Furness Primary School

Curriculum Music Lessons

Nursery

In Nursery, music is delivered by the Nursery teacher.  Lesson plans are designed to enable pupils to achieve the EYFS ELGs (Early Learning Goals), and musical learning experiences incorporate opportunities for developing a range of skills from different areas, including:

• listening with attention to range of music and sounds, commenting and discussing on what they have heard and sharing their ideas and feelings
• responding positively to challenges and showing resilience when trying new things (e.g. playing un-tuned percussion with control)
• developing fine and gross motor skills through using classroom instruments
• singing a range of nursery rhymes and simple songs
• performing a range songs, poems and rhymes, and playing simple accompaniments to their singing using percussion instruments
• working and playing cooperatively with others, taking turns where appropriate

Nursery teaching staff are able to draw upon the support of the Music Specialist for guidance, feedback and help with resourcing lessons and activities.  The rich variety of musical learning opportunities in the Nursery well-prepares children for music in Reception and beyond; most pupils develop a strong awareness of beat and are able to sing tunefully.  In addition, pupils in Nursery have opportunities to enrich their musical learning through performances to their parents, for example the Nursery Nativity performance, which takes place at the end of the Autumn Term.

Reception – KS2

All classes from Reception – KS2 receive a weekly music lesson, which is between 45 – 90 minutes, depending upon timetabling.  All music lessons are delivered by the school Music Specialist (who is also the Music & Drama Lead), which ensures that subject knowledge, delivery of content and teaching pedagogies are of an extremely high standard.  Consequently, pupils’ enjoyment and engagement with music is high, and pupils make good progress through a well-sequenced, challenging and progressive curriculum that embeds key musical skills and knowledge by exposing them to a wealth of music-making, performing and listening opportunities. 

Curriculum Music lessons are organised into themed topics that usually last between 3 – 6 weeks and are based around a particular song, composer/artist or musical genre.  Each of these topics incorporate learning opportunities from most or all of the four main areas of musical learning:  Singing, Listening, Composing & Performing.  In years 2, 3, 4 & 5, pupils also spend one term learning an instrument via whole class instrumental teaching.  Whole class instrumental lessons are delivered by the Music Specialist, with the exception of those in Year 3, which are delivered by specialists from Brent Music Service as part of the Tune In (formerly Wider Opps) programme to which the school subscribes.

A “Spiral Curriculum"

The music curriculum at Furness can be thought of as an upwardly progressive spiral; the interrelated dimensions of music and the key musical skills of singing, composing, listening and performing are continually revisited year upon year in different contexts with increasing levels of challenge, building upon pupils’ knowledge, skills and experiences at every stage. 

We recognise the vital role individual and collaborative music-making plays in helping pupils to develop their identity, confidence and social skills.  This is why the Furness music curriculum places a strong emphasis on self-expression, providing a plethora of opportunities for pupils to improvise, compose and perform their own music throughout every stage of the curriculum.

Scheme of Work & Supplementary Resources

Most units of work in the music curriculum are based around topics from the Sing Up scheme of work (SOW), which was selected as it is a new, highly comprehensive scheme that is adherent to the DfE’s ‘Model Music Curriculum’ (2021).  The scheme features a wide variety of topics across a broad range of musical genres, all of which are very focused on practical music making, developing skills and subject knowledge and responding to music from composers and artists across the musical canon.  The SOW covers Nursery – Year 6 and provides many opportunities to form cross-curricular links.

These are used alongside resources from the Sing Up SOW.  For example, the platform’s digital rhythm grids are used to develop pupils’ understanding of note durations, rhythm patterns and internalisation of pulse; instrumental teaching resources greatly support whole class instrumental learning of ukulele and recorder, as well as the planning and implementation of music clubs; and YuStudio, Charanga’s DAW, provides a brilliant starting point for pupils in KS2 to explore music technology using a powerful sequencing tool very similar to professional software such as Cubase, Logic or Ableton Live.

8Es – (Embed, Explore, Explain, Examples, Expand, Enrich, Evaluate & Expertise)

The implementation of the 8Es underpins all of the learning within the music curriculum at Furness.  Each ‘E’ represents a different stage in pupils’ acquisition of knowledge and skills. The 8Es are not a linear path; pupils may progress from one ‘E’ to the next, for instance, moving from Examples to Expand if they have shown a sound understanding of a concept, but they may also ‘jump’ from one to another, where appropriate.  For instance, pupils may begin a music lesson by Evaluating their previous work, then Embed key concepts through a retrieval quiz, before looking at more Examples of a genre.  The application of each ‘E’ in the context of a music lesson is explained below in more detail:

