Hunton & Arrathorne Community Primary School is a musical school; pupils love music and are successful at it. As well as the curriculum diet, pupils are exposed to musical events throughout the year including our popular Spring Concert and spectacular end of year musical productions. Pupils come together weekly for a singing assembly, take part in regular musical productions and have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument through our links with the NYCC music service. Many pupils further their interest and study of Music privately and at home. At our school, children gain a thorough understanding of what music is by playing, listening, composing, analysing and evaluating across a wide variety of styles, traditions, genres and historical periods. We are committed to ensuring children are exposed to all types of music and making our curriculum spark interest in the subject, which the children take with them throughout their life. We are committed to ensuring children have access to a range of musical styles and see music as a form of creative expression. Children’s exposure to culturally important music is further explored through ‘Music of the Week’ which covers a range of genre, artists and eras. We strive to ensure our children access and receive an enriched musical experience – part of our H&A ’36 before Y6’ involves children attending a concert, performing on a theatre stage and attending a professional theatre production.
The music curriculum ensures students sing, listen, play, perform and evaluate. Music is taught through the Charanga Music Schools programme from Reception – Year 6. During their time in school, the children also develop instrumental skills through specialist music teaching from North Yorkshire Music Service.
Music is embedded in the classroom activities (formal music lessons) as well as the weekly singing assemblies, concerts and performances, extra-curricular activities and the learning of musical instruments. Pupils have the opportunity to perform at least three times per year, culminating in a staged musical production in the summer. Appreciation of music is further developed through ‘Music of the Week’ which is promoted in assemblies and incorporates the very best of what has been written and performed. The elements of music are taught in the classroom lessons so that children are able to use some of the language of music to dissect it, and understand how it is made, played, appreciated and analysed. In the classroom, students learn how to play an instrument progressively, also building on their understanding of musical notation.
Substantive knowledge in Music focuses on developing children’s knowledge and skills in order for them to become competent musicians. This is achieved through deliberate practice and learning about music from a range of genres, styles, periods and artists. Disciplinary knowledge brings in the nine interrelated dimensions of music (above) and how this is used when singing, composing, improvising and playing. Music lessons are taught weekly and, combined with our singing assembly, we ensure pupils have at least one hour of music per week.
Alongside our curriculum offer, opportunities for pupils to watch and appraise professional and amateur musicians are timetabled into the curriculum. For example, pupils had the opportunities to watch a recorder troupe perform, professional brass quartet ‘Backchat Brass’, visit the theatre to watch a pantomime and Upper Key Stage 2 pupils attended a West-End show. Peripatetic music teachers visit school weekly to work alongside individuals and groups and occasionally attend assemblies.
As part of our well-planned extra-curricular programme, pupils have the opportunity to attend musical clubs throughout the year. Currently, pupils in Upper Key Stage 2 may attend Advanced Recorder Club and pupils from Year 2 – Year 4 attend Handbell Club.
At Hunton & Arrathorne Primary School our Music Curriculum in the Early Years Foundation stage intends to inspire creativity, self-expression and confidence. We aim to develop the children’s knowledge and appreciation of music from different period, genres, traditions and styles. A love of music is fostered through exposing children to diverse musical experiences, composing using percussion instruments, finding their voices as singers and developing their confidence as performers.
At our school, we believe music is a unique way of communicating that can inspire and motivate children. The children’s music journey begins by encouraging them to explore making different sounds in different ways, listen and respond to a range of music and sing songs and nursery rhymes. In Reception we have adopted the ‘Charanga’ music scheme as we believe in a practical, exploratory and child led approach to musical learning. The children engage in weekly sessions to develop their understanding of music. The children are exposed to music of different periods, genres, traditions and styles. In the Early Years Foundation there are continuous provision areas where the children have access to a range of quality resources. It is in these areas where the children develop their love of music, creating their own compositions and perform for each other. It also ensures that children acquire the musical vocabulary and skills to develop their ability to compose and play music. The children experience performing to a wider audience in our Christmas nativity plays.
Whilst in school, children have access to a varied programme, which allows students to discover areas of strength, as well as areas they might like to improve upon. The integral nature of music and the learner creates an enormously rich palette from which a student may access fundamental abilities such as: achievement, self-confidence, interaction with and awareness of others, and self-reflection. Music will also develop an understanding of culture and history, both in relation to students individually, as well as ethnicities from across the world. Children are able to enjoy music, in as many ways as they choose- either as listener, creator or performer. They can dissect music and comprehend its parts. They can sing and feel a pulse. They understand how to further develop skills less known to them, should they ever develop an interest in their lives.
