MUSIC

At Redby Academy, we believe that Music is a vital part of the curriculum.  We use Charanga which is a planned programme to deliver our Music curriculum.

The National Curriculum for music aims to ensure that all pupils:

► Perform, listen to, review and evaluate music.

► Be taught to sing, create and compose music.

► Understand and explore how music is created, produced and communicated.

 At Redby Academy the intention is that children gain a firm understanding of what music is through listening, singing, playing, evaluating, analysing, and composing across a wide variety of styles, traditions, and musical genres. Our objective at Redby Academy is to develop a curiosity for the subject, as well as an understanding and acceptance of the validity and importance of all types of music, and an unbiased respect for the role that music may wish to be expressed in any person’s life. We aim to provide children with an understanding of the value and importance of music in the wider community, and the opportunity to use their musical skills, knowledge, and experiences to involve themselves in music, in a variety of different contexts.  Through composition and performance, we encourage children to work effectively with others and develop their confidence in presenting ideas.  It is our aim to establish foundations whereby music may become a recreation for life.

The music curriculum ensures students sing, listen, play, perform and evaluate. This is embedded in the classroom activities as well as singing in assemblies and Christmas concerts/end of year assemblies. Elements of music are taught in the classroom lessons through the use of the Charanga scheme of work.  Children learn to use some of the language of music to dissect it, and understand how it is made, played, appreciated and analysed. In the classroom students learn how to play a variety of untuned percussion instruments as well as glockenspiels and recorders.  Through the Charanga scheme children are taught to read basic music notation. They also learn how to compose focussing on different dimensions of music, which in turn feeds their understanding when listening, playing, or analysing music. Composing or performing using body percussion and vocal sounds is also part of the curriculum, which develops the understanding of musical elements without the added complexity of an instrument. 

SUBSTANTIVE AND DISCIPLINARY KNOWLEDGE

In Music lessons, we ensure that both our pupils’ substantive and disciplinary knowledge is built upon as they progress through the years at Redby Academy.

Substantive knowledge focuses on developing children’s knowledge and skills allowing them to develop as musicians. This is achieved through practice, allowing children to develop and demonstrate fluency of knowledge.  It also involves learning about music across a range of historical periods, genres, styles and traditions as well as the works of the composers and musicians.

Disciplinary knowledge in music is the interpretation of the nine interrelated dimensions of music (pulse, rhythm, pitch, tempo, dynamics, timbre, texture, structure, and notation) and how this knowledge is used when singing, playing instruments, improvising and composing, allowing children to develop creative and original pieces and performances. Children work independently and collaboratively to interpret and combine the dimensions of music.

EYFS

Music for EYFS students has a primary focus on singing and movement as well as opportunities to explore a variety of tuned and untuned musical instruments developing the student’s listening abilities, physical co-ordination, inner/outer ears, motor-neuron skills, memory, aural awareness, and singing skills. Each student will lead the class in singing, and all will learn to be led by their peers. Songs are linked to class topics when appropriate.  Children are involved in regular planned music lessons as well as opportunities to develop their musical interest through child initiated learning.

There is an annual Christmas and end of year show that the children rehearse for and perform in. This involves singing, actions and speaking. It is an integral part of the EYFS curriculum.

SEND

The class teacher supports and facilitates access to the music curriculum by differentiation, adult support, and alteration of any equipment as necessary. At Redby Academy we believe everybody carries music within them and therefore encourage individuals to express themselves through music in a unique manner.

We recognise that there is a wide range of capability across the pupils at Redby Academy. Tasks and activities are designed to allow students to engage at their own level.

This is done by:

► Setting open-ended tasks.

► Incorporating gradual increases in difficulty of tasks across the curriculum.

► Taking ability into account when grouping children for activities –either setting mixed ability groups or assigning different tasks to different groups.        

► Providing resources of different complexity.

► Delivering a multi-faceted curriculum that allows pupils to access music in the most preferable or suitable way for each individual. 

Whilst in school, children have access to a varied programme, which allows students to discover areas of strength, as well as areas they might like to improve upon. The integral nature of music and the learner creates an enormously rich palette from which a student may access fundamental abilities such as: achievement, self-confidence, interaction with and awareness of others, and self-reflection. Music will also develop an understanding of culture and history, both in relation to students individually, as well as ethnicities from across the world. Children are able to enjoy music, in as many ways as they choose- as either listener, creator or performer. They learn to dissect music and comprehend its parts and can sing and feel a pulse. Opportunities are given to further develop skills less known to them, should they ever develop an interest in their lives.