Music
Subject leader: Mrs Kerry
Contact email: pennowethlowerks2@croftymat.org
Our music curriculum intent
‘Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything.’
— Plato —
At Pennoweth, children gain a secure understanding of what music is through listening, singing, playing, evaluating, analysing, and composing across a wide variety of historical periods, styles, traditions, and musical genres. Our aim is for all children to develop an inquisitiveness for Music, as well as an understanding and acceptance of the validity and importance of all types of music. We are committed to ensuring children understand the value and importance of music in the wider community, and are able to use their musical skills, knowledge, and experiences to involve themselves in music, in a variety of different contexts.
Taken from Cornerstones, our curriculum is taught in blocks across a two-year cycle in order that children achieve depth in their learning. Key knowledge, skills and associated vocabulary have been identified and these have been mapped across the school to ensure progression. At the start of each unit, teachers establish the starting point for each child and ensure that all lessons taught are relevant and developmental, and consideration is given to how greater depth will be reached within each lesson, as well as how learners will be supported in line with the school’s commitment to inclusion.
Our curriculum ensures children experience singing, listening to, playing, performing and evaluating various genres of music. Through the effective teaching of music, children are encouraged to use some of the language of music to dissect it, and understand how it is made, played, appreciated and analysed. Children also learn how to compose focusing on different dimensions of music. Composing or performing using body percussion and vocal sounds is part of our curriculum, developing an understanding of the various musical elements without the complexity of an instrument.
Wherever possible, children will support musical events within the community, including the Festival of Light, Murdoch Day celebrations and the St. Piran’s Day Parade. As part of these events, children will purposefully showcase their musical talents and skills to a wide audience.
DNA
The culture of our DNA at Pennoweth also supports the teaching of music.
The planned progression of music as the children move through the school allows them to grow in confidence with their musical knowledge and ensures our children always feel safe and comfortable. The children are encouraged to see mistakes as a learning opportunity so they feel comfortable when this happens in the classroom. The lessons are planned to ensure that every child is included in every lesson, this combined with the help and support they receive from all adults and children helps them to feel loved. The children are often given a choice on how to present their learning and are given regular opportunities to work independently, helping them to feel be responsible for their own learning. With music based around a project the children are always engaged and motivated with their learning. The use of sticky strips helps them to quickly pick up new knowledge that they can recall at a later date. Finally, our children are ready. Ready to be independent learners who can apply their knowledge in a range of situations and contexts.
What will my child experience through music at Pennoweth?
Music is taught through the Charanga scheme from Reception to Year 6 every week across the year and is included on all class timetables.
In Early Years, music is delivered through holistic practice as an integral part of early development. Invitations to engage with sound are planned for every day and signing is integrated throughout daily practice. Each week there is a focused taught music session.
In KS1 and KS2, pupils are taught music by their class teachers so aspects of learning can be revisited throughout the week. These lessons follow the Charanga framework.
In addition, once a year each year group has a ‘focus’ on music through their curriculum project (see below).
Year 1 – Rio de Vida
Year 2- Beat Band Boogie
Year 3 – Heroes and Villains
Year 4 – Playlist
Year 5 – Alchemy Island
Year 6 – A Child’s War
This project enables them to consider music through a different lens: either through a detailed focus on a country or a focus on a certain type of music in more depth. Knowledge and understanding of music that has been gained throughout the Charanga curriculum is also considered within this focus learning providing children with an opportunity to contextualise their learning.
Throughout the year, children are given various opportunities to experience different music genre. Each term, there is a musical genre focus, such as classical music, where children regularly have a chance to listen to and appreciate. This is as follows:
Autumn 1 – Classical
Autumn 2 – Folk
Spring 1 – Jazz
Spring 2 – Blues
Summer 1 – Country
Summer 2 – Pop
In addition, each year group has a composer to focus on throughout the year. This involves finding out about their life as well as listening to a range of their music; this is often interwoven into other lessons (eg reading lessons) to provide opportunities to learn and consider in depth. The composers are as follows:
Year 1 – Wolfgang Mozart
Year 2 – Joseph Maurice Ravel
Year 3 – George Handel
Year 4 – Ludwig van Beethoven
Year 5 – Hildegard
Year 6 – Piotr Tchaikovsky
What musical skills and knowledge will my child learn at Pennoweth?
What sort of musical language will my child learn at Pennoweth?
What do Pennoweth’s children think about music?
Year 1 children have said the following about music:
‘I like Wolfgang Mozart. I like listening to his songs.’
‘I like doing different patterns. I like playing the triangle.’
‘I like using our voice in different ways, high, low, quiet and loud.’
‘I liked when we first sang the new song. It’s called fearless hero. I liked it because it is very challenging to sing. I like listening to and responding to the music.’
‘I like learning about the notation which is when music is written down. I like writing our own notiation.’
‘I liked the rap lesson because we all got to work together as a team.’
Rocksteady lessons
Rocksteady gives children the opportunity to play as part of a band. The children can choose from the electric guitar, keyboard, drums or vocals and enjoy playing in a happy, supportive environment with their friends.
More information can be found here: https://www.rocksteadymusicschool.com/info-for-parents/
Guitar lessons.
Guitar lessons are available in school through Cornwall Music Service Trust. The different lesson options can be seen below:
Group Type 1 (£5.63) – Based on a group of 4 for 30 minutes. Total group time length variable on size, 7.5 minutes per pupil on an individual basis.
Group Type 2 (£7.50) – Based on a Group of 2 for 20 minutes. Total group time length variable on size, 10 minutes per pupil on an individual basis.
Individual 20 Minute (£15.00)
Individual 30 Minute (£22.50)
If you are interested in signing up your child, please use the following website: https://cmst.co.uk/. If there are no spaces available then you will be placed on a waiting list.
Performances
Cornwall Orchestra
We had a brilliant morning listening to visitors from the Cornwall Orchestra. The children enjoyed listening to different woodwind instruments such as flute, clarinet, oboe and the bassoon. We were very impressed with the number of instruments that Katherine could play. We heard songs that we recognised such as Harry Potter and Frozen.
Will Keating
We all had a brilliant day with Will Keating doing music workshops. We finished the day with a whole school performance of Cornwall my Home.
Redruth School
We were lucky enough to have several students from Redruth perform to us on the flute, guitar, drums and keyboard. They were all fantastic and lots of the children were eager to start learning an instrument after listening to them.
Figurehead
We were all very excited when a local sea shanty band called ‘Figurehead’ came in to perform to the children. We all enjoyed singing along to the songs we recognised, especially ‘Wellerman’!
Useful music websites and links
BBC Bitesize – KS1