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St Joseph's Academy

St. Joseph's
Catholic Academy

Music

Vision

Our Music curriculum aims to provide all pupils with a high-quality music education, which engages and inspires children to develop a life-long love of music, increases their self-confidence, creativity and imagination, and provides opportunities for self-expression and a sense of personal achievement.

Intent

Music is an integral and well-resourced part of life at St Joseph’s. We want the music lessons to be fun and inspiring, engaging the children with songs, lyrics and movement. We want the children to feel able and reflective and expressive, developing their own appreciation of music with the opportunities we provide as a school. All children are actively encouraged to learn to play a
musical instrument including standard classroom instruments. Music is planned in-line with the statements laid out in the national curriculum. Music is planned with cross-curricular links where possible with Charanga being used to supplement and provide extra support and resources
to enhance music teaching. Charanga provides many examples of music styles and genres from different times and places. These are explored through the language of music via active listening, performing and composing activities, which enable understanding of the context and genre.
Through our music lessons children are actively involved in a wide range of musical opportunities. Children develop their singing voices, using body percussion and whole body actions, and learning to handle and play classroom instruments effectively to create and express their own and others’ music. Through a range of whole class, group and individual activities, children have opportunities to explore sounds, listen actively, compose and perform.
 

Implementation
Charanga
Charanga is a scheme of work which offers a topic-based approach to support children’s learning in music. A steady progression plan has been built into Charanga, both within each year and from one year to the next, ensuring consistent musical development. By using Charanga as the basis of a scheme of work, we can ensure that they are fulfilling the aims for musical learning stated
in the National Curriculum: Charanga includes many examples of music styles and genres from different times and places. These are explored through the language of music via active
listening, performing and composing activities, which enable understanding of the context and genre.
Charanga provides a classroom-based, participatory and inclusive approach to music learning. Throughout the scheme, children are actively involved in using and developing their singing voices, using body percussion and whole body actions, and learning to handle and play classroom instruments effectively to create and express their own and others’ music. Through a range of whole class, group and individual activities, children have opportunities to explore
sounds, listen actively, compose and perform.


Lessons:
During music lessons children will be given opportunities to learn music specific vocabulary in a meaningful context. During the lesson children will be given opportunities to apply skill and given chance for collaboration through composition.  
Enhancements:
Music within school offers the KS2 School Choir, Young Voices at Sheffield Arena in February every year, One Voice Music concert organised every July by Sheffield Music Hub, weekly violin lessons to Y4 by a specialist teacher from Sheffield Music Hub, and close links with the local community.

Assessment:
As music is a practical subject, assessment may be done by focussing on a small group at a time on certain tasks or skills, observing the children, discussing their work or self/group/teacher evaluation against criteria from the National Curriculum programmes of study and end of year expectations. Children also have a music folder so that when they appraise pieces of music they record  their answers using musical terminology. The progression grid provided by the subject leader ensures children are accessing work at age related expectations, with regular opportunities to be challenged through higher-level objectives. Children are assessed according to age related expectations in line with curriculum requirements.
 
Impact
Music is monitored by the subject leader throughout all year groups using a variety of strategies such as, lesson observations, staff discussions, ensuring staff have access to Charanga training and pupil interviews.  Feedback is given to teachers and leaders use the information to see if the children know more and remember more.

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