Music

Intent

Music is at the heart of culture in many societies, therefore it is only natural that we should help foster a love and understanding of it in the children we teach. It has a vital role to play in the spiritual and cultural development of children and provides a unique area for children to flourish and express themselves. At Woodford Valley, we will provide all children with a wide musical experience, both in terms of listening to a varied range of music, and through creating, playing, performing and enjoying music. We aim to make Music an enjoyable and enriching experience for all, encouraging children to participate in a variety of musical experiences individually, as a class and as a school community.

The main aims of music teaching at Woodford Valley Primary Academy are: to inspire children and build confidence; to have fun experiencing and appreciating music; to provide opportunities to perform; to encourage creativity through instrument playing and composing; to learn about how music is made and written down; and to explore the history of music and how time, place and purpose have influenced it.

Implementation

Within our curriculum, there is scope for children to experience a wide range of music through listening, performing, composing, and playing instruments. To help us implement this at Woodford Valley Academy, we use a range of resources such as Charanga and Music Express as part of our curriculum planning, as well as building whole school performances into the school diary so that performance has the space to be celebrated and developed. We sequence these resources so that the musical elements that the children study build upon prior learning and enable progression of skills. Music is taught weekly, to every class, by a specialist Music teacher, and drumming workshops are run by a professional drummer for a term in Year 5 and 6. The school places a high importance on music, and singing permeates daily activities, such as lunchtime or end of the day prayers, as well as regular singing during worship times as a whole school. We select Year 6 Music Captains, who are role models within music and may help with musical events/workshops, or help lead worship in assembly. Personal Musical achievement is celebrated not only through performance, but in our weekly celebration worships, for example, handing out certificates. Peripatetic teachers also offer the opportunity for violin, ukulele, guitar, keyboard/piano and drum lessons. We play an active part in our Music Cluster (Wiltshire Music Connect), taking part in projects that allows us to offer additional experiences, such as watching live music, partaking in collaborative composition projects, or inviting in experts to lead workshops.

Impact

Through our specialist music teaching, we will inspire children to develop a love of music that will last their whole lives, and foster creativity within them. Our vision is to enable all children to learn to sing, play an instrument and create music together, and have the opportunity to progress their musical interests and talents, building their self-confidence. Pupils have the opportunity to hear music from different times, places, cultures and genres, which will build their understanding of people and the world around them, both now and past. Our first access offering allows every child to try different instruments, giving them equal opportunity to experience the joy of playing, and inspire them for the future.