The Music Curriculum

Intent

At Bewsey, we aim to provide high-quality music education which engages and inspires pupils to develop a love of music and their talent as musicians, and so increase their self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement. We believe that every child is a musician and has the right to develop their musical skills of singing, playing, improvising and composing as well as listening. Children have opportunities to perform their music both as individuals, small groups and whole classes.

The arts are an essential part of the curriculum at Bewsey Lodge and we are once again were awarded our Artsmark Gold status in June 2023.

The Arts Team continually strive to make the opportunities for pupils in the Arts better than ever!

Implementation

Music is taught weekly by our music specialist and is highly interactive.

Rhythm and melody are taught through the Kodaly approach where learning begins through songs, rhymes and games. In this way, each concept is PREPARED before it is PRESENTED carefully to the children after which it is PRACTICED for a lifetime. This ensures that children understand the sound world of music They build up a number of concepts but most importantly they can hear everything.

Impact

What Music looks like in EYFS:

These children in Reception are playing a hand clapping game to develop a steady beat.

The children are observed playing many steady beat games and are assessed as they play.

What Music looks like in Key Stage 1:

These children in year two have been learning how to read and write music notation. They then use moveable black dots to create their own music which they practice and then perform to the rest of the class.

These performances are recorded so that the children’s ability to read and write music can be accurately assessed.

What Music looks like in Key Stage 2:

These children in Year Six have been learning the letter names for music notation and learning how to play these on glockenspiel.

Children are assessed on their ability to play known rhythms and pitches with accuracy and fluency.

Click here to download our music curriculum overview.

Overview of rhythmic and melodic elements taught by year group

Sequence of concepts and elements

Skills progression

Click here to download our Music Development Plan.

Music Development Plan

Further Opportunities

Those who wish to take their music learning further can do so by becoming involved in our choir, flute and guitar groups or participate in Flute CLASP, guitar and keyboard tuition or even volunteer to be a subject champion.

Flutes

 As part of CLASP, children in year 5 and 6 have the opportunity to participate in flute lessons. In these lessons pupils learn how to read and play music confidently and also have opportunities to create their own music.

Guitar and Keyboard

Guitar and Keyboard tuition is provided by 'UpBeat Academy'. Children can participate in small group tuition on either instrument and a group of 15 children participate in our after school guitar club.

For more information about UpBeat Academy and to sign up for small group guitar or keyboard tuition, please click the link below.

http://www.learntoplaylive.com/about

Music Support

Music within the school is supported by Accent Music Education Hub, for more information about Accent Music please click here.

We have been recognised for the 3rd time as a music ambassador school by ‘Accent’ due to our outstanding music provision at Bewsey Lodge.

We are also recognised as a 'Music Mark' school after being nominated by 'Accent' due to our willingness to engage in the development of Music provision and in recognition of the value of Music education as part of a broad and balanced curriculum.

Drama

Drama helps our children develop academically as well as on a personal level. There are strong links to the Spoken Language element of the National Curriculum and the Expressive Arts element of the EYFS Development Matters document.

Along side this children also develop confidence and self esteem whilst extending subject specific knowledge, for example, children creating a sequence of movements to demonstrate the way the digestive system works in science or re-enacting an event from a story in R.E. or Literacy.

Dance

Dance is taught as an element of P.E. However, we also have links with a professional dance teacher from the 'Alexandra Jane School of Dance', who comes in to work with the children during the year. Dances are performed at our 'Bewsey Festival', at our Year 6 leavers performance and at other events during the year.
We also have a dedicated CLASP session for Dance which will enable children to further develop their dance and choreography skills. This is led by a professional dance coach from the Alexandra Jane School of Dance.

Performing Arts Opportunities

Those children showing a flair or passion for the performing arts have further opportunities to watch and participate in events both in and out of school.

Our choir performs at St Rocco’s ‘Light Up A Life’ service each December and also as part of a massed choir with other ‘Accent’ schools at the Brindley Theatre in the Spring term. Children in Key Stage One participate in the Accent music festival and our flutes have performed at joint events with other musicians from Accent and also Penketh High School.

We also have many performances in school including our ‘Bewsey Festival’ and ‘Bewsey’s Got Talent’ with lots of opportunities to perform for our dancers, actors and musicians.

INFANT MUSIC FESTIVAL

Mrs Whittingham, from Accent Music Hub, visited our school to sing lots of songs that told stories with our Year One and Two pupils. They also added instruments to the ‘Three Little Pigs’ story.

CHILDREN OF THE HUB SING

The choir perform annually at the Brindley Theatre in Runcorn and also perform at the DCBL Stadium in Widnes as part of a massed school choir.

BEWSEY MUSIC FESTIVAL

Our Bewsey Music Festival gives our flutes, guitars and choir the opportunity to perform alongside Warrington Concert Band. Watch out for next years performance!

The audience included pupils, parents and friends of school as well as Governors and other special guests.

The evening was a fantastic celebration of music making in Warrington and was well received by audience members and performers alike. Here are just a few of the comments we received after the event:

VISITING MUSICIANS

We were lucky to be able to have a visit from a National Youth Orchestra musician. She visited all our classes and performed on her trumpet, showing the children a range of music from classical through to jazz that the children have been learning about in class.