• EXPLORE:  At the start of a new topic, ‘Explore’ activities elicit prior knowledge from children through the discussion of their own experiences.  Children are given opportunities to ‘Explore’ the work of composers, responding through art, movement and discussion.  Pupils may also ‘Explore’ the use and timbres of unfamiliar instruments before being taught correct techniques.
• EXPLAIN:  New facts and information are presented to the children by the teacher as the expert, imparted in a way that meets the diverse range of needs in our school context.  Written information, supported by explanations of key terms and vocabulary, high quality multimedia resources and visual prompts all support the ‘Explain’ process so that all pupils can acquire the key knowledge needed to progress further in their learning.  Specific instrumental techniques are modelled to the children and pupils misconceptions or gaps in knowledge are addressed.
• EXAMPLES:  Pupils may listen / watch and compare further ‘Examples’ of the style of music, or focus on ‘Examples’ of musical features from the genre of focus, such as rhythmic patterns, chords or scales.  Simple practice and application activities also form part of the ‘Examples’ stage in learning.  For instance, pupils may use tuned percussion to imitate simple melodies played by the teacher in call-and-response; learn the lyrics and melody to a rhyme or song as a class; or practice the actions and words to a clapping game in pairs or small groups.
• EXPAND:  In this stage of learning, pupils are given greater autonomy over the subject matter.  They may ‘Expand’ their learning by composing their own piece of music using the features previously practised (rhythms, note durations, ostinato, scales or chords, for instance); they may invent their own lyrics to the same melody of the focus rhyme or song; or develop their own sequence of movement or set of actions to accompany a piece of music or playground chant.
• ENRICH:  Pupils demonstrating high levels of competence and ability during the ‘Expand’ phase will have opportunities to ‘Enrich’ their learning further and make better than expected progress.  Pupils may be challenged to develop the structure of their piece of music, add in additional instruments or more challenging rhythms / ostinato, use harmonies or rounds, vary the dynamics or add expression, or play at a faster tempo.  Furthermore, all pupils have access to ‘Enrichment’ opportunities in the form of performances of their work at the end of a lesson or unit of work.
• EVALUATE:  Pupils are able to ‘Evaluate’ the work of their peers by offering constructive feedback after a performance.  They are also presented with opportunities to ‘Evaluate’ their own work through watching back recordings of their performances and suggesting what worked well, or ways it could be improved. 
• EXPERTISE:  During their time at Furness, many pupils are able to develop high levels of musical competence and ability as the progress through the range of opportunities afforded to them in the music curriculum.  Pupils with ‘Expertise’ in music (such as those who learn instruments in private or small group tuition, pupils who attend music clubs or individuals have developed mastery of key concepts within a curriculum music lesson) offer peer support during learning activities.  This benefits both the Expert, as it develops their confidence and consolidates their own understanding, but also their peers, as we know that pupils can learn well from one another.
• EMBED:  Throughout every topic, specific tasks and activities are planned for to ‘Embed’ pupils’ understanding of key musical vocabulary and concepts (for example brief, low-stakes quizzes on the definitions of terminology).  Pupils are constantly encouraged to retrieve key information, vocabulary and facts from previous lessons and topics.  This helps to ensure pupils develop a cumulatively sufficient body of knowledge as they journey through their primary education. 

Music Working Wall

To support pupils with embedding key vocabulary, concepts and knowledge, a ‘Working Wall’ is provided for the children’s reference.  The Working Wall reflects the topics being studied for year groups 1 – 6 and is updated regularly. 

Assessment

Formative and summative assessments are used to assess the key objectives, skills and knowledge within each topic.  Formative assessment happens constantly throughout each lesson through the school’s pedagogical approach of the 8Es.  Pupils revisit and retrieve key content within and across lessons, which helps to ensure key knowledge is retained.  During each unit or work, video recordings are made by the music teacher to track and monitor children’s outcomes and progress.  This allows children evaluate and assess their own learning whilst providing the subject lead with valuable evidence of the pupils’ learning.  Pupils’ written work, such as annotated rhythm grids, graphic scores or comparison sheets, are collected and stored in their year group portfolios as evidence by the Music Specialist. 

At the end of a unit or work, summative assessment takes place in the form of a performance of a finished piece of work.  Performances as recorded as evidence of the pupils’ attainment.  According to the assessment criteria, children are judged to be either are working within, below or above the expected standard for their age. This data is uploaded to Target Tracker so it can be compiled and analysed by the subject lead so it can be used to inform subsequent planning and identify trends or commonalities in attainment outcomes across the school.

