Music

Music is a creative subject and so it is all about being involved, doing, making and experiencing.  We want children to love music, to be excited and interested by it so that they want to be part of music-making in school and more importantly outside of school, so it becomes part of their life.  We want our children to become aware of, and develop, their musical talents, or to learn how to discover them!  We want music to be something that develops their self-confidence, that enables them to work together collaboratively with others and that gives them a sense of achievement and most importantly happiness. And finally - and this is the reason behind all we do - we want them to see how valuable, to their sense of well-being, playing and listening to music can be, both as relaxation, therapy, fulfillment and work.

We know from years of experience, that children love singing!  It is fun and engages many of their senses at once, and so it helps them to learn and remember. That is why we use music throughout maths and English, and even in RML (phonics lessons), to engage children in their learning.

Children also have dedicated music lessons supported by the online Charanga Music scheme; a programme designed specifically for the teaching of music in primary schools.  Teachers are able to produce inclusive lessons for all children to access the musical curriculum in a fun and engaging way, helping to promote a love of learning. These lessons ensure that the children learn all the inter-related dimensions of music : pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture, structure and appropriate musical notations.

This then allows them to be able to further develop their love of music by taking up musical instruments or experimenting electronically on music apps.  Children learn to play the glockenspiel in Year 1 and the 4 hole Ocarina in Year 2, giving them the experience of tuned musical instruments.  Once a week, for our children in the EYFS, a visiting musician enables them, as a class, to experience and be involved in live musical discovery and learning.

All children have the opportunity to play a variety of un-tuned precision instruments to support their development and practical understanding of the ‘key elements of music’. They also learn how to compose, focusing on different dimensions of music, which in turn feeds their understanding when listening, playing, or analysing music. They first learn to compose or perform using body percussion and vocal sounds to develop the understanding of the key musical elements without the added complexity of an instrument. This in turn feeds their understanding when listening, playing, or analysing music. However, for those who are more able in music and have a real love for the subject we offer cello lessons to 12 children in Year 2, the only Infant school in Walsall to do so.

Our implementation of the music curriculum shows children how they can make a living out of this mindful subject.  We use professional musicians who have worked around the world in many different cultures to come in and inspire the children. Children see the spiritual, cultural and social use of music and the benefits it has for us as individuals and collectively in supporting and changing our emotions. 

This is powerfully experienced through assemblies, class celebrations, school performances and when we go out into the community and perform at homes for the elderly. Their musical skills and understanding are built year-on-year, from singing nursery rhymes and action songs from memory and performing simple rhythm patterns on tuned and un-tuned percussion instruments in the Early Years, progressing their skills and understanding in KS1, where they also experience whole class instrumental tuition on the ocarina. Throughout all of this, the child’s enjoyment of music is the focus, running alongside the ‘taught’ musical skills and objectives.

As a result of our intent and implementation the children engage in these activities with enthusiasm and musicality; children chose to join choir and ocarina clubs and willingly audition for parts in year group musicals.  When opportunities arrive, for children to perform in school; for example at Whitehall’s Got Talent, song and dance feature heavily.

Children leave Whitehall Infants knowing that music is something that they can be part of and that can be part of them.