Music

Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to stay silent”  Victor Hugo 

Welcome

Welcome to music at Huntingdon. On this page you will find out the key information about the leadership, design and implementation of our music provision.

Ellie Shaw

Music at Huntingdon is lead by Ellie Shaw. Ellie has a true passion for music and the creative arts and believes strongly in the importance of the need for this to be weaved throughout the curriculum.

Ellie has always had a passion for music and the arts from an early age. Her love for music grew during primary school as she learned to play the piano and guitar as well as developing a curiosity for different genres of music. Thanks to her skilled and passionate music teacher, Ellie was encouraged to focus on singing and eventually became Deputy Head Chorister of Norwich Cathedral Girls Choir performing on both television and radio as part of the choir and as a soloist.

Music and the expressive arts are an essential part of the curriculum which allow all children to develop their own creativity.’

Her aim is for every child to be given the opportunity to succeed within music and also to be given the opportunity to learn to play an instrument.

Our link governor for reading is Stacey Castillo.

The music ambassadors are; David, Gabriella, Nikiyle, Nevaeh, Sakara, Hajeen and Ann.

Subject Overview

We want our children to leave Huntingdon Academy being highly motivated life-long learners by working independently and collaboratively, we also want them to respect themselves and others whilst developing effective communication skills (our school values). We also want children to become innovative and creative and to have the confidence to perform and present in front of others. Music education provides the platform to support these aspirations for our children in a number of different ways. We are committed to providing inspirational music opportunities that are a source of joy, self-worth and achievement.  

Through our Music curriculum we aim to give pupils the opportunity to learn and enjoy Music in a range of forms. We want our children to have the opportunity to learn and enjoy music, to sing and play musically and to develop an understanding of musical composition and reproduction of sounds from aural memory. Therefore at Huntingdon Academy, we have an exceptional duty of care to ensure that children become proficient in playing, performing (both in solo and ensemble contexts), improvising, composing, appreciating a wide range of music and developing an understanding of musical history.  

As part of our Music curriculum at Huntingdon Academy (and in partnership with Nottingham Music Service) we work to ensure that our children learn to sing and play a musical instrument with musical understanding and control and have opportunities to develop their musical skills further, inspiring them to engage in musical activity throughout their lives. We also believe it is of utmost importance for our children to feel the communal bonding experience of playing and singing with others and of being part of something greater than themselves. Music education also gives our children the opportunity to experience the joy and satisfaction of creating their own music and to develop a deep understanding and love of music from a wide range of cultures and traditions that will grow throughout their lives. Another opportunity which Music education provides is giving our children the knowledge that they are able to contribute to and be part of the cultural life and identity of Nottingham (this is through events and performances at a number of Nottingham’s most prestigious performance venues, including The Royal Concert Hall and The Albert Hall).  

We strive to ensure that the subject specific vocabulary and terminology required within Music runs through all lessons and believe that this is a key element in developing children’s understanding of the subject, in turn supporting their ability to perform, compose and appreciate music. We aim to provide our children with meaningful music experiences where they will have the opportunity to learn and enjoy music independently and alongside other children, both from our school setting and from other schools (including area band, whole school musical performances, opportunities to experience professional musical performances, music camp etc). All children will have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument (guitar or flute) in Year 4 and will have the choice to continue with this in Year 5 and 6. 

Through our teaching we aim to raise awareness of Music as a subject and as a potential career field for the future. Our children should leave Huntingdon Academy with understanding of the many different career prospects that Music supports. Careers that are fundamentally linked with the subject and also those which use the skills, self-discipline and focus that Music as a subject teaches. 

Our music curriculum is underpinned but the National Curriculum Programme of Study for Key Stages 1 and 2.

They should be motivated by Music as a subject and be enthused to learn more whilst evaluating and improving their current skills. They should have a solid understanding of the need to practice and hone skills to improve further and be eager to work towards future goals. We want our children to be fully aware of the purpose of their learning and, therefore, consistently engaged. Our children will not be limited by their starting points, life experiences or individual needs. We will bring the experience and opportunities to them.  

National Curriculum Link

National Curriculum – Music key stages 1 to 2 (publishing.service.gov.uk)

Music Pedagogy

In order to give the subjects that we teach the credence that they deserve, we need to consider how we teach each subject discipline. Here is how we will deliver our Music curriculum.

Music inspires all pupils to succeed and excel in performance and skill based learning. It should provide opportunities for pupils to become confident in a way which supports their creativity and understanding of music from a wide range of genres, ages and cultures. Opportunities to perform musically help to build confidence and character and embed key values such as innovation and creativity and also promote respecting their own talents as well as supporting and appreciating those of others. It also supports the development of collaboration and evaluation strategies which can be applied across subjects as well as promoting the ambition to become life-long learners. It is vital that high quality music education is provided due to the positive impact it has on young people’s well-being and the noted positive effect it has on concentration, behaviour, social skills, confidence, resilience, team work, patience, perseverance and self-motivated learning. 

Opportunities should be provided to ensure that all pupils: develop competence to excel in a range of musical concepts, gain confidence in performing in front of an audience, have time to consider and evaluate their own and others compositions and performance and have the chance to learn to sing and also play a musical instrument of their choice (flute or guitar).  

Music at Huntingdon Academy is delivered is based around three clear concepts, Listening and Appraising, Creating and Performing.

Planning

Throughout Huntingdon Academy the music curriculum is supported by the Music Express scheme, this ensures that all year groups are provided with the correct musical diet. This is used alongside our schools bespoke progression of musical concepts. The delivery of our music curriculum is supported by a number of outside agencies. In EYFS the early development of music skills is enriched by the Rainbow Stripes team who help our children to develop their coordination, rhythm and singing skills. In KS2 the music curriculum is supported and delivered by the Nottingham Music Hub team who work in school every Friday and teach the children how to play flute and guitar alongside the lifelong skills of stave music reading, composing and performing.

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