Open Menu MUSIC Home » Curriculum » The Arts » Music Music At St Thomas of Canterbury, our intent is for all children in the school to have access to an engaging Music curriculum and high quality teaching, which enables them to be confident, creative musicians no matter their starting point and engenders in them a love of a variety of musical genres. We want to give our pupils the tools to evaluate music and empower them to have the self-confidence to share their musical knowledge and insights. Intent Why do we teach this? Why do we teach it in the way we do? At St Thomas of Canterbury, we value music because it is a most powerful and unique form of communication that can change and impact the way children feel, think and act; improving self-esteem and supporting pupils in their future life choices. Exposing children to a variety of music during early development helps them to learn the sounds and meanings of words, dancing to music helps children build motor skills while also allowing them to practice self-expression. We believe that every child should have the opportunity to develop their musical potential and we aim to nurture and encourage musical development across the school. Implementation What do we teach? What does this look like? Our whole curriculum is shaped by our school vision, which aims to enable all children, regardless of background, ability or additional needs, to flourish and become the best they can be. We teach the National Curriculum for Music through our topic based curriculum, supported by a clear skills and knowledge progression. This ensures that skills and knowledge are built on year by year and sequenced appropriately to maximise learning for all children. At our school, children gain a firm understanding of what music is through listening, singing, playing, evaluating, analysing, and composing across a wide variety of historical periods, styles, traditions, and musical genres. During the year, all children will have the opportunity to develop their understanding, skills and techniques in music and to learn an instrument as a whole class. In Reception and Year 1, the children will have the opportunity to learn to play the ‘bamboo tamboo’. In year 2 and 3, the children will learn how to play the recorder and in years 4, 5 and 6 the children will have the opportunity to learn and develop their skills in reading stave notation through learning to play the glockenspiel. We are very proud of our musical achievements at St Thomas of Canterbury. We welcome parents to our productions throughout the year to share the musical ability we have at our school. Our children perform during assemblies, in various styles of music, to increase the appreciation of music in their peers. In partnership with Merton Music Foundation, our peripatetic teachers come into school to teach piano lessons are giving opportunities for children to learn and develop their skills from an experienced specialist piano teacher. Impact What will this look like? By the time children leave our school they will: Have a rapidly widened repertoire which they will be able to use to create original, imaginative, fluent and distinctive composing and performance works. This will be evident through; A musical understanding underpinned by high levels of aural perception, internalisation and knowledge of music, including high or rapidly developing levels of technical expertise such as the ability to read and play music from stave notation. Very good awareness and appreciation of different musical traditions and genres. An excellent understanding of how musical provenance – the historical, social and cultural origins of music – contributes to the diversity of musical styles. The ability to give precise written and verbal explanations, using musical terminology effectively, accurately and appropriately. A passion for and commitment to a diverse range of musical activities THE ARTS Art Design & Technology (DT) Music Saint Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School, Commonside East, Mitcham, Surrey, CR4 1YG | Tel. 0208 648 0869 St Thomas of Canterbury School © 2021 Website design by Carr Kamasa Design