Music At Thomas Jolyffe

The true beauty of music is that it connects people. It carries a message and we, the musicians, are the messengers.'

Roy Ayers

Music Curriculum Intent @ TJ

The teaching of Music at Thomas Jolyffe Primary School provides a broad, balanced and differentiated curriculum, ensuring the progressive development of musical concepts, knowledge and skills. Children gain a firm understanding of what music is through listening, singing, playing, evaluating and composing across a wide variety of historical periods, styles, traditions, and musical genres. We are committed to ensure children understand the value and importance of music to their own and others’ lives and wellbeing and also the impact music has in the wider community. All children have access to music regardless of their academic ability, race, ethnicity, background and language. All children are actively encouraged to fully participate as music is often an area of the curriculum which allows individuals to excel. 

At Thomas Jolyffe we provide opportunities for all children to create, play, perform and enjoy music both in class and to an audience. Through assemblies and other performances, children showcase their talent and their understanding of performing with awareness of others. Lessons enable children to develop their skills, appreciate a wide variety of music and begin to appraise a range of musical genres.

The aims of our Music curriculum are to develop pupils who:

• Enjoy and have an appreciation for music.
• Listen to, review and evaluate music across a range of historical periods, genres, cultures, styles and traditions.

• Can sing and use their voices to create different effects.
• Create and compose music, both on their own and with others.
• Use a range of musical language.
• Make judgements and express personal preferences about the quality and style of music.

• Take part in performances with an awareness of audience.

Music Curriculum Implementation @TJ

The teaching of Music at Thomas Jolyffe delivers the requirements of the National Curriculum through use of the Charanga scheme of work. Teachers follow the suggested scheme of work, although adaptations can be made using plans deemed to be more appropriate for thematic learning in other curriculum areas. Music lessons are broken down into half-termly units and an emphasis is placed on musical vocabulary, allowing children to talk about pieces of music using the correct terminology.

Each unit of work has an on-going musical learning focus and lessons usually follow a specific learning sequence:

• Listen and Appraise
• Musical Activities (including pulse and rhythm)
• Singing and Voice
• Playing instruments
• Improvisation / Composition
• Perform and Share

Our progression model also follows the same learning sequence to ensure all interrelated elements of music are covered and implemented.

Within the EYFS setting, music is an integral part of children’s learning journey. Rhyme and rhythm are utilised throughout the learning of phonics, handwriting and mathematics. Children learn a wide range of songs and rhymes and develop skills for performing together. Singing and music making opportunities are used frequently to embed learning, develop musical awareness and to demonstrate how music can be used to express feelings.

Pupils participate in a range of performances during their school ‘career’. These include nativities (KS1), Christmas performances (Years 3 – 6) and a Leavers performance (Year 6). Pupils also take part in singing assemblies. Pupils who are confident are encouraged to perform in solo performances. Parents are invited and welcomed to watch performances, including our termly ‘Rock Steady’ concerts.

Alongside our curriculum provision for music, pupils also have the opportunity to participate in additional 1:1 music teaching by being offered the opportunity to learn a musical instrument with peripatetic teachers. Our peripatetic music teaching is organised by Independent Music Solutions (guitar and keyboard).

At Thomas Jolyffe, we also recognise that staff have musical abilities that can be utilised to supplement our musical curriculum. Pupils in KS2 have had the opportunity to learn to play the guitar within an after-school club led by a member of staff. Pupils also have the opportunity to join the school choir. The school choir is open to KS2 children on a weekly basis, with the average number of pupils being in the range of 25-30. Pupils in the school choir meet at lunchtime and focus on singing in unison, developing harmony, solo performances and having fun! The school choir also have the opportunity to perform in school, including the Christmas Fayre and singing in the local community, including a care home.

Music Curriculum Impact @ TJ

Our music Curriculum is planned to demonstrate progression and build on and embed current skills. We focus on progression of knowledge and skills in the different musical components and teaching of vocabulary also forms part of the units of work.

If children are achieving the knowledge and skills in lessons, then they are deemed to be making good or better progress.

We measure the impact of our curriculum through the following methods:

• Pupil discussions and interviewing the pupils about their learning (pupil voice).
• Governor monitoring with our subject music link governor.
• Photo and video evidence of the pupils practical learning.
• Dedicated music leader time.
• Music Ambassadors

The impact of our music curriculum is also measured in the uptake of our music school clubs and uptake of additional music 1:1 teaching.

The documents below outline the curriculum objectives children will cover in their respective year groups as well as the progression of skills from years 1 – 6, known as a ‘skills ladder’:

Mr N Musk

Music Coordinator