Music

We use the Kapow music scheme to teach the National Curriculum, breaking down the objectives into smaller steps that are built on each year as seen in our music curriculum ladder. These lessons are currently taught through specialist teaching in Key Stage 2, and through skilled, supported teachers in Key Stage 1. We aim for music to be evident across the curriculum in cross-curricular links, such as helping secure learning through song, understand culture with traditional music from different countries, and see how technology has developed with the evolution of musical instruments. Children at Lyminster are taught to be musicians and composers, rather than perfect mimics, as they explore the features of a piece of music and learn how to create their own using similar patterns and scales. By doing this music becomes more of an artform than ‘listening to songs’.

There are strong links with PE through the dance units as children listen and discuss a piece before learning to move with the music and create a story. Geography is also an excellent way for children to see how music has strong roots in culture around the world. During our class country topics, the children explore the traditional music of their countries, comparing these to traditional songs from the British Isles and understanding how music brings a sense of identity and belonging.

Our music lessons provide a mainly practical approach to learning. Lessons begin with a warm up either using instruments or singing, a chance to make a noise and get performing. This is also an opportunity to recap basic skills such as scales, call and response and singing in the round. This is followed by key questions, recalling information from the topic they are learning and a chance to introduce any new information. 90% of our lessons are practical, with children using the instruments available to explore the topic they have been learning.

Our progression begins in the early years with a basic understanding of the 4 key strands of music through familiar nursery rhymes. The children learn pulse by clapping along to songs, and rhythm through call and response. They also begin to develop their instrument skills by playing kazoos alongside a backing track. As they move through Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 these skills are recapped and developed . For example, the children begin to learn more complex rhythms with different time signatures in Year 4 and how these rhythms can form an ostinato. In our instruments progression involves moving onto ocarinas, then recorders, and finally into string instruments in upper Key Stage 2. By this point the children are confidently able to read scale notation and play tunes involving the lower and upper register of a recorder, as well as playing major, minor, flat and sharp chords on the ukulele.

Music is just as inclusive as the rest of our curriculum here at Lyminster, providing support included in individual learning plans as far as is practicable. Lessons are differentiated through success criteria, scaffolding, instrument choice and cognitive load. Instruments are grouped into tuned and untuned, however within these there are different levels of playing ability required. Some children prefer to play percussive instruments such as drums or pianos as they require only one instruction, therefore we have updated our instrument collection to provide a more supportive range of percussion that can be applied to all areas of the music curriculum.

In a lesson involving composition, children may be supported by ordering notation cards rather than beginning a song from nothing. Children are given increased processing time to listen to a piece again and discuss with an adult before discussing as a whole class. As music is a predominantly practical subject, the need for support with written tasks is low, however, children have the option to work in groups to support one another when composing.

While each of our music lessons is broadly assessed for understanding, each topic has an outcome that has a more detailed opportunity for assessment, identified in the Kapow scheme of learning. As the music curriculum focusses on the 4 key strands of music, their continued ability to meet these objectives provides summative assessment for retention of learning and whether the child is on-track to meet age-related expectations for music. Summative assessment is undertaken yearly as a part of the annual report to parents, as well as being discussed in the verbal handovers to the following year’s team to understand what gaps need addressed. Key questions, referring back and musical knowledge games are used in each lesson to recap prior learning and aid retention, their response to these questions supportive teacher assessment.

Choir

• Our choir has been very busy over the past few years performing at locality events as well as charity concerts, and at local shops to help raise money for new Music equipment. Each Christmas the choir perform at the Rotary Club’s concert in Littlehampton alongside other local primary schools in an evening of fun and carols. Last year the group performed ‘When Children Rule the World’ to an entertained audience.
• The choir also enjoy taking part in the annual celebration of song at TLA where, this year, they had the youngest members but proudly sang out their rendition of ‘How Far I’ll Go’ from Moana.

Christmas Concert

• Each year our Key Stage 2 classes come together, bringing festive cheer to those gathered. With songs ranging from traditional carols such as ‘Little Drummer Boy’ to more modern songs with a whole Key Stage version of ‘All I want for Christmas is You’. We even had a special performance from Years 3 and 4 as they showed off their recorder work with tuneful performances of ‘We Wish you a Merry Christmas’ and ‘Merrily We Roll Along’.

Talent Show

• Our talent show is our very own version of Lyminster’s Got Talent as each year group competes to show off their best and brightest stars. In the past we’ve had a range of performances including a number of singers, and children showing off their skills on instruments.

Music Lessons

• We have partnered with West Sussex Music to offer a variety of instrument lessons for all children. The children enjoy the opportunity to continue their music learning and develop their own interest in a particular instrument. If you would like to sign your child up for West Sussex music lessons, please use click here. West Sussex Music also offer bursary funding for children who receive Pupil Premium and free school meal benefits. To check your eligibility please click here.

Zylo Music

• We also work closely with the Zylo performance company to provide drumming lessons every Monday for children in Years 1-6. They are treated to assemblies from the talent Zylo drummers and get the chance to put on their own showcase to the school! Follow this link to sign up.