At West Hill Primary, we understand how important music is and the part it plays in a child’s life. We intend to provide children with opportunities to listen to, compose and perform music that’s linked in with learning from a range of topics. Our music curriculum at West Hill is delivered by Wandsworth Curriculum Music. Year 1, 2, 5 and 6 are taught singing skills and Year 3 and 4 learn a musical instrument.
Our Intent
We believe that every child should have access to the highest quality music education as part of a broad and balanced curriculum. Our curriculum is designed to inspire pupils to develop a love of music and appreciate their talents as musicians, thereby supporting their personal development; improving self-esteem, confidence, creativity and sense of achievement.
We provide opportunities for all children to develop their skills and knowledge and gain a firm
understanding of what music is through, creating, performing, listening, singing, evaluating and composing, across a wide variety of historical periods, styles, genres and traditions.
The Music Curriculum ensures that all pupils
• are able to explore and understand how music is created, produced and communicated, including through the inter-related dimensions: pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture, structure and appropriate musical notations;
• perform, listen to, review and evaluate a diverse range of music;
• have the opportunity to sing regularly;
• have the opportunity to create and compose music and use technology appropriately;
• have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument;
• have the opportunity to perform regularly to an audience.
Implementation
Our music tutors go through a rigorous recruitment process to ensure that they have the knowledge and skills to deliver an excellent music curriculum. They are supported with regular CPD which enables them to continually improve their music teaching and meet the needs of all learners.
Our music curriculum engages and inspires pupils to sing, listen, play, perform and evaluate, with increasing levels of confidence and skill. The curriculum is carefully sequenced to ensure a clear progression of skills and knowledge.
Children are actively engaged in practical and creative music making each week. They sing regularly as a class, in smaller groups and as a school community; they learn to read and write various forms of notation, aimed at supporting long term musical development; they develop a strong sense of pulse and rhythmic understanding and are able to use musical vocabulary appropriately. They have the opportunity to learn an instrument will specialist musicians, have the chance to progress to the next level by joining ensembles and choirs and have the opportunity to perform regularly in front of others.
As pupils progress, they will develop a critical engagement with music, allowing them to compose, and to listen with discrimination to the best in the musical canon.
At all stages of learning, the use of appropriate musical language in the classroom is encouraged and linked to practical music making to ensure that musical outcomes are achieved.
In addition to the weekly music lesson as part of curriculum time, pupils are also offered opportunities beyond the National Curriculum to further and support their musical learning. These include the opportunity to take up an instrument through peripatetic lessons, participating in external events, school productions and having visitors with a musical talent or linking to online performances. External interests and talents are also encouraged and showcased in class, ensuring that everyone is challenged regardless of previous musical experience.
