MUSIC AT ORLEANS PRIMARY SCHOOL

Early Years Foundation Stage

Music forms an important part of everyday enjoyment and learning with access to instruments, singing as a whole class and regularly listening to different genres of music.

Instruments within continuous provision across the Early Years encourage performance and exploration of sounds and singing. Children build upon their early experiences and skills through whole class teacher-led sessions. These allow for more specific skills and knowledge to be taught such as rhythm, pitch and beat while playing tuned and untuned percussion instruments and exploring body percussion. Whenever possible throughout the Early Years the music curriculum coincides with year group topics. Guidance from ‘Musical Development Matters’ and resources through Music Express and SingUp are used as and when they are judged useful and relevant.

KS1 & KS2

In Key Stage 1&2, music is taught weekly to each class by a specialist music teacher.  Lessons are generally taught in the Small Hall and last between 30 and 45 minutes.  As well as this, both key stages have a weekly Singing Assembly led by the specialist teacher. Music Express is used in both key stages, as and when it is judged useful and relevant.  As far as is able, the music curriculum coincides with year group topics. 

Children have plenty of access to both tuned and untuned percussion instruments in lessons, and any who learn an instrument are actively encouraged to bring their own instrument in to participate in music performances.  Use is made of the internet to highlight particular elements and illustrate professional music-making.  Children are encouraged to respond to music through imitation, composition, discussion and performance.

Further Opportunities

At Orleans Primary, we aim to give children the further grounding and enthusiasm to develop their music-making throughout school life. Opportunities to enable this include:

• Weekly singing assemblies led by our specialist music teacher where the children learn how to make best use of their voice whilst singing a variety of songs from different genres.
• A ‘Music of the Week’ class assembly is presented every week to each class, on a two-year cycle – featuring a range of genres, cultures and historical musical eras
• Special whole school assemblies marking Harvest, Christmas and Spring.
• Class assemblies.
• Two school choirs (KS1 and KS2) take place each week.
• KS2 School orchestra meet once a week.
• Whole school opportunities such as a Christmas Big Sing.
• Richmond Music Trust and RockAdemy offer a wealth of peripatetic lessons in school time which includes; recorders, music makers, violin, guitar, percussion, brass and keyboard.
• Participation in the ‘Richmond Singing Festival’, the Richmond prom and performing for local community groups.
• Visits and visitors providing music-related cross curricular links such as drumming workshops in school or attending concerts such as the Kneller Hall summer concert.