Philosophy:
At Thornhill Primary School, we value Music as an important part of a broad and balanced curriculum, in which pupils understand that Music is constantly all around us, connecting us and bringing communities together in a variety of shared activities, including singing, playing in ensembles, enjoying listening to others perform and experimenting with the creative process of composition. We recognise the emotional response Music can evoke, raising our spirits and helping promote good mental health and well-being. The curriculum aims to develop knowledge and skills which are progressive and transferable throughout primary school and on into secondary school and future education.
Intent: what we are trying to achieve through our curriculum
Following the National Curriculum guidelines and recent Music Model Curriculum, our Music curriculum aims to challenge, inspire and engage pupils, providing them with the knowledge and skills to make informed musical decisions and be involved in various musical activities, whether playing an instrument or singing, as a solo or in an ensemble, in school or in the community. They learn to appreciate a wide range of Music, listening with an inquisitive and discerning ear, making their own decisions as regards how to improve the quality of their own performances and those of other pupils. They learn to use musical language and terminology right from Nursery and up through the school. They experiment with composition and appraise the results thoughtfully, again making choices regarding how to refine their music. Pupils learn to play various instruments, working on fine motor skills for their finger dexterity and have the opportunity to take up Brass lessons with the local Music Hub (Durham Music Service); they sing in lessons and as a whole school, both in unison and in parts, learning how to warm up their voices appropriately and how to use their bodies to support breathing and smooth vocal lines.
Implementation: how our curriculum is delivered…
High quality Music lessons are taught weekly by a specialist Music teacher right from Nursery through to year 6, following the National Curriculum and guided by the Music Model and our local Music Hub, Durham Music Service. Suitable vocabulary is used right from the start, ensuring continuity and progression through the school.
The pupils enjoy playing a wide range of percussion instruments, sing a variety of songs and chants from different cultures and eras and play music games increasing in complexity in EYFS and Key Stage 1. In Key Stage 2 they work on finger dexterity and independent use of fingers as they learn to play the recorder in Year 3, a brass instrument in Year 4 (with a specialist from Durham Music Service), ukulele in Year 5 and re-visit recorder at a higher standard in Year 6.
Composition skills are developed throughout the school, starting with simple graphic scores and rhythm grids whilst using a range of tuned and un-tuned percussion in Key Stage 1 and progressing to composing using recorders, brass instruments and ukulele in Key Stage 2, exploring patterns and ostinato and attempting to notate their creations.
Pupils from Year 1 to Year 6 attend a weekly Singing Practice, learning how to warm-up and use their voices safely and effectively, how to support good singing with proper breathing, how to use dynamic contrast and their faces to express the songs and how to project properly.
Pupils listen to and discuss music all the way through the school, learning to use appropriate musical language regarding dynamics and the musical elements, etc, gaining an understanding of the history of Western Music through their lessons and knowledge of pitch and rhythmic notation.
Our school is visited by both a String group and a Brass ensemble each year, introducing them to instruments they are less likely to meet in school.
During the school year, pupils have various opportunities to perform. There are concerts in school, the Christmas Nativity performance in the local church and classes also sing as part of their class assemblies.
We have whole-school theatre visits each year, with past visits including Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dream Coat, White Christmas, Starlight Express, Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music, with pupils learning to sing many of the songs and giving their own performances to parents and the school.
Pupils having lessons with Durham Music Service also take part in a Music day in the Summer term at a local comprehensive school, practising and performing with other pupils from other schools alongside older and more advanced pupils, followed by attending a percussion workshop provided by a local group.
There is a great emphasis on enjoying learning and involving all abilities in our music making, whilst also aiming to produce high quality performances.
Impact: the difference our curriculum is making…
Pupils leave our school having enjoyed playing percussion instruments, recorder, a brass instrument and ukulele. They sing and perform confidently due to the high quality of the lessons provided and retain prior learning. They display suitable knowledge and skills both in their response to listening to music and the performance of other pupils and in their reflections on their own performance.
They attend theatre performances and hear professional musicians perform – cultural experiences they might not otherwise encounter.
Pupils performing develops their confidence, not only in themselves but also in other subjects, as well as improving listening skills useful in learning foreign languages.
Past pupils who have had Music lessons in Thornhill have gone on to join a wide range of music groups – Durham County Brass Band, the County Youth Orchestra, Spennymoor Brass Band – and have developed a lifelong love for music which has enriched their lives.
Playing/singing is good for wellbeing. There is much evidence for this, one source is:
Our music curriculum – Thornhill Primary Music Progress Map
