Music

Intent (before the teaching)

Here at Wendell Park, music plays an integral role in supporting our children’s understanding of the Wendell core values of confidence, celebration, challenge, caring and cooperation. While singing remains at the heart of our music curriculum, there is a strong emphasis on rhythmic development and understanding through learning body percussion and using a variety of un-tuned instruments, as well as opportunities for children from KS1 onwards to access whole class instrument playing on the ukulele, ocarina, djembe drums, boom whackers and glockenspiels.

Our vision is to develop a life-long relationship with music for all children, from the instrumental players to the listeners, the dancers to the programmers by placing equal value on all aspects of music. Creativity and critical thinking are developed through learning ‘about’ music, learning to ‘do’ music and using that knowledge and skill to then respond and create, providing opportunities to evaluate and refine along the way. As well as organising performances in school, we include a community music module within the curriculum linked to a local care centre for our children to explore the social impact of their music making both for themselves and for others involved. We believe that music can help us to understand the diversity of thought and action in different cultures or generations, can bring communities together and facilitate an understanding of ourselves as individuals and how we fit in with the wider world. In this way we hope at Wendell to make music, as a subject in school, a meaningful experience that resonates with and builds on the music our children experience at home and our curriculum will evolve over the next two years to reflect the music specific to the diverse experiences of our pupils, taking into account responses to a music audit carried out this year.

Implementation (subject in action)

Music teaching at Wendell Park begins in the Early Years (Nursery and Reception) and is timetabled across all year groups 1 to 6. It is led by a specialist music teacher (vocals, guitar and choral singing) with a background in community music. In addition, this year (2021 – 2022) Early Years are taking part in a weekly music session provided by the Royal College of Music Sparks department led by a dalcrose specialist, developing the innate musicality of all children through playful, purposeful and dynamic movement activities. In year 5, we are working with the Tri-Borough Music Hub to deliver an exciting project called ‘Brass is Back’ in which 16 of our students are provided with weekly trombone or trumpet lessons. These sessions are free for the children involved to widen access to brass instrument learning for our students. Individual instrument learning is also available through Pelican Music.

We currently run a KS2 choir, two KS2 lunchtime guitar clubs and a staff guitar and ukulele club for those staff who wish to add to their skill set, join in with school performances or use more music across all subjects. A KS1 choir will begin later in the year. KS1 and KS2 singing assemblies are held weekly, and are used to both develop singing skills and to provide opportunities for singing, body percussion and instrument playing to come together. Other opportunities for both performing (such as Christmas performances, the Festival of Light and the Year 6 play) and experiencing high quality musical performances (such as taking year groups to the Royal College of Music lunchtime concerts) are organised throughout the year to build a broader perspective of music through linking music in school with music in the wider world.

Our music curriculum mostly follows the Kapow Primary scheme of work which fulfils the statutory requirements of the National Curriculum (2014) which aims to ensure that all pupils;

• perform, listen to, review and evaluate music across a range of historical periods, genres, styles and traditions, including the works of the great composers and musicians
• learn to sing and to use their voices, to create and compose music on their own and with others, have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument, use technology appropriately and have the opportunity to progress to the next level of musical excellence
• understand and explore how music is created, produced and communicated, including through the inter-related dimensions: pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture, structure and appropriate musical notations.

From these NC aims, Kapow Primary have identified 5 strands that run throughout their schemes of work; performing, listening, composing, the history of music and the interrelated dimensions of music.

Impact (after the teaching)

Assessment in music is through ‘assessment for learning’ techniques which help our music teacher plan for future lessons.

During the unit of work, mini-assessments are made to make judgements as to whether the child has achieved, is above or below expected standards based on the national curriculum statements.  Children demonstrate their understanding and skills through composition, performance and critical analysis.  Children use their music work books to record compositions and analysis of experiences, performances and different styles of music.

Music Development Plan

The Department for Education require that all schools have a music development plan, as set out in the national plan for music education.   Please find a copy of the Wendell Park plan below.

Music Development Plan

Progression of skills and knowledge

Our ‘Music subject progression of skills and knowledge‘ document gives further information about what the children are taught in this subject by year group

KS2 Progression of skill and knowledge

EYFS and KS1 Progression of skills and knowledge 

Music Long Term Plan

Please see a more detailed overview of what is taught as part of the music curriculum across the school. 

Music National Curriculum

If you would like to know more, please visit National Curriculum for Music.