Music

At Rothwell Victoria Junior School, we believe that music gives all children the opportunity for participation, enjoyment and success, regardless of their abilities. We want to develop citizens who appreciate the arts and who understand how music reflects people's values and cultures.

Our Intent

• At Rothwell Victoria Junior School, we believe that music gives all children the opportunity for participation, enjoyment and success, regardless of their abilities. We want to develop citizens who appreciate the arts and who understand how music reflects people's values and cultures.
• We want the music lessons to be fun and inspiring, engaging the children with songs, lyrics and movement. We want the children to feel able to reflect and express, developing their own appreciation of music with the opportunities we provide as a school. All children are actively encouraged and given the opportunity to learn to play a musical instrument.
• Music is planned in-line with the statements laid out in the national curriculum. Music is planned with cross-curricular links where possible with Charanga being used to supplement and provide extra support and resources to enhance music teaching. Charanga provides many examples of music styles and genres from different times and places. These are explored through the language of music via active listening, performing and composing activities, which enable understanding of the context and genre.
• Through our music lessons, children are actively involved in a wide range of musical opportunities. Children develop their singing voices, using body percussion and whole body actions, and learning to handle and play classroom instruments effectively to create and express their own and others’ music. Through a range of whole class, group and individual activities, children have opportunities to explore sounds, listen actively, compose and perform.

Implementation

• We are currently following the mixed phase planning of the original scheme of Charanga, with three key units to be taught over a year. Each unit builds on the previous knowledge and skills. In Years 5 & 6, we have peripatetic teacher through Artforms, who teaches a musical instrument.
• Each class has one 45 minute lesson of music a week.
• At the start of each unit, a song is taught to the class and they are filmed as a preliminary assessment preforming this. This filmed assessment is then carried out at the end of the unit to evidence the progression that the children have made.
• Last year, we took part in our first World Music Day. This was a planned opportunity to teach about the history of music.
• During the summer term, each phase carries out a composer study. This is an opportunity for the children to research and find out about a modern British composer.
• We provide further opportunities to develop the music outside the curriculum by Big Sing, LSMA Christmas Concert, school choir.

Impact

• Further CPD for staff regarding assessment and musical notation.
• Consistent and clear approach to assessment of music throughout the school.
• Pupil voice states that most children enjoy music but feel that they are not given enough opportunity to listen and appraise. The children also said that they enjoyed World Music Day as it gave them chance to explore different types of music through history. Even months after, the children could retain and discuss the different genres of music they studied.
• Covid-19 has affected the number of events that we have been able to take part in, though we have joined in zoom/online events where possible.

Music Policy

Vision

Including and Supporting Children with SEND in Music

SMSC statements

Year 3 progression

Year 4 progression

Year 5 progression

Year 6 progression

Knowledge Organisers and overview

Instrument Knowledge Organisers

Bamboo Tamboo

Drumming

Ukulele

Deeper thinking questioning

Curriculum Overview - Charanga curriculum overview

Curriculum Overview - Cycle 1 & 2 (This academic year, we are on cycle 2)

Vocabulary