Music

Music is a unique way of communicating that can inspire and motivate children.  It is a vehicle for personal expression, and it can play an important part in the personal development of individuals and their well-being. At Godstone Primary and Nursery School we use Charanga to inspire the children’s musicality.

Intent

• To provide all children with a high-quality music education which will engage and inspire them to develop a love of music and their talent as musicians beyond their time at Godstone Primary and Nursery School. 
• To raise the profile of music at Godstone Primary and Nursery School. 
• To increase the self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement of all children. 
• To promote children’s spiritual, cultural and social development. 
• To enable children to better understand the world in which they live, with music reflecting culture and society. 
• To make music an enjoyable and fulfilling learning experience that builds cultural capital. 
• To spark curiosity for the subject, as well as an understanding and acceptance of the importance of all types of music. 
• To provide all children with a secure understanding of what music is through listening, appraising, singing, playing, analysing and composing across a variety of musical styles. 
• To ensure that all children believe that music is within their bodies.

Implementation

• Provides children with an integrated, practical, exploratory and child-led approach to musical learning.
• Interrelated dimensions of music weaved throughout the units encourages the development of musical skills as the learning progresses through listening and appraising, differing musical activities (including creating and exploring) and performing. 
• Children cover one Charanga nit each half-term (see overview), delivered by the class teacher. 
• With it being a skills-based subject, lessons are engaging and taught practically.
• Lessons taught in sequence to allow the opportunity to review, remember, deepen and apply their understanding. 

Singing Assembly 

• All children to attend a whole school singing assembly one afternoon a week.
• Children provided with the opportunity to sing, listen, appraise, play, perform and evaluate. 
• Children to perform a diverse range of songs across the school year to reflect different events, cultures and societies. 

Cross-Curricular Opportunities 

• Children to have the opportunity to embed their musical knowledge and understanding by engaging with music beyond that of weekly music lessons. 
• Children encouraged to perform at different events across the school year e.g. Harvest Festival, Remembrance, Christmas Carol Service etc. 

Instrument Tuition 

• Provide all children with the opportunity to take up instrument tuition with specialist teachers – a peripatetic piano teacher in once a week currently. 

Enrichment Opportunities 

• Children provided with the opportunity to share their musical skills and talents at both internal and external events e.g. Young Voices, Singing Picnic etc. 
• External musical interests and talents encouraged and showcased in class and during assemblies, fostering pride in their personal achievements.  
• To introduce a “music day”. 

Impact

• Children to have a bettered understanding and love of music – either as a listener, creator or performer – which will go beyond their years at Godstone Primary and Nursery School. 
• Improved musical ability of individuals (e.g. ability to sing, feel a pulse, add rhythms, create melodies etc.)
• Raised awareness and appreciation of different musical traditions and genres, enabling pupils to further their understanding of culture, history and the world in which they live. 
• Development of a growing musical vocabulary allowing pupils to critically engage with music, using musical terminology effectively, accurately and appropriately. 
• Heightened ability to listen, appreciate and appraise a wide variety of music and ability to make judgements about musical quality. 
• Increased self-confidence, achievement, interaction with and awareness of others, self-reflection and well-being. 
• Increased number of pupils wanting to actively engage in music and forge their own musical journey due to heightened awareness of musical opportunities available inside and outside of school. 
• Opportunities for pupils to be reflective and assess themselves and their peers, discovering their areas of strength and the areas they might like to improve upon.