Music
“A painter paints pictures on canvas. But musicians paint their pictures on silence.”
Leopold Stokowski
“Music acts like a magic key, to which the most tightly closed heart opens.”
Maria Augusta von Trapp
Music is a subject which can alter lives and the course of lives for the better – both short and long term.
At Ivy Bank Primary School, we aim to engage, motivate and inspire pupils to develop a love of music and their talent as musicians, and so increase their self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement.
Music is a universal language that embodies one of the highest forms of creativity. As pupils progress, they should develop a critical engagement with music, allowing them to compose, and to listen with discrimination to the best in the musical canon. (The National Curriculum)
Music teaching at Ivy Bank Primary School follows the requirements of the National Curriculum for Music; providing a broad, balanced and differentiated curriculum; ensuring the progressive development of musical concepts, knowledge and skills. Music is a unique way of communicating, it is a vehicle for personal expression, and it can play an important part in personal and cognitive development. Music at Ivy Bank aims to reflect the culture and society that we live in, and so the teaching and learning of music enables children to better understand the world they live in. At Ivy Bank we recognise that music can be a highly academic and demanding subject but we also aim to make it a creative and enjoyable activity. Furthermore, music also plays an important part in helping children to feel part of a community and so we provide opportunities for all children to create, play, perform and enjoy music, to develop their skills, to appreciate a wide variety of musical forms, and to begin to make judgements about the quality of music.
We are also very proud to be a Music Mark School!
Intention
It is the intent of Ivy Bank for music to be taught in all year groups through at least one unit per term. Music is taught at Ivy Bank with the following key principles:
- Cyclical - Pupils return to the same skills and knowledge again and again during their time at Ivy Bank.
- Increasing depth - Each time a skill or area of knowledge is revisited it is covered with greater depth.
- Prior knowledge - Upon returning to a skill, prior knowledge is utilised so pupils can build upon previous foundations, rather than starting again.
Across the school, we raise the profile of Music through our enrichment events such as choir, Young Voices, individual and group music lessons as well as the many performances we take part in. It is the intent that the knowledge and skills of this curriculum are progressive, thereby building on previous learning.
Implementation
At Ivy Bank Primary School, we recognise that musical teaching and learning is not neat or linear and that children do not learn in straight lines. Repeating a musical skill doesn’t mean their progress is slowing down or their development is moving backwards, it enables pupils to reinforce musical understanding in order to improve the quality of their musicianship.
At Ivy Bank we recognise that achieving mastery in Music means gaining both a deeper understanding of musical skills and concepts whilst also learning something new. The long term plan ensures the curriculum is covered and the skills, knowledge and vocabulary taught are progressive from year group to year group.
Music is a foundation subject in the National Curriculum and the Music curriculum at Ivy Bank is in line with the 2014 Primary National Curriculum in England requirements for KS1, KS2 and the Foundation stage curriculum.
Our chosen scheme, Kapow, directs our teaching and and is designed as a spiral curriculum. Five key strands are embedded throughout the scheme:
- Performing
- Listening
- Composing
- The history of music
- Inter-related dimensions of music
Music teaching at Ivy Bank is practical and engaging. A variety of teaching approaches and activities are provided based on teacher judgement and pupil ability.
Year 5 enjoy our Wider Ops scheme and will be learning to play the ukulele this year.
At Ivy Bank, music teaching is not only focused on performance but also providing our pupils with an understanding and appreciation for music. Through our music lessons children study a wide range of musical styles and genres from a range of musical periods.
Alongside our curriculum provision for Music, pupils also have the opportunity to participate in additional 1:1 music teaching. Pupils are offered the opportunity to learn a musical instrument with peripatetic teachers. Our peripatetic music teaching is organised by the Music for Life or Mike Watson for Keyboard, where lessons are provided weekly (individual or small group) for a small set fee paid by the child’s parent or carer.
In the Autumn term, pupils in years 3, 4, 5 and 6 have the opportunity to join the school choir on a weekly basis, with about 40-60 children attending each week. Pupils in the school choir meet after school and focus on teamwork, singing in unison, developing harmony, solo performances and having fun! The school choir also have the opportunity to perform in school performances, carol concerts, singing at a local care home and singing assemblies as well as the highlight of the year which is always going to Young Voices in Manchester.
Peripatetic teachers come in each week to work with children from Year 1 to Year 6 who are interested in learning a musical instrument including violin, recorders and clarinet. Music plays a part in our assemblies at Ivy Bank. 'Tune for Tuesday' - this is an opportunity for children to listen and respond to a range of music from different times, cultures and traditions from a variety of famous composers.
Mr Rodgers music
Mr Rodgers was a teacher of music here for many years but has since retired. Students can visit Mr Rodgers Youtube channel where they can find videos and resources to support their piano learning and have some fun - https://www.youtube.com/@mrrodgerspiano9717
