Music curriculum

Index

Intent

At Saint James Primary School, music is a fundamental part of our day-to-day life where the children are encouraged to sing with confidence and enthusiasm during collective worship at least 4 times a week. We believe that Music encourages children’s creativity and provides benefits, including listening, language, courage and confidence. We believe in immersing children into a rich music curriculum where passion for the subject is encouraged.

Through the use of the Charanga Curriculum, children secure knowledge and skills and begin to develop as competent musicians. They understand what music is by listening, singing, playing, composing and improvising across a variety of historical periods. Children learn new skills both independently and as part of a group. They learn the importance of practise and how this leads to improvement and success.

Music is relevant to the children of Saint James and popular music is included in the curriculum as well as more traditional music for worship. Music plays a real importance in promoting a rich and diverse understanding of musical heritage, traditions and cultures. Music is at the heart of all we do at Saint James and is a powerful tool that can inspire, excite, and calm.

I embody the spirit of a Musician, I...

• Listen and understand a variety of different types of music.

• Perform using my voice and with an instrument with increasing accuracy

• Compose and improvise pieces of music.

• Evaluate our own and others’ music performances.

• Understand how music contributes to culture within different cultures and societies.

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Implementation

Music is used in the Early years environment to engage children, to support with routines encourage listening skills. Children learn about being imaginative and expressive as part of the Expressive Arts and Design area of learning, singing songs, nursery rhymes and moving to different types of music.

• In Years R-6, Music is taught weekly for 45 minutes – 1 hour by class teachers/HLTAS and visiting specialists.

• Songs of praise happens during collective worship once and week and singing happens at the end of around 3 collective worship slots a week.

• Year 3 and year 5 receive instrumental class tuition once a week for a term of the academic year.

• The Charanga curriculum follows the Model Music Curriculum (National Curriculum for Music, March 2021).

• Visiting specialists use their own schemes of work linked to the National Curriculum; class teachers/HLTAs use Charanga Music School to support their teaching.

• Learning is recorded through photographs, recordings and observations.

• The Charanga progression of skills document identifies the skills needed to be taught in each year group, which builds on prior learning.

• Children learn about a range of musicians, both modern and classical, to deepen their understanding of the world.

• Music is assessed by the class teachers/HLTAs and visiting music specialists as an ongoing process, with reference to the Charanga progression of skills document.

• Each year group completes 6 units which are introduced with a social question.

• The subject leader works closely with the Hampshire Music Hub.

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Impact

At Saint James Primary, we believe that children will learn with love through developing their self-confidence, resilience and perseverance. We believe they will reflect with respect through exposure to a variety of genres and composers, recognising their significance. They will also show courage in the face of judgment by performing both independently as as part of an ememble. This is how we ensure our curriculum encourages progression for all and that it inspires all children to perform with drive and enthusiasm.

1. The assessment of knowledge, skills and understanding of Music is both formative and summative, at the point of teaching and after.

2. Teachers make a judgement at the end of each termly unit and children are assessed against the criteria listed in the Charanga Progression of Skills document.

3. The subject leader monitors the quality of lessons provided by external providers and teachers/HLTAs delivering classroom music through lesson observations, learning walks and planning scrutiny as well as outcomes for children in lesson observations and pupil conferencing.

4. The subject teacher utilises links with the Hampshire Music Hub.

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Curriculum overview

A summary of the Music curriculum can be downloaded, or viewed in the accordian container below:

• Download Music Curriculum overview (PDF)

• Download Music progression of skills (PDF)

WarningFor additional information regarding the curriculum please email our Curriculum Leader

Year 1 curriculum

My Music Heartbeat

Social Question: How Can We Make Friends When We Sing Together?

Every piece of music has a heartbeat - a musical heartbeat. In music, we call it the 'pulse' or the 'beat' of the music. When you are listening and singing to the music and songs in this Unit, try to find and keep the pulse or steady beat together. You might march, clap or sway in time - find a movement that helps you to keep the beat

Dance, Sing and Play!

