Music
Intent
Music is a universal language that embodies one of the highest forms of creativity. A high-quality music education should engage and inspire pupils to develop a love of music and their talent as musicians, and so increase their self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement (National Curriculum, 2021).
At Marlcliffe, we strive to ensure every child receives a high-quality musical education, providing children with a wide range of musical activities and encouraging children to develop a love of listening to and performing music, as well as an understanding of music as global citizens. We hope to inspire a future generation of musicians who become lifelong learners of music and provide children with the skills needed to listen to, appreciate and perform a wide variety of music.
Implementation
At Marlcliffe, we follow the SparkYard music scheme, which uses a skills-based approach where key musical concepts and themes are developed and revisited across the year groups, building on knowledge and understanding at every stage. The SparkYard curriculum curriculum covers the statutory National Curriculum for England and satisfies a wealth of suggestions made in the Model Music Curriculum. Music teaching is supported by weekly singing assemblies as well as the opportunity to take part in further musical activities beyond the classroom.
The Music Curriculum is organised into key National Curriculum requirements:
- Playing and performing
- Listening and recalling sounds
- Improvising and composing
- Staff/stave and other musical notation
- Appreciation of music
- Understanding musical history
Progression is ensured through the use of the SparkYard scheme. Progression maps reflect our ambitious curriculum and cover all the National Curriculum objectives (and more). Progression is clear across phases, from EYFS to Y6. Termly planning (MTPs) includes prior learning, new learning, deepening learning and end points. The unit overview focusses on the aims of the unit and crucial knowledge. The SparkYard scheme also ensures that our music curriculum promotes diversity, ensuring children are exposed to a range of different music from other countries, cultures and historical periods.
Our music curriculum at Marlcliffe is an inclusive one where all children are supported to access the curriculum through carefully planned and scaffolded activities. Children working at PITA 1 or 2 may have a more personalised curriculum but all other children are supported to work at the age-related expectations.
Assessment of music is ongoing within lessons: through observation of learning, engagement during discussions, work in books and regular retrieval activities e.g. quizzes. This supports teachers in making an overall judgement of children's attainment against the end points for each unit. Assessment is within phases not year groups (due to planning for mixed classes). We use a 2-year rolling programme called Cycle A & Cycle B. In music, the progression is within a unit of learning. These are then built upon in future phases.
Many enrichment opportunities are provided as part of our music provision. All children in Year 4 learn to play the recorder and then the clarinet through the Sheffield Music Hub. Children take part in a number of performances throughout their Marlcliffe learning journey; from annual Christmas performances to taking part in Sheffield Music Hub projects and singing festivals. Children also have the opportunity to watch live performances by professional musicians e.g. the Halle Orchestra. Beyond the curriculum, children have the opportunity to take part in Young Voices concerts and other choir activities.
Impact
The impact of our curriculum is that children develop a love of music and are inspired to continue to become lifelong learners and performers of music. We hope to inspire many of our young musicians to develop their musical skills further by going on to learn musical instruments beyond what has been taught in school and to inspire the next generation of professional musicians and composers.
Monitoring of music planning, teaching and assessment takes place regularly by both the SLT and the subject leader to ensure that music lessons are effective in achieving our aspirations for our young learners. Children are given opportunities to discuss their thoughts about music as a subject.
By the time children leave Marlcliffe, they will have a good understanding of the interrelated dimensions of music and be able to compose melodies and rhythms using these dimensions. They will have experienced a wide variety of music from different genres and cultures and will be able to talk about what they have heard using a range of musical vocabulary, as well as giving their own thoughts and opinions. Children will have taken part in a variety of different music making activities, both instrumental and vocal, including performing in larger venues such as Sheffield Arena and the Octagon. Many children will have taken part in music making opportunities within the local community.