Music
“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.” -Plato
Vision & Aims
“Studying music builds cultural knowledge and creative skills. It improves children’s health, wellbeing and wider educational attainment. Music also enables young children to develop the sheer love of expressing themselves through music, discovering their own inner self and being able to develop emotional intelligence and empathy through music.”
The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Music Education, January 2019
Music is a universal language that embodies one of the highest forms of creativity. A high-quality music education should engage and inspire children to develop a love of music and their talent as musicians, and so increase their self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement
Teaching & Learning
Music is a unique way of communicating that can inspire and motivate children. It gives an opportunity for personal expression and it can play an important part in the personal development of an individual. Music reflects our culture and society and so the teaching and learning of music enables children to better understand the world they live in.
Charanga Music is an online progressive scheme of work which links music lessons with different themes. Within each theme, the children will learn about and listen to arrange of songs and musical pieces from a variety of composers and musical styles. In addition to the online resources used in class, teachers may upload pieces of music or songs for the children to learn at home or play along with their instruments.
In teaching music, the aims are:
- to know and understand how sounds are made and then organised into musical structures
- to know how music is made through a variety of instruments
- to know how music is composed and written down
- to know how music is influenced by the time, place and purpose for which it was written
- to develop the interrelated skills of performing, composing and appreciating music
- to enjoy and appreciate a wide variety of musical styles
- to make and quantify judgements about the quality of music
Such opportunities include:
- singing practice — once a week the whole school meets to learn songs for assembly and special occasions, for example, those linked to RE and PSHE and those that reflect our school values
- listening & appraising — when the whole school meets for assembly this is an opportunity for introducing a new piece of music and for quiet reflection at the start of each assembly when the children can listen to a piece of music focusing on the school value for that half term
school entertainments — at Christmas time, each year group (apart from Year 6) takes part in a musical performance of some kind whilst at the end of the summer term Year 6 puts on a musical extravaganza as a leaving performance to the rest of the school and parents.
- At other times throughout the year e.g. Harvest, Easter and group sharing assemblies, year groups or the whole school get together to provide appropriate musical entertainment
- the school choir sing at concerts in school and at external events such as Voice in a Million
- all children learn a musical instrument and are encouraged to play when appropriate
In addition, The Hounslow Music Service offers a professional music tutor for 45 minutes each week. Not only does the music service provide lessons, it also ensures that every child has access to an instrument as well as a structured, progressive programme of bands, orchestras and choirs outside school. The topics chosen are generally linked to the theme a particular class is working on for that half term and build upon prior learning. There are opportunities for children of all abilities to develop their skills and knowledge in each teaching unit.
| Year | Tuition |
| EYFS | Simple Percussion and musical experiences |
| Year 1 | Using percussion instruments, begin to compose music. Understanding the history of music through key musicians. Songs and Rhymes linked to topic work in class. |
| Year 2 | Deepening understanding of the history of music. Composition of simple tunes using percussion instruments. Reading musical notation. Learn to play the Ukulele. |
| Year 3 | History of music. Composition and musical notation. Learn to play the Ukulele. |
| Year 4 | History of music. Using musical dimensions to create and compose music. Consolidate learning of the Ukulele. |
| Year 5 | History of music. Using musical dimensions to create and compose music. Consolidate learning of the Ukulele. |
| Year 6 | History of music. Using musical dimensions to create and compose music. Consolidate learning of the Ukulele. |
Topical songs will be learned and performed each week in assemblies and children will listen to and explore a wide genre of music and musicians.
