Music

Music Curriculum Vision

At Evendons Primary School we believe that Music should be fully embedded in every aspect of school life. Our aspiration is that every child adopts a lifelong love of music. We believe that we are surrounded by music and it is the soundtrack to our lives. Music connects all of us through people and places in our ever-changing world. We aim to give music lessons the opportunity for children to become real musicians and are given a breath and diverse range of musical experiences.  We want our children to love music. We want them to have no limits to what their ambitions are and grow up wanting to be music producers, songwriters, composers or rockstars! 

Music Intent

At Evendons Primary School, we are MUSICIANS!  We intend to give children access to an engaging and fun music curriculum reflecting the world they live in now, but at the same time giving them access to musical styles throughout history. Children are able to listen and appraise a variety of musical styles alongside performing pieces and creating their own compositions through the use of instruments and technology. To achieve this, all children access a variety of musical games, songs, instruments, music workshops, and extra – curricular activities giving them practical hands on experience. We hope children continue to grow in confidence as they progress through the musical curriculum and become passionate in their responses to music. Added to this, we want children to become more independent learners within this area, reflect upon their learning and develop resilience within the musical world. As a school, these are our aims:

    • To encourage awareness, enjoyment and appreciation of music in all its forms.
    • To develop imagination and creativity.
    • To help children of all abilities develop positive attitudes and to experience success and satisfaction in music.
    • To offer opportunities to sing, play instruments, compose, listen and appraise.
    • Gifted and talented musical pupils are recognised quickly and they are encouraged to build on their skills.

Singing skills- A singing culture will be established and nurtured within the school. Children and adults in the school will be encouraged to sing whenever appropriate to aid well -being and health as well as musical outcomes.

Instrumental skills – Children will be taught to sing a wide ranging variety of songs and to use their voices expressively. They should have the opportunity to play both tuned and un-tuned instruments with increasing control and should rehearse and perform with others, with an awareness of audience.

Composing skills-  Children will create Musical patterns and will be shown how to explore, select and organise musical ideas, recording these in a variety of ways, (e.g.: pictorial score, by means of a digital recorder, tape recorder or video or using notation).

Appraising skills- Children will be given the opportunity to explore and explain their own ideas and feelings about Music, using Music, dance, expressive language and Musical vocabulary. They will analyse and compare sounds and will become confident at suggesting improvements for their own work and that of others.

Listening and applying knowledge and understanding-  Children should be able to listen with concentration and to internalise and recall sounds with increasing Music Curriculum Statement aural memory. They will develop a growing awareness of the interrelated dimensions of music. They will learn that time and place can influence the way music is created, performed and heard, that music is produced in different ways and is described through invented and standard notations which will be applied appropriately throughout their musical journey in school.

We build on the musical horizons of each child and we strongly believe that children should be given the opportunity to share their musical skills at different events both in and outside school. It is our aim that each child becomes a confident performer, however we take each child at their own speed and we support children who are less confident and encourage them to flourish. We believe music lessons are lively and interactive that aim to foster a passion for music in children of all abilities.

Music Implementation

Every year Evendons Children they are taught the skills of how to play one instrument in particular during their  weekly music lessons.

  • Reception – Voice/ Listening Skills
  • Year 1 – Ukulele
  • Year 2 – Recorders
  • Year 3 – Guitar
  • Year 4 – Xylophones/ glockenspiels
  • Year 5 – Djembe Drums
  • Year 6 – Keyboard and working towards musical production
  • The lessons are designed to be progressive and build on prior learning
  • The lesson plans include ideas for support for the less able and to extend the more able
  • The lesson activities are challenging, varied and interactive and develop listening, reading, speaking and writing skills
  • Interactive whiteboard resources with audio support are used to support the lesson
  • Homework activities are given to children to encourage them to continue learnign outside the classroom.
  • The choice of vocabulary ensures exposure to all the key musical lanaguge
  • In Year 6, the children will perfrom a musical play, bring all musical and perfromance skills together.
  • Allchildren are given the opertunity to perform at Christmas
  • All children are encouraged to enter Evendons Got Talent in the spring term to encourage confidence and showcase their individual talents
  • The School Choir perfroms regually through out the year.

Music and Movement

The children have ‘Music and movement’ sessions three times a week.  We believe that dance is important strategy in developing children’s cooperation, coordination and focusing skills. It also makes us happy, when our children dance they sing and smile.  Children learn all types of dances from difference genres and cultures, building on their cultural capital and knowledge of the world. The dances increasing complexity as they move up the school to Year 6. We dance as a school all together every Friday to build our connections as a school community.  Our Year 6 children lead dances on occasions to help teach the younger children.  Lucinda has a Evendons Spotify play list called ‘Evendons School Classics’ so that we can share with parents and the children can continue dancing at home. 

The Impact Of Music 

 

Impact of the Music Curriculum at Evendons 

  • Evendons children leave as confident musicians, mostly working at or above their expected level for music
  • The Evendons Music curriculum encourages children to continue to learn musical instruments- 30% of Evendons children are learning an additional instrument outside of the school curriculum.
  • 65 children attend the school choir every week
  • Year 6 children wanted to run their own lunchtime dance club, based on the music and movement session
  • 4 children were chosen to have solo for the WAMSA concert  at the Hexagon March 2023
  • 2 children are currently auditioning for West End musicals
  • Children bring the love of music home and teach their parents songs and dances, as per parent survey 2022
  • Parents  attending music assemblies say how confident their children have become as performers. ‘Its  was been incredible to see the class build their confidence as performers’
  • Evendons children have a love of music- ‘ One of the best things about our school is that we get to take home instruments’ pupil voice Feb 2023.
  • All  children are able to access music lessons including SEN and Disadvantaged children.
  • All Evendons children able to play a musical instrument with precision and control with musicality by the time they leave
  • All Evendons Children can compose music based on a theme, they know how to create an effective exciting musical composition.
  • Evendons Children can read crotchets and quavers and notes on the treble clef by the time they leave
  • Evendons Got talent –  75% of children entered 2023-  in Year 1 98% children entered.
  • Children continue on their musical journey when leaving Evendons. 2 children have applied for music scolarships

Overview of Music at Evendons

Lucinda Graham – Evendons Music Lead

 

Listen to our wonderful Music at Evendons by clicking below