Music

Achieving Together in God's Love

Intent

At Our Lady of Victories, we believe that music has the potential to make a significant contribution to the children’s development: increasing confidence and self-esteem, developing leadership, working as a team, concentration and problem-solving skills, and developing identity and improving social cohesion within the school and wider community. As a School of Confidence, we endeavour to provide a variety of musical experiences through a curriculum which develops learning, improves knowledge and promotes pupil well-being through building up the confidence of all children. Music can impact the way that children think, feel and act; we want music to develop motor skills, allow self-expression and to encourage the body and mind to work together.

As a School of Love and Opportunity, we believe that all learning should be adapted to the needs of all children (SEN, EAL, more able, disadvantaged) and that the curriculum should be carefully planned to take account of everyone in the class so that all can succeed.

As a result of our Music Curriculum our children are encouraged to:

Explore the musical heritage, tradition and culture of different countries and identities.
Develop a love and appreciation of music.
Make judgements and express personal preferences about the quality and style of music.
Listen to, review and evaluate music across a range of genres, styles and historical periods.
Create and compose music both individually and collaboratively.
Develop an ability to understand rhythm, structure and organisation.
Be given opportunities to play a wide variety of instruments, both tuned and untuned.
Read and write musical notation.
Have knowledge of and use a range of musical vocabulary to discuss music and develop descriptive language skills.
Sing in tune using voices to create different effects.
Take part in performances with an awareness of audience.
Display a deep understanding of our school values by listening to, interpreting and expressing themselves through music.

We teach our students to use music as a tool to become courageous advocates, highlighting issues that are important to them. Music plays an important part in helping children feel part of a community. We want to ensure our children understand the value and importance of music in the wider community and encourage them to use their musical skills, knowledge and experience to involve themselves and others in music.

Implementation

Programme of Study

The Sparkyard Music Curriculum provides a clear sequence of musical activities to use in the primary classroom. It uses a skills-based approach where key musical concepts and themes are developed and revisited across each year group building on knowledge and understanding at every stage.

The learning journey is progressive and follows the Model Music Curriculum.

Cross-curricular links also allow students to explore music and sound through the topics they study in other lessons, such as History, English and RE.

Musicians from the local area are invited in to perform for the children, allowing them to experience live music.

Impact

As a School of Creativity, the children at Our Lady of Victories’ develop a love of music and an increased understanding of the impact that music can have on their own and others’ lives.

The children demonstrate progression of knowledge and skills which they continuously build on and embed.

Through music, the children develop the fundamental competencies of confidence, curiosity, collaboration, communication, creativity, commitment and craftsmanship.

The children develop an understanding of culture and history in relation to themselves individually, their local music heritage and music from ethnicities from around the world.

We monitor the impact of our curriculum through pupil voice exercises, pupil and parental surveys, and teaching and learning observations.