Intent
“Music can change the world.”
– Ludwig van Beethoven
“Music has healing power. It has the ability to take people out of themselves.”
– Elton John
At William Ransom Primary School, music is an integral part of the school curriculum. Through music, children learn life-long skills that can be used across a variety of other subjects. Children develop the skills of listening, concentration, patience and collaboration. They improve in self-confidence and creative thinking. We recognise that music is a powerful, unique form of communication that can change the way pupils feel, think and act.
We aim to give the children opportunities to experience a wide range of musical styles from different eras and cultures; from classical to pop, reggae to rock. We hope our pupils develop a lifelong love of music and become confident listeners, performers and composers. Our high-quality music curriculum aims to engage and inspire our learners to develop their talent as musicians. We want to ensure that music is a joyful, engaging and inclusive experience to inspire musicians of the future.
Implementation
At William Ransom, we believe that music can be accessed by all; everyone can be involved and develop their musicianship. Pupils who demonstrate musical abilities of a high standard are encouraged to showcase their skills and their exam success is celebrated in our Achievers Assemblies.
Primarily, Charanga is used throughout the school to deliver the music curriculum supplemented by other resources that enable cross-curricular learning. In the Foundation Stage, children sing a range of nursey rhymes and songs. They explore sounds through listening and moving to music and via simple music making opportunities.
Musical learning is built around the Interrelated Dimensions of Music: pulse, rhythm, pitch, tempo, dynamics, timbre, texture, structure and notation. The children develop new musical skills and concepts and re-visit established ones as they progress through the school.
At Key Stage 2, each year group receives whole-class tuition on an instrument using the expertise of our class teachers and music specialists:
Y3 – recorders, Y4 – ukuleles, Y5 – drumming, Y6 – percussion workshop.
There is a range of instrumental tuition on offer delivered by peripatetic staff from Hertfordshire Music Service. There is a high uptake for both individual and group lessons in recorder, guitar, violin and brass.
We pride ourselves on being a singing school. A weekly singing assembly is held in Key Stages. This exposes children to a range of songs promoting positive behaviours that underpin our shared values and an understanding of the world around us.
Through class assemblies and key stage concerts, children are given the opportunity to showcase their talents and perform in front of their peers and parents. KS2 choir provides another opportunity for musical enrichment and collaborative work. The choir perform regularly in celebration assemblies such as Harvest, Remembrance Day and Christmas. Pupils at Years 5 and 6 have the chance to stage a Summer Musical every year. This creative and collaborative experience is always a highlight of the academic year. All our performance opportunities demonstrate that music is an important part of school life.
The assessment of music is monitored via ongoing teacher assessment, through performance opportunities as well as regular pupil and teacher voice.
Impact
The children of William Ransom demonstrate an enthusiasm for music. They receive a rounded musical experience with many opportunities to develop vocal, instrumental, performance and listening skills. They can identify and articulate their own preferred musical tastes. Our pupils are confident performers, who display a clear enjoyment for the subject. This is evident by the significant number of pupils who begin to learn an instrument while at the school. Many William Ransom pupils continue their musical journeys outside of school hours and into their secondary school lives.