Music
At Capel Primary School, we have started to use the Kent Interactive Music programme, Charanga. Home – Kent Interactive Music
Our Intent:
Through Charanga Model music curriculum, which is aligned with the National Curriculum for Music, and the non-statutory Model music curriculum, we intend to deliver music learning that is fun and engaging for all concerned. Through a spiral approach, children will revisit, build and extend the knowledge and skills incrementally. This supports consolidation, leading to confident musical ability which enables them to go further.
We aim to ensure children have many opportunities to listen to a range of music, sing and compose, using the skills that have been built on over their time at Capel.
Implementation:
Through Charanga Music, children have a clear development of skills and experiences that can be clearly seen in our progression map below. Weekly lessons are dedicated to the specific curriculum, but also is carefully planned by teachers to make links with other learning. For example, pupils will learn about specific cultures that may reflect their geography content, or history content. They will learn songs that develop their understanding of our culture, that help to reinforce and understand feelings and emotions, and that reflect a range of musical styles. Children have a music book to record their work that will go with them through the classes, enabling them to look back on previous learning and reflect on their next steps.
To ensure quality teaching, our staff are able to source training through the Charanga musical site, specifically matching their needs. We are able to respond to children's interests through the instruments we choose and the clubs that we provide. We also run staff meetings to explore strategies to teach notation and address areas that teachers would benefit from.
Our extra-curricular clubs include choir, run by Mrs Haffenden, Ukulele lessons run by Mrs Taylor, and we hope to run a drumming club this academic year. Our choir performs at public events and they travel to the O2 each year for Young Voices.
We also use Kent Music school to deliver whole class instrument lesson in Year 4, which is currently the Ukulele. The children receive a weekly lesson from a qualified music teacher. Some students also have individual tutoring lessons which may be piano, violin, or guitar. As of this academic year, pupil premium families can use their credit system towards the cost of lessons.
To promote music throughout the school. In assemblies we sing together and learning songs regularly, and we have held special musical assemblies where students could demonstrate their skills and some staff members also joined in. We also invite in musicians to come and show instruments to children, both in assemblies and through our Enrichment Days. Our first Enrichment Day of 2022/2023 was focused on music, with workshops around composing, drumming, performing, singing and listening. We also use music as a main part of our special Christmas performances, our class assemblies and special occasions.
Impact:
We see more children getting involved in music lessons, both at school and outside of school. Children are more confident to take up an instrument and to perform in front of others and our children love to watch them. Our children are more able to talk about music, identifying certain characteristics, sharing their responses and opinions and joining in with playing and singing.
Music in the Autumn Term 2023
Over the last few weeks, you will have been lucky enough to hear lots of music around the school. Year 4 are learning the Ukulele and are making progress every week, and some of those children are also in Mrs Taylor's ukulele club, giving them a chance to practise their skills more. We also have a music club for Key Stage 1, and so far they have been finding the pulse in familiar songs and using shakers to sing along, they have played Twinkle Twinkle on the glockenspiel and tried other small instruments!
In our assemblies we have been learning some seasonal songs - Conkers, Harvest Time and Wet Play! During our special Harvest assembly we had some song performances from EYFS, Year 5 and Year 2 which were delightful.
During the Christmas Season, we were invited to perform on local radio, so the whole school, and the choir, prepared some festive songs for recording. West Kent Radio then came into school where we performed our songs and they were recorded, along with some pupils talking about their favourite parts of Christmas. We all learned some Christmas Carols and songs, and some classes performed in our Christmas Assembly. Key Stage 1 put on their very own musical in December too, with two performances. Their reviews were amazing! In our Christmas assembly, we also heard from the Ukulele club who performed for us.
Music in the Spring Term 2024
The term started off with a trip to Young Voices again, where the choir were able to join in with thousands of other children in a concert. The event is always popular with our children and was well attended. The choir told the rest of the school about it and performed some of the songs. It was lovely.
Music lessons on the Ukulele have continued for Year 4, and we have had a few more children take up individual music lessons with Kent Music. We currently have children learning the guitar, piano and violin. One of our pupils has just passed his grade one Drum exam too - which is fantastic.
Through our Charanga Music lessons, children are particularly focusing on hearing different sounds in music, exploring different styles and developing their improvisation.
This term, we were lucky enough to bid successfully for a grant, so we could get our on ukuleles. We are now the proud owners of a whole set!