Intent

At Heartsease Primary Academy, we aim to support all children to see themselves as musicians. We want our pupils to feel that they are musical, and develop a life-long love of music. Our goal is to ensure that our pupils become confident performers, composers and listers with the skills, knowledge and understanding needed to do so. Through our music curriculum, children gain a firm understanding of what music is by 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 music, as well as an understanding of a range of different genres of music and their different features. It is through these features that children come to understand how music can be used to express themselves and their emotions. Pupils are encouraged to experiment, through improvisation, composition and in using a range of instruments, to find different ways in which to be creative, while at the same time finding a way to demonstrate their emotions in a constructive manner and relate to others. We aim to provide children with the opportunity to confidently progress in their creativity and expression along with working with other pupils.

Implementation

We have chosen to follow and adapt lessons from the Kapow music scheme, which takes a holistic approach to music in which the 5 key strands are woven together to create enriching and engaging learning experiences and opportunities. We follows a spiral curriculum model where previous skills and knowledge are retrieved and built on.  

Each five lesson unit combines: performing, listening, composting, musical history and inter-related dimensions of music, to create lessons that encourage music to be explored enthusiastically. Key vocabulary is taught and used throughout, with pupils learning to recognise the interrelated dimensions of music: pitch, tempo, timbre, structure, texture and dynamics. They will be encouraged to recognise these in music, and use them expressively within their own improvisations and compositions. 

In each music lesson, pupils actively participate in musical activities from a range of styles and traditions, developing their musical skills and their understanding of how music works. Strategies used include independent, paired and group tasks, improvisation and teacher-modelled performances. Singing assemblies are held weekly where children are taught songs of cultural and historical relevance, and taught to enjoy a passion for music. We encourage visitors to come and see the children and enrich their curriculum, building their ambition and cultural capital in musical experiences. 

For pupils with SEND or an EHCP the curriculum will be adapted in order to meet their individual needs. Children will have a clearly sequenced pathway of progression through the curriculum. Scaffolding should offer small-step support for pupils that prompts their thinking to allow them to access the next step in learning. This could include, but is not limited to: resources, questioning, modelled examples, group work, adult intervention, mixed-attainment partners. Knowledge organizers are used to support learning and retention with dual-coded prompts to support cognitive load and working memory. Learning is recorded in floorbooks, with recordings of the innovations and performances of classes.

The Kapow scheme values the significance of teacher subject knowledge being the foundation to a successful musical curriculum, and each unit of lessons provides ongoing teacher CPD to aid teachers’ own acquisition skills and knowledge, ensuring they are thoroughly equipped to deliver a high quality music curriculum to their classes. 

Impact

Pupils from Heartsease Primary Academy will leave our school ready for the next phase of their education with a range of skills that will enable them to enjoy and appreciate music throughout their lives. Pupils will leave us confident performers and listens who can express themselves musically, and show an appreciation and respect for a range of musical styles from around the world, with a strong cultural understanding of music. They will recognise that music is influenced by the wider cultural, social and historical contexts in which it is developed. 

Assessment for pupils will be conducted through teacher assessment against the national curriculum statements and key learning objectives outlined in the spiral curriculum through Kapow. Quizzes, observations, reflections and discussions will all inform these assessments, ensuring any gaps in knowledge can be addressed as appropriate.