Milnthorpe Primary School

Intent
The National Curriculum for music aims to ensure that all children:

• perform, listen to, review and evaluate music
• be taught to sing, create and compose music
• understand and explore how music is created, produced and communicated

At Milnthorpe, children gain enjoyment and understanding of what music is through listening, singing, playing, evaluating, analysing, and composing across a wide variety of historical periods, styles, traditions, and musical genres. We are committed to developing a curiosity for the subject, as well as an understanding and acceptance of the importance of all types of music, and an unbiased respect for the role that music may wish to be expressed in any person’s life. We are committed to ensuring children understand the value and importance of music in the wider community and are able to use their musical skills, knowledge, and experiences to involve themselves in music, in a variety of different contexts.  All children at Milnthorpe experience live music.

Implementation
The music curriculum ensures children sing, listen, play, perform and evaluate. This is embedded in the classroom through the structured music programme Charanga as well as the weekly singing assemblies, various concerts and performances, musical clubs and teaching from specialist music teachers. Our strong link with Cumbria Music Hub enhances our musical opportunities.  We participate in all their events: including the Big Play and the Big Sing. The elements of music are taught in the classroom lessons so that children are able to use some of the language of music to dissect it, and understand how it is made, played, appreciated and analysed. In the classroom children learn key aspects of music through cross-curricular links. They also learn how to compose, focusing on different dimensions of music, which in turn feeds their understanding when listening, playing, or analysing music. Composing or performing using body percussion and vocal sounds is also part of the curriculum, which develops the understanding of musical elements without the added complexity of an instrument.  However, the school is well-resourced with tuned and un-tuned instruments.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) follows the ‘Development Matters in the EYFS’ guidance which aims for all children in Foundation Stage to have musical learning through ‘Communication and Language’, ’Physical Development’ and ‘Expressive Arts and Design’.  Plenty of opportunities to learn songs, develop pitch, rhythm and melody are provided for our children.

 Children begin their experience with playing tuned instruments and reading graphic and formal notation in Reception using Glockenspiels; this progresses through school leading to all Y4 children learning the flute and all Y6 children learning the ukulele.

Impact
Whilst in school, children have access to a varied programme, which allows them to discover areas of strength, as well as areas they might like to improve upon. The integral nature of music and the learner creates an enormously rich palette from which a child may access fundamental abilities such as: achievement, self-confidence, well-being, interaction with and awareness of others, and self-reflection. Music will also develop an understanding of culture and history, both in relation to children individually, as well as ethnicities from across the world. Children are able to enjoy music in as many ways as they choose – either as listener, creator or performer. They can dissect music and comprehend its parts. They can sing and feel a pulse. They are encouraged to further develop their musical skills and interest, now and in their futures.

Milnthorpe Primary School provides the opportunity for all children to study specfic musical intruments as part of their curriculum. Flute and ukulele are taught to all pupils in years 4 and 6 respectively. In addition all pupils have the opportunity to access flute and guitar lessons as part of extra curricular provision.

Milnthorpe Primary School choir is available to all pupils giving them the experience of performing at local concerts and within the community.