Music
The national curriculum for music aims to ensure that all pupils:
- 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
- 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
- understand and explore how music is created, produced and communicated, including through the inter-related dimensions: pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture, structure and appropriate musical notations.
The music curriculum at Oakthorpe is planned to meet the aims of the National Curriclum and includes units from the Music Express scheme of work, a whole class instrumental programme and singing building up to high quality performances.
Children have opportunities to sing, play, listen and compose. Where appropriate music units are linked to class topics to ensure that that learning about music is developed whilst exploring different topics and is linked with other curriculum subjects.
Each unit has a musical focus, e.g. exploring sounds, beat, pitch, performance. The musical development progresses through each age group, providing a comprehensive curriculum.
The music curriculum includes assemblies in particular singing assemblies where children have opportunities to sing a wide range of genres. On entering the hall for assemblies children listen to music, this music is planned to ensure that children listen to a range of musical styles and genres. In addition to music lessons, musical activities and whole class singing is both encouraged and celebrated in commendable assemblies and informally in classes.
