“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind,

flight to the imagination and life to everything.”

Plato

Intent

We intend for the children at Loxley to experience music as a powerful and unique form of communication that can change the way they feel, think and act. Music brings together intellect and feeling and enables self-expression, personal reflection and emotional development as well as being a fun and practical subject. As an integral part of culture, past and present, music helps children to understand themselves and to relate to others. Learning music has the power to increase self-discipline, creativity and fulfilment.

At Loxley, we aim for pupils to develop a love of music and increase their talents as singers, instrumentalists, composers and performers. Through an understanding of the different dimensions of music (beat, rhythm, tempo, etc.), pupils will increase their self-confidence and enjoy opportunities to perform what they have learnt.  We strive for children to develop a critical engagement with music by introducing them to a broad range of musical styles and genres and teach them how to listen carefully and be able to evaluate what they have heard.

Implementation

• Use of the Kapow Music Scheme (a spiral curriculum), where key learning is regularly repeated, building on children’s prior knowledge and allowing for consolidation as well as challenge.
• Carefully planned lessons to ensure progression of skills and knowledge across the school. 
  Questioning and regular “low-stakes” quizzes (retrieval practice) used to promote long-term learning.
• Use of Knowledge Organisers to support learning.
• Discreet teaching of the vocabulary of music to support evaluation and composition.
• Opportunity for all KS2 children to learn to play a musical instrument - glockenspiel.
• Daily exposure to a wide range of musical genres and styles and to the work of composers from a wide range of periods during daily Collective Worship.
• The opportunity to study significant composers and pieces of music from a range of time periods, countries and cultures.
• Regular opportunities throughout the year for all children to prepare and perform in front of an audience.
• Visiting musicians and assemblies to allow opportunities for children to experience quality live performances.
• Revisiting key content and vocabulary in other subject areas.
• Opportunities for pupils to engage in extra-curricular music activities such as music clubs.
• Access to a wide-range of musical instruments.
• Weekly singing assemblies.

Early Years

The learning in EYFS supports the NC by capitalising on children’s innate desire to listen to, make and explore sound by:

• Providing freedom for children to be curious, experimenting with and creating their own music
• Reinforcing children’s responses to sounds and encouraging composition and performance
• Cultivating children’s desire to be inventive and imaginative allowing them to express their creativity in ways that are personal to them.

Singing is an integral part of the daily routines and children are taught new songs as well as practising songs they already know. Over the year they develop a wide repertoire of songs and rhymes that they know by heart. A weekly music session is also delivered focusing on musical knowledge and skills.

 Impact

The impact and measure of this is that the children at Loxley enjoy expressing themselves creatively through music and will have the confidence that comes from performing and sharing their love of music with others. They are aware of a variety of styles of music and are able to listen carefully and share their thoughts about a piece of music. The children at Loxley will also be equipped with the musical skills and knowledge that will enable them to be successful at Key Stage 3. Furthermore, we aim to have ignited the children's enthusiasm for music so much, that they are encouraged to seek further opportunities to develop their skills and understanding in the future.