Music

Intent

Free School Norwich supports all children to have access to high quality music education and follows the 2021 national music curriculum guidance for KS1 and KS2. Music is also an important part of the EYFS statutory framework and at Free School Norwich it is taught to encompass the areas of communication and language, physical development and expressive arts and design.

Implementation

Music provision is delivered across the whole school in weekly lessons that are creative, collaborative, celebratory and challenging. The programme encourages children to be enthusiastic about music and to develop the skills of those who are already musical as well as those who have had little or no previous access to music.

The Free School Norwich music curriculum is broad and balanced, incorporating music from different time periods, places and cultures. It offers many opportunities to play, perform and experience live music using a wide range of instruments as well as singing provision. It also develops cross-curricular links, enhancing children’s learning across other topics and subjects.

Music across the whole school includes learning in four areas: Listening, Performing, Composing, Reviewing. Short term sequences (covering approx. 6 lessons) include elements of all four learning areas and focus on a specific topic and set of instruments. Topics change termly to ensure that children access a variety of musical instruments and genres whilst developing and advancing their previous learning.

Music lessons are planned in a similar framework to other lessons, using a WALT objective and differentiated appropriately to include pupils of differing abilities and needs. Pupil progress is monitored by the music teacher/subject leader and assessed termly.

Impact

Whilst in school, children have access to a varied programme, which allows them to discover areas of strength, as well as areas they might like to improve upon. The integral nature of music and the learner creates an enormously rich palette from which a child may access fundamental abilities such as: achievement, self-confidence, interaction with and awareness of others, and self-reflection. Knowledge of music will also develop an understanding of culture and history, both in relation to children individually, as well as ethnicities from across the world. Children are able to enjoy music in as many ways as they choose – either as listener, creator or performer. They will be able to dissect music and comprehend its parts. They will sing and feel a pulse. They will have an understanding of how to further develop skills less known to them, should they ever develop an interest in their lives.

Extra-Curricular

Children are given the opportunity to learn an instrument in school by having 1:1 or small group lessons with a music teacher from The Wharf Academy. Currently, we can offer drums, guitar, woodwind and piano/keyboard. Children can also take part in recorder and ocarina lessons over lunchtimes.

Curriculum Progression

Your Child Will Learn…