Rationale:
The music curriculum at Nechells enables pupils to develop their musical creativity through practical and exploratory opportunities. It aims to develop them as performers, composers, improvisers and listeners.
Through deliberate practice, pupils become fluent in their knowledge of music. As they move through school, they also develop an increasing understanding of the history of music, learning about music across a range of historical periods, genres, styles and traditions, including the works of the great composers and musicians.
Music is a highly creative subject supporting pupils to develop their own musical ideas. Creativity in music is encouraged through pupil’s improvisations and compositions when singing and playing instruments. They make connections between ‘new’ and ‘old’ learning, solve problems and think critically to develop and improve their ideas.
At Nechells, the music curriculum is sequenced carefully to ensure that previous knowledge is revisited and built on. Each unit is carefully planned to ensure that prerequisite knowledge is built upon and connected content, between aspects within music and other disciplines, are carefully linked and revisited. Units always begin by revisiting pulse, rhythm and pitch. The key areas of learning that include;
- Listening and appraising
- Musical activities – (including warm up games, singing, playing instruments, improvisation and composition.)
- Performance
Each unit of music has an ongoing musical learning focus and a unit specific focus. Ongoing musical learning includes building on pupil’s prior knowledge to develop new knowledge about how they can improve their skills in listening and appraising, musical activities (games, singing, playing, improvising and composing, and performing. Unit specific knowledge focuses on musical skills and concepts that may be discrete to a particular style or styles of music relevant to the unit.
During music lessons and through retrieval, assessments are made focusing on the content and performance involving qualitative verbal feedback. Learning is digitally recorded when appropriate.
Pupils in Year 2 and Year 4 have the opportunity to learn and play the recorder, Djembe and Dhol taught by peripatetic music specialists. This is a fabulous opportunity for our children to put into practise their knowledge and learning gained throughout the progressive units delivered. Having access to physical instruments only enhances the children’s creative ability and understanding of what they have learnt. Pupils have the opportunity to perform regularly to a large audience. Through this engagement, pupil voice indicates that they are much more likely to pursue music throughout their education and beyond.
At the end of their musical journey at Nechells, Year 6 have the opportunity to produce and perform their own ‘Leavers Production’. This will be a culmination of knowledge and skills learnt, but also a chance for them to use their own creative flare in front of a live audience.
