Music

Early Years

The teaching of Music at St Joseph’s begins in Reception through Expressive Arts and Design. Based on the requirements of the EYFS framework and guided by Development Matters, children start to explore pitch and melody, sing in a group, and perform sings, chants, rhymes and poems.

Curriculum Design and Progression

At St Joseph’s, we aim to engage and inspire pupils to develop a love of music and their talent as musicians, and so increase their self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement.

Our curriculum is based on the Model Music Curriculum and supported by Charanga Music School, who provide interactive resources for vocal and instrumental tuition, and the teaching of improvisation and composition. Glockenspiels, recorders and a range of untuned instruments are used in every year group so that children are able to develop their musicianship with familiar instruments over time. Clear sequences of learning with key assessment tasks ensure that new knowledge and skills build on what has been taught before. Discrete lessons are delivered with learning blocked to allow for clear progression in the acquisition of knowledge and the development of skills, built on prior learning.

Instrumental Tuition and Wider Opportunities

Knowsley Music and Performing Arts Service provide specialist instrumental tuition enabling children from Year 4 onwards the opportunity to learn to play trumpet, flute or clarinet, and also join community ensembles outside of school.

All classes in Key Stage 1 and 2 also receive a term of recorder or ukulele tuition from a specialist teacher.

End Points

At the end of each unit, children demonstrate their learning through performing, either solo, as part of a small ensemble or as a whole class. Evidence may include photos, videos and audio recordings, which are uploaded to Seesaw.

Musician of the Month

Each month, the whole school explores the work a new musician, who is significant due to their musical, social, economic or cultural impact and influence.

Music videos, reading comprehensions, knowledge organisers and activities are used in all classes to help children understand and appreciate a range of musicians.

Key pieces by the musician are played around the school, in assemblies, and key information about the musician put on display.

The 4-year cycle ensures there is no repetition in KS2, has at least one classical musician per term, includes a range of both U.K. and world musicians, and an even distribution of male and female musicians, as well as ethnic diversity and disabilities.

Metropolitan Cathedral – Schools’ Singing Programme

Over the course of the year, each class in Key Stage 1 and 2 receive a term of weekly singing lessons delivered by a choral director from the Metropolitan Cathedral Choir. As well as providing specialist teaching and supporting well-being, these sessions also cover many aspects of the Model Music Curriculum, to help secure learning and achievement in music.

Assessment and Monitoring

Teachers assess children at the end of each unit through end points. These assessments are used to check what children have learnt and remembered to ensure pupils have remembered what we intended them to learn.

Assessment data is submitted by the class teacher and monitored by the Subject Leader, who uses this data to ensure teaching is targeted and appropriate for each pupil, class and year group, as well as to feedback on progress to SLT.