Policy for Music
Date: 2015
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School Mission Statement
In order to achieve success at Fazakerley Primary School, we believe that everyone in our
community is of equal value and should be given the opportunity to develop their
potential intellectually, socially and physically.
Aims of the School
 To provide the highest possible quality of learning.
 To prepare children to take up duties and responsibilities of citizenship both as
individuals and toward the wider community.
 To foster self-esteem in the children and respect for property, efforts, strengths
and weaknesses of others.
 To create a disciplined environment in which children may reach their full
potential.
 To give each pupil curriculum entitlement that is broad, balanced and relevant in
an atmosphere conducive to learning.
 With the help of parents to bring out the in each child academically, personally
and socially.
 To encourage the partnership between home, school and the community. The
school Aims and School Code of Conduct are based upon a respect for oneself and
for others.
POLICY FOR MUSIC
Document Purpose
This policy reflects the values and philosophy in relation to the teaching and learning
of music.It gives a framework within which all staff work and gives guidance on
planning, teaching and assessment.
Audience
This policy document, having been presented to and agreed upon by the whole staff
and the governing body, is distributed to all individual members of the teaching and
non-teaching staff and school governors. Further copies of the policy are available in
the school office. Such distribution ensures the accessibility of the document to
visiting teachers, for example, outreach/support staff and parents. A copy of the
document is also kept by the Headteacher.
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Aims and Objectives
Music is a unique way of communicating that can inspire and motivate children. It
gives an opportunity for personal expression and it can play an important part in the
personal development of an individual. Music reflects our culture and society and so
the teaching and learning of music enables children to better understand the world
they live in. Music is a creative and enjoyable activity that can help children to feel
part of a community.
From an early age children have an awareness of rhythm, pitch and sounds around
them and these should be developed on entry to school. Music spans across all
seven areas of learning and development within the Early Years Foundation Stage. At
Key Stages 1 and 2 it is classed as a foundation subject within the National
Curriculum.
The aims of teaching music are consistent with our school’s philosophy:
 To provide a music curriculum which is broad and balanced
 To encourage children to enjoy musical activities and to provide them with the
skills and confidence to participate in musical activities with personal satisfaction,
developing a positive self-image and self-confidence
 To provide children with a means to express ideas and feelings through sound
 To develop a sensitive response to sound and music
 To provide a curriculum which progressively develops musical skills, concepts and
knowledge
 To develop insight through music into areas of experience, some of which cannot
easily be verbalised
 To promote positive attitudes towards, and enthusiasm for, music work in school
 To develop social skills and awareness whilst making music together
Within the teaching and learning of music, children will have the opportunity to:
 To know and understand how sounds are made and organise them into musical
structures
 To know how music is made through a variety of instruments
 To know how music is composed and written down
 To know how music is influenced by the time, place and purpose for which it was
written
 To develop the interrelated skills of performing, composing and appreciating
music
 To enjoy and appreciate a wide variety of music styles
 To make and quantify judgements about the quality of music
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Teaching and Learning Style
At Fazakerley Primary school we make Music an enjoyable learning experience. We
encourage children to participate in a variety of musical experiences through which
we aim to build up confidence of all children. Our teaching focuses on developing:
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An ability to sing in tune with other people
The skills of recognising pulse and pitch
An ability to play instruments with control and sensitivity
Working with others to make music, recognising how individuals combine
together to make sounds
 Knowledge of musical notation and how to compose music
We will ensure the skills of performing, composing, listening and appraising and
firmly embedded within in our music teaching:
Performing skills
Children will be taught to sing a wide ranging variety of songs and to use their voices
expressively. They should have the opportunity to play tuned and un-tuned
instruments with increasing control and should rehearse and perform with others,
with an awareness of audience.
Composing skills
Children will create musical patterns and will be shown how to explore, select and
organise musical ideas, recording these in a variety of ways, (e.g.: pictorial score, by
means of a digital recorder, tape recorder or video or using notation).
Appraising skills
Children will be given the opportunity to explore and explain their own ideas and
feelings about Music, using Music, dance, expressive language and musical vocabulary.
They will analyse and compare sounds and will become confident at suggesting
improvements for their own work and that of others.
Listening and Applying Knowledge and Understanding
Children should be able to listen with concentration and to internalise and recall sounds
with increasing aural memory. They will develop a growing awareness of the eight
Musical elements :pitch, duration, pace, dynamics, texture, timbre, form, silence. They
will learn that time and place can influence the way Music is created, performed and
heard, that Music is produced in different ways and is described through invented and
standard notations.
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Curriculum and School Organisation
In order to achieve the aims and objectives outlined previously, the teaching of
music at Fazakerley Primary School is approached in a flexible way throughout the
school, within each Key Stage and Year Group.
Foundation Stage
Music is taught in the Foundation Stage as an integral part of the topic work covered
during the year. The musical aspects of the children’s work are related to the seven
statutory areas of learning for Early Years Foundation Stage. Music Express has been
purchased for this key stage, but it is only intended as a support to teach discrete
skills within Music and it is expected that this will feed into the children’s musical
topic work.
Key Stage 1 and 2
It is expected that Music will be taught cross-curricularly on a topic basis. Each year
group will complete a Music Project each term that will be linked into current topics.
