Intent, Implementation and Impact

Intent

The National Curriculum for music aims to ensure that all children:

  • 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

At Frenchwood, children gain a firm understanding of what music is through listening, singing, playing, evaluating, analysing, and composing across a wide variety of historical periods, styles, traditions, and musical genres. We are committed to developing a curiosity for the subject, as well as an understanding and acceptance of the validity and importance of all types of music, and an unbiased respect for the role that music may wish to be expressed in any person’s life. We are committed to ensuring children understand the value and importance of music in the wider community and different cultures, and are able to use their musical skills, knowledge, and experiences to involve themselves in music, in a variety of different contexts.

Implementation

At Frenchwood, we use Charanga as our scheme of work.

The implementation of the Charanga scheme of work enables our children to develop and progress their skills through the primary key stages. Teachers are able to confidently deliver music lessons by following a structure and progression of lessons increasing in depth throughout the key stages. The scheme involves the use of games, singing, instruments, improvisation and composition in lessons to:

  •  Encourage the children to have fun and enjoy listening to different styles of music.
  •  Recognise instruments and features of key musical styles.
  •  Encourage confident discussion using accurate musical language.

Charanga is also supplemented with other Musical learning opportunities each term. Children will learn and perform songs related to their learning in other subjects.

Impact

The expected impact of following our Music scheme of work is that over their time at Frenchwood, our students will be given the skills and knowledge to understand the impact that music can have on our lives and cultures and how it can play an integral role in our emotional wellbeing. We aim to give children high aspirations which will enable them to foster a lifelong love for music and the confidence to continue to play and enjoy music into their adult lives.

Progression

Subject Leadership

I am Vikki Kay, the music subject leader at Frenchwood Commiunity Primary School. I have the exciting role of  supporting teachers and children in their Music lessons, and ensuring that all our children make the best possible progress.

I really enjoyed Music at Primary school, and this inspired me to continue studying Music throughout High School, college and university. I enjoyed Music so much that I chose it as my subject specialism when I completed my teaching degree. I can play the piano, cornet and violin, and have played in bands and orchestras since I was a little girl. I have taught at Frenchwood for 24 years, and I get great pleasure from seeing young people find a passion in Music.

I believe that Music is a unique way of communicating that can inspire and motivate children. It is a vehicle for personal expression, and it can play an important part in the personal development of individuals and groups of people. Music reflects culture and society, and so the teaching and learning of music enables children to better understand the world they live in. As Henry Longfellow said in one of my favourite quotes, "Music is the universal language of mankind."