Our Context
Our children live in an area of outstanding musical history and opportunity. We have an abundance of music venues and theatres such as the Poole Lighthouse, Bournemouth International Centre and Pavilion with many smaller venues such as the Barrington and Tivoli.
We are fortunate to have strong links with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and the Dorset Music Service that are very active in promoting and developing opportunities for our children.
Our curriculum is designed to embrace our children’s understanding and appreciation of the cultural area that we live in and beyond.
In 2020, we were awarded the title of Music Mark School, nominated by Dorset Music Service for the value that we place on music and our commitment to a broad and balanced curriculum.
Intent
At Ferndown First School we believe Music is an essential and integral part of the curriculum. We value that listening to and making music fulfils an instinctive child’s need for self-expression and creativity. For our children, Music is a powerful, universal form of communication that can change the way they feel, think and act. It transcends different cultures, abilities and generations. In our school, Music has an integral part in developing skills, attitudes and attributes that support learning in other subject areas such as listening, concentration, intuition, perseverance, self-confidence and sensitivity towards others.
In a nutshell, ‘Music is an art which uses and combines sounds to express feelings and emotions.’
Implementation
- Music is taught through the big ideas of Singing and Playing, Composition and Improvisation, Thoughts and Feelings and History of Music.
- We use a variety of resources and do not rely on just one prescribed scheme.
- All children across the school follow a variety of topics throughout the year (currently being updated and revised) which provide coverage of the big ideas as mentioned above and the progression of important skills.
- During Key Stages 1 and 2, pupils gradually build on the skills, attitudes and values, knowledge and understanding they have started to acquire and develop during the Early Years Foundation Stage.
- We aim to deliver a class Music lesson once a week. This is supplemented with a weekly singing session which brings the whole school together and various performances throughout the year that bring year groups together and the wider community.
- A music specialist delivers the Music lesson and weekly singing sessions. This ensures the continuity of progression between the year groups and the high quality of teaching and subject knowledge required in this specialised area.
- Lessons involve class activities, paired, group and independent learning. Children are strongly encouraged to express their thoughts and feelings through interpreting, analysing, identifying and distinguishing between a variety of genres, time periods and cultures.
- Opportunities to develop children’s mindfulness are planned into the curriculum though ‘Paws for Thought’ moments.
- The topics of work also include opportunities to bring in British Values and emotional and mental well-being.
- Music education offers learning opportunities and experiences which reflect the increasing independence and physical and social awareness of our pupils as they move through the primary phase.
- We draw on the support from Dorset Music Service to support our teaching and learning and keep us up to date with new initiatives.
- A range of extra-curricular activities are available to enhance the curriculum and provide opportunities for children who show a real interest and passion for developing the subject.
Impact
As a result of our Music curriculum, our children:
- develop an understanding of how Music is a powerful, universal form of communication that can change the way they feel, think and act.
- understand that Music has an integral part in developing skills, attitudes and attributes that support learning in other subject areas such as listening, concentration, intuition, perseverance, self-confidence and sensitivity towards others.
- fulfil an instinctive need for self-expression and creativity.
- develop an understanding of the cultural area that they live in and beyond.
At Ferndown First School we aim to develop musicians who:
- enjoy listening to, composing and performing music.
- show a rapidly widening repertoire which they use to influence their compositions, making them original, imaginative, fluent and distinctive.
- have a musical understanding underpinned by high levels of aural perception, internalisation and knowledge of music, including high or rapidly developing levels of technical expertise.
- show good awareness and appreciation of different musical traditions and genres.
- have excellent understanding of how musical provenance – the historical, social and cultural origins of music – contributes to the diversity of musical styles.
- give precise, verbal explanations, using musical terminology effectively, accurately and appropriately.
- show passion for and commitment to a diverse range of musical activities.
