INTENT

Music is a universal language that embodies one of the highest forms of creativity. A high-quality, aspirational music education should engage and inspire pupils to develop a love of music and their talent as musicians, and so increase their self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement, ready to engage in the next stage of their education. As pupils progress, they should develop a critical engagement with music, allowing them to compose, and to listen with discrimination.

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, so increasing Cultural Capital in a community where few children have experienced live music, and those from different cultures, enabling children to become internationally minded citizens; 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. Importantly, children should have the opportunity to progress to the next level of musical excellence. Pupils should also 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 Fremington Primary, we make Music an enjoyable learning experience.  We encourage children to participate in a variety of musical experiences through which we aim to build the confidence of all children through and engaging and aspirational curriculum with a wide variety of opportunities.

We teach children to listen and to appreciate different forms of music. As children get older, we expect them to maintain their concentration for longer and to listen to more extended pieces of music. Children develop descriptive skills in music lessons when learning about how music can represent feelings and emotions. We teach them the disciplined skills of recognising pulse and pitch. We often teach these together. 

Children are taught how to work with others to make music and how individuals combine together to make sounds. We also teach them musical notation and how to compose music.

IMPLEMENTATION

Children at FPS participate in a weekly music lesson.

Every year group will build upon the learning from prior year groups therefore developing depth of understanding and progression of skills. This serves as a base to aid and enhance our teaching, but is not intended to be rigidly adhered to. 

Lessons provide opportunities for children to develop practical skills and progress by listening and appraising, singing, playing, composing, and performing.

Pupils experiencing difficulties will be given extra encouragement by working in a small groups with the teacher/ support staff.

As well as music lessons in class, children are encouraged to learn a range of instruments through our peripatetic teachers, who visit our school.

Pupils are given the opportunity to listen to a range of music through various in and out of school opportunities, including through assemblies where musical appreciation takes place. Performances are integral to our school ethos and take place within school activities and to parents / the community.

Music skills and skills progression are monitored, as is the delivery of music.

Resources: We have a wide range of musical instruments and resources that can easily be moved around the school.

IMPACT

The impact of this aspirational music curriculum will lead to outstanding progress over time across key stages relative to a child’s individual starting point and their progression of skills. 

Children will leave FPS reaching at least age expected expectations for music, ready for the next steps in their musical development. Our music curriculum will aim to foster a love and increasing enthusiasm for the subject amongst our children, and a potential for life-long musical study and enjoyment.

FPS children will have experienced live music, music from different composers and cultures, so increasing their cultural capital and appreciation of more diverse and international music, enabling them to become well-rounded, internationally minded citizens of the future.

Each and every child will have had the opportunity to and experience of performing in front of a live audience.