Music
"A new command I give you: love one another.
As I have loved you, so you must love one
another," (John 13:34).
Inspired by Jesus’ example, the Trent school
community aims to
serve one another in love.
We show kindness to others because God has
shown us great kindness.
We live thankful lives because every good thing
comes from God.
And we persevere, not giving up, because God is
our helper.
Music is one of the ways we experience the beauty
of God’s world.
As a school we use music to praise God regularly,
reflecting on the Christian messages of kindness,
thankfulness and perseverance that are conveyed
in the songs which we sing.
In music, as children work together in groups and as a
class, they show love and kindness as they help and
support each other.
As pupils work towards performances and learn new
instruments, they persevere, not giving up.
Intended Curriculum
At Trent, we believe that a good music education allows all children to beconfident, creative and collaborative.
We have established a school curriculum plan for music which is:
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Aspirational. Pupils are given opportunities to excel in the progressive and increasingly challenging objectives of each unit.
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Logical, broad and balanced. Pupils experience music from throughout history and from around the world, as well as performing on instruments such as keyboards, ukuleles, samba drums and mixed percussion.
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A foundation for the skills and knowledge developed in Key Stage 3 and beyond.
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Inclusive. All pupils access music lessons, with support and alternative activities where necessary.
At Trent, the study of music involves engaging pupils in lessons that enable them to understand and access increasingly complex musical ideas and skills through a focus on practical music making. Doing this through a breadth of topics allows pupils to experience wide ranging musical traditions, and develop skills in a range of instruments, voice and technology.
Curriculum Delivery
At Trent, we implement a practical approach to learning and teaching in music that develops our pupils as young musicians. Through lessons centred on performance and composition, our pupils develop understanding of musical vocabulary, analysis, notation and historical and geographical context alongside performance and composition skills.
Our lessons are planned according to National Curriculum Programmes of Study (2014). Our lessons are adapted to take into account individual needs of the pupils in each class in order to extend the learning of all pupils. Music is taught in discrete lessons, but there are lots of opportunities for cross-curricular links such as music from different places and compositions based on class
topics.
We ensure that all children are taught with rich learning experiences by:
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using our ‘Trent Style’ learning approach that is applied across all subjects.
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structuring each scheme of work so that it culminates in the completion of a performance or composition (which is always shared with the class, and often also in Class Assemblies).
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ensuring that the focus remains on the key practical objectives to help make learning activities engaging. Skills in theory and listening are developed alongside practical tasks.
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giving pupils opportunities to work individually, in groups and as a class (often all in the same lesson).
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exposing pupils to a variety of ‘real’ instruments as they progress through the school (e.g. keyboards, ukuleles, mixed percussion).
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continually building on prior learning, forming solid foundations of musical understanding.
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enabling pupils who already play instruments to use them in tasks, and have additional roles such as leading groups and notating work to use the following week.
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participating in performances. Pupils often work towards ‘big’ performances in music. These give the lessons an extra sense of occasion and excitement. The performances include class assemblies, the Nativity, the End of Year Show, and the Barnet Infant and Junior Music Festivals.
Through our intent and implementation of music, the pupils at Trent Primary School develop a rich and deep subject knowledge. As they move up the school, they continually build on their knowledge and skills, which they begin to draw upon to create cohesive performances and compositions.
Our pupils experience the challenge and enjoyment of learning through performing and composing on a variety of instruments and in a range of styles. They enjoy working towards creating recordings or perfecting performances which are then shown in their Class Assemblies.
Through learning theory and listening skills alongside practical ones, pupils understand and appreciate their real-world relevance. Their increasing theoretical skills then support their performances (e.g. being able to follow notation to help when learning a new song).
Pupils enjoy taking part in performances outside the classroom. Throughout their time at Trent, they have the opportunity to work towards a number of performances during music lessons, including class assemblies, the Nativity, the End of Year Show, and the Barnet Infant and Junior Music Festivals. Pupils also have the opportunity to become part of the choir, which sings at the School Fairs, CAMEO dinners at Church House, as well as Young Voices at the 02 and Prom Praise for Schools at the Royal Albert Hall. A number of pupils also have lessons at school on instruments including the piano, drums, guitar, violin, flute, clarinet and saxophone. These pupils enjoy sharing their performances in assemblies.
Impact