Great Massingham and Harpley C of E Federation
Music Policy
Our Vision
Through a positive caring environment, we provide the opportunity for every child to reach their full potential. We embrace Christian values and ensure all children are ready for their next steps.
Aims and objectives
Music is a unique way of communicating that can inspire and motivate children. It is a vehicle for personal expression, and it can play an important part in the personal development of people. Music reflects the culture and society we live in, and so the teaching and learning of music enables children to better understand the world they live in. Besides being a creative and enjoyable activity, music can also be a highly academic and demanding subject. It also plays an important part in helping children feel part of a community. We provide opportunities for all children to create, play, perform and enjoy music, to develop the skills, to appreciate a wide variety of musical forms, and to begin to make judgements about the quality of music.
The objectives of teaching music in our school are to enable children to:
know and understand how sounds are made and then organised into musical structures;
know how music is made through a variety of instruments;
know how music is composed and written down;
know how music is influenced by the time, place and purpose for which it was written;
develop the interrelated skills of performing, composing and appreciating music.
Teaching and learning style
We make music an enjoyable learning experience. We encourage children to participate in a variety of musical experiences through which we aim to build up the confidence of all children. At Key Stage Two, music is predominantly taught by a Peripatetic County Music Teacher. Singing lies at the heart of good music teaching. Our teaching focuses on developing the children’s ability to sing in tune and with other people. Through singing songs, children learn about the structure and organisation of music. We teach them to listen to and appreciate different forms of music. As children get older, we expect them to maintain their concentration for longer, and to listen to more extended pieces of music. Children develop descriptive skills in music lessons when learning about how music can represent feelings and emotions. We teach children to make music together, to understand musical notation, and to compose pieces.
Additional music teaching
Children are offered the opportunity to study a musical instrument with peripatetic teachers. Peripatetic music teaching is provided by independent music teachers. Parents who want their children to participate must pay the additional music lesson fees on a termly basis. These lessons are normally taught to individuals or small groups of children who have chosen to learn one of a variety of instruments, such as the guitar, drums or piano. This is in addition to the normal music teaching of the school, but usually takes place during curriculum time.
Music curriculum planning
Our federation uses the national curriculum for music as the basis for its curriculum planning. While there are opportunities for children of all abilities to develop their skills and knowledge in each teaching unit, the progression planned into the scheme of work means that the children are increasingly challenged as they move through the school.
The Early Years Foundation Stage
We teach music in reception classes as an integral part of the topic work covered during the year. As the reception class is part of the Early Years Foundation Stage of the National Curriculum, we relate the musical aspects of the children’s work to the objectives set out in the Early Learning Goals (ELGs) which underpin the curriculum planning for children aged three to five. Music contributes to a child’s personal and social development. Counting songs foster a child’s mathematical ability, and songs from different cultures increase a child’s knowledge and understanding of the world.
Assessment for learning
Children demonstrate their ability in music in a variety of different ways. Teachers will assess children’s work in music by making informal judgements as they observe them during lessons. On completion of a piece of work, the teacher assesses the work and gives oral or written feedback as necessary to inform future progress. Older pupils are encouraged to make judgements about how they can improve their own work. At the end of a unit of work, the teacher makes a summary judgement about the work of each pupil in relation to the National Curriculum, and records these grades.
Resources
We keep resources for music in a central store.
Musical events
We believe that music enriches the lives of people, and so we wish to involve as many children as possible in musical activities. We provide opportunities throughout the year for budding musicians to perform for the school community. This includes solo and ensemble performances as part of assemblies and concerts. This recognises their achievements and celebrates their success.
Roles and Responsibilities
The subject is led by the subject leader. Standards of teaching and learning will be judged using work sampling, lesson observations, pupil voice and data review. The subject leader will report to the SLT and Governors via a subject action plan which will be reflected in the School SEF and SIDP.
Formally adopted by the Governing Board
On
Chair of Governors
To be renewed October 2021
