Music and Performing Arts

Curriculum Intent

At Amberley Primary School, we believe that children should be encouraged to embrace a love of music at all ages. Over the course of their primary school education, our comprehensive curriculum teaches children to:

• perform, listen to, review and evaluate music
• be taught to sing, create and compose music
• understand and explore how music is created, produced and communicated.

Many children develop a passion for music throughout their time at Amberley, which can fill children with a sense of self-worth, self-confidence and purpose. We are committed to developing a curiosity for the subject, exposing children to a wide range of styles cultures and historical periods promoting an unbiased respect for the role that music plays in any person’s life. The teaching of Music at Amberley embraces all three of our core values: nurturing, innovation and aspiration. By focusing on these three key priorities at the heart of our curriculum we believe our children will be ready to successfully meet the challenges of the next stages of their education.

Curriculum Implementation

Our music curriculum is split into year group specific units that are taught in a sequence whereby previous learning can be used to support new learning. At Amberley we encourage cross curricular links where possible, fostering a positive attitude to all aspects of music and supporting physical, emotional and mental development.

A typical Amberley music lesson will include a range of the following activities:

-Chanting and rapping
-Adding body percussion (e.g. clapping/stamping/clicking)
-Singing songs (call and response, with actions, topic-related, a round song etc.)
-Playing a range of tuned and untuned instruments
-Exploring/creating own compositions using voices, environmental sounds and instruments. 

At Amberley, we work closely with the North Tyneside Music Hub who provide CPD opportunities, peripatetic teachers, resources and exciting extra-curricular activities. Teachers have access to a wide range of resources to enhance the pupil’s learning including, Sing Up and BBC Ten Pieces.

Children have the opportunity to perform for a range of audiences and at different venues; learning to adapt themselves appropriately and sensitively to a variety of social contexts. In Music we encourage collaborative working and sharing of experiences and expressing these through song and musical performances such as our Easter Assembly and Year 6 Leavers Assembly. We take opportunities to invite religious leaders into school to share stories and musical experiences. Each year group is given the opportunity to perform in our Christmas shows, combining music with drama and dance, which for many children and families provides a highly memorable experience accumulating in a love of the performing arts. Children are also given the opportunity to watch high quality performances throughout the year from visiting musical and theatrical companies. Selected children are given the opportunity to use technology to develop their musicianship by using apps such as Garage Band. 

As part of the wider curriculum, the Amberley Choir offers children and their families the opportunity to take part in various musical events within the community and further afield and for the first time we have offered Rocksteady lessons to our children this year. 

Curriculum Impact

Whilst in school, children have access to a varied curriculum, which allows them to discover areas of strength, to develop skills and ultimately experience enjoyment. The integral nature of music and the learner creates an enormously rich palette from which a child may access fundamental abilities such as: achievement, self-confidence, interaction with and awareness of others, and self-reflection. All children have the ability to access and enjoy music which is reflected in internal pupil evaluations and parental feedback. Families frequently enjoy performances as they are able to see the end result of their children’s hard work.

Ultimately, children are able to enjoy music in as many ways as they choose – either as listener, creator, performer, or all of the above.

Medium Term Plans and Knowledge Organisers (KO provided by 'Sing Up')

Spring 1 & 2 Year 4

Body Percussion provided by NTMH.

North Tyneside Music Education Hub

https://ntmeh.org.uk/

Rocksteady

https://www.rocksteadymusicschool.com/