areas of the curriculum to enable the children to make connections and to take joy in music. All children are involved in singing performances through out the year including Christmas performances, Harvest, Church events and class assemblies.

Intent

We want all pupils to benefit from a music education which engages and inspires them to develop a love of music and their talent as musicians. Our curriculum provision will increase their self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement. As pupils progress, we want them to develop a growing musical vocabulary that allows them to critically engage with music. Teaching and learning of music will be a reflective process for the children as they are given the opportunities to assess themselves and their peers. We intend that children will be confident in celebrating their musical success and skills with their peers and wider audiences through performances and recordings.

Implementation

At St Nicholas we deliver a clear and comprehensive scheme of work in line with the National Curriculum and EYFS through Charanga. A steady progression plan has been built into Charanga, both within each year and from one year to the next, ensuring consistent musical development. Charanga includes many examples of music styles and genres from different times and places. These are explored through the language/ vocabulary of music via active listening, performing and composing activities, which enable understanding of the context and genre. Charanga provides a classroom-based, participatory and inclusive approach to music learning. Throughout the scheme, children are actively involved in using and developing their singing voices, using body percussion and whole-body actions, and learning to handle and play classroom instruments effectively to create and express their own and others’ musicality. Through a range of whole class, group and individual activities, children have opportunities to explore sounds, listen actively, compose and perform. During music lessons children will be given opportunities to learn music specific vocabulary in a meaningful context. During the lesson children will be given opportunities to apply skill and given chance for collaboration through composition.

Intent

• Music and singing will become integral to the life of St Nicholas.
• We will provide a vibrant musical experience for all children.
• All children will be provided with opportunities to create, play, perform and enjoy music, to develop the skills, to appreciate a wide variety of musical forms, and to begin to make judgements about the quality of music.
• Through our music curriculum pupils will gain enjoyment, self-confidence and a sense of achievement through musical activities. 

• They will acquire musical skills, knowledge and understanding of musical concepts through primarily active listening then performing and composing.