Music

Intent
Why do we teach this? Why do we teach it in the way we do?

At Edlington Victoria Academy we believe music has the power to change lives. We therefore wholeheartedly support and endeavour to ‘enable all children and young people to learn to sing, play an instrument and create music together, and have the opportunity to progress their musical interests and talents, including professionally’.

In order to do this we ensure that curriculum music is timetabled in every year group, including the foundation stage, and that teachers are supported with developing their own disciplinary knowledge to ensure they are developing their own knowledge base in line with the Model Music Curriculum. As part of developing their substantive knowledge, children are exposed to professional performances, as well as having enrichment opportunities to perform themselves, both within school and out in our community. We encourage children to experience a broad music culture within their substantive knowledge, which is mapped to ensure children are revisiting and developing key concepts to ‘learn more and remember more’.

We work with Doncaster Music Hub to source CPD, performance opportunities and leader knowledge.

Instrumental lessons are provided within school to pupils through an external provider, which allow pupils to continue developing skills after instruments are taught in class lessons. We are continuously mindful of the ‘Music Inclusion Strategy’ and how we are able to support those groups, often underrepresented, in this field in the future. We therefore endeavour to share information around musicians in whom our children may see themselves. Similarly, we are enthusiastic about supporting young people to aspire to and succeed in a career in music and to this end we engage in activities similar to our sporting events within the trust to highlight emerging talents.  

Implementation
What do we teach? What does this look like?

We implement our intent using Charanga and we organise intended learning into modules or units. These group the knowledge, skills and understanding that we want children to remember, do and use. Each module aims to activate and build upon prior learning, including from the early years, to ensure better cognition and retention. Teachers are also provided with a list of resources that they will need to support the delivery of the intent. We own a large bank of percussion instruments as well as a piano, electronic keyboard and as well as borrowing instruments from the Music Hub such as guitars to deliver wider opportunities to LKS2 children. 

A weekly singing assembly allows the children opportunities to develop their singing skills and gain an understanding of how ensembles work. Performances, such as Christmas plays and nativities, end of term concerts, end of year productions, and links we have made within our local and wider community, but also nationally, demonstrate that music is important to the life of the school. Extracurricular activities, such as choir also provide children with experience of making music.