Music Development Plan

 

All schools are encouraged to have a music development plan, as set out in the national plan for music education.

Schools are asked to publish a summary of their music development plan on their website in order to:

• raise awareness of their music development plan
• promote the school music offer to parents and prospective parents
• give greater opportunity for schools and music hubs to work together

Our music development plan is attached below and information regarding our music curriculum can be found within the 'curriculum' section of our website.

We recently performed at the 'Something for Summer Concert' at The Grove in Dunstable.

 

Music at SCA

Intent

Music is a universal language that embodies one of the highest forms of creativity. We provide opportunities for all children to create, play, perform and enjoy music, to develop the skills to appreciate a wide variety of musical forms, and to begin to make judgements about the quality of music. At SCA, our intention is to enable all pupils to meet their maximum potential in all areas of the music curriculum. We place an important emphasis upon pupil’s creative and emotional development and feel that music makes a significant contribution to these aspects of education as well as to the spiritual and moral development of pupils. Through musical activities, children can experience a sense of individual and collective achievement, which helps to promote social skills and cooperation.

To meet this intention, we offer a diverse curriculum to all pupils from Nursery, all the way up to Year 6 to ensure needs of the individual year groups are met to the best of our ability.

All children from Reception to Year 6 follow the Charanga scheme of work from Inspiring Music. In Nursery and Pre-School children learn through exploring.

Implementation

To help achieve our intended aims, each SCA year group follow a particular musical journey. During each school year, every class will have the opportunity to learn a new musical skill, which is taught by a music specialist from Inspiring music. We believe that with this specialist tuition, tailored to our individual school needs, our children can only thrive. Currently, our music programs see our children learning the following instruments;

 In KS2 - Recorder, Ukulele and I-Pads (using a specialist music program); with the addition of specialist vocal training.

In KS1 - Specialist lessons focusing on understanding and appreciating music, including using ‘voice’ to experiment with pitch, tempo, rhyme and rhythm. This will lead on to learning the Djembe in Year Two.

For one term In Reception- Specialist lessons focusing on how children can use their voice in different ways (Voice Music Makers).

For one term in Pre-school- Specialist lessons focusing on “Adventuring into music” using movement and voice.

We believe that by offering these musical opportunities to our children, the expectations from the NC are met.

 “…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 in musical excellence…”.

“Pupils should be taught to sing and play musically with increasing confidence and control. They should develop an understanding of musical composition, organising and manipulating ideas within musical structures and reproducing sounds from aural memory”.

“Pupils should be taught to: play and perform in solo and ensemble contexts; using their voices and playing music instruments with increasing accuracy, fluency, control and expression”

 When our children are not partaking in their specialist music lessons, teachers deliver lessons following the Charanga scheme of work. Charanga units of work enable children to understand musical concepts through a repetition-based approach to learning. Learning about the same musical concept through different musical activities enables a more secure, deeper learning and mastery of musical skills.

Over time, children can develop both new musical skills and concepts, and re-visit established musical skills and concepts. Repeating a musical skill doesn’t necessarily mean their progress is slowing down or their development is moving backwards! It's just shifting within the spiral. Mastery means both a deeper understanding of musical skills and concepts and learning something new.

Each unit of work comprises of the strands of musical learning which correspond with the National Curriculum for Music:

1. Listening and Appraising

2. Musical Activities

a. Warm-up Games

b. Optional Flexible Games

c. Singing

d. Playing instruments

e. Improvisation

f. Composition

3. Performing

Impact

The immediate impact of a SCA Music lesson will be apparent within the session. Whilst children are listening and appraising, we would typically expect to hear the key vocabulary within their discussions which is a key school priority alongside the development of their listening and appraising skills.  The constant opportunity for performance builds confidence but also gives the teacher the opportunity to assess the learning and address any misconceptions or preconceived ideas.  

End of term performances, with parents when possible, enable children to demonstrate their learning across the whole term. This is particularly evident in year groups learning instruments.

Finally, we hope that the overall impact of the exposure to a range of musical experiences at SCA will help to inspire and encourage children to pursue their love of music in their next school and beyond.