Curriculum Intent
Our Curriculum Intent outlines the knowledge, skills and characteristics we want children to develop and learn throughout their time with us.
At Watling Primary School, we aim to engage, inspire, and nurture pupils to develop a curiosity and love for music. We embrace individual creativity and self-expression, allowing pupils to gain their own enjoyment through music. We recognise that music can inspire individuality and, through this, support positive mental health and wellbeing within our pupils. This is embedded in our teaching of music as well as our weekly singing assemblies, concerts, performances and the learning of instruments.
We use Music Express to support the teaching of music across the school, which provides a well-planned and progressive curriculum with high aspirations for all. The curriculum integrates singing, playing, listening, composing, and performing through various active learning processes. Through our music curriculum, pupils will learn different styles of music and their origins and learn to understand and respect all types of music. Children will have opportunities to collaborate alongside their peers in small groups or larger ensembles to celebrate music and take part in performances. Through this, pupils are encouraged to develop key skills such as teamwork, problem-solving and communication.
The inclusive curriculum is designed to build experience and develop pupils’ understanding of the different elements and dimensions of music.
We believe in supporting children to reflect on and discuss their learning, developing effective communicators who readily ask questions about music to extend their knowledge of composers and musicians further.
Curriculum Implementation
Our Curriculum Implementation explains what we will do and how we will do it, to ensure that children learn and achieve what we intend them to.
Our approach to the teaching and learning of Music includes the following:
- Distinct units taught during the academic year, following the Music Express scheme.
- Timetabled 45-minute (Key Stage 1) or one-hour (Key Stage 2) lesson each week.
- 15-minute singing assembly each week.
- Lessons planned using progression maps and curriculum end points.
- Lesson objectives linked to Watling Way values and CAPTAIN Learning Characteristics.
- High-quality resources used to enhance lessons.
- Extra-curricular events (trips and/or visitors) linked to learning in Music as part of our wider enrichment offer.
- Opportunities to learn a musical instrument from Year 2 onwards.
- Opportunities to perform with others in year group, assemblies and wider school shows.
- Opportunities to attend extra-curricular Music clubs throughout the academic year.
Curriculum Impact
The impact of the implementation of our Music curriculum on outcomes for our children is monitored and evaluated at key points in the learning journey through the following methods:
- Formative and summative assessment strategies in line with our Feedback and Marking statement, including questioning and verbal feedback, and end of unit mini assessments
- Pupil voice
- Learning walks and lesson visits
- Live performances in year group, assemblies and wider school shows
- Termly Subject Lead monitoring meetings
- Analysis of Music MAPs (Monitoring Attainment and Progress spreadsheets)
The National Curriculum Programmes of Study for Music for Key Stage 1 and 2 provide further information.
Our Music Development Plan can be found here.
Our Long-Term Curriculum Map for Music gives an overview of what is taught in each year group over the course of each academic year.
