Music

Music Development Plan Summary: The Rosary RC Primary School 

This is a summary of how our school delivers music education to all our pupils across three areas – curriculum music, co-curricular provision and musical experiences – and what changes we are planning in future years. This information is to help pupils and parents or carers understand what our school offers and who we work with to support our pupils’ music education. 

Part A: Curriculum Music  

This is about what we teach in lesson time, how much time is spent teaching music and any music qualifications or awards that pupils can achieve. 

Curriculum – At the Rosary, we use Charanga Primary Music Scheme across the school. Our scheme of work fulfils the statutory requirements of the National Curriculum (2014). The National Curriculum for Music 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, can learn a musical instrument, use technology appropriately and can 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. 

The intention is in the importance of music in nurturing creativity, promoting well-being and resilience and that music, as part of the wider arts, enriches lives and make us happier and healthier. We believe music to be a universal language that embodies one of the highest forms of creativity.   

We believe actively engaging children in music making can help develop personal, social and life skills.  Innovative and creative music making encourage expression, communication and development of personal, social and life skills as well as promoting health, well-being and an active and a positive social life.   

We also believe that actively engaging children in music making can help strengthen communities. Music is found in all human cultures around the world and occurs throughout history in many social settings. For many children music making activities can provide a sense of being connected with a group, leading to an increased sense of belonging and a sense of community.  

Our music curriculum has been designed to inspire children to develop a love of music and to enable each pupil to nurture and develop their talent as musicians. We believe a well-planned and carefully delivered music curriculum will increase the self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement of each pupil. As children progress, we want them to develop a critical engagement with music, allowing them to compose, and to listen with discrimination to the very best in music.  

Implementation – In accordance with the National Curriculum, we ensure that coverage of knowledge and skills is developed sequentially throughout the school. We have adopted the Charanga Scheme, to ensure that children receive quality music lessons throughout the year.  

The Scheme follows a spiral approach to musical learning, with children revisiting, building and extending their knowledge and skills incrementally. In this manner, their learning is consolidated and augmented, increasing musical confidence and enabling them to go further. Each unit is structured into six steps, though a pace of one step per weekly 1 hour lesson. The first step of each unit introduces that unit’s focus in terms of content, skills and knowledge; the middle steps then develop this, and the final, sixth step assesses the learning through exciting performances and activities. 

Throughout the scheme, children are actively involved in using and developing their singing voices, using body percussion and whole-body actions, and learning to handle and play classroom instruments effectively to create and express their own and others’ music. Through a range of whole class, group and individual activities, children have opportunities to explore sounds, listen actively, compose and perform. During music lessons, children are given opportunities to learn music-specific vocabulary in a meaningful context. The elements of music are taught in classroom lessons so that children can use the language of music to discuss it, and understand how it is made, played, appreciated and analysed. They will learn to recognise and name the interrelated dimensions of music – pitch, duration, tempo, timbre, structure, texture and dynamics – and use these expressively in their own improvisations and compositions. The children are given opportunities to apply their skills and given a chance for collaboration through composition. 

Alongside Charanga, at the Rosary children continue to be actively involved in using and developing their singing voices further by singing every day using the Sing Up Scheme. This collection of songs represents a broad and diverse range of songs from different times, places and in different styles to experience, explore and recreate. Each song illustrates aspects of the new National Curriculum for Music inter-related dimensions (elements) and highlights the potential musical learning opportunities to include within our school music curriculum. 

Lesson Delivery – Within each music session there will be the following elements:  

1. 1. A recap or introduction starter which addresses prior learning or a game. It could also include attention grabbing starters that introduce the children to the theme of the music unit. 
2. 2. The children then are exposed to new learning or learning in their sequence and how it fits within our theme of work. 
3. 3. The children are then prompted with various assessment questions and questions to get them thinking a little deeper about the skills they have learnt. Over the course of a unit, the lessons taught will include performance, composition, specific listening tasks, and giving and listening to appraisal and constructive criticism. At least part of each music session involves whole class activities with the opportunity for group work. Charanga’s Primary Music spiral curriculum allows for revisiting and consolidating The lesson plans and resources help children build on prior knowledge alongside introducing new skills and challenge. Children progress in terms of tacking more complex tasks and doing more simpler tasks better, as well as developing understanding and knowledge of the history of music, staff, and other musical notations, as well as the interrelated dimensions of music and more.

Music in EYFS –  

We teach music in Foundation Stage as an integral part of the topic work covered during the year and as part of the specific area, Expressive Arts: Being Imaginative, identified in the Foundation Stage Framework (2014). We relate the musical aspects of the children’s work to the objectives set out in the Early Learning Goals (ELGs). Music contributes to a child’s personal and social development. ‘Counting Songs’ foster a child’s mathematical ability and songs from different cultures increase a child’s knowledge and understanding of the world. Children’s standards and achievements in Music are assessed in line with the School’s Assessment Policy.  

Model music curriculum –  

The DfE’s Model Music Curriculum 2021 states that: ‘In Years 3 or 4, it is recommended that each class should start a whole-class instrumental programme lasting a minimum of one term…Opportunities for development should continue beyond the mandatory term.’ From September 2024, we will be using an expert music teacher in Year 3 class, who will be taught a whole class instrumental programme for recorders, and in Year 4 who will be taught a whole class instrument programme for Brass and flutes. 

Knowledge organisers – Knowledge organisers provide a summary of our intent for each unit of learning. They detail the key tier 3 vocabulary that children will learn, alongside some key sticky knowledge.  