Social Question: How Does Music Tell Stories About the Past?

Music is made up of long and short sounds called ‘rhythm’ and high and low sounds that we call ‘pitch’. As you dance, sing, and play instruments with the music in this unit, explore these sounds and how they work together.

Exploring Sounds

Social Question: How Does Music Make the World a Better Place?

Music is made up of high and low sounds, long and short sounds, and loud and quiet sounds. Explore these sounds and create your own very simple melodies.

Learning to Listen

Social Question: How Does Music Help Us to Understand Our Neighbours?

Listening is very important. You can listen with your eyes and ears and you can also feel sound in your body. What can you hear in this unit?

Having Fun with Improvisation

Social Question: What Songs Can We Sing to Help Us Through the Day?

Improvising is fun! It’s an exciting activity where everyone is creating something new. It can be a melody or a rhythm. When you improvise, you can do it on your own or in groups.

Let's Perform Together!

Social Question: How Does Music Teach Us About Looking After Our Planet?

Singing, dancing and playing together is called ‘performing’. Performing together is great fun! Plan a concert together to celebrate all the songs you have learnt this year

Year 2 curriculum

Pulse, Rhythm and Pitch

Social Question: How Does Music Help Us to Make Friends?

Music has a pulse, a steady beat. Music is also made up of long and short and high and low sounds, called ‘rhythm’ and ‘pitch’. These elements combine when we sing and play. As you listen to, sing, play and dance to the music in this unit, explore these elements of music and how they work together.

Playing in an orchestra

Social Question: How Does Music Teach Us About the Past?

Playing together is a very important part of learning music. There are many ensembles, bands and groups you can play in. One of these groups is an orchestra. This unit features the orchestra - what can you learn about the orchestra?

Inventing a Musical Story

Social Question: How Does Music Make the World a Better Place?

Music is used for many reasons and can help us to tell a story and express our feelings. Music can be loud or soft, fast or slow, smooth and connected, or short and detached. We can also use instruments with different sounds to help communicate a story and different emotions. Explore the music in this unit and try to connect your feelings with what you hear. Do any of the songs tell a story? Use the music in this unit to explore loud and soft sounds.

Recognizing Different Sounds

Social Question: How Does Music Teach Us About Our Neighbourhood?

When voices or instruments work together to play different pitches that sound at the same time, we can hear harmony in music! Explore the voices and instruments used within the music in this unit to identify how and when harmony takes place. How many different instruments can you recognize in the songs in this unit?

Exploring Improvisation

Social Question: How Does Music Make Us Happy?

Explore improvisation a bit further in this unit. Perhaps use two or three notes and have a go playing or singing on your own. Explore and have fun!

Our Big Concert

Social Question: How Does Music Teach Us About Looking After Our Planet?

Put on a big concert! Present your choice of songs to create a performance. Remember to introduce the songs and tell your audience what you have learnt.

Year 3 curriculum

Writing Music Down

Social Question: How Does Music Bring Us Closer Together?

Long and short (rhythm) and high and low (pitch) sounds can be represented by musical symbols. These symbols can be written on a stave and named with special musical names. This helps us to remember what we are going to sing and play. Explore the notes, crotchets and minims within the music you learn. See how these notes can fit on the lines and spaces of a stave.

Playing in a Band

Social Question: What Stories Does Music Tell Us About the Past?

Playing together in a band is fun and exciting! Try to read the notation of one of the easy instrumental parts when playing together in this unit. In music, the steady beat is organised by time signatures which tell us how many beats there are in each bar. What are the time signatures of the music you are playing? When people sing or use instruments to play two or more different pitches that sound at the same time, we can hear harmony in music. Explore singing and playing instruments together to create these beautiful sounds.

Compose Using Your Imagination

Social Question: How Does Music Make the World a Better Place?

