Music

At Lakey Lane the Music Curriculum intends for its pupils to confidently develop their skills in the various elements of music through an exposure to different genres and different instruments that pose a real purpose and focus for their musical journey. We believe music is a powerful and universal form of communication that can inspire, engage and enhance quality of life. Music enables creative expression, reflection and emotional development. It instils our pupils with the confidence to be creative, allows them to connect to others and appreciate the world around them.

Lakey intends to:

• Provide a variety of opportunities for its pupils to experience, invent, experiment and develop skills using a variety of musical elements.
• Use the subject specific language of music to reflect and evaluate their own work and that of others.
• To know how composing music has contributed, shaped and reflected our history.  

We aim to deliver our curriculum through 3 key drivers and our 6 school values which underpin our children’s learning

Respect— To understand that we need to be respectful when others are performing and to respect each others musical ability. Children will develop an understanding of the complexity of music across British and World wide history as well as the cultural diversity of music in modern Britain and the wider world. The children will celebrate these differences.

Ambition— To be able to give every child an opportunity to show off their musical ability. We want our chn, no matter their background, to have high hopes musically for the future.

Self-belief— To develop self- confidence in music when we are performing and to recognise that all children are an important part of our musical journey here at Lakey Lane. Children will be given opportunities to explore the music of different communities, cultures and traditions.

Community— To develop our children’s awareness and appreciation of music in the wider community. Children will be given opportunities to explore, listen to and perform music from different cultures and traditions. To encourage every child to have equal opportunities within music.

Kindness— To care about each other when we are performing and to create a safe space in which we feel comfortable performing.

Curiosity — To use music as a springboard for discussion, generating opinions and sharing ideas. To understand and explore how music created, produced and communicated.

Implementation

Our Music curriculum is engaging, accessible to all children and shows the progression of key skills.

We focus on ensuring the children have been exposed to a range of genres of music. We also focus on the progression of key skills and gaining a knowledge and understanding of the interrelated dimensions of music. These are then built upon as children move through the school.

To ensure high standards of teaching and learning in Music, at Lakey we implement a curriculum that is progressive from early years to year 6. It builds upon prior knowledge and broadens the children’s musical vocabulary as they move through the school.

Lakey Lane Primary School have adopted the musical scheme ‘Charanga’ to ensure coverage and progression and to ensure delivery of the key aspects of music – Listen and Appraise, Singing, Improvisation, Composition and Performance. Our curriculum is designed to encourage children across the school to have equal opportunities in music and to gain confidence when they are singing or performing with instruments. We also provide the children with opportunities to listen to a wide range of genres of music and begin to understand the history behind music as a whole.

• In Rec-year 2, Music is taught for 1 hour every fortnight by the class teacher. In years 3-6, Music is taught for 40 minutes every fortnight by the class teacher.
  ●Detailed lesson structure is provided through the Charanga scheme of work and ensures progression of musical skills.
  ●We have a range of tuned and untuned musical instruments for classes to use during their lessons. The main tuned instrument that is needed for several of the topics is a glockenspiel, therefore we have ensured there are enough for one between two. This enables all children to practise using the instrument.
  ● Children in years 3 & 4 have the opportunity to learn a recorder. A teacher from the music service comes in to deliver these lessons. Children in years 5 & 6 have the opportunity to learn the steel pans. A teacher from the music service comes in to deliver these lessons.

It is in Early Years that the children begin their music journey at Lakey Lane. In Nursery, music slots in to their daily routine through the use of nursery rhymes, tidy up songs and action songs from around the world. Children begin to learn the basics around pulse and rhythm and are introduced to simple musical vocabulary such as; loud, soft, quiet and beat. They have the opportunity to be able to explore sounds using the percussion instruments and children are encouraged to sing nursery rhymes as a group.  

In KS1, Children are beginning to listen and comment on songs from different genres of music. They continue to learn songs from the different genres through singing or beginning to play a musical instrument. By Year 2, they should be showing a deeper understanding of what the pulse, rhythm and pitch is and how they impact the sound of different songs. During the ‘Reflect, Rewind and Replay’ unit at the end of year 1 and 2, children consolidate their learning and begin to learn about the history of music. 

Pupils are taught to:

• Use their voices expressively and creatively by singing songs and speaking chants and rhymes.
• Play tuned and untuned instruments musically.
• Listen with concentration and understanding to a range of high-quality live and recorded music.
• Experiment with, create, select and combine sounds using the interrelated dimensions of music. 

In KS2, children continue to be exposed to songs from different genres, composers and cultures from around the world. They also build on their musical vocabulary as they move through the years. By the end of year 6, children should have a clear understanding of the interrelated dimensions of music and the importance of these in each song they learn. Children also begin to read music in note form and hopefully gain a confidence when performing with an instrument. As a continuation from KS1, children will also learn about the history of music and the impact this has had on modern music. 

Pupils are taught to:

• Play and perform in solo and ensemble contexts, using their voices and playing musical instruments with increasing accuracy, fluency, control and expression. 
• Improvise and compose music for a range of purposes using the inter-related dimensions of music.
• Listen with attention to detail and recall sounds with increasing aural memory.
• Use and understand staff and other musical notations.
• Appreciate and understand a wide range of high-quality live and recorded music drawn from different traditions and from great composers and musicians.
• Develop an understanding of the history of music.

In Key Stage 2, children are given the opportunity to expand their musical experiences outside of the key music lessons by being taught by a peripatetic specialist recorder and steel pan teacher. Pupils can begin learning the recorder in year 3 and they can continue to learn this up to year 6. During this time, the teacher may put them forward to do an exam depending on their level of skills. 

A weekly lunchtime choir club is also available to children from years 3-6 where we learn a variety of songs and then we perform these in school as well as out in the local area. The children are also given the chance to perform at the Symphony Hall each year as part of a Gala concert involving several other schools in Birmingham. This is something that the children love doing and a memory they will remember for years to come. 

We are looking to develop our offer of trips or experiences outside of school where there is a music focus. However, throughout their school life, children are already given the opportunity to go to the theatre and take part in a ballet workshop where they hear live music being played. Year 1 perform a selection of songs for attendees at a local social group - this is an event thoroughly enjoyed by all who take part. Children in Upper Key Stage 2 take part in a virtual music festival held by Birmingham Music Service and the choir regularly perform for the community and at larger gala events.

 Every year, we hold 2 music assemblies; one at Christmas and one at the end of the school year where the pupils are given the opportunity to perform in front of the parents and their peers. It is a good way for the children and staff here at Lakey Lane to recognise and celebrate the musical talent we have.

We are currently developing how we assess our children's progress. 

Impact

Our music curriculum will enable our children to develop key skills needed to become exceptional young people, such as, developing a sense of pride and achievement in what they do, improving self-confidence, building interaction with and awareness of others, and expanding their ability to self-reflect.

Music will also develop an understanding of culture and history, both in relation to their local and global communities and who they are as individuals.

Children will be inspired and appreciate that creative talents are as important as academic and sporting achievements. They will be able to acknowledge and enjoy music in many different forms – either as a performer, a listener or creator. They will begin to analyse and dissect a piece of music, beginning to think critically – skills which will stand them in good stead in all aspects of life.