Music

Intent

At Southery Academy, we aim to foster a deep appreciation and engagement with music by exposing children to a vast range of musical styles and providing opportunities for creative musical expression. We believe that music is a powerful and distinctive form of communication and expression that can profoundly influence emotions, thoughts, and actions, offering avenues for personal reflection, emotional well-being, and cultural understanding.

Through our comprehensive and inclusive music curriculum, we intend to:

• Encourage children to listen to and appreciate a wide range of musical genres.
• Introduce children to various instruments, providing hands-on lessons to promote enjoyment and skill development.
• Educate children about famous musicians and songs that have shaped contemporary music.
• Enhance children's confidence and capabilities in musical performance, both vocally and instrumentally.
• Foster expressive use of their voices and creative exploration in songwriting, composition, and improvisation.
• Utilise technology, such as iPads, for recording and creating music.
• Celebrate cultural diversity by incorporating music from different traditions and well-known composers into the curriculum.
• Develop children's social skills and a sense of group identity through collaborative music projects.
• Encourage reflection and review to improve learning and performance.

By integrating these elements, our music program extends beyond the classroom, creating important connections between home, school, and the wider community, and ensuring that children’s musical knowledge and experiences are progressively built upon throughout their education.

Implementation

Instrumental Opportunities: Children will have the chance to play a range of instruments, including ukuleles.

Qualified Instruction: Children will be taught by the Music Coordinator to enhance their musical knowledge and skills. The Music Coordinator will deliver CPD to teachers across Southery Academy.

Performance Participation: Opportunities will be provided for children to participate in music-based activities and performances.

Diverse Musical Exposure: Children will be exposed to a variety of musical styles and genres.

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS): EYFS children will have full-time access to music and instruments, including a dedicated performance area in their outdoor space.

Resource Utilisation: We have access to KAPOW to support music lessons.

Monitoring and Recording: Southery Academy utilise FlipGrid via iPads to record lessons. Staff can upload music from lessons, assemblies, and cross-curricular links by clicking on the QR code on our Music display within school. Parents can also upload ‘out of school Music’ to the whole school through the QR code.

The Music Coordinator is responsible for ensuring that the progression of knowledge and skills document is up-to-date and implemented across all year groups. The day-to-day teaching responsibilities lie with the Music Coordinator, who follows a structured scheme supplemented as needed. Weekly teaching time is allocated as follows:

EYFS: Music incorporated into provision consistently.

Key Stage 1/2: 30 minutes of music lessons by Music Coordinator.

Daily Music Sessions: An additional 20-minute session led by the class teacher, focusing on different musical genres using the daily music calendar.

Music is also integrated into other curriculum areas, specific enrichment weeks, and class assemblies. The Music Coordinator is responsible for organising, managing, and allocating resources purchased for the school or borrowed from EMAT and EMAT schools.

Extra-Curricular Activities and Clubs

In addition to the curriculum, the school offers extra-curricular music activities and clubs to extend students' musical experiences. Staff members with musical expertise, both from within and outside the school, are encouraged to provide these opportunities to students.

Impact

The Music Coordinator will ensure continuity, progression, and the consistent implementation of the Music Policy through various monitoring and evaluation methods. They will be responsible for purchasing equipment and up-to-date resources, as well as providing colleagues with support, continuing professional development (CPD), and in-house training.

In collaboration with teachers at Southery Academy, Music Leaders across the Trust and Trust members, the Music Subject leads will work with class teachers to provide current assessments and input data onto a shared spreadsheet. Teachers will assess each child’s musical knowledge and ability by listening, questioning, and evaluating during each unit, with additional evidence collected during school performances.