Cross Curricular Links

• Writing:  Pupils have the opportunity to respond to music through writing when identifying the features of a genre of music, or when comparing pieces of music.  They may make notes about the interrelated dimensions of music (such as tempo, dynamics or instrumentation), or write brief comments to express their own opinions or observations about a piece of music.
• Reading:  Music lessons present a range of opportunities for pupils to develop their reading skills.  Presentation slides contain written instructions and information, which pupils are required to read.  Pupils read lyrics to songs during music lessons and singing assemblies, and time is taken to discuss the meaning of the vocabulary and imagery used.
• Mathematics:  Musical learning is deeply interlinked with key mathematical concepts.  As pupils develop their understanding of beat, metre and rhythm, using and applying their understanding of fractions, division and addition becomes crucial.  Pupils learn to appreciate how combinations of different note durations ‘add up’, and how a ‘beat’ or ‘bar’ can be broken down into fractions.  Pupils practically apply this knowledge through the use of rhythm grids and scoring music using staff notation (in upper KS2).  Furthermore, pupils are also given opportunities to apply mathematical thinking and reasoning in other ways, for example by working out how long ago a composer lived, or how long ago a song was first released using strategies such as counting on or compensation.  When singing, counting is often interwoven with vocal warmup activities to develop pupils’ number fluency.
• Computing:  Music technology is a specific focus of the Furness computing curriculum.  In Years 2 and 4, pupils use music software on Purple Mash to sequence and compose short pieces of music, and explore the ways in which technology can be used to create, combine and edit sounds.  These units of work help prepare pupils for their topic on music technology in Year 5, during which they use YuStudio, a much more advanced audio sequencing tool, to compose their own music.
• Artwork:  Across Key Stages, pupils are given opportunities to respond to music through drawing and artwork.  Pupils listen to pieces of music and draw what it makes them think of or how it makes them feel.  Pupils frequently use graphic scores as a way of notating what they hear but also to record their own ideas and compositions.
• Science & Humanities:  Where possible, music topics are organised to draw meaningful links with other curriculum areas.  For example, pupils in Reception compose music using minibeasts as a stimulus whilst learning about them in Science.  In Year 6, pupils explore Swing Jazz of the 1930s-1940s to complement their learning about Britain during WWII.  In Year 5, pupils learn to sing an Islamic ‘nasheed’ and develop an instrumental accompaniment whilst learning about Islam in RE lessons.  In addition, through the school Science curriculum, pupils learn about the science of sound and music by exploring how sounds travel as vibrations, and how factors such as string length and tightness affect the pitch produced when plucking or striking during the Year 4 topic on Sound.
• Spanish & MFL:  Pupils learn to sing songs in Spanish, for example the well known Christmas songs Feliz Navidad and Noche De Paz.  Every year, the school celebrates European Day of Languages, and pupils learn a new song which incorporates other languages to perform together as part of the event assembly.  Music is also commonly used as a teaching tool in Spanish lessons; pupils learn Spanish vocabulary through different songs and rhymes.

Instrumental & Vocal Learning; Ensemble Membership

Whole Class Instrumental Teaching

We believe that all pupils should have the opportunity to learn an orchestral instrument.  Therefore, in Year 3, pupils receive one term of whole class instrumental tuition from a specialist teacher from Brent Music Service (BMS), as part of the TuneIn (formerly WiderOpps) programme in the autumn term.  Weekly lessons last for 30 minutes and form part of each class’s curriculum music lesson.  The school music specialist is present and actively involved in all of the lessons.  At the end of term, pupils who are assessed as having made good progress on their instrument by the BMS tutor are selected to receive subsidised tuition and free instrument hire for the remainder of the academic year, in the hope that they will continue to learn their instrument throughout KS2 and beyond.  To encourage an uptake of a variety of orchestral instruments, a different instrument is selected each year for the Year 3 TuneIn lessons.  This year, pupils have learnt violin; the previous year clarinet was the instrument of choice.

Pupils in Years 2, 4 & 5 also receive a term of whole class instrumental tuition, delivered by the school music specialist.  Year 2 learn recorder; Years 4 & 5 learn the ukulele.  Returning to the ukulele two years in a row allows for greater progression of knowledge and skills.

Private and Small Group Instrumental Lessons

Pupils have the opportunity to learn an instrument through weekly small group or private, paid tuition.  Currently, Furness offers guitar, clarinet, violin and piano tuition provided by BMS.

Pupils who learn an instrument with BMS all receive a practice book to log weekly practice activities.  BMS music tutors provide progress reports to parents once a year in the Summer Term.  These are usually made available when pupils receive their full end of year report, so parents have the opportunity to meet with the Music Specialist at the final Parents’ Consultation Evening of the academic year and discuss their child’s progress in music.  To monitor the quality of tuition provided by peripatetic music tutors, external tutors from BMS are observed officially by senior leaders from the Music Hub at least once in the academic year.  A written copy of the observation notes are provided to the school Music and Drama Lead.