Heyes Lane Primary School

Vision

‘Education isn’t just about feeding the brain…Art and Music feed the heart and soul’ – Julie Garwood

At Heyes Lane Primary School, Music learning follows the specifications of the National Curriculum, whereby we aim to develop a deeper understanding and curiosity of the subject. We believe that Music plays an integral role in helping the children to feel part of a community and the children are given opportunities to create, play, perform and enjoy music in the classroom and beyond. We use music to inspire an interest and curiosity for the subject in a range of music styles and traditions and use music to learn about other cultures, historical periods and genres.

Through listen and appraise activities, children are able to find music that they can take joy from throughout their lives as their tastes change and mature. They develop a firm understanding of music through listening, singing, playing, analysing and composing and we promote opportunities for children to progress to the next level of their creative excellence. Wider opportunities allow the children to develop their musicianship further through 1:1 tuition provided by Trafford Music Service and the Choir.

Making strong links with the local community allows children to showcase their learning whilst providing memorable experiences including; performances at Wyncourt Care Home, participation in the Timperley Village Christmas Light Switch On, performing at the Manchester Marathon and the opportunity to be part of a 10,000 strong choir at The Manchester Arena for the annual Young Voices Concert.

‘There is music in every child. The teacher’s job is to find and nurture it’ – Frances Clark
Our Music curriculum is delivered using Charanga throughout Key Stage 1 and 2 and adaptations are made to follow thematic learning and encourage a cross-curricular approach. This structured programme offers a broad and balanced music curriculum and builds upon learning from prior year groups, thereby developing a depth of understanding and progression of skills. Music is broken down into half-termly units and children have many practical opportunities to explore and develop as musicians and singers.

Each unit follows a specific learning sequence where children are able to develop practical skills and show progression in this subject:

• Listen and appraise – where children have the opportunity to listen to and comment on a wide variety of music
• Musical activities – where children learn about the importance of warming up and develop an understanding of rhythm
• Singing and voice – where children learn to sing collaboratively across a range of genres and styles
• Playing instruments – including glockenspiels and recorders
• Improvisation and composition – where children have the opportunity to explore music notation in a creative manner
• Perform and share – whereby all music learning at Heyes Lane leads to an outcome. It is through our in-school summer and Christmas concerts and opportunities to sing to a wider audience in the local community that provide children with a sense of purpose within their music learning.