Use your imagination when creating your compositions in this unit. What do you see when you close your eyes? Can you write a melody or find sounds that represent the story you want to tell?

More Musical Styles

Social Question: How Does Music Help Us Get to Know Our Community?

Music, with all its styles, has changed and shaped lives around the world. When you listen to music and it changes from loud to quiet or quiet to loud, it can be very exciting! We call these changes ‘dynamics’. Loud sounds are called ‘forte’, and quiet sounds are called ‘piano’. Explore these changes in dynamics within the music in this unit.

Enjoying Improvisation

Social Question: How Does Music Make a Difference to Us Every Day?

Exploring the structure of songs is interesting and important. There are patterns in songs that you will recognize. Listening, singing, playing and improvising are some of them. Introduction, verse, and chorus are some more. You will improvise over a section of the song. Can you work out where you will improvise in the songs in this unit? Can you identify sections of the music that change or repeat?

Opening Night

Social Question: How Does Music Connect Us with Our Planet?

Have fun planning your performance! Create and present a performance with an understanding of the songs you are singing and where they fit in the world. Present what has been learnt in the lesson with confidence. If you want to create your own band, use the simple band parts provided. Every instrument is there!

Year 4 curriculum

Musical Structures

Social Question: How Does Music Bring Us Together?

Musical sections that repeat or change help create the structure, or form, of a piece of music or a song. Look for patterns in the sections of music and songs within this unit. Verses and choruses can repeat or alternate and these provide structure in music.

Exploring Feelings When You Play

Social Question: How Does Music Connect Us with Our Past?

Sometimes, the music we hear highlights the words we are singing! There might be a special effect in the music on a particular song lyric to make that word stand out. Explore how special effects in music can make the words we sing more meaningful. The sounds that we hear in music can also help to communicate specific moods.

Compose with Your Friends

Social Question: How Does Music Improve Our World?

When you are composing music together, there is a lot to remember! Music is often written based on various key signatures that guide melodies used in the music. There is often a note that sounds like ‘home’, or where a melody should ‘land’. This is called the ‘tonic pitch’ or the ‘home note’ and makes a melody or a song sound final – like it has been resolved. Practice listening, singing, and playing instruments to explore this important note in music.

Feelings Through Music

Social Question: How Does Music Teach Us About Our Community?

Music is used for many reasons and can help us express our feelings. Music can be loud or quiet, fast or slow, smooth and connected or short and detached. We can also use instruments with different sounds to help communicate different emotions. Explore the music in this unit and try to connect your feelings with what you hear.

Expression and Improvisation

Social Question: How Does Music Shape Our Way of Life?

Improvisation is a way to express our feelings. Music comes from our hearts. To make your improvisation more expressive in this unit, add dynamics.

The Show Must Go On!

Social Question: How Does Music Connect Us with the Environment?

Create and present a performance! Present what has been learnt in the lesson with confidence. Introduce the performance with an understanding of what the songs are about and any other connections. Remember, use the simple band parts if you want to.

Year 5 curriculum

Melody and Harmony in Music

Social Question: How Does Music Bring Us Together?

A melody (or a tune) is a group of notes played one after another. In music, 'melody' contrasts with 'harmony'. Harmony means notes which are played at the same time, like chords. Composers often think of a melody and then add harmony to it. Explore the voices that sing the melodies and the instruments used within the music in this unit to create the harmonies. Can you hear the difference?

Sing and Play in Different Styles

Social Question: How Does Music Connect Us with Our Past?

Singing and playing in different styles with different grooves is part of being in a band or an ensemble. We learn about music from all around the world, too. In music, ‘tempo’ refers to the speed of the beat – or how fast or slow the music sounds. Sometimes tempos stay the same throughout a song, and sometimes they change. When you are singing and playing, explore the various tempos of the music in this unit.

Composing and Chords

Social Question: How Does Music Improve Our World?

