Music
Music at Heathmere
Intent
The National Curriculum in England states that as pupils progress through a schools Music curriculum, they should develop a critical engagement with music, allowing them to compose and listen to music with discrimination. At Heathmere we believe all pupils should express themselves by creating and experimenting with sounds and rhythm.
Therefore, our Music curriculum allows all pupils to discover their creativity, develop a love of music, and increased their awareness and appreciation of different musical genres as well as improve their talent as musicians.
Implementation
At Heathmere we have Specialist Music Teachers who deliver our Music curriculum from the Early Years Foundation Stage through to Year 6. Our Specialist Teachers support pupils in developing key musical skills and techniques whilst inspiring them through live performance.
All pupils at Heathmere have discrete music lessons each week and pupils in Year 4, 5 and 6 have the opportunity to learn how to play the trumpet. In their music lessons, pupils are taught to: develop their understanding of musical composition, use their voices expressively and creatively by singing songs focussing on different rhythmic patterns and are introduced to musical concepts and terminology. These areas are targeted to ensure all pupils experience the joy of learning Music as a subject at the same time as improving their confidence and control in a musical sense.
Heathmere provides all pupils with multiple opportunities to play and perform in solo and ensemble contexts, using their voices and playing musical instruments with increasing accuracy, fluency, control and expression. Part of this offer includes our weekly singing assemblies which give pupils the opportunity to partake in collective ensemble practice. In addition to this, we host termly trumpet concerts, annual winter performances and carol services and give all pupils the opportunity to perform any chosen talent at our yearly ‘Heathmere’s Got Talent’ show. Our pupils also have the chance to attend a music club with our Specialist Music Teachers.
Impact
Through our Music curriculum, pupils grow in confidence through discovering the joy and creativity of music, as well as refining their musical knowledge and skills. Our pupils are excited and engaged with their weekly music lessons, demonstrating that the knowledge they gain contributes to their musical progress.
The Curriculum Lead, Subject Leads and Specialist Music Teachers at Heathmere monitor the impact of the Music provision throughout the school, ensuring skills are developed in a progressive way for all pupils during their time at Heathmere from the Early Years through to Year 6. Pupils’ progress in Music is monitored by our Music Specialist Teachers as part of our end of year assessment procedures.
