Music

MUSIC STATEMENT

INTENT

The National Curriculum for music aims to ensure that all pupils:

• Perform, listen to, review and evaluate music
• Be taught to sing, create and compose music
• Understand and explore how music is created, produced and communicated.

At Burghfield St. Mary’s the intention is that children gain a firm understanding of what music is through listening, singing, playing, evaluating, analysing, and composing across a wide variety of historical periods, styles, traditions, and musical genres. Our aim is to develop an understanding of the importance of all types of music and the associated elements. We endeavour to teach the children to understand the value and importance of music in the wider community, and be able to use their musical skills, knowledge, and experiences to involve themselves in music, in a variety of different contexts. (See Appendix A)

IMPLEMENTATION

The music curriculum is delivered through a well-structured scheme of work, Sing Up Music, which ensures students sing, listen, play, perform and evaluate. This is embedded in the weekly classroom lessons as well as the weekly singing assemblies, various concerts and performances, the learning of instruments, and the joining of one of our extra-curricular groups.

The elements of music are taught through the classroom lessons so that the children are able to use the language of music to describe what they hear, and to understand how it is made, played, and appreciated.

They also learn how to compose, furthering their understanding when listening, playing, or analysing music. In both Key Stage 1 and 2, all the children learn how to play the recorder as well as percussion instruments.

In Key Stage 2, year 4 children also have the opportunity to learn an instrument as part of Berkshire Music Trust’s ‘In2music’ instrumental project. FS2 children sing daily and have access to standard and improvised musical instruments. Listening and appraising well known pieces and appreciating their place in history is enhanced by weekly discussions using the BBC Ten Pieces resources and the suggested repertoire in Appendix 2 and 3 of the Model Music Curriculum.

IMPACT

The varied opportunities provided by our school, allow the children to develop self-confidence, interaction with and awareness of others, cooperation, resilience,  achievement, determination, communication and a sense of community. It also helps to develop an understanding of culture and history, both in relation to students individually, as well as ethnicities from across the world.

Many of our pupils learn a wide variety of instruments through peripatetic teaching in and out of school and a number have gone on to join local groups, particularly those provided by Berkshire Music Trust Hub and further afield such as The National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain.

• Music Development Plan 2024-25
• SUM Curriculum mapping
• SUM Skills progression overview

Appendix A

School Ensembles

• School Choir

Events and showcase

• Year 4 – Junior Music Festival (annually Autumn Term) at The Hexagon, Reading
• Year 3 – Junior Music Festival (annually Spring Term) at The Hexagon, Reading
• Year 5 & 6 – Young Voices (every two years January) at The O2, London
• Large choir ensemble at the Albert Hall, London (every 4 – 5 years)
• Annual Christmas Tree Festival at St. Mary’s Church Burghfield
• The Willink Primary school concert
• Children’s Assembly (weekly)
• Infant production (Christmas)
• Junior production (Summer)

Instrumental lesson provision

• Y1 – 6 Recorders
• Year 4 In2music, Berkshire Music Trust
• Peripatetic teaching – piano, strings, brass

Resources

• Berkshire Music Trust hub
• Sing Up
• BBC Ten Pieces
• ABRSM Classical 100