Music

Intent

At Kemball, our music curriculum intent is to engage and inspire our pupils to develop a life-long love of music. We will provide them with interesting and exciting musical experiences, activities and lessons to enable them to reach their potential, independence and to become a musician.

Our music education starts in the Early Years Foundation Stage and continues throughout the school. The pupils will develop their musical skills through practical hands-on experiences and fun learning opportunities to become confident performers, composers and listeners. Pupils will explore and listen to a wide range of music throughout history and from around the world, including music of their time and generation, to develop an awareness and appreciation of music in all its forms. They will learn to play a range of tuned and untuned percussion instruments and create their own compositions and improvisations. Pupils will use their skills and understanding to develop their ability, creativity and confidence to be musical both within and out of school.

Implementation

Music is an important part of Kemball School, valued as a subject and given as much importance as the rest of the curriculum. Music is also embedded across the curriculum and within the school as a whole.

Our music curriculum at Kemball is progressive and ambitious to ensure all pupils achieve their potential. We have a ‘can do’ attitude to music and all pupils achieve music making individually and within their group. Kemball has a music specialist who teaches all the pupils during the year and supports class staff to lead their own music sessions.

Music sessions are tailored and varied to meet the needs of our pupils. They are actively encouraged to explore and create within all music sessions fostering an inclusive atmosphere where everyone is valued and supported to achieve their potential. They are encouraged to use their preferred method of communication, such as signing, symbols and gestures as well as speech to take an active part in all sessions.

Pupils across Multisensory and Engagement pathways, including those in EYFS, follow the Sounds of Intent Framework of Musical Development. They are offered experiences to allow them to react to music, proactively play tuned and untuned percussion and interactively work with others to create music in a playful and fun environment.

Pupils in the progression pathway follow a more structured session. During the sessions they will be given opportunity to:

· join in with songs and rhymes and enjoy singing for pleasure

· recognise, name and play familiar instruments with increasing accuracy and control,

· learn about the inter-related dimensions of music: pitch, tempo, dynamic, duration, texture, timbre and structure

· use their skills in improvisations and compositions.

Music is offered to pupils in the Functional pathway as part of their options curriculum. They will develop a more in-depth understanding of musical terms and notation and learn to play instruments together as a group.

Pupils with a specific interest or musical talent are given the opportunity to achieve an Award and Certificate in Musical Development issued by Trinity College London during their final two years at Kemball School.

Choir is run weekly, open to all pupils in the school. Pupils perform in school music concerts, open to the wider school and parents, as well as at Lichfield Cathedral as part of Music Share and at venues in the community.

Through a school wide cultural studies week in the summer term, pupils focus on traditional and modern music from the country we are studying. This involves listening to live and recorded music and workshops to create their own music.

Pupils take part in external projects led by outside agencies such as Music Share and the English National Opera ‘Finish this...‘ composition project whenever possible.

External performers are invited into school, to give the pupils extra musical experiences whenever possible and appropriate.

Impact

Pupils at Kemball enjoy music and are all musical in their own way. They listen to music, explore and experience music from other cultures and times, develop their awareness, understanding and acceptance of the music enjoyed by others, as well as playing and creating their own music. Through music pupils achieve, develop self-confidence, interact with other and accept their opinions and skills. Our music curriculum encourages pupils to become musical and develop a love and enthusiasm for music that will stay with them throughout life.