The Music Curriculum at Holy Trinity Primary School

Music is a curriculum subject that helps pupils to develop key skills to help within aspects of their learning for example self and social awareness, improved concentration and attention and self-discipline. When listening to music, research has seen blood flow improve, reduced heart rates and cortisol levels, lowered blood pressure and increased serotonin and endorphin levels. 

INTENT

​Music teaching at Holy Trinity Primary School aims to follow the specifications of the National Curriculum; providing a broad, balanced and differentiated curriculum and ensuring the progressive development of musical concepts, knowledge and skills. At Holy Trinity we believe that music plays an integral role in helping children to feel part of a community, therefore we provide opportunities for all children to create, play, perform and enjoy music both in class and to an audience. Through assemblies and key stage performances, children showcase their talent and their understanding of performing with awareness of others. Lessons enable children to develop their skills, appreciate a wide variety of music and begin to appraise a range of musical genres.

The aims of our Music curriculum are to develop pupils who:

•  Enjoy and have an appreciation for music.

• Listen to, review and evaluate music across a range of historical periods, genres, cultures, styles and traditions.

• Can sing and use their voices to create different effects.

• Create and compose music, both on their own and with others.

• Use a range of musical language.

• Make judgements and express personal preferences about the quality and style of music.

• Take part in performances with an awareness of the audience.

At Holy Trinity we aim to encourage the development of:

• Enjoyment; enthusiasm; confidence; satisfaction and technical ability through practical involvement;

• Perceptual skills through listening, performing and composing.

• A wide variety of personal and group responses to sounds, demanding involvement intellectually, physically, spiritually and emotionally (promoting inter-cultural development)

• Remembering more of the skills and knowledge that we have learned. 

At Holy Trinity we follow Charanga. Charanga is a scheme of work which offers a topic-based approach to support children’s learning in music. A steady progression plan has been built into Charanga for all classes. By using Charanga as the basis of a scheme of work, we can ensure that they are fulfilling the aims for musical learning stated in the National Curriculum

• Each class has regular, weekly class lessons involving whole class, small group and individual activities; there is one main lesson of 30 to 45 minutes in addition to on-going activities throughout the week (including singing in worship, praise and worship, performances).
• A teacher from Bolton music service leads an hour’s lesson to a class in the juniors each week from October to June. Ending with a performance in front of family, and friends.
• Children begin to refine listening skills and listen to a variety of music from different periods and styles.
• SEND children with 1:1 support will have access to the Charanga SEND scheme which tailors to their needs.  

ADDITIONAL MUSIC ACTIVITIES

• Bolton Music Service lead a 1 hour brass session each week with lower KS2, resulting in a performance in front of an audience. 
• Children in KS1 perform a musical nativity every Christmas to parents and families.
• Miss Mercer, our reception class teacher with a passion for performing arts, runs a choir club each week during lunch times. The children will practice to perform in front of different audiences.