Music
Music Intent
Alma Park's Music curriculum begins in EYFS. This foundation in Music is based on musical listening and responding activities, such as clapping to the beat of a piece of music, identifying and matching instrumental sounds and singing simple songs. Children in EYFS also have the opportunity to use a variety of untuned percussion instruments. The non-statutory guidance for the National Curriculum provides the skill and knowledge progression foundations that are then built on to provide a purposeful progression of knowledge, skills and vocabulary. This ensures that the non-statutory guidance for the national curriculum end points are met.
Our pupils are given a breadth of experience to develop their understanding of themselves as individuals within their community and also as members of a wider global community and as responsible, confident young musicians. Pupils build on their knowledge and skills in different areas of music, such as music history, music genres and music notation. This ensures they can use their music knowledge to support learning across the entire curriculum.
The Music curriculum gives pupils life skills to enable them to embrace and utilise their knowledge through composing and performing in Key Stage Music Showcases, our yearly Talent Competition and other musical performances. Alma Park follows Music Express music scheme as well as offering wider opportunities for recorders, African drums, xylophones and keyboards for each year group on a yearly basis. This provides opportunities to combine the different strands of the National Curriculum and ensures progression. By teaching music in discrete lessons and with purposeful links to other curriculum areas, pupils develop creativity, resilience, confidence and musical skills. As a UNICEF Rights Respecting School Music is delivered in a safe and inspiring environment which nurtures children’s talents, allowing them to thrive so that when they leave Alma Park they are responsible, active citizens. Music at Alma Park promotes and encourages sustainability in various ways including: encouraging the community to donate any unwanted instruments. Diversity is embraced by giving opportunities to study a wide range of musical genres music from around the world and music history. Instruments and music resources are adapted when necessary to ensure SEND and disadvantaged pupils can access all aspects of the same curriculum.
At Alma Park we are always looking for opportunities to develop our curriculum and this involves seeking enrichment activities for our pupils not only by using local community links such as Young Voices, RNCM Opera and peripatetic teachers and by offering extra-curricular instrument lessons.