Vision
At the heart of our approach to primary music is the belief that every child deserves to experience the joy and creativity that music brings. We envision a vibrant musical environment where children can explore, create, and perform, fostering both their confidence and passion for the arts. Our aim is to make music accessible and enjoyable for all, regardless of their background or abilities. Through engaging lessons, we hope to spark curiosity and inspire children to discover their own musical voices. We encourage collaboration, allowing children to work together in small groups, which fosters teamwork and social skills. By providing a diverse range of musical styles and instruments, we aim to broaden their understanding and appreciation of music from different cultures. Ultimately, our vision for primary music is to instil a lifelong love of music, helping children to develop not just musical skills, but also the emotional and social intelligence that comes with it.
Intent
At Springfield Community Primary School, we believe that every child has musical potential. Our main goal is to nurture this talent and help them develop a lifelong love for music. To achieve this, we use Charanga’s Model Music Curriculum scheme of work, which serves as a foundation for our music lessons. Our approach goes beyond simply learning to play or sing; we aim to provide a broad understanding of music from different cultures and backgrounds.
We strive to equip children with the skills and knowledge needed to be confident performers, composers, and listeners. Our curriculum includes a wide variety of music from around the world, helping children appreciate and respect different musical traditions.
Throughout their journey in music at Springfield, children will participate in activities that develop essential skills. They will learn to sing, play both tuned and untuned instruments, improvise, and compose music. Additionally, we encourage them to listen to and respond to music, using the specific vocabulary associated with music to express their thoughts and feelings. This not only helps them communicate effectively but also deepens their understanding of the music they engage with.
We also incorporate the history and cultural significance of the music into our lessons, teaching children about how music can be written down. Engaging with music enables children to develop important soft skills such as teamwork, leadership, creative thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making. These skills are crucial for their development as well-rounded learners and prepare them for life both inside and outside school.
At Springfield, we understand that music plays a key role in our children’s spiritual, moral, social, and cultural growth. Our high-quality music education aligns with the National Curriculum for Music and the non-statutory Model Music Curriculum (MMC) Guidance published by the Department for Education (DfE) in 2021.
Implementation
To implement our music curriculum, we follow a spiral approach to learning. This means that children revisit and build on their existing knowledge and skills regularly. This method reinforces what they learn and boosts their confidence in their musical abilities.
Each unit in the Charanga curriculum consists of six steps that can be adapted to fit the needs of the class. Generally, we aim to cover one step per week. The first step introduces the unit’s main content, skills, and knowledge, while the following steps build on this foundation. The final sixth step allows children to showcase what they have learned through fun performances and activities.
A song is central to each lesson, providing a focus for the musical learning experience. During their time at Springfield, children will learn the key aspects of being a musician: Active Listening, Singing, Performing, Playing, Composing, and Improvising. By the end of their education here, they will know how to sing expressively and play instruments accurately. Furthermore, children will learn to identify important musical elements such as pitch, duration, tempo, timbre, structure, texture, and dynamics. This understanding allows them to use these elements creatively in their own improvisations and compositions.
Our teaching strategies are varied to cater to different learning styles. Lessons include independent tasks, paired and group work as well as improvisation and teacher-led performances. We ensure that our lessons are dynamic and engaging, often including movement and dance elements. We also make connections with other subjects, enriching the overall learning experience.
Participating in live performances is a crucial part of our music curriculum. Whether in whole-school celebrations or smaller performances, we encourage children to present their skills to wider audiences. Those who take music lessons in school, often in partnership with Lancashire Music Service, are particularly motivated to demonstrate their talents. Additionally, choir members have many opportunities to perform both at school and in the community, instilling a sense of pride and accomplishment.
Impact
We continuously assess the impact of our music programme. Ongoing formative assessments help guide our planning and delivery of lessons. At the end of each term, we conduct summative assessments by considering evidence collected on Seesaw, our digital learning platform. To understand children’ experiences better, we also use pupil voice questionnaires across all year groups.
Children leave Springfield Community Primary School with a solid foundation in music. They develop an appreciation for various musical genres and gain the confidence and skills to identify as musicians. This recognition is crucial, as it enables them to succeed in secondary education and enjoy music throughout their lives.
