Music
St Edward’s Values: Thankfulness, Forgiveness, Compassion, Perseverance, Courage, Friendship
‘I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.’ (John 10:10)
“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything.” – Plato
“Music expresses feeling and thought, without language; it was below and before speech, and it is above and beyond all words.” – Robert G. Ingersoll
At St Edward’s we value music because it is a most powerful and unique form of communication that can change and impact the way children feel, think and act. We believe that teaching music helps the body and the mind work together. Exposing children to music during early development helps them to learn the sounds and meanings of words. Dancing to music helps children build motor skills while allowing them to practice self-expression. We believe at St Edward’s that every child should have the opportunity to develop their musical potential and we aim to nurture and encourage musical development across the school. All children are actively encouraged and given the opportunity to learn to play a musical instrument, from standard classroom instruments to individual instrumental lessons with the visiting peripatetic staff.
Coverage
Music is planned in-line with the statements laid out in the national curriculum. Music is planned with cross-curricular links included in our Cornerstones topics where possible and with Charanga being used to supplement and provide extra support and resources to enhance music teaching. Charanga provides many examples of music styles and genres from different times and places. These are explored through the language of music via active listening, performing and composing activities, which enable understanding of the context and genre.
Through our music lessons children are actively involved in a wide range of musical opportunities. Children develop 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’ music. Through a range of whole class, group and individual activities, children have opportunities to explore sounds, listen actively, compose and perform.
Charanga is a scheme of work which offers a topic-based approach to support children’s learning in music. A steady progression plan has been built into Charanga, both within each year and from one year to the next, ensuring consistent musical development. By using Charanga as the basis of a scheme of work, we can ensure that they are fulfilling the aims for musical learning stated in the National Curriculum:
Charanga includes many examples of music styles and genres from different times and places. These are explored through the language 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’ music. Through a range of whole class, group and individual activities, children have opportunities to explore sounds, listen actively, compose and perform.
We deliver the strands of the National Curriculum
KS1
- Singing
- Playing and instrument
- Listening and appreciating
- Creating own Music
KS2
- Performing
- Using and understanding
- Composing
- Listening
- Appreciating
- History of music
via our Cornerstones topics or Charanga. The progression of National Curriculum objectives is detailed in the Music Curriculum Roadmap attached.
For each Cornerstones topic, teachers have considered the curriculum roadmaps from the foundation subjects and have drawn up S-plans based around a small number of interrelated ‘big questions’ with consideration for the small steps required for children to gain a deep understanding of each concept.