Intent 

Our aim is for all children to gain a firm understanding of what music is through listening, singing, playing, evaluating and composing across a wide variety of historical periods, styles, traditions, and musical genres. We are committed to ensuring children understand the value and importance of music to their own and others’ lives and wellbeing and also the impact music has in the wider community.  

We want our students to be confident and curious musicians as they grow up and this access and enjoyment of music begins within our Foundation Stage and continues throughout school. 

Through our music curriculum pupils will:  

• Gain enjoyment, self-confidence and a sense of achievement through musical activities.   

• Acquire musical skills and understanding of musical concepts through primarily active listening, then performing and composing. 

• Have opportunities to attend extra-curricular clubs such as our school choir and to take part in or attend concerts and events led by The Sheffield Music Hub and our trust to further inspire pupils and develop their musical and cultural abilities. 

Implementation 

Our Music Curriculum is overseen by our Music Lead.  The Lead provides training and support to staff, quality assurance regarding the delivery of the Charanga program, is responsible for assessment of music within school and reports directly to Senior Leaders. 

The Music Curriculum: 

• Is delivered through the Charanga Program which allows teachers to produce inclusive lessons for all children to access the musical curriculum in a fun and engaging way, further promoting a love of learning. 

• Is taught weekly to classes throughout the school and lessons are planned in sequences to provide children with the opportunities to review, remember, deepen and apply their understanding of music. 

• The elements of music are taught in classroom lessons so that children are able to use some of the language of music to dissect it, and understand how it is made, played, appreciated and analysed. 

• Children are given opportunities to play a range of tuned and untuned percussion throughout these lessons. Whole class instrumental teaching is also provided through the Sheffield Music Hub for Y4. 

• All year groups attend a weekly singing assembly to further develop performing, listening and collaborative skills. 

Impact

We recognise that in order to make progress children require their musical skills and understanding to be built upon year on year. Through the Charanga program all pupils will benefit from a high-quality music education which engages and inspires them to develop a love of music as well as their talent as musicians. It will increase their self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement and throughout all of this the child’s enjoyment of music is a key element, running alongside these ‘taught’ musical skills and objectives. 

Our Music Curriculum: 

• Allows pupils to develop a growing musical vocabulary that allows them to critically engage with music 

• Allows children to be reflective as they are given the opportunities to assess themselves and their peers. 

• Gives opportunities to sing, play and perform and pupils can celebrate their success and skills with their peers and wider audiences. 

• Allows for teacher assessment through pictures and video evidence which captures each child’s progress throughout the year 

• Allows the Music Lead to recognise areas of good practice and those requiring development 

• Impact is shared with Governors, Sheffield South East Trust and reported through statutory channels