Music At St. Augustine’s Catholic Primary School

“Where words leave off, music begins.” – Heinrich Heine

“To sing is to pray twice.” –  Saint Augustine

Vision:

We will inspire our children to appreciate the power of music through exciting memorable learning experiences that will allow them to demonstrate their musical talents and capabilities.

Intent:

St Augustine’s Catholic Primary School Music Plan .docx

Our Music curriculum ensures that there is a focus on high-quality development of children as musicians. The curriculum is carefully designed to build pupils’ musical knowledge and develop their competency and confidence as musicians.

A child’s learning in Music begins in the very early years of school. Learning can be supported in both the prime areas of learning as well as the specific areas.

For example, the children must listen carefully to rhymes and songs, paying attention to how they sound (Communication and Language). Children must also learn to combine movements with fluency (Physical Development).

They learn how to:

  • Explore, use, and refine a variety of artistic effects to express their ideas and feelings.
  • Return to and build on their previous learning, refining ideas and developing their ability to represent them.
  • Create collaboratively, sharing ideas, resources, and skills.
  • Listen attentively, move to, and talk about music, expressing their feelings and responses.
  • Sing in a group or on their own, increasingly matching the pitch and following the melody.
  • Explore and engage in music making and dance, performing solo or in groups. (Expressive Arts and Design)

From Year 1, our music is taught in blocks which include the study of significant musicians and musical works, with the intention of exposing pupils to a wide range of music that will inspire them and connect them to the world around them. The curriculum is built to support non-specialist teachers in developing their own subject knowledge and delivering excellence in music education.

Core areas of study include singing, listening and appraising, composing and improvising, and instrumental performance. These are built cumulatively throughout the curriculum to ensure that all pupils develop their engagement with, and knowledge of, music over time. This includes a focus on learning to play a range of instruments confidently.

Our music curriculum has a strong emphasis on the language that pupils need to explore their own musicality. This is carefully and deliberately planned so that pupils revisit and embed this knowledge over time.

 

Subject Curriculum Overview 

Music Long Term Plan

Implementation:

At St. Augustine’s, we lay the groundwork for children to cultivate a lifelong appreciation of music. Through a variety of contexts, we foster a love for singing, playing, and listening, demonstrating how music can evoke happiness, motivation, and focus. By the end of KS2, our goal is for children to possess the skills, knowledge, and understanding to elevate their passion for music to the highest possible level.

Our music curriculum is delivered in diverse and engaging ways. Each class explores and acquires essential music skills. Alongside our CUSP curriculum, starting from Year 1, students across the school benefit from music provision by TVMS, including Ukulele sessions (Year 5 and Year 6) and Steel Pans (Year 4).

Additionally, we are fortunate at St. Augustine’s to receive supplementary music provision from the Diocese of Middlesbrough. KS2 pupils participate in weekly liturgical music sessions covering a range of skills. They engage in singing liturgical hymns and songs while also developing their musical awareness through the exploration of key musical features such as notation and composition.

Our Music curriculum is underpinned by clear structures and learning routines. This ensures that pupils (and teachers) can focus their cognitive attention on the core content in each teaching block. As with all CUSP subjects, Knowledge Notes support instruction and the revisiting of new concepts. This robust emphasis on cognitive science provides the framework for pupils to deepen and broaden their musical knowledge, ultimately fostering confident and inspired musicians.

 

Impact:

At St Augustine’s, we strive to develop pupils who:

  • Enjoy and appreciate a diverse range of musical styles, such as Classical, Jazz, and Rap.
  • Listen to, evaluate, and critique music spanning various historical periods, genres, cultures, styles, and traditions.
  • Express themselves creatively and imaginatively through music.
  • Perform with confidence.

Teachers can monitor their pupils’ progress against the national curriculum using Seesaw’s evidencing system, which enables staff to upload pictures and videos showcasing their pupils’ musical development. Additionally, we value student feedback and utilize various methods, including questionnaires and focus groups, to assess pupils’ views on music and the opportunities they receive, both within and outside the classroom.

St. Augustine’s School Choir

St. Augustine’s school choir comprises approximately 50 children who share a deep passion for singing. Throughout the year, they engage in rehearsals, diligently preparing a repertoire of hymns and songs for various performances and celebrations. Additionally, we actively participate in music events, including Snappy TVMS events and ‘Music in Mind Dementia’ friendly concerts within the community.

 

Useful links

Music Gallery