Music at Edge Hill aims to stimulate both expression and creativity. Our school uses the Kapow scheme as the basis for its curriculum planning, with adaptations having been made by the subject lead to adapt it, making it more relevant to our school community. While there are opportunities for children of all abilities to develop their skills and knowledge in each teaching unit, the planned progression built into the scheme of work means that the children are increasingly challenged as they move through the school. Various other resources are available such as BBC Ten pieces to support our teaching of music. Our music planning is geared to three aspects of progress:

• Increasing breadth and range of musical experiences.
• Increasing challenge and difficulty in musical activities
• Increasing confidence, sensitivity and creativity in the children’s music making.

Certain big concepts have also been interweaved throughout our curriculum to ensure a breadth of musical learning. These are labelled as our Substantive and Disciplinary concepts on our planning and elements of these are revisited within every lesson to ensure consistency of musical terminology for our children.

 

At Edge Hill, music lessons are delivered by a class teacher on a weekly basis as part of a carousel process. The children currently receive a minimum of 45 minutes of music learning a week. Staff are routinely supported by the school’s music leader to ensure consistency and confidence. The importance of adaptive teaching is met by the provision of resource, task, support, and outcome through the delivery of the Kapow planning.

During music lessons, pupils will be expected to work collaboratively in groups, as a whole class, in pairs and individually. Groups are chosen (by the teacher or pupils) appropriate to the task set. Children have the opportunity to work in groups of both mixed and same gender and ability.

Pupils with special educational needs are able to develop confidence through the expression of their feelings in music, as it is a subject in which success does not depend on academic ability.

Children who demonstrate a talent for music through musical skills beyond their age will be given extra challenges through questioning, homework, extra-curricular activities and performing opportunities.

Alongside this, children are encouraged to develop their passion for music further by participating in many of the music based extra-curricular clubs on offer such as: Theatre Club, Choir Club and Drum Club, alongside performances such as: the panto and school musical (Mary Poppins - Christmas 2023).

Each year, children are also offered the opportunity to develop their own musicianship further through the provision of learning an instrument. We currently offer weekly lessons by a trained specialist in: flute, saxophone, clarinet and guitar, and many of our children already relish this opportunity.

 

The impact of the music curriculum is regularly monitored through video recordings of the children during each topic. Both class teachers and the subject lead have access to these. Learning walks and pupil conversations also form the basis of monitoring outcomes. To support this further, the children have music folders in which they can place any written evidence to support their musical journey. These can be accessed by the subject lead to further form the basis of outcomes and act as further evidence to the notation aspect of the music curriculum.