Assessing Music

Teachers follow the Charanga - Music School Scheme unit by unit and deliver a minimum of 30 minutes music teaching per week.

 

We assess music without using levels but there are end of year expectations which will allow us to make informed decisions as teachers as to whether children are at the expected standard for the end of the year group.

 

Teachers will make decisions during lessons as to which children need to be supported further in order to achieve the expected level or which children show great potential and need to be challenged. These children could be identified as those to be offered a place in a lunch time club or additional small group teaching.

 

The Music Lead Teacher will periodically invite groups of children from all year groups to join in a mini-lesson based on the Charanga lesson structure. During these sessions the music lead teacher can get an overview of the learning that has taken place: What the children recall about their musical experience? What information, facts and vocabulary they have remembered?

If there are any gaps in learning, misunderstandings or aspects of the learning that may need to be strengthened, these can be identified.  

 

Teachers will assess children’s knowledge and skills in the areas of: listening and appraising, singing, playing, improvisation, composition and performance. They will make judgements as to their ability to use and apply what they have learned.

 

Each year group will have an overview of the end of year expectations which will be used to make the end of year assessments and will be annotated according to:

Children who are working towards expected level (emerging)

Children who are working at expected level (expected)

Children working above expected level (deep)

Staff will make ‘best fit’ judgements.

 

Music is monitored by the music lead teacher and the Curriculum Leaders. A combination of pupil voice interviews, planning support/moderation, classroom drop-ins and performance outcomes will be used to gain a view of how music is taught and learnt across the school.

 

All pupils will be given the opportunity to develop their musical skills and knowledge; to sing and play instruments at a range of levels for the enjoyment of others and for themselves.

 

We expect children to leave year 6 ready to engage positively and confidently in the Secondary musical curriculum. Some children will be excited and motivated to continue musical studies and instrument tuition both individually and within musical groups.