Intent
The Whitley Park Primary Music Curriculum aims to inspire students to be educated citizens with an appreciation of creativity and achievement. The curriculum will give them the tools to become confident and engaging musicians. There will be an opportunity to work independently to improve their skills in singing and instrumental technique, work collaboratively with others to communicate musical ideas, to use their creative flair to compose and improvise and to become critical listeners who can appreciate and evaluate a diverse range of musical styles. The curriculum will provide opportunities to share their talents and develop a love of singing, playing tuned and untuned instruments, listening to live and recorded music and exploring a range of recording techniques and musical technology.
Students will learn about the interrelated dimensions of music; pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture and structure and progressively learn to use staff notation. In addition, they will study a range of historical periods, genres, traditions and styles and the work of great composers and musicians.
Implementation
The curriculum at Whitley Park is spiral in nature so that the children revisit skills, vocabulary and knowledge as they progress through the school, building on their understanding of the history of Music, listening and attention, composing and performance skills.
To facilitate this music at Whitley Park will be accessible and inclusive with a curriculum which is spiral in nature, enabling students to build on their musical skills as they progress through school. They will re-visit the areas of listening, performing and composing, building and consolidating their skills in confidence, concentration, memory and resilience.
Kapow is used as the main resource scheme for Music in EYFS, KS1 and KS2. The scheme gives children access to a number of songs from different cultures and genres which they use to develop their singing skills. They are given opportunities to play tuned and untuned percussion instruments and opportunities to lead groups of children as conductors and arrangers.
Our Nursery and Reception practitioners provide a wealth of opportunities for the youngest children in singing activities and hands on continuous provision. Children learn to respect musical instruments, how to sing as part of a group and the beginnings of solo work and conducting through engaging games and singing sessions.
The pupils in our school with additional needs access an adaptive version of Kapow and are taught by visiting specialists from Berkshire Musicians Trust.
Approximately half an hour each week is devoted to musical learning.
Wider Music Opportunities
The Music Subject lead runs a school KS2 choir after school and at lunchtimes. This choir works towards the annual Berkshire Musicians Trust Junior Music Festival which gives the children an opportunity to perform as a massed choir with other school children in Reading at the Hexagon Theatre. The choir also works towards singing at school fairs and at community events. Entry to the choir is free and open to all without audition.
A range of musical activities are planned throughout the year, capitalising on whole school celebrations such as the King’s Coronation, Year 6 leavers etc.
At the end of the Autumn Term, KS2 take part in the Great Whitley Park Christmas Sing Off where each class prepares a song to enter into a competition. The heats for the event are held at Reading Gateway Church with the Final taking place in school.
Judging is performed by members of the school community including Senior Teachers, Governors, Admin and Site Staff and representatives from KS1.
KS1 and Nursery perform year group productions at this time of year based on familiar stories with songs, instruments, acting and costumes.
Rocksteady visit school once a week with parents paying a fee for children to take part. There is a concert featuring these rock bands at the end of each term with opportunities for other year groups and parents to be audience members. The final concert of the year in July takes place outside on the school field, creating a rock festival experience for the whole school.
Workshops from visiting music professional are enjoyed by children and staff. Some examples in previous years are steel pans and the use of the voice in singing and public speaking.
Music is evident in whole school assemblies with children in KS2 given an opportunity to reflect on the lyrics of a song each week. Children in KS1 regularly sing together and build up a bank of songs with a seasonal theme.
Please click on the links below to see the Curriculum plans for music in years 1-6, musical vocabulary map and music genres: