Shakespeare Infant School
We Care
Music
Music at Shakespeare Infant School
Intent
Our music curriculum aims to equip the children with the knowledge, understanding and skills to be lifelong learners and to enjoy, participate and achieve in music.
The musical dimensions of pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture and structure form the core of what the children are learning. Children will develop the musical skills of singing, playing, listening and appraising and will learn the musical vocabulary needed to describe and discuss the music they perform and hear with increasing discernment.
Children are given opportunities to explore their learning, deepen and apply their understanding, enjoy putting their learning into 
practical contexts, use their imagination, make it their own, and be creative.
There is a clear sequence of learning across the school phase which builds clear progression with a focus on exploring musical skills, developing understanding and opportunities to apply the learning through a range of practical interrelated activities.
Children will have experience of music from a wide range of cultures, traditions, contexts and purposes.
Implementation
The music curriculum at Shakespeare Infant School ensures students sing, listen, play, perform and evaluate. This is embedded in the classroom activities as well as singing in assemblies and performances, and the learning of instruments.
The elements of music are taught in the classroom lessons so that children are able to use some of the language of music to
describe it, and begin to understand how it is made, played and appreciated. In the classroom pupils learn how to play a variety of instruments, both tuned and untuned. In doing so they begin to understand the different principle of each method of creating notes, as well as how to read basic pictorial music notation.
They also learn how to compose whilst being encouraged to begin to focus on different dimensions of music, which in turn feeds their understanding when listening, playing, or starting to analyse music. Composing or performing using body percussion and vocal sounds is also part of the curriculum, which develops the understanding of musical elements without the added complexity of an instrument.
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 student may access fundamental abilities such as: achievement, self-confidence, interaction with and awareness of others, and self-reflection.
Music will also develop an understanding of culture and history, both in relation to pupils 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 can begin to analyse music and understand its parts. They can sing and feel a pulse.
They have an understanding of the need for resilience and practice to further develop musical skills less known to them, should they ever develop a further interest in their lives.
Each week we listen to a different composer
and the children enjoy hearing a wide range of Musical genres, including music from other cultures. Through this the children gain a wide repertoire of musical knowledge.
Throughout the year, the children have lots of opportunities to perform and show their musical skills.
Please click on the following link for the National Curriculum Programmes of Study for Music.