Music

Music Intention

Music is a universal language, for everyone to create and enjoy. We aim to provide a musical experience for all children that is, enjoyable, inspiring, memorable and accessible to all. Our children will be able to listen to and value a range of musical styles, sharing their viewpoint respectfully and eloquently. They will develop the confidence to sing and compose pieces on their own and with others. The children at Cogenhoe will have the opportunity to learn to play a musical instrument and use technology appropriately.

We have chosen to use the Charanga Musical School Scheme, as recommended by NMPAT, our local musical authority, because we wanted to ensure that music was accessible to all, up to date (yet constantly reviewed and improved), and linked with current national and local expectations. Charanga provides many examples of music styles and genres from different times and places. These are explored through the language of music via active listening, performing and composing activities, which enable understanding of the context and genre. The aim of the scheme is to provide children with the opportunity to progress to the next level of their creative excellence. Teachers are able to produce inclusive lessons for all children to access the musical curriculum in a fun and engaging way, further promoting a love of learning. It is ideal for specialist and non-specialist teachers and provides lesson plans, assessment, clear progression, and engaging and exciting whiteboard resources to support every lesson.

Music implementation

Music is a universal language to be shared by all. We want our children and staff to become expert, experienced musicians who can find the joy in music as listeners, appraisers, composers and performers. We have chosen Charanga as a scheme of work which offers a topic-based, repetitive approach to support children’s learning in music. A steady progression plan has been built into Charanga, within each lesson, each unit, each year and from one year to the next, ensuring consistent musical development. By using Charanga as the basis of a scheme of work, we can ensure that they are fulfilling the aims for musical learning stated in the National Curriculum: Charanga includes many examples of musical styles and genres from different times and places. These are explored through the language of music via active listening, appraising using the correct musical terminology (vocabulary), performing and composing activities, which enable understanding of the context and genre in an exciting, successful learning environment.

In addition to discrete music lessons, children will listen to a range of examples of music at different occasions such as: when pupils are entering the room for morning and afternoon registration and when entering assembly, so that they become fully immersed in music.

Ed Sheeran ( Pop) Autumn 1
Hans Zimmer (Circle of Life) Autumn 2
Nina Simone ( Jazz) Spring 1
Elton John (Rock) Spring 2
Usher (Dance) Summer 1
Dubussy (Impressionist) Summer 2

Throughout the scheme, children are actively involved in using and developing their singing voices, using body percussion and whole body actions, whilst learning to handle and play classroom instruments as performers, composers and musical critics, to create, express and appreciate their own and the music of others. Through a range of whole class, group and individual activities, children have opportunities to explore sounds, listen actively, compose and perform.

Charanga Musical School Units of Work enable children to understand musical concepts through a repetition-based approach to learning. Learning about the same musical concept through different musical activities enables a more secure, deeper learning and mastery of musical skills. Assessment is carried out continually during lessons, using the Teacher Assessment guide for each year, and is summarised at the end of each unit. There are clear steps for assessment with key questions to guide teachers. There is an editable class Assessment Log for recording the information and a Cultural and Personal Development Log. This is to be monitored by the subject coordinator, along with the quality of teaching. The Cogenhoe Music Long Term Map clearly lays out the expected progression of music throughout the school with explicit I know statements and key vocabulary for each year.

Pupils also have the opportunity to participate in instrumental lessons delivered by the excellent peripatetic staff of NMPAT. Currently our children have the opportunity to learn to play the guitar. Year 3 learn to play the ukulele with lessons provided by specialist teachers from NMPAT. In addition to this, we have Rocksteady Music School providing rock and pop band lessons creating “Rock Icons.” In Upper Key Stage Two children also receive music and wellbeing sessions delivered by NMPAT and Dare 25 from Life Skills Education where children receive drug, alcohol and resilience training combining their musical skills.

All children are musical from before birth, hearing the pulse and other sounds in the womb, and the aim of this project is to listen to what children can already do and further develop their singing and exploration of sound, including the making and playing of percussion instruments. Increased musical activity is also likely to support development across the other Areas of Learning, especially in Communication and Language.

Using ‘Musical Development Matters’ and suggestions for activities provided by the NMPAT teachers based on observations of children playing, our Early Years practitioners will be able to further support children, enhance the learning environment and expand their knowledge of songs and rhymes. We are keen to develop the musical opportunities available to all children at Cogenhoe and this project is a very exciting way to start.

Music Impact

Appreciate music by listening, appraising and performing

Sing, compose and play.

Understand and explore how music is created through the inter-related dimensions. (Picth, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture, structure and appropriate music notations.)

The above key concepts define what we want our pupils to have achieved and to continue to achieve through their lives once they step out of Cogenhoe. By continuing to celebrate music as a whole school and to share the opportunity for sharing singing and performing, it is possible to see how much music continues to be valued; for the experience and joy for our children and staff. Excellence and enrichment.

There is regular contact with NMPAT and musical groups visit regularly. Theatre groups are encouraged to visit and when possible the pupils are offered trips to events at the local theatre. E.g. the local pantomime. There is a school choir who perform wherever possible: Christmas concerts, harvest celebrations and coffee mornings. Annually we celebrate our pupil skills and talents with “Cogenhoe’s Got Talent” and each year group performs during the annual carol concert and Harvest celebration. Peripatetic lessons and whole class projects (with NMPAT) are subscribed to annually, and pupils in Year 3 learn the ukulele. Guitar concerts also showcases the guitarists’ growing skills and knowledge as well as Rocksteady performances. Music is monitored by the subject leader throughout all year groups using a variety of strategies such as, lesson observations, staff discussions and pupil interviews. Feedback is given to teachers and leaders use the information to see if the children know more and remember. Music is appreciated by everybody at Cogenhoe.

Here are some quotes from our pupils:

“Music is relaxing and we get to listen to different types of music. It doesn’t feel like work.” (Sienna, Year 6)

“It’s a different kind of lesson to usual, we have conversations and discussions about what we’re listening to.” (Alfie, Year 6)