Music at Foxhill
Mrs Dean - Music Lead
I love the feeling of joy that music brings! I have been a musician since a young age, playing three instruments since Primary School and working towards grades and GCSE Music. As an adult, I recognise also the holistic benefits of Music and try to include these in opportunities at School. I am extremely proud of the musical School we have and grateful to the whole team of peripatetic Teachers who extend Music beyond the classroom through instrumental lessons and ensembles. It has been such a pleasure to develop the classroom curriculum and see our children flourish in new skills and instruments, developing a love of performing.
Music In Action
Queensbury, the community in which our school is located, is home to the famous Black Dyke Mill Brass Band. At Foxhill, we are proud of our own brass band and the link with the historic Black Dyke Mill Band.
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Music and the Locality
Collaborating with Black Dyke Brass Band, who are based in Queensbury.
Intent
Intent
At Foxhill, we are MUSICIANS!
We want children to gain a concrete understanding of what music is through listening, evaluating, singing, playing, improvising and composing across a wide variety of historical periods, styles, traditions, and musical genres. Children will develop a curiosity for music, as well as an appreciation of the wide range of styles and the importance of all types of music, leading some to take up music lessons/experience inside and outside of school. We want to provide opportunities for children to perform using their growing instrumental skills and develop confidence. Children will learn and explore how music is created, produced and communicated, including through the interrelated dimensions: pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, texture, structure and appropriate musical notations. Children will be able to share their musical talents with the School and wider community of Foxhill, taking part in performances in concerts, for the community and those shared online.
Implementation
Through the musical program Charanga, teachers are able to produce inclusive lessons for all children to access the musical curriculum in a fun and engaging way, further promoting a love of learning. Lessons are planned in sequences to provide children with the opportunities to review, remember, deepen and apply their understanding. The elements of music are taught in classroom lessons so that children are able to use some of the language of music to dissect it, and understand how it is made and played. Wherever possible, a cross-curricular approach will be taken to the teaching of music and be a key part of topic days. In the classroom, children have access to instruments such as percussion, recorders, glockenspiels and whole-class brass (in Year 3). This enables children read music in a variety of ways and use different methods to create notes. 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. Children are supported to develop their own interests and talents through music lessons and activities in School.
‘Music is the greatest communication in the world." Lou Rawl
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Music Action plan inc. progress towards Model Music Curriculum
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Implementation
Early Years
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Our Reception and Nursery children experience musical activities everyday. They often learn by song, play body percussion and have access to instruments in continuous provision. Developing a sense of pulse, pitch and performance this way helps them in curriculum session when they apply these skills to chime bars.
Opal Play
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All children have access to percussion during Opal Play sessions. Our children apply their musical skills to pots and pans percussion, difference lengths of piping and any surface with drumsticks to play rhythms and melodies together.
The colour coded piano is very popular and enables children to follow stave notation that is colour-coded to the correct keys, in order to learn simple pieces to play on the piano. Some children simply like to practise learnt pieces, teach others or improvise too.
Progression of Skills
​Nursery knowledge and skills
Reception knowledge and skills
Year 1 knowledge and skills
Year 2 knowledge and skills
Year 3 knowledge and skills
Year 4 knowledge and skills
Year 5 knowledge and skills
Year 6 knowledge and skills
Children with Special Education Needs will have the curriculum adapted according to their needs and in consultation with SENDCO where needed.
Range of Genres
Musical Vocabulaty
Children will be exposed to, taught and use this vocabulary through listening and appraising, learning musical theory and working on the interrelated dimensions of music.
Impact
The impact of this curriculum design will lead to outstanding progress over time across key stages relative to a child’s individual starting point and their progression of skills. Children will therefore be expected to leave Foxhill reaching at least age related expectations for Music. Our Music curriculum will also lead pupils to be enthusiastic learners and performers, evidenced in a range of ways, including pupil voice and their performances.
How do we know what the children have learned?
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Their use of vocabulary
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Their analysis of music listened to
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Performances
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Talking with children
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Skills practised in lesson drop ins
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Retrieval practise in the revision tasks on the interellared dimensions.
Group and Individual Tuition and Performing Opportunities
At Foxhill we offer KS1 and KS2 children the opportunity to join our choirs, who perform in School, in the community and at Young Voices national concert.
Children from Years 1-6 have the opportunity to learn instruments such as piano, a range of brass and drums from our skilled peripatetic music teacher. They perform in our Christmas and summer Music concerts too.
Our new Recorder Choir has made a super start, after initial whole-class lessons in Year 4, developed by this becoming the main instrument in Year 5 & 6. They are excited for their first performance in our bi-annual concerts.
Our brass band is now going from strength to strength with an increasing number of public performances. We take a pride in how we look for our performances and insist all our children wear the Band Uniform when performing. People always comment on how smart the children look and how well behaved they are – not to mention how good they sound! Whole-class brass lessons in Year 3 helps to encourage new members.
If you would be interested in instrumental lessons for your child, please contact Mrs Mitchell in the School office.