Music
Music Curriculum at De Bohun
Intent
‘Music is a cornerstone of the broad and balanced education that every child should receive. It touches hearts and minds, it celebrates and challenges, and it connects us and moves us’ (National Plan for Music Education June 2022).
At De Bohun our music curriculum has been designed to help children develop a passion for music and provide the foundations for them foster a life-long love of music. It aims to develop their skills as performers, composers and as listeners. Musical skills are developed through singing, playing a range of instruments and responding to music listened to. A variety of music, spanning the generations and from around the world, is woven through the curriculum and links to history and appreciation of British and many other cultures. Transferrable skills such as leadership, performance and collaborative working are all developed through the music curriculum.
Implementation
De Bohun’s music curriculum is taught progressively beginning in the Early Years where children are encouraged to develop a musical awareness to support creativity and imagination through listening to and taking part in songs and rhymes as well as exploring a range of sound-makers and instruments.
Pupils in years 1 – 6 receive weekly whole class music lessons and bi-weekly singing assemblies which offer the opportunity for larger group singing and singing in parts. Music lessons involve performing, listening, composing and work to develop understanding of the interrelated dimensions of music. Knowledge is built incrementally, year on year, as pupils are taught a wide range of songs beginning with material comprising limited tone sets (Kodaly pedagogy) on which much future learning, including of rhythm and pitch, can be based.
Over time the Music curriculum focuses on developing greater accuracy, fluency and expression in singing alongside playing untuned and tuned instruments with both accuracy and control. Pupils learn key musical vocabulary including naming the dimensions of music and to both discuss and apply them in their own compositions. Previously taught skills and knowledge are returned to and built upon on a regular basis.
Pupils in lower KS2 classes are enabled to have first free access to learning an instrument – recorder and ukulele – both of which are taught by the school’s specialist music teacher. Pupils across years 2 – 6 are encouraged to begin to learn an instrument with one of the specialist local authority tutors we have visiting the school.
Year groups take part annually in singing festivals arranged by the local authority. This offers the children both performance opportunities and the chance to sing in massed choirs.
A weekly choir activity is offered and is open to all KS2 pupils and a clarinet group is run for children who have achieved a suitable standard after a period of study. Termly concert performance opportunities are arranged and pupils perform to their peers in school as well. Our choir has also performed at local secondary schools and in charity fundraising concerts locally.
Impact
Children are engaged and excited by the De Bohun Music curriculum. The skills they are learning in singing, instrumental work and listening will support them in appreciating music throughout their lives. They look forward to their lessons and are rightly proud of their achievements in the subject.
Enthusiasm for music engendered by our curriculum encourages pupils to join the school’s choir, begin to learn to play an instrument and to join ensembles run by our local authority. More experienced recorder players have entered local music festivals to represent our school.
Instrumentalists and junior choir prepare with great excitement for and perform regularly at termly concerts. All children experience the opportunity to perform during music lessons – for peers and/or their class teacher demonstrating achievement.
Music is firmly established at De Bohun and flourishes throughout our school:
- Class music lessons are weekly for children in years Nursery through to Year 6 – pupils develop their musicianship through singing and playing instruments;
- Singing takes place throughout the school, in class lessons and singing assemblies, plus there is an opportunity for junior pupils to join our choir;
- All pupils are provided with first free access to learning a musical instrument in Year 3;
- Ensembles are run for children learning recorder, flute and clarinet – a valuable experience of playing with others;
- We work closely with Enfield Music Service and have their tutors teaching piano, keyboard, violin, viola, bassoon, flute and clarinet at our school;
- Regular musical performances take place to showcase our wonderful musicians and singers and these are always well attended by families;
- Our junior instrumentalists visit younger year groups to perform and share their music making.
- Taking part in Enfield Music Service singing festivals;
- Specific initiatives to promote increased take up of certain orchestral instruments;
- Concerts by visiting musicians;
- Access to samba and steel pan workshops;
- Representing our school in the community through our choir’s participation in charity fundraising concerts and collaborations in concerts with two local secondary schools.
