Music

Children at Wrenbury 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.

Coverage and progression in music is woven into our annual Learning Journey overviews for each Base using the Charanga Music Scheme as a tool to support quality teaching and learning. Music lessons are planned discretely into termly overviews and are delivered as part of a wider learning journey for the term. Alongside this, children are taught singing as a whole-school ensemble through singing assemblies and perform regularly through seasonal performances for harvest, Christmas, Easter and at the end of the school year. Our curriculum is enriched through external tutors providing specialist tuition, such as brass tuition, for classes. We also have a school singing group who perform within the local community. Some children take up extra 1-2-1 instrument tuition within school across a range of instruments, including guitar, piano and violin.

Assessment in music is teacher-led and ongoing and follows the school's curriculum progression overview. Teachers use a range of practical approaches to assessment such as questioning, observation and discussion throughout teaching as well as assessing performance and compositions. Evidence of work in music is recorded in individual learning journey books and on working displays within the classroom and across the school.

Monitoring is carried out by the music subject lead during subject leadership time. We use termly planning overviews, pupil and teacher interviews and evidence from learning journeys along with performances to ensure curriculum coverage, monitor pupil learning and ensure progression in line with the subject development plan. Where possible, observations of teaching and learning walks are carried out when music is being taught. Findings are recorded in monitoring forms, with successes, areas for development and short-term actions shared at the following staff meeting or individually with relevant staff. Longer term actions are recorded by the music subject lead with a set review date to be included as part of an action plan.

Most instruments for class use are securely stored in School House. All teachers are responsible for retrieval, safe use and return of any used resources neatly to the correct area. Staff should report any broken or damaged instruments to the music lead. Resources will be monitored and suggestions to replace or update music resources should be raised with the computing lead who will discuss any purchases with the budget holder.

All teachers are responsible for explaining how to use instruments safely and carefully. Heavy, cumbersome or fragile instruments should be carried around school under supervision of adults, following correct guidance on heavy lifting. When using voice, children and adults should correctly warm-up their voices and be taught and use the correct breathing technique to avoid strain, illness or injury. Songs chosen to sing should also carefully consider children's level of vocal development, pitch and range. If staff are unsure regarding the safe teaching of music, they should speak to the music lead who can signpost to further support.

Base 3
Jan 2020: The children added atmosphere, through their musical accompaniment and 'waves', to readings about St Paul's sea journey to Malta at Chester Cathedral. 'The sound and vision effects for the readings really did enhance the story telling, and the precision of creating the Maltese Flag was very moving.' Congratulations email. (Churches Together service)

Dec 2019
What a lovely treat for mums, dads and grandparents — our wonderful Base 3 musicians performing in their very own concert! Newsfeed (Brass concert)

Base 4
Jan 2020: We've also been listening to Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries, composing our own trills, swoops and leitmotifs using triads to show the daring and darting flight of the eight sisters.

Base 5
Spring 2020
'The children have been continuing with their singing, this time adding rap to their repertoire ! I can't believe they managed to say all those words so well! I loved seeing you bobbing and moving to the beat; wonderful! We will soon be bringing in the skills we learnt last term and building on them by adding notation and playing instruments to the songs we have learnt.'
Autumn 2019
Throughout the term we have been listening to a wide range of classical composers- both modern and old. We have listened to the music from the film of 'Mortal Engines' , we have listened to music that Sir Christopher Wren would have listened to and enjoyed the work of many more famous composers. Today we began to learn more about notation- we learnt about notes, beats and how to read these. We then used this to play 'We Three Kings' and we even attempted Beethoven's 5th Symphony.

PUPIL VOICE

Lizzy Y4 Autumn 2019
'I also really enjoyed Blizzard — our winter Concerto — we performed in front of the school. Blizzard — Ice cracking — Blizzard — Dancing snowflakes — Blizzard — Winter Wonderland — Blizzard — Winter's come — Blizzard. Isaac was the main conductor and we had different conductors for each group but Isaac controlled it all.'

Maisie Y2 Autumn 2019
'I enjoyed 'The King of the Birds' I really enjoyed doing the music — there were all kinds of musical instruments and some of them I had never played before: castanets, triangles.'

MUSIC BEYOND THE CLASS LESSON
Music in the community:
Singing at:

Musical accompaniment at:

Brass Concert for:
parents — concert led by Y3 following a term of Brass tuition