Intent

At Langrish we believe that Music has the power to unite and engage all children. Our Music curriculum for Years 1-6 includes a range of musical experiences. Class teachers deliver lessons which are based on the Hampshire Music Service plans, supplemented by BBC 10 pieces and the Chrome Music Hub. Children from Year 2 upwards also have the opportunity to learn an instrument as a class. This includes a range of instruments including the ocarina, djembe drums and recorder. Our music planning focuses on the dimensions of music and each unit has 2 or 3 key dimensions to focus on. Alongside this, the BBC 10 pieces units allow children to explore key classical music pieces in depth, linking these to their wider musical knowledge. In this manner, learning is consolidated and augmented, allowing increasing musical confidence, while constantly being gently challenged to go further. 

Implementation and Impact

Throughout the school, curriculum music lessons are taught weekly in our Music and Drama room. Within this space, children have access to a range of instruments as well as visual resources to support their learning. In addition, a large number of children also undertake individual instrument lessons delivered by Hampshire Music Service.

Within the half termly units children are encouraged to express themselves through playing instruments, composition, improvisation and performance. We explore a range of genres from modern k-pop to 18th Century Classical. We also include a range of units focused on the use of technology, offering children the chance to compose using a range of music software.

Music is interwoven into our school with opportunities to incorporate songs across all curriculum areas and assemblies. Singing often takes place during our assemblies and each week we have a whole school singing assembly. During this time children have the opportunity to practise their singing skills and learn a range of different songs. 

We believe in the value of performance and aim to give children as many opportunities as possible to perform to different audiences, in order to develop their confidence and to experience, appreciate and appraise performances. 

Many extra-curricular opportunities are on offer to students during their time at Langrish, which support and extend their musical education. Our Year 5 and 6 choir attend the Petersfield Music Festival each year and younger choirs have performed at our Christmas Carol concert.

Most excitingly, we attend the Young Voices concert at the O2 every other year. Here, the children are able to experience a full technical rehearsal with a professional conductor and band, before performing to a sold-out O2 arena!  

We are consistently blown away by the talent that our children have! We are a Music Mark school who support quality music education for all and aim to offer a collective voice for all those involved in music education.

During the Autumn term, Year 5 learnt to sing 'Joyful, Joyful' as part of their music lessons through Charanga. They then had the opportunity to perform this song live during their class assembly to the school and parents/carers. 

Impact

Children at Langrish have a true love and appreciation of music! Our curriculum gives them the opportunity to explore a range of genres and to learn and apply musical vocabulary. Children are able to apply this vocabulary in a range of contexts and can give examples within a piece of music to support their ideas. 

Children are assessed continually within lessons and encouraged to challenge themselves. We have a range of visual resources available in our Music and Drama Room which children use to independently support themselves in their learning, whether through checking musical vocabulary or supporting with reading sheet music.

Children create a videoed performance each term which gives children the opportunity to watch their own performance back and allows other classes to observe and appraise each other. Children are encouraged to use musical vocabulary to discuss and describe the performances they see.

We recently enjoyed welcoming back a former pupil to Langrish. He shared with us his musical journey since his time at Langrish and the positive impact music has had on his life. The children were captivated by his performance!  

SEND, inclusion & adaptation

We make Music accessible to all. We achieve this by:

• Following a spiral, holistic curriculum which allows children to regularly revisit their learning.
• Beginning each lesson with a music warm up to revisit and refresh key skills and vocabulary.
• Offering a dedicated space for our music lessons, ensuring the correct dynamics, so that sound is not overwhelming.
• Giving our children visual resources that can be used both independently or with teacher support.
• We have selected a scheme that uses colourful, child-friendly images and visual learning hooks for newly introduced information wherever possible. It also provides a familiar visual format to guide children through their learning.
• We prioritise in-depth understanding above the urge to speed through activities. We use routine, clarity and attention to detail.
• Provide individual copies of sheet music when playing tuned instruments, this is provided with coloured overlays for children who require this.
• Lessons include a mixture of auditory, visual and kinaesthetic experiences

Music in the EYFS

At Langrish, our musical learning begins in the EYFS. Songs and rhymes are used throughout the day to support learning in a range of curriculum areas. In addition to this, our Reception children have a dedicated music time once a week following the Jolly Music scheme. The Jolly Music scheme takes a singing-led, practical and progressive approach to music education. It prioritises learning through doing, listening, repetition and play, helping children develop secure foundations in musicianship before moving towards more formal musical learning. Its central principle is that children should experience and understand music actively, using their voices and bodies as their first musical instruments.

Pupil Voice