Music at Westerhope

Music is a universal language that embodies one of the highest forms of creativity. A high-quality music education should engage and inspire pupils to develop a love of music and their talent as musicians, and so increase their self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement. As pupils progress, they should develop a critical engagement with music, allowing them to compose, and to listen with discrimination to all types of music.

We aim to deliver music lessons that are imaginative, fun and lively and use a combination of teacher-led and child-initiated activities. We want all children to be fully engaged and enjoying themselves.

The National Curriculum subject content will delivered through the use of the online music scheme – CHARANGA – Musical School.

The Charanga Musical School Scheme provides teachers with week-by-week lesson support for each year group in the school. It provides lesson plans, assessment, clear progression, and engaging and exciting whiteboard resources to support every lesson. The Scheme supports all the requirements of the national curriculum.

Charanga Musical School Units of Work enable children to understand musical concepts through a repetition-based approach to learning. Learning about the same musical concept through different musical activities enables a more secure, deeper learning and mastery of musical skills.

This Scheme provides an integrated, practical, exploratory and child-led approach to musical learning.

Ofsted have stated that “We will not always know the learning outcomes” so segregated learning objectives at the start of each lesson are not appropriate. Instead the interrelated dimensions of music weave through the units to encourage the development of musical skills as the learning progresses through listening and appraising, differing musical activities (including creating and exploring) and performing.

Children receive 30 minutes of music teaching each week using the Charanga Scheme as a basis for each lesson. The music leader also provides additional detail to support the teaching and progression of skills – rhythm, pitch, notation etc.

Using the Charanga Scheme – (half termly, week by week units of work) children focus on learning a key song each half term. Through the context of this song the other dimensions of music are taught:

1. Listen and Appraise

2. Musical Activities - learn and/or build on your knowledge and understanding about the interrelated dimensions of music through:

a. Games

b. Singing

c. Playing Instruments

d. Improvisation

e. Composition

3. Perform and Share

Children will be given the opportunity for performance – to showcase songs learned, skills in playing instruments (both at classroom level and those receiving group specialist tuition – NMS) This will happen during a half termly assembly with classes taking turns to perform for the rest of the school. Performances to show progress in playing musical instruments will be organised through discussion between the Music Lead Teacher and the Specialist Music Teacher.

Children in designated year groups will be able to learn a musical instrument with tuition provided by a specialist music teacher on a rolling programme.  All children will have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument during their time at Westerhope.

Children in designated year groups will be able to join a lunch time club – the focus of which can be singing or playing instruments.

There will be opportunities for some year groups/target groups to have additional music teaching support through the NMS.  (SLA)