Music Curriculum Intent

At Wellstead, Music is at the heart of our school and all children have access to a broad music curriculum and experiences.  We use Hampshire Music Service schemes of work for teaching and learning in music across the school. The dimensions of music are taught progressively within this scheme, embedding core knowledge and developing skills. The aim of the scheme is for every child to become a young musician and promotes a love of music. Music is enjoyed by all and children have access to weekly music lessons, singing assemblies and additional support from Hampshire Music Service offering the chance for children to learn to play an instrument.

EYFS also follow the Hampshire Music Service scheme of work and have regular music sessions exploring the dimensions of music. Children in EYFS sing every day and music is frequently used as a tool for learning. The children are encouraged to explore untuned instruments and the different sounds they make. They have access to instruments in the classroom provision and use these to play, compose and perform in their child-initiated play. In the Early Years, children learn Christmas and Easter songs each year to perform to their parents. 

The children in KS1 begin to have a good understanding of the musical dimensions and how they can be used in singing, playing and performing. KS1 children use a variety of tuned and untuned instruments and begin to play these with musical intent. They can respond to, identify and use symbols and other graphic notation illustrating the musical dimensions, including representations of rhythm and pitch. Children are able to respond to, identify, and distinguish between sounds and music in different contexts. They begin to consider how music illustrates the composer’s ideas and can describe how music makes them feel.

The children in KS11 will have an embedded understanding of the musical dimensions and how they can be used to shape a piece of music they are singing, playing or performing. They use their voices to chant and sing in independent balanced parts (harmony) with expressive interpretation and awareness of phrasing, style and context. KS11 children use tuned instruments to demonstrate precise and confident instrumental skills and use them to articulate and perform with musical awareness. They compose and perform music using a range of notation for specific purposes, including accurate graphic notation and stave notation with time signatures. Children will respond to, identify, compare and contrast music with an awareness of the music’s context and purpose. They will understand and identify the composer’s intent and how this was achieved using fluent musical vocabulary.

Music is taught as a standalone subject but is also used across the curriculum as a tool for teaching and learning. Songs are often taught to support learning in History, Maths and Geography. Music is regularly used to support children in dance and art. It is also often used as a tool for supporting children’s wellbeing. In EYFS, musical sounds and songs are an integral part of developing children’s early reading, oracy and listening skills.

At Wellstead, the music curriculum is an ambitious curriculum and was created by music teachers at Hampshire Music Service. We aim to provide children with high quality musical experiences, where music making has purpose, is valued and celebrated. Through the musical dimensions, children’s knowledge deepens and gives them the opportunity to demonstrate their learning through singing, playing, rehearsing, performing, notating, listening, responding, describing and discussing musical content. The curriculum extends from the classroom to instrument-specific lessons and performances, including instrumental concerts, EYFS makaton performances, regular performances in singing assembly, KS1 Christmas nativity and a KS11 end of year production. 

Music encourages and promotes the learning values at Wellstead Primary School. It is an aspirational curriculum and particularly focusses on children being reflective, adaptable, whilst working independently and also collaboratively. Music lessons are accessible to all children, and we aim to ensure there are no barriers to participation and learning. 

KS11 children are given the opportunity to learn how to play an instrument and have weekly lessons. In Year 4, the whole cohort is taught by specialised music teachers to learn how to play a brass or woodwind instrument in the autumn term. The children are then invited to perform in a concert at the end of the autumn term to showcase their learning from the Beyond the Beat instrumental scheme. Children are then invited to continue instrumental lessons into the Spring Term. Any children learning to play an instrument have weekly ensemble rehearsals in their year groups and are invited to perform in a concert at the end of the school year. 

This year, we are taking a group of KS11 children to sing at the O11 Arena for the Young Voices Concert. The Young Voices choir will rehearse every week until the concert. Parents are invited to attend the concert in London. This is a wonderful experience and opportunity for all involved. In KS1 and EYFS, children are invited to attend a lunchtime singing club, giving them the opportunity to develop their singing skills. All children in the school receive a weekly singing assembly to promote singing in our school and give them a chance to sing together as one large choir. Singing brings children together, develops their listening skills, improves their language skills and enhances children's emotional wellbeing.  

We are always looking for the pupils at Wellstead to experience live music and demonstrate their musical talents through playing and performing. We are hoping to attend several concerts this year for the children to experience live music.