Planning – Our medium-term plans show which of the units cover each of the national curriculum attainment targets, as well as the strands within it, and which units cover which development matters statements and early learning goals for both prime and specific areas in EYFS. The medium-term plans also detail the progression of skills and knowledge within each year group to ensure that attainment targets are securely met by the end of EYFS, key stage 1 and key stage 2. Individual lesson plans include guidance on differentiation to allow all children to access the music lessons and subject specific guidance is provided for teaching staff to allow non-music specialists to teach with confidence. 

Adaptation –  

We recognise that there are children of widely different musical abilities in all classes, so we provide suitable learning opportunities for all children by matching the challenge of the task to the ability of the child. We achieve this in a variety of ways by: 

• Setting open-ended tasks which could have a variety of responses; 
• Setting tasks of increasing difficulty (not all children complete all tasks); 
• Grouping children by ability in the room and setting different tasks to each ability group; 
• Providing resources depending on the ability of the child; 
• Providing widget resources
• Using classroom assistants to support the work of individuals or groups of children 

SEND –  

We will strive to remove barriers to learning for pupils with SEND. Adopting a positive and proactive approach will ensure that children with SEND are able to express themselves and take an active part in lessons. Explicit instructions and adaptations will enable all pupils to achieve and succeed in music. 

Assessment – On-going Assessment for Learning (AfL) practices within class and group sessions, including the sharing of and reference being made to Learning Objective and Success Criteria and self and peer assessments of understanding, outcomes and progress.  

At The Rosary we record the responses of Children in floor books. The last lesson in each unit is filmed to ensure teachers can assess the children progress using the bespoke attainment criteria. Children who are showing a greater depth understanding are also pushed further. Assessments are used diagnostically by teachers to evaluate learning and inform teaching and by teachers and senior leaders within the Accountability Process to evaluate individual and groups of children’s standards and achievements and provision and to inform future provision and school development. At the end of the year, the teacher makes a summary judgement about the musical skills and development of each pupil in relation to the National Curriculum or Foundation Stage Framework which is recorded in the end-of-year report.  

Pupils in the Foundation Stage each have a Foundation Stage Profile where teachers record their progress in the Expressive Arts specific area. Resources – We have a range of percussion instruments. There is a central store of:  

• large percussion instruments 
• selections of instruments from other cultures
• xylophones & glockenspiels
• Music Express scheme books
• Songbooks and Christmas Production
• Music Express scheme books 
• Songbooks and Christmas Production packs 
• CDs 
• Music Stands
• Sing Up resources 

Pupils with additional needs are able to participate and progress well (supported by technology, tools and adapted instruments). 

Space and resources allow breadth of curriculum for all students, including music technology.  

The school computers are installed with applications which enable them to be used as instruments and for composition. 

 Part B: Extra-curricular Music & Enrichment 

The Music Hub has provided whole-class tuition in recent years, from performance in assembly to whole class music tuition in the recorder, flute and brass. Their whole-class tuition programme has provided high-quality music education, tailored to meet the needs of our pupils. We offer extracurricular activities including the ensemble with an increasing proportion of pupils are involved. During the course of the year, small-scale performance takes place in the community, building on existing school links e.g. Carols in the Community. The choir also perform at the MAC Annual Christmas Carol Concert. 

 Part C: Musical Experiences  

This is about all the other musical events and opportunities that we organise, such as singing in assembly, concerts and shows, and trips to professional concerts. 

In addition to planned curriculum time for music, children also have additional musical experiences, sometimes the whole school together, sometimes individually, which occur during the school year and contribute to the overall planning and time allocation for music. Across all key stages, children have a range of opportunities to experience live musical theatre performances and to take part in musical performances, such as Christmas plays and nativities. Opportunities are used for musical experiences through a range of activities in other subjects to enable children to apply and use Music in real life and academic contexts e.g. History, PE. Visitors are also used to enhance the music curriculum where appropriate e.g. Indian Drumming. Music is incorporated into a variety of activities and events within school, such as weekly assemblies, singing assemblies, classroom routines and special celebrations. The overall provision is diverse, valuing all musical styles, genres and traditions equally; this is reflected in the clubs and enrichment programme and drawing on the skills, talents and interests of staff and local stakeholders through specialist tuition. Parents and carers actively support music making, through support at events and through home learning. 

 In the future 

Pupil Premium – update the register of Pupil Premium children engaged in extra-curricular music activities; review budget and ensure equality of provision for ALL children, with no charge. 

CPD and capacity planning – plan CPD for classroom teachers to increase confidence in singing in the classroom and delivery. Links with external music organisations – to support recruitment of children for instrumental and after school activities, alongside inspiring future musicians and opportunity to see a live concert.  

What are the opportunities? Maintain ongoing contact. Music Mark Membership. Performance opportunities – broaden the range of performance opportunities for children in school and beyond for parents to attend: Students, choir and music ensemble; class music assemblies for parents showcasing music curriculum music; Nativities and class/key stage productions. School orchestra/ ensemble – build uptake of instruments to work towards a school orchestra. Attempt a music ensemble paid for by The Rosary School to be run by a visiting music teacher. Musical engagement with feeder secondary schools– look for opportunities to work with feeder secondary school for transition.  

Further information (optional) 

CPD – We value the importance of quality first teaching and recognise the need for teachers to have a strong subject knowledge in music. Ongoing CPD is provided to teachers in the form of opportunities withing the Scheme. Teachers of classes who receive whole class instrumental tuition will take part in the music lessons and develop their subject knowledge through learning a musical instrument alongside the class. Staff can access training via National College Online.