Examples of projects could be:
 Creating a Graphic Score to describe a scene e.g. Year 1 – The Seaside
 Composing Music to describe a process e.g. Year 2 – Life Cycle of a Butterfly
 Learning a topic song and adding instruments to prepare a performance e.g. Year
3/4 – Tudor Song (Music Express song sheet)
 Write a rap e.g. Year 5 – World War 2
 Create a Soundscape e.g. ‘Kensuke’s Kingdom’ soundtrack
Each group will perform their project within their unit and one performance per year
group will be chosen by the children to perform at the end of term concert.
Music Express Year books and Music Express Listening to Music Elements KS1 and
KS2 books have been purchased. These are for the teaching of discrete skills to
support the development of the children’s music projects and are not intended to be
followed as a rigid program.
All year groups in these stages will have weekly class recorder lessons for half a term
each academic year.
Whole School
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Singing in each class at least twice a week
Opportunities to share singing and identifying ways to improve
Singing Monitors in class that choose music for class to listen to each day
Whole school/ Key Stage singing in assemblies at least once a week
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Extra-Curricular
 ‘Fazakerley Singers’ singing club once a week all year
 ‘Musical Lunchtime’ – share singing/instrument playing on playground
 ‘Recorders Club’ once a week for 1 term per academic year
 ‘Rap Club’ once a week for 1 term per academic year
Peripatetic Teaching
We have a service level agreement with Liverpool Music Service and currently pay
for:
 Ukulele Teaching - One class lesson per week for a year for every Year 4 child
 Pair and Small Group Woodwind Lessons – 1 hour per week.
Liverpool Music Service also provide us with Charanga; a music scheme designed to
be followed by every year group. Each year has internet access to a plethora of
lesson plans and activities that progress and develop skills throughout the year.
Once a year ‘Presto Music Service’ visit us for a morning of showcasing various
instruments. Also, during Arts Week various instrumentalists will be invited in to
showcase a range of instruments for children to experience.
Planning and Monitoring
Planning will be on a topic basis and will be written by the music coordinator and/or
class teacher. The whole school music plan will be collated and updated by the music
coordinator based on the topic planning and music projects given by class teachers.
It will be the responsibility of the music coordinator to ensure music projects:
 cover the key skills of performing, composing, listening and appraising and the
National Curriculum programme of study
 increase breadth and range of musical experiences
 increase challenge and difficulty in musical activities
It is also the responsibility of the music coordinator to:
 ensure colleagues are supported in the teaching of music and are kept informed
of current developments in the subject, providing guidance where needed.
 give the head teacher an annual summary report which evaluates the strengths
and weaknesses of the subject and indicates areas for improvement within an
action plan
Assessment and Recording
Class teachers will assess children’s work throughout the music projects by making
informal judgements each session. On completion of music projects, class teachers
will highlight level descriptors for the key skills and musical elements provided by the
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music coordinator for a sample of children, and identify specific children who need
more support and those who made extended progress. Digital recorders can also be
used to record progress. All this information will be duplicated and given to the
music coordinator to be collected in the curriculum file.
Cross-Curricular Links
Music contributes significantly to the teaching of English and Mathematics, actively
promoting the skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening, counting and
sequences. Children develop their language skills through singing songs, with
attention to diction, meaning, rhythm and rhyme.
Through music children learn to work effectively with other people and to build up
good relationships. It has a vital role to play in building self-confidence. Links can be
made between music and children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development
by encouraging children to reflect on the effect that music has on people’s moods,
senses and quality of life. Through this we encourage our children to develop more
positive attitudes towards other cultures and societies.
ICT enhances the teaching of music in particular music technology where devices are
used to support and enhance the development of music e.g. recording a
performance to evaluate and suggest areas for development.
Art and DT can be linked with Music in many ways. Children can make musical
instruments and create graphic scores to represent their compositions. We explore
the link between Music and Art by listening to music and interpreting feelings
evoked by translating those feelings into pictures and vice versa.
Furthermore, music can be developed to support any other subject e.g. science
through the use of songs to help learn facts etc.
Inclusion
All staff at Fazakerley Primary school are responsible for ensuring that all pupils,
irrespective of gender, ability, ethnicity and social circumstances, have access to the
whole curriculum and opportunities to make the greatest progress possible in all
areas of the curriculum. We teach music to all children, whatever their ability and
individual needs. Through our music teaching we provide learning opportunities that
enable all pupils to make good progress. All teachers will provide learning
opportunities differentiated to the needs of the children especially those with
learning difficulties and those identified as gifted and talented. This may involve
encorporating specific targets from IEPs.
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See the Equal Opportunities, SEN, Gifted and Talented, Differentiation and EAL
policies for further information.
Resources
A range of tuned and untuned percussion, are kept in central storage cupboards
within each of Foundation Stage, Key Stage 1 and 2. Every year group will have a
class set of recorders kept within their own cupboards. All children must be taught
the importance of caring for instruments and playing them correctly. Any breakages
should be reported to the music coordinator.
CDs, teaching resources and singing books will be kept by the class teacher of the
year group they are most relevant to. Each year group will also have a digital
recorder to be used as an AfL and evaluation tool.
It is the responsibility of the music coordinator to review the use of resources and
their storage. Each year staff will be asked to submit a list of resources that are
required and these will be budgeted for within the yearly action plan.
Roles and Responsibilities
The teaching staff will be responsible for the teaching of Music as set out in this
policy with the guidance of the music coordinator.
Staff and governors are consulted about this policy during the Summer Term 2012.
This policy will be reviewed in two years by the music coordinator in consultation
with all teaching staff.
Signed: Miss H Worsell (Music Coordinator
Date: June 2012
Review date: June 2014
Music Policy H.Worsell 2012
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