Music

Music at Kempsey Primary School

Why do we teach Music? Music is all around us. It is the soundtrack to our lives. Music connects us through people and places in our ever-changing world. Music is a unique way of communicating that can inspire and motivate children. Music reflects the culture and society we live in and so the teaching and learning of music enables children to better understand the world they live in.

How do the children learn about Music?

At Kempsey Primary School we believe that music should be a part of daily school life, appearing at lots of different opportunities throughout the day. Throughout their school career, children will learn about the musical elements of pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, texture, timbre and structure. Music lessons in KS1 &2 are taught weekly for 45 minutes.

Our Music curriculum is taught through the Sing Up programme. Sing Up aims for every child to have access to high-quality, practical, and engaging musical experiences through our pupil and teacher resources.

We want all children to develop the self-confidence, skills, knowledge, and understanding to develop a lifelong love of music, whilst also providing a secure foundation that enables them to take music further should they wish to.

We also want teachers to enjoy teaching music and to feel empowered, armed with good subject knowledge and practical music making activity, and confident that the scheme they are teaching will work brilliantly with the children in front of them.

Sing Up Music is designed and written by subject specialists. It sets out the skills, knowledge, and understanding to be gained by all pupils at each stage of learning, including the Early Years Foundation Stage. Together, the 80+ units (for Nursery to Year 6) represent a complete and progressive library of resources that meets the requirements of the National Curriculum for Music, the suggested approaches of the Model Music Curriculum, as well as the Statutory Framework for Early Years Foundation Stage and Music Development Matters.

Singing is at the heart of KS1 music, with songs and chants underpinning their learning. In KS2, they build their skills and repertoire; singing in harmony with good vocal technique.

Listening attentively to music develops a deeper understanding of how music is constructed and the impact it can have on the listener. Listening to a broad range of music helps to develop composing and performing skills.

Composing pupils explore musical sound effects on untuned and tuned percussion, improvise and create music in response to non-musical stimuli. They use symbols and dots to record their composition. In KS2, they create music for specific purposes, exploring a range of styles and genres, recording these using graphic score moving on to traditional staff notation.

Performing is an integral part of music lessons and pupils have plenty of opportunities to share, evaluate and celebrate their music.

Singing Assembly

These are held weekly. Children participate in collaborative singing, learning songs from a variety of genres.

First Access Music Education (FAME) All pupils in Year 3, 4 and 5 will receive whole-class instrument tuition provided by Severn Arts for one term over the year. The children are currently learning the violin (y3), ukelele (y4) and clarinet (y5) over the year and will perform in an end of term concert. They have the opportunity to continue with private lessons afterwards if they would like to.

Wider music opportunities

Peripatetic Music Tuition

Private instrument tuition is available for pupils in Years 1-6. The children have the choice of learning: Violin, Piano, Keyboard, Drums, Ukelele, Guitar, Flute, Singing. Lessons are taught during school hours, by either a private Peripatetic teacher or from Severn Arts. (For those taught by Severn Arts, instruments are available to hire directly -  www.severnarts.org.uk )

Young Voices

This is an annual concert where children have the chance to sing at Resorts World Birmingham with other schools from the West Midlands. Pupils from KS2 attend rehearsals after school with Mrs Webster in preparation for this performance. www.youngvoices.co.uk

Choir

Children in KS2 have the opportunity to join the school Choir - In the Autumn term we focus on Young Voices and during the rest of the year, the children have the opportunity to perform at the PTFA May Fayre and compete in the Worcester Arts Festival in the spring term.

Music events in school and the wider community

Pupils have the opportunity to perform at events held within the community when they arise. e.g. carol singing at the Firs & the Lawns Residential Home, St Mary's Church Summer Fayre, Class Assemblies, termly FAME concerts.