Whiteley Primary School
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Music
Make more music
Think more musically
Become more musical
Music is an integral part of the Whiteley Primary School community and runs through all elements of our SMILE vision. Music connects us in an everchanging world and we aim for music at Whiteley to be creative, collaborative, celebratory and challenging. Music is respected and enjoyed throughout school life, where a strong culture of music-making has been created. We aim to inspire all children to develop a love of music during their time here where pupil involvement and enjoyment is key.
We aim to ensure that there are no barriers to participation in music, allowing all children to experience the joy of music making by enhancing their self-confidence, creativity and sense of belonging. We provide a music curriculum that is practical and where children learn about music through making music.
Music has a high profile at Whiteley Primary and can be demonstrated not just by the high-quality music-making in the classroom but also the range of musical events and opportunities our children engage with throughout the year. As our children progress through the school, they have the opportunity to engage with a wide variety of music styles and performance opportunities which deepen and extend their musical learning and gain valuable musical experiences and challenges beyond the classroom through collaborations, workshops and performances.
Music Curriculum
Children receive high quality weekly classroom music lessons where we deliver a carefully planned sequence of learning, progressing through the skills of singing, playing, performing, notating, listening and responding, describing and discussing, in line with the National Curriculum. The learning environment at Whiteley is one of practical music-making, where every child has the opportunity to express themselves musically and experience the joys of making music. We believe that children are motivated by performance opportunities and children are encouraged to share and celebrate their achievements with an audience wherever possible. We aim to provide memorable musical experiences built into every unit of work, be it sharing in a school assembly, making a recording, playing to parents or simply performing to the head-teacher.
The Year R music curriculum is delivered through weekly class music lessons and the children are given opportunities though continuous provision to develop the skills they have learned, supporting their imagination and creativity. KS1 have a weekly timetabled music lesson in our well-equipped music room and in KS2, lessons are delivered through weekly lessons by a primary music specialist. Both KS1 and KS2 also enjoy a half hour weekly singing assembly. The dimensions of music: pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture and structure form the core of all our learning where children are given the opportunity to explore these dimensions and make connections between them.
Music lessons are clearly differentiated where necessary with individual parts being adapted to meet and individual’s ability and needs, allowing every child access music at their level. Children at Whiteley are encouraged at all levels to perform with increasing accuracy and control and with musical awareness. We believe that this builds perseverance and resilience allowing every child to progress to the next level of musical excellence.
Our planning at Whiteley also allows the children to develop a wide musical menu across different styles, traditions and cultures. We use a wide range of resources to inform our planning including Hampshire Music Service Primary Curriculum Maps, Charanga music school and visiting percussion specialists. Our music planning is flexible and dynamic allowing us change and develop ideas in response to the needs of each class, curriculum themes or special events.
Singing
At Whiteley, singing is an integral part of school life. We believe that this is one of the most accessible forms of music making and provides high levels of learning opportunities and enjoyment for all pupils here, enhancing the well-being of the whole school community. All children take part in weekly singing assemblies as well as other assemblies throughout the week. Singing forms a key part of music lessons with high expectations and enjoyment maintained throughout the school. Children regularly sing within their classrooms and across different subjects as an aid to learning.
We run three well-attended choirs here at Whiteley where children are again encouraged to perform wherever possible including competitions, festivals and care-homes. The Upper-school production is another highlight where over seventy of our Year 5 and 6 children perform a musical on the local secondary school stage. In addition, most year groups perform a show for parents each year showcasing their singing and performing skills.
The music team are in regular contact with Hampshire Music Hub and are frequently invited to involve our children in county-wide collaborations and performance opportunities including a recent singing for well-being initiative and the election of school singing advocates.
Instrumental Music Making
Whiteley Primary has a strong tradition of instrumental tuition. Over 80 children have instrumental lessons in school through The Hampshire Music Service and are encouraged to perform in a Summer Concert for pupils and family with many of our children going on to play into KS3 and for local orchestras and ensembles.
The music curriculum provides regular opportunities for children to make music using both tuned and untuned percussion instruments, allowing children to perform independently and together with their class. Each child will learn the ocarina, recorder and ukulele as part of their music lesson provision. Children who learn instruments outside of school are also encouraged to celebrate and share music with their class either in assemblies and can join our fabulous school orchestra.
“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.” Plato
“Music brings out all the emotional juice in your brain.” (Imran, Y3 WPS)
