Music
The video below explains the importance of music education:
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This page provides information for parents about music provision at Hazeldown and also serves as our Music Development Plan, in line with DfE Expectations from September 2024. As our development plan, it has been published in September 2024, covering the academic year 2024-2025 and it will be reviewed in July 2025. Mrs Simister is our Music Leader, and we are part of the Devon and Torbay Music Hub.
Intent (The ‘why’)
Rationale:
Music is a powerful, unique form of communication that can change the way pupils feel, think and act.
Music education helps prepare children for a lifetime of music, whether it be music making and a career in a globally important industry or encouraging a development of skills which develop their creativity, even if it is simply enjoying listening to music throughout their lives.
Our music curriculum is based around the main dimensions of music (pulse, rhythm, pitch, temp, dynamics, timbre, texture, structure, notation) which the children revisit and deepen their understanding of, throughout their primary education.
Children will listen to, appraise, learn to sing, play instruments against the backdrop of a variety of genres and styles of music from different historical times and contexts. This will enable them to develop a range of practical skills (such as playing a tuned instrument, improvising, reading musical notation, learning a variety of musical vocabulary) but also provide them with a broad understanding of musical culture from around the world, its’ importance and relevance to moments past, present and future.
This is a summary of how our school delivers music education to all our pupils across three areas – curriculum music, extra-curricular provision and musical experiences – and what changes we are planning in future years. This information is to help pupils and parents or carers understand what our school offers and who we work with to support our pupils’ music education.
Implementation
Curriculum Organisation:
Our music curriculum is structured to ensure full coverage of the National Curriculum. All music teaching is taught by our class teachers, through the Charanga Musical School programme. This Scheme meets all the statutory curricular requirements of the National Curriculum for England, is recognised by Ofsted and is multi-award winning. The Charanga music curriculum is based around the main dimensions of music (pulse, rhythm, pitch, temp, dynamics, timbre, texture, structure, notation) which the children revisit and deepen their understanding of, throughout their primary education. Knowledge and skills learnt within music lessons are taught progressively and revisited over time; this revisiting of knowledge and skills leads to deeper learning. All lessons have clear learning objectives which are shared and reviewed with the pupils. Children will listen to, appraise, and learn to sing many songs. They will play instruments such as recorders, or glockenspiels against the backdrop of a variety of genres and styles of music from different historical times and contexts. Children will develop a range of practical skills (such as playing a tuned instrument, improvising, reading musical notation, learning a variety of musical vocabulary) and gain a broad understanding of musical culture from around the world, its’ importance and relevance to moments past, present and future.
All pupils will undertake a 30 – 45-minute curriculum music lesson every other week following the Charanga programme. Children will also participate in a weekly 30-minute music assembly where they will listen to, appraise, and learn to sing many new songs as well as revisiting the dimensions of music, vocabulary and notation, as is appropriate. These assemblies will connect with international celebrations such as Black History Month, Women’s History Month, World Music Day as well as focusing on Hazeldown’s learning values and a growth mindset.
This time commitment increases during the second half of the Autumn term. For 6 weeks the children spend extended periods of time learning, singing and rehearsing Christmas songs for either the Foundation, KS1 Nativity or the KS2 Carol Concert. All children are involved with Christmas singing productions to members of the public, families, and friends.
In partnership with the Devon and Torbay Music Hub, we are also able to provide children in Key Stage 2 an opportunity to learn how to play an instrument for a whole term. Hazeldown School uses funding from our local hub to provide music lessons for one year group, taught by a professional music teacher, for an hour a week, culminating in chance to show off their skills in an end of term performance. The instruments are an excellent introduction to playing the ‘real thing’, whilst being super light and ergonomically designed for smaller hands. These are an example of some of the instruments we use.
pBones
Brightly-coloured Bb plastic trombones – lightweight but unmistakeably a trombone – a wonderful way to get young children playing!
DooDs
Doods are easy-blowing and comfortable to hold and play with similar finger holes to a recorder.
Extra-Curricular Music Opportunities
Children can join in various extra-curricular music clubs such as choir, recorders, music ensemble club and music technology. Clubs are provided free of charge and lead by Teachers at the school throughout the year.
Children also benefit from access to 4 peripatetic music teachers who offer individual and small group sessions of music instrument teaching. Hazeldown provides space and time for peripatetic teachers to teach piano, violin, woodwind and brass, guitar and drumming lessons. Lessons are booked and organised by the music tutors themselves and are chargeable. Peripatetic teachers invoice parents directly. Classes are roughly £11.30 for 20 minutes, £17 for 30 minutes but are liable to change and up to the peripatetic teacher’s discretion. Contact details can be found on the school website, school office or contact can be made via Mrs Simister.
Other Musical Experiences, Events and Performances
Children will also participate in a weekly 30-minute music assembly where they will listen to, appraise, and learn to sing many new songs as well as revisiting the dimensions of music, vocabulary and notation, as is appropriate.
All children from those attending Little Acorns through to year 6 students are involved with Christmas singing productions to members of the public, families, and friends.
Each Spring term all children at Hazeldown enjoy a school concert by professional musicians from the Teignmouth Classical Music Festival. This opportunity is provided free of charge to children at Hazeldown School.
We offer a chargeable bi-annual musical school trip to the local Devon Mix Music Festival to KS1 and KS2 children. This is organised and run by the Devon and Torbay Music Hub. Costs are chargeable to parents but may be subsidised.
Yearly, all children have the opportunity to enter a whole school talent competition that culminates with a final contest at the summer school fair. The competition is not just open to musicians but many children choose to (and are encouraged to) showcase their musical talents on this stage. This is free for children to enter, and all contestants receive a certificate of achievements and 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners receive a prize from the PA.
In our Foundation Stage, children rehearse a graduation performance to parents which includes singing and dancing. At the other end of the school, Year 6 students also take part in an end of year performance to parents that will include musical elements but not be exclusively musical.
Future Plans for 2024-25
Planned for this academic year is to provide each child an individual log on to Charanga, the music programme we follow at school. This will enable children to access songs, music games and music technology work they have worked on at school.
Hazeldown is keen to develop our local talent through more opportunities like Hazeldown’s got Talent, our yearly talent competition.
Planning and timetabling the singing assemblies to marry up with themes, black history month etc and special times of year. Potentially published on the website with copies of songs for children to access.
Implement a performance opportunity in the Spring and Summer terms for each class to perform their end of unit music to the rest of the Key Stage.
For further information on the Music curriculum, please contact our subject leader, Abby Simister, on [email protected].
Thank You NHS song
As part of their music learning journey, our Year 4 pupils wrote a song to say thank you to NHS staff for their hard work and dedication during Covid 19. Please see the video below: