Purpose of Study

Music is a universal language that embodies one of the highest forms of creativity. A high-quality music education should engage and inspire pupils to develop a love of music and their talent as musicians, and so increase their self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement. As pupils progress, they should develop a critical engagement with music, allowing them to compose, and to listen with discrimination to the best in the musical canon.

Source: National Curriculum, 2014

Intent

At Ash Primary School, we believe that Music plays a very important part of every child’s education – it is, after all, all around us and, for many people, an important source of well-being and entertainment.  During their time at Ash Primary, all children will develop their singing skills and have the opportunity to play a variety of instruments, both in class and through extra-curricular activities. The children follow an engaging curriculum using Charanga* as a teaching and learning platform.

Following the National Curriculum for Music within lessons, every child will:

• develop playing skills
• learn to read and write basic musical notation
• develop an increasing vocabulary, enabling leaners to describe the music they hear
• develop listening skills - they will learn to describe the elements of music when listening: pitch, tempo, dynamics, timbre and texture
• learn to identify the instruments they hear; expressing opinion upon any vocal lines included within a piece
• learn to recognise time signatures and consider if the music is in a major or minor key (KS2)
• be introduced to a wide range of music genres from across the world
• develop their creativity through learning to improvise and compose.

They will have opportunities to perform to fellow students, parents and, more occasionally, the wider community. Most importantly, they will learn that music is for everyone, and it is hoped that this will lead to a lifelong passion for listening to and participating in music.

*A world-leading music teaching and learning platform. (charanga.com)

Implementation

• Each class (from Y1) has a timetabled weekly Music lesson using Charanga
• Ash Explorers and Earth Class have music incorporated within the EYFS curriculum
• For 23-24 the instruments each class will be learning to play are:

Saturn: Percussion, chime bars (and occasionally Boomwhackers)

Venus: Recorders

Neptune: Mainly recorders – some children will be playing fifes

Jupiter: Ukuleles

• Classes attend a weekly Singing Assembly (Earth class to join in later in the year). This is for learning hymns and songs for school services and assemblies. It will also include choir songs for public performances including the Christmas and Summer concerts. Sing Up* is used as song bank for Singing Assemblies.
• Earth and Saturn class perform a musical nativity play in December.
• School services (Welcome, Harvest, Remembrance Day, Christmas, Mother’s Day, Easter and Leavers) include musical items performed by the children.
• Songs are often included in other school assemblies.
• Individual instrumental lessons are currently available for piano/ keyboard, violin and guitar (tuition fees apply)
• Extra-curricular clubs currently include Beginner Recorders, Senior Recorders and Fifes, and Beginner Ukuleles

*www.singup.org

Impact

Ongoing assessment is integral to monitoring the effectiveness of teaching and learning. Teacher observations during lessons are noted and end of unit performances will be recorded to inform assessment and monitor progress. Peer Assessment will be used, where appropriate.

The impact of our Music curriculum is measured by:

• Teacher observations and SLT learning walks
• Pupil Voice – receiving feedback about the effectiveness of lessons from small groups of children
• Monitoring by the Music Subject Lead looking at the impact of the use of the Charanga learning platform

The engagement with, enthusiasm for and confidence in participation of musical activities such as school concerts, productions and services will also be a significant gauge of the impact of the delivery of the Music curriculum across the school.

Year 6 students will leave the school with a solid grounding in the musical elements, having also had the opportunity to play a variety of instruments. This will prepare them well for future learning at secondary school.

Musical Vocabulary: Years 1–6

Year 1 Words you need to know: Pulse, rhythm, pitch, rap, improvise, compose, melody, bass guitar, drums, decks, perform, singers, keyboard, percussion, trumpets, saxophones, Blues, Baroque, Latin, Irish Folk, Funk, pulse, rhythm, pitch, groove, audience, imagination.

Year 2 Words you need to know: Keyboard, drums, bass, electric guitar, saxophone, trumpet, pulse, rhythm, pitch, improvise, compose, audience, question and answer, melody, dynamics, tempo, perform/performance, audience, rap, Reggae, glockenspiel.

Year 3 Vocabulary: Structure, intro/introduction, verse, chorus, improvise, compose, pulse, rhythm, pitch, tempo, dynamics, bass, drums, guitar, keyboard, synthesizer, hook, melody, texture, structure, electric guitar, organ, backing vocals, hook, riff, melody, Reggae, pentatonic scale, imagination, Disco.

Year 4 Vocabulary: Keyboard, electric guitar, bass, drums, improvise, compose, melody, pulse, rhythm, pitch, tempo, dynamics, texture, structure, compose, improvise, hook, riff, melody, solo, pentatonic scale, unison, rhythm patterns, musical style, rapping, lyrics, choreography, digital/electronic sounds, turntables, synthesizers, by ear, notation, backing vocal, piano, organ, acoustic guitar, percussion, birdsong, civil rights, racism, equality.

Year 5 Vocabulary: Rock, bridge, backbeat, amplifier, chorus, bridge, riff, hook, improvise, compose, appraising, Bossa Nova, syncopation, structure, Swing, tune/head, note values, note names, Big bands, pulse, rhythm, solo, ballad, verse, interlude, tag ending, strings, piano, guitar, bass, drums, melody, cover, Old-school Hip Hop, Rap, riff, synthesizer, deck, backing loops, Funk, scratching, unison, melody, cover, pitch, tempo, dynamics, timbre, texture, Soul, groove, riff, bass line, brass section, harmony, melody.

Year 6 Vocabulary: style indicators, melody, compose, improvise, cover, pulse, rhythm, pitch, tempo, dynamics, timbre, texture, structure, dimensions of music, Neo Soul, producer, groove, Motown, hook, riff, solo, Blues, Jazz, improvise/improvisation, by ear, melody, riff, solo, ostinato, phrases, unison, Urban Gospel, civil rights, gender equality, unison, harmony. © Copyright 2020 Charanga Ltd

The Interrelated Dimensions of Music (Dimensions)

● Pulse – the regular heartbeat of the music; its steady beat.

● Rhythm – long and short sounds or patterns that happen over the pulse.

● Pitch – high and low sounds.

● Tempo – the speed of the music; fast or slow or in-between.

● Dynamics – how loud or quiet the music is.

● Timbre – all instruments, including voices, have a certain sound quality e.g. the trumpet has a very different sound quality to the violin.

● Texture – layers of sound. Layers of sound working together make music very interesting to listen to.

● Structure – every piece of music has a structure e.g. an introduction, verse and chorus ending.

● Notation – the link between sound and symbol. © Copyright 2020 Charanga Ltd