Our Music Curriculum
Intent
At Chambersbury, music has a very important role in our curriculum. It offers a broad and balanced curriculum for the children, support well-being and develops an appreciation for ‘The Arts’. Children gain a firm understanding of what music is through listening, singing, playing, evaluating, analysing, and composing across a wide variety of historical periods, styles, traditions, and musical genres. We are committed to developing a curiosity for the subject, as well as an understanding and acceptance of the validity and importance of all types of music. We discuss the importance of unbiased respect for the role that music may wish to be expressed in any person’s life, culture or country. We aim to provide children with the opportunities to develop their creative excellence.
Implementation
At Chambersbury Primary School, we a musical program called Charanga. This resource is used to deliver progressive music lessons in EYFS to year 6. This is a Musical School Scheme that provides teachers with week-by-week lessons for each year group in the school.
Through the musical program Charanga, teachers are able to produce inclusive lessons for all children to access the musical curriculum in a fun and engaging way, further promoting a love of learning. Teachers deliver music following the Charanga programme, designed specifically for the teaching of music in primary schools. It is ideal for specialist and non-specialist teachers and provides lesson plans, assessment, clear progression, and engaging and exciting whiteboard resources for every lesson. Charanga lessons are planned in sequences to provide children with the opportunities to review, remember, deepen and apply their understanding. Within
Each unit focuses on a song, music genre or artist as a starting point for the learning. These are chosen from a range of sources and feature music from around the world. From this, the children learning through the sequence described above and focuses on the follow themes:
The music curriculum ensures children sing, listen, play, perform and evaluate. This is embedded in the classroom activities as well as assemblies, various concerts and class performances.
The Charanga scheme provides and builds in assessment opportunities. Its framework is useful for both music specialists and non-specialists. In essence, there are two aspects to the assessment:
Impact
Music enables children to develop an understanding of culture and history, both in relation to children individually, as well as ethnicities from across the world.
Children are able to enjoy music in as many ways as they choose – either as listener, creator or performer. Children have the opportunity to discuss and share their own thoughts, opinions and ideas, acknowledging and respecting that these may vary and that this is positive. They can dissect music and comprehend its parts. They can sing and feel a pulse. At Chambersbury Primary School children are provided with opportunities beyond the National Curriculum to further and support their understanding. These include themed weeks and celebrations, performing in concerts (like the O2 in London) and school productions. External interests and talents are also encouraged and showcased in class and assembly, ensuring that everyone is challenged regardless of previous musical experience. Children have an understanding of how to further develop skills less known to them. This experience will certainly support them if they choose to continue with music lessons after they leave Chambersbury.