If we play three or more pitches together, we can create chords in music. Chords provide the basis for accompaniment in music. By using chords in compositions, we can create music that is really interesting. In this unit, you will create an accompaniment and the composition extension activities will help you to learn about chords.

Enjoying Musical Styles

Social Question: How Does Music Teach Us About Our Community?

There are so many different, wonderful and interesting styles of music. Something that happens in music that makes it so interesting is ‘texture’. ‘Texture’ refers to the layers of sound you hear in a piece of music. Texture can be the number of voices and instruments you hear at once. Styles of music have different textures. Explore how voices and instruments combine to create texture in music.

Freedom to Improvise

Social Question: How Does Music Shape Our Way of Life?

Improvisation gives you the freedom to express yourself, to really go for it! When you improvise in this unit, why not use notes that lie further apart? An ‘interval’ in music refers to the distance between two pitches. Some notes lie right next to each other (stepping motion) while other notes lie further apart (skipping motion).

Battle of the Bands

Social Question: How Does Music Connect Us with the Environment?

Create a fun and confident performance with your choice of music and songs. You might perform in small groups and as a whole class. You might have your own band that wants to perform. You decide. Introduce your music professionally, and think about your audience and what they would like to see and hear. Don’t forget to use the simple band parts. Enjoy!

Year 6 curriculum

Music and Technology

Social Question: How Does Music Bring Us Together?

Nowadays, music and songs are often created and composed using a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation). In all the units of work, there is a combination of live instruments with a DAW. Can you tell the difference between the live sounds and digital sounds? The YuStudio projects in the Yustudio tab will teach you invaluable skills in music production that will enrich and enhance your musical journey and inspire your creativity.

Developing Ensemble Skills

Social Question: How Does Music Connect Us with Our Past?

You are all used to singing and playing together in a band or ensemble now. You will have gained confidence, so when you are playing together in this unit make sure to use dynamics and expression, read a notated instrumental part. Make sure you listen to one another and follow the leader if there is one. By changing the dynamics of music, we can make the music more interesting. Sometimes, gradual changes from soft to loud (“crescendo”) or from loud to soft (“decrescendo”) can help make music more exciting.

Creative Composition

Social Question: How Does Music Improve Our World?

By using chords in compositions, we can create music that is more harmonically interesting. We can also create accompaniment for a melody using chords. Explore how chords are used within the music in this unit by listening and responding to La Bamba and looking at the composition extension activities for Disco Fever.

Musical Styles Connect Us

Social Question: How Does Music Teach Us About Our Community?

Music is powerful and brings people from different backgrounds and parts of the world together. When we dance, sing and play, we can all share ideas and it helps us to come together. Explore how the different styles of music in this unit developed from different social themes.

Improvising with Confidence

Social Question: How Does Music Shape Our Way of Life?

You are now confident improvisers! You can create your own personal musical ideas. When you improvise in this unit, think about phrasing and dynamics. A ‘phrase’ is sort of like a ‘musical sentence’. Sometimes, a melody is made up of many phrases – just like a paragraph is made up of many sentences. Explore how phrases fit together to make a melody. By changing the dynamics of music, we can make the music more interesting. Sometimes, gradual changes from soft to loud (‘crescendo’) or from loud to soft (‘diminuendo’) can help make music more exciting.

Farewell Tour

Social Question: How Does Music Connect Us with the Environment?

This is your last performance before you move to high school. It will be a special performance, so take time to plan and include the songs and music that represent your class. You might perform in small groups or bands and as a whole class. Remember - band parts are available. Enjoy this performance!

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Subject leader

Ms Lenney (Curriculum Leader)
Teacher

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Gallery

Children sing carols to residents of Sunnycroft Rest Home in our local community.

St James Choir attended the first ever Wildern Primary Music Festival 2023 at the Berry Theatre.

Year 3 perform a Listen 2 Me African music concert to parents.

Year R perform a Chinese Dragon Dance featuring chinese music in front of Year 1.