'Music is a universal language that embodies one of the highest forms of creativity' (National curriculum)

 

INTENT:

At Welland Academy, our music curriculum intends to develop confidence, improved well-being, self-expression and results in the acquisition of knowledge. 

We make music enjoyable and engaging. We encourage children to participate in a variety of musical experiences through which we aim to build a range of skills and understanding in musicality. We offer the students opportunities to learn new instruments where they are encouraged to learn musical discipline and perform in solo and ensemble pieces. We endeavour to nurture and develop children’s confidence to express themselves through music.  Our lessons teach children about the structure and organisation of music and to appreciate different forms of music as well as linking them to the core school values. In addition, we encourage the children to work with others to compose, perform and appraise different genres of music and music throughout history, linking this in with the work of great composers and musicians. 

 

IMPLEMENTATION

At Welland Academy, we use the structure of a 5 part lesson to ensure that different aspects of the music curriculum are regularly taught/ recapped: 

• Part 1: Singing (appropriate to key stage, with KS2 singing songs in parts and rounds)

• Part 2: Musicianship / Musical vocabulary retrieval (achieved through games and movement)

• Part 3: Listening section (focusing on instruments used in a piece of music, making links back to known and new composers)

• Part 4: The main part of the lesson (every year group will complete 2 composition focused units a year and 2 listening units a year. Other units will focus on singing and the learning of their instrument) 

• Part 5: Evaluating and appraising the work they have completed within the lesson

 

In year 2 and Key Stage 2, students will learn an instrument as part of their learning in music. We believe this is an important way for students to learn musical discipline, teach musical notation and increase their confidence through performance. 

 

Current instrument offering:

Year 2: Ocarina

Year 3 and 4: Recorder

Year 5: Ukelele

Year 6: Djembe Drums

 

 

We link closely with Peterborough Music Hub and have peripatetic teachers delivering the teaching of some instruments to our year 5 and 6 pupils. Once a term, the students are offered the opportunity to perform in a concert with other schools. Once a term, we also provide students with the opportunity to perform to each other in a whole school assembly. This provides a good opportunity for students to work towards a goal and adds purpose to their learning. Teachers can use a range of resources to help put their lessons together (based on guidance from the model music curriculum) including: Charanga https://charanga.com/site/, Music Express and BBC bitesize https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/zwxhfg8?scrlybrkr=246be9bf 

Each class will be taught two composition units a year. One of the units will be a response to one of the Write Stuff narrative maps they have been learning about in their writing lessons. The other will be a response to one of the BBC ten pieces, where they will explore the piece properly first before creating their own work. https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/ten-pieces?scrlybrkr=246be9bf The listening units will focus on learning about music throughout the decades and different musical genres. They will be expected to listen and appraise the music. 

 

IMPACT

Students will develop a sense of achievement, self-confidence, self-awareness and creativity. The performance element of the curriculum will offer a sense of purpose to their learning and will encourage self-discipline. Regular opportunities to recap prior learning in lessons, will support students with the ability to better appraise the music they hear and understand it better. It will help them develop a better understanding of culture and history, both in relation to the students individually and ethnicities across the world. They will be able to enjoy music in a range of different ways: as composer, performer and listener. This will better prepare them for secondary school and further learning in music. 

 

Key Stage 2 choir:

Key Stage 2 have the opportunity to attend choir after school. In choir, we are learning a range of different songs including some in parts and rounds. The children have the opportunity to perform to the wider community. 

 

We have been lucky enough to be awarded Music Mark for 2023 2024