Skip to content ↓

Music

Rationale

At Holy Trinity, we are committed to providing a rich range of musical experiences for our children during their time in school. We believe that music should be a stimulating, challenging and uplifting experience achievable at the level appropriate to each child.

We aim to foster enjoyment and creativity through music, with children viewing themselves as confident performers and composers who can listen and respond thoughtfully.

Music can lead to a sense of achievement; an increase in self-esteem; increased confidence; persistence in overcoming frustrations when learning is difficult; self-discipline; and provide a means of self-expression.

Intent

Having the opportunity to study and explore music is not a privilege; it is a vital part of a broad and ambitious curriculum.

Rt Hon Nick Gibb MP – Model Music Curriculum 2021

Music teaching a Holy Trinity aims to allow all children to express themselves and share their thoughts and feelings with others through engagement with music. It gives children a chance to be independent and creative whilst developing a tolerance of others through sharing ideas and instruments.

During their engaging and varied music lessons, children will be exposed to a wide range of genres of music and have the opportunity to participate in music through listening and appraising, composing, improvising and performing. Each year the children will build on skills learnt in previous years by increasing the complexity of musical theory and performance.

All children will be encouraged to play a broad selection of tuned and untuned percussion instruments, both writing and following their own graphic notation, then moving onto notation. Older children learn how to correctly play a tuned instrument such as keyboard or glockenspiel. They will learn and develop skills to then improvise and create their own musical compositions.

Implementation

Music is taught for an hour weekly from EYFS to Year 6 by a music specialist, with an additional weekly 20 minute Worship in Song session. Planning for the progression of skills has been considered, with material used from The Model Music Curriculum (2021), Charanga, Surrey Arts First Access to Percussion Instruments (KS1), the BBC 10 pieces (KS2), complimented by the Foundation and Key Stage 1/2 Music Scheme by Ann Bryant. Each unit of work covers listening, composing, improvising and performing. Where possible, music units are linked to Cornerstone topics within classes, for example Space music in year 6 and sea shanties in Year 2, with the focus remaining on the inter-related dimensions of music.

Surrey Peripatetic Music Service currently provide specialists to teach a variety of orchestral instruments, such as alto saxophone, piano, cello, flute, and guitar, either to individuals or small group lessons. Many of the children who receive lessons will enter an exam during their course of learning whilst at Holy Trinity, from pre-grades up to grade 5 and beyond. Children are encouraged to perform to the school during whole school worship and in the dining hall at lunchtime. Children in KS2 are encouraged to join the School Choir, which meets once a week.

Music fosters strong links within the community, with residents from the local care home being invited to watch the Year 5/6 Christmas Carol Concert and in return, being entertained at their care home. The choir perform at local events in the village including the school May Fair, Gordon’s school Christmas Fair and Summer Arts Festival. Over 70 children from years 4-6 take part in the Young Voices Concert at the O2 in London each year, performing alongside over 7000 children. At the end of year Proms concert, the children are encouraged to perform to a large audience, either as part of the choir or on an instrument that they have been learning. Children also have the opportunity to take part in the school talent show in the summer term.