Music
Music at Ashley Down Primary School Aims (intent)
At Ashley Down Primary School, children learn about a diverse range of musicians, genres, historical periods, styles and traditions including the works of great composers and musicians. Children are engaged and inspired to develop a love of music and to nurture their own talents by listening, composing and performing using a range of tuned and untuned instruments. Music is utilised to increase children’s self-confidence, creativity, sense of achievement, wellbeing, belonging and togetherness through music lessons, singing assemblies and other activities throughout the school. Technical skills are taught, such as reading Western musical notation and understanding the interrelated dimensions (pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture and structure).
What it looks like here (implementation)
In years 1, 4, 5 and 6, 3 units of music are taught across the year. In music lessons, children study a diverse range of musicians, genres, styles and traditions. They have the opportunity to compose and perform their own music, as well as using technology to record and listen to their compositions. Children also learn to read and write Western notation, and to see other forms of written notation.
In years 2 and 3, music lessons are provided throughout the year by professionals from Bristol Beacon as part of the Earthsong Project. Peripatetic music teachers carry out small group and individual instrument lessons across the school.
In years 4 and 5, Bristol Beacon’s Earthsong project provides funded instrument lessons for a number of children and whole class music composition lessons. Children have the opportunity to sing together regularly in weekly singing assemblies which increases their sense of belonging and togetherness. As well as explicit taught music lessons there are other cross-curricular and incidental musical activities which happen throughout the year. We are also mindful of the opportunities in which children are given to perform and ensure that this is balanced through their time at Ashley Down.
For more information about the Earthsong Programme 2024-2029 please follow the link below to the Bristol Beacon Website:
https://bristolbeacon.org/music-in-schools/earthsong-programme/#overview