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Connect Education Trust
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Music

We aim for all pupils to develop:

  • the ability to 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.
  • the ability to 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.
  • an understanding and explore how music is created, produced and communicated, including through the interrelated dimensions: pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture, structure and appropriate musical notations.
  • a rapidly widening repertoire which they use to create original, imaginative, fluent and distinctive composing and performance work. 
  • a musical understanding underpinned by high levels of aural perception, internalisation and knowledge of music, including high or rapidly developing levels of technical expertise. 
  • a very good awareness and appreciation of different musical traditions and genres.
  • an excellent understanding of how musical provenance - the historical, social and cultural origins of music - contributes to the diversity of musical styles.
  • ability to give precise written and verbal explanations, using musical terminology effectively, accurately and appropriately.
  • a passion for and commitment to a diverse range of musical activities.

Implementation

Pupils are taught the essential knowledge and skills through the use and adaptation of the Kapow Primary Curriculum. This adopts an integrated, practical, exploratory and child-led approach to musical learning, meeting the requirements of the National Curriculum for Music and suggested approaches of the Model Music Curriculum. The interrelated dimensions of  music weave through the units to encourage the development of musical skills as the learning progresses through listening and appraising, differing musical activities (including creating and exploring) and performing.

The Kapow Primary Curriculum units of work enable children to understand musical concepts through a repetition-based approach to learning. Learning about the same musical concept through different musical activities enables a more secure, deeper learning and mastery of musical skills.

Musical teaching and learning is not neat or linear. The strands of musical learning, presented within the lesson plans and the on-screen resources, are part of the learning spiral. Over time, children can both develop new musical skills and concepts, and re-visit established musical skills and concepts. Repeating a musical skill doesn’t necessarily mean their progress is slowing down or their development is moving backwards. It's just shifting within the spiral. Mastery means both a deeper understanding of musical skills and concepts and learning something new.

The termly overviews show progression of knowledge and skills for each strand of musical learning by unit, year and Key Stage.

In addition to the teaching of class music, our intention is to offer all Key stage 2 children the opportunity to learn an instrument and join a singing group through 2022-2023.

Impact

The curriculum is the progression model. If pupils are able to demonstrate they are able to know and remember more against our curriculum expectations they are making good progress and attaining expected standards.

Pupils are assessed through informal assessment techniques, including questioning and short retrieval activities.