MUSIC AT WINDMILL PRIMARY SCHOOL

Music Lead: Sarah Reading

Music has a very important place at the heart of school life at Windmill, both in the classroom and in an extracurricular setting. We recognise that the aural and creative skills required for music making are intrinsic to every area of the curriculum. We value the role that music plays in developing self-confidence, creativity, emotional intelligence, cultural understanding and a sense of achievement in every child. We also recognise the contribution that singing together makes to general well-being.

Implementation

All year groups have music lessons taught by a music specialist in a dedicated music room.  Pupils in Key Stage Two also have weekly singing sessions. 

Curriculum content is based on the National Curriculum Programmes of Study and covers the strands of Performing, Composing, Appraising, Listening and Applying knowledge and understanding, addressing the musical concepts of pitch, rhythm, dynamics, timbre, texture and form/structure.

Where possible, the Music Curriculum is taught in a context that links it closely to the class topics, exploring them in a creative way and further developing and deepening understanding and knowledge. 

There is a strong emphasis on singing, practical and creative music making in all year groups. Children are encouraged to develop their performance skills, both in the classroom and in extracurricular activities.   

Progression is displayed through greater depth of knowledge, broader understanding and applying skills more expertly in increasingly challenging contexts.                                                                       

A large proportion of children learn an instrument and these skills are incorporated into class lessons wherever possible. 

Singing has a high profile in the school outside of music lessons, both as an extra-curricular activity and within the curriculum.  Singing is part of all special assemblies and events during the school year and the children sing regularly at other times in class, often to support their learning in other areas.                            

Every year, each year group takes part in a musical production in which singing plays a key role and all children have the opportunity to perform on stage.  

Impact

• Children at Windmill have the opportunity, through class and extracurricular activities, to become confident performers in a variety of contexts.  

• They will have developed the skills to become critical and attentive listeners.

• They will have developed an appreciation and understanding of a wide range of music from different genres, cultures and periods of history.   

• They will have had experience of reading both traditional and graphic notation through singing and practical music. 

• They will have an understanding of the different inter-related elements of music and apply this in improvisation and composition. 

• They will have had experience of performance, both at school and in the wider community. 

• They will have an understanding of how music forms a vital and integral part of the culture of any society.   

The Choir from the Big Christmas Sing 2024

Listen to the choir recording of When Children Rule the World from their

performance at the Big Christmas Sing 2024