Music
'Sometimes music is the only medicine the heart and soul need'
Intent
Our music curriculum has been designed to ensure each and every child can ‘be the best musicians that they can be’ by offering stimulating and awe-inspiring musical experiences with our Catholic values at its heart. It is designed to meet the needs of the pupils at St Mary and St Andrew’s, not only by focussing on appropriate subject specific knowledge, skills and understanding as set out in the National Curriculum, but by giving opportunities to acquire the skills of musicality through a carefully planned and sequenced progression of learning. Our aspirational curriculum intends to develop individual and collaborative learning experiences; a positive growth mindset; a sense of responsibility and provide challenges that take learning beyond the classroom. Our intention is to enrich the children’s culture capital though wider experiences of musical appreciation. Music is an intrinsic part of our school. Our intention is that all children leave our school with a love of music, having been given the opportunities to showcase their skills individually or as part of a group.
Implementation
Our music curriculum plan has been designed to ensure a sequence of skills, knowledge and understanding is acquired through a spiral program. We ensure all pupils in Key Stage One and Key Stage Two study one hour of Music per week per term.
Staff are supported by a musical expert to deliver high quality lessons which begin with revision of previous learning and warm ups before progressing onto new learning. Musical vocabulary is prioritised and embedded within lessons. AFL within lessons is strong and informs future planning. Inclusion is a key priority and the presentation of all information make learning accessible for all.
Pupils work sequentially though four key areas: Singing, Listening, Composing and Performing and each area develops skills and understanding at each class/year level. The skills relate to pulse, rhythm, pitch, dynamics, tempo, timbre, structure, texture and notation. Children are given the opportunity to join the school choir in KS2 and have the opportunity to enjoy individual lessons with our visiting peripatetic teachers. All KS2 children have access to whole class instrumental teaching and are taught to read notation for the first time.
Impact
There is a genuine love of music throughout the school. There are no financial barriers for disadvantaged pupils to access music. Music performances are regular events in the school especially in assemblies and our wider school community events. Children show a willingness and excitement about performances and spread this joy through recitals and shows. Children enjoy the opportunities to compose, create and innovate and there is a willingness to evaluate one another’s work. Children are exposed to a range of musical genres and traditions that form our shared cultural capital. When children leave our school, we aim to equip them with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed further in music.
Look at Us Learning
In addition to the provision of Music in the National Curriculum, parents may wish their children to learn a musical instrument. There are a number of places available for tuition, run by the Lancashire Music Service, for KS2 pupils in guitar, keyboard & woodwind. Lessons take place in school during the school day. There is an additional cost for this tuition which must be paid for on a termly basis. If you are in receipt of certain benefits and qualify for pupil premium we may be able to offer assistance with these costs. Please contact the school office for further information.
Choir
The St Mary and St Andrews Catholic Primary School Choir in Barton comprises of children from KS2 and has been established for over six years. Priding ourselves on inclusivity and diversity, we celebrate differences through a shared love of music. We love to sing a range of musical genres from musical theatre to songs that represent our values as a faith school.
We practice each Wednesday lunchtime and our hard work is matched with lots of fun – our warm up exercises are particularly creative! Throughout our rehearsals, the older children are given the opportunity to lead singing activities and they love to encourage the younger members to develop their confidence.
Our choir perform regularly in front of the whole school and parents in our assemblies and masses, and we love performing with ‘Let’s Go Sing’ at King George’s Hall in Blackburn. We also enjoy singing for our local elderly community at Christmas time and always finish our academic year with a momentous choir concert, which is popular and always well received by families and friends.
Our aim is to sing our hearts out with joy so that our audience feels our love and passion for music!
Occasionally, special guests come to our school to support and conduct a local community choir who have visited our school and sang with our children! https://youtu.be/gRkEA_Fe5nY
Click on the link to hear our fabulous school choir...
Choir concert summer 22 - YouTube
Lets' Go Sing Concert, Blackburn Rovers Football Stadium
Let's Go Sing at King George's Hall 2024 https://youtu.be/cdGMKAYRF-g
Let's Do This Together...
Match the rhythms, meet the instruments or the orchestra, play along or compose with this fun music website! https://www.classicsforkids.com/music-games/
If you haven’t already discovered ‘Blob Opera’ then you’re missing out! Have fun… https://www.crazygames.com/game/blob-opera
Meet the orchestra at https://www.sfsymphony.org/EducationCommunity/Music-Connects-Kids/Instruments-of-the-Orchestra or http://www.bbc.co.uk/orchestras/learn/guidetotheorchestra/
There’s so much information and fun facts on … https://www.ducksters.com/music.php
Get composing using virtual instruments https://www.virtualmusicalinstruments.com/glockenspiel
Lots of fun music activities to engage in... https://www.dallassymphony.org/community-education/